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This blog was authored by Talley Burley, Manager, Climate Risk & Insurance; Carolyn Kousky, Associate Vice President for Economics and Policy; and Leslie Labruto, Managing Director, Sustainable Finance.  This is the first in a multi-part series on how insurers can support the energy transition. The series will explore opportunities and challenges and highlight emerging insurance …

In-depth cover crop financial data from 141 Minnesota and Wisconsin farms informs farmers’ cover crop decisions.

As farmers grapple with severe weather conditions, it's crucial to support them in implementing climate-smart agriculture practices that can bolster the resilience of their operations.

  Extreme weather caused by climate change is a threat to human health and safety, but it is also increasingly the cause of serious economic disruptions. And in the transition to a lower carbon economy, companies are navigating both opportunities and challenges. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently adopted a rule to better equip …

Op-ed discusses how, as we approach Katrina’s 19th anniversary, the decisions we make on Election Day will determine whether we can prevent future superstorms.

By Lila Harmar and Valerie Miller The start of summer hurricane season in the Caribbean has only just begun, yet the region has already weathered its first category five tropical storm, Beryl. Beryl caused major damage to homes, power lines and more across the southeast Caribbean, fueled by high temperatures in the Atlantic. The increase …

The rule is a vital step forward to better protect investors and markets

Recent extreme weather reveals how business as usual must rapidly change to keep up with physical climate risks to supply chain continuity.

Statement from Daniel Whittle, Associate Vice President, Resilient Caribbean, Environmental Defense Fund

As climate change increases the risk of deadly wildfires, a very old practice is gaining a resurgence to help fight fire with fire.

The U.S. needs to build a lot more high-voltage electric transmission lines. Our current system is disconnected in all of the wrong places, leaving bountiful renewable resources stranded, individual regions isolated, and disadvantaged communities with unreliable power and exorbitant costs. Even where we do have connections, many of the lines are outdated and can’t accommodate …

Climate change impacts threaten the stability of the US housing market. In response to growing concerns that increasing costs of flooding are not fully captured in property values, the authors of this study quantify the magnitude of unpriced flood risk in the housing market by comparing the empirical and economically efficient prices for properties at risk.

By Braulio A. Quintero Seven years after hurricanes Irma and Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico in 2017, the island continues to struggle with a deficient electrical power infrastructure. Power outages are common, the price of electricity continues to increase and the reconstruction of the power grid is not happening fast enough. Power outages affect …

Hurricanes are obviously destructive, but they also carry a hidden danger — toxic chemicals in the air and water.

Voluntary home buyouts,can facilitate the relocation of residents out of increasingly flood-prone communities. But unfortunately, existing federal programs are slow and require local governments to meet complex and challenging guidelines. Innovative approaches are needed to make buyouts more efficient. Here are three strategies that can help. The post Three ways to make home buyouts more efficient first appeared on Growing Returns.

The Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are the most ambitious environmental laws in U.S. history — and already, they’re improvin

EDF statement of Rachel Rhode, Manager, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Florida

One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that significantly reduced federal wetlands protections, leaving America’s wetlands at greater risk of development and degradation. The case of Sackett v. EPA was decided 9-0 in favor of the Sacketts, a couple from Idaho that filled in wetlands to build on their property near Priest …

EDF statement of Emily Steinhilber, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Virginia

"Much of the conservation and climate change spotlight falls on tropical forests. Given this, people might forget that forests in the temperate areas — those found in large parts of North America, Europe and higher latitudes in Asia and Australia — also have the power to help limit climate change," EDF experts Amanda Leland and Steven Hamburg write in Scientific American.

Cuba is in the midst of an economic and energy crisis, but with domestic action and international support, there is opportunity for change. This report by EDF and the Columbia Sabin Center for Climate Change Law presents the current context and recommendations for improvements over the short, medium and long-term.

As farmers in the EU protest, climate change impacts are already making food production harder. The post EU must act to protect farms and food production from climate risk first appeared on Growing Returns.

From PTSD to anxiety and grief, climate change is taking a toll on people’s mental health. Here’s an expert take on this growing crisis, and tips on how to cope. 

By Abimarie Otaño Cruz The results of the Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study (PR100) contain an important conclusion: “Puerto Rico can make a feasible transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050, but significant improvements and investments in the system, guided by meaningful community participation, are necessary to achieve this.” …

As temperatures get hotter and hotter from climate change, the cherry blossom trees have been blooming earlier and earlier.