Trends, major moments and policy decisions in 2020 related to climate change, biodiversity, corporate sustainability, technology, politics, and more. The presentation highlights actions by governments, businesses, activists, finance and innovators that will shape the trajectory for climate action and other environmental issues for the decade to come.

4. 2010 - Mark Zuckerberg
2011 - The Protester
2012 - President Barack Obama
2013 - Pope Francis
2014 - The Ebola Fighters
2015 - Angela Merkel: Chancellor of the Free World
2016 - Donald Trump: President of the Divided United
States
2017 - The Silence Breakers: The Voices that Launched a
Movement
2018 - The Guardians and the War on Truth
2019 - Greta Thunberg: The Power of Youth
TIME Person of the Year

5. Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (2010)
$17.1B in damages
to natural resources
Photo: US Coast Guard/Wikimedia

6. Hurricane Sandy (2012)
$70B in damages
Photo: Sgt. Mark C. Olsen/US Air Force/ New Jersey National Guard/Wikimedia

7. Floods Devastate India and Pakistan (2014)
Death toll
1,300
Photo: Flickr/India Air Force

8. China’s Airpocalypse (2016)
500M
people impacted
Photo: V.V. Polywoda/Flickr

9. “Day Zero” Threatens Cape Town and Other
Cities (2018)
4M risk
of running
out of water
Photo: Zaian/Wikimedia

10. An Inferno of Fires
California 2018: 1.8M hectares
Amazonia 2019: 900,000 hectares
Australia 2019: 6.3M hectares
Photo: Flickr/robdownunder

11. Some Good News: New Global Goals (2015)

12. Global Climate Agreement in Paris (2015)
Photo: COP Paris/Flickr

14. What Went Wrong?
• Failure of Collective Action
• Rising Inequality
• Erosion of Democratic Norms
• Resurgence of Nationalism

17. Part 1: Three Major Issues

18. Part 1: Three Major Issues

19. Part 1: Three Major Issues

20. Part 1: Three Major Issues

22. Ocean Overheated…
Marine heatwaves doubled
since 1982, driving coral
bleaching events
Photo: Mark Spalding/WRI

23. Overpolluted…
8M metric tons of
plastic every year​
Photo: Vaidehi Shah/Flickr

24. …and Overfished
33% of stocks are overfished​
60% are fully fished
Photo: Germano74/pxhere

25. Even Worse Than We Thought
IPCC Special Report on
Ocean and Cryosphere
September 2019
Climate impact on
ocean: $428B by 2050
Photo: United Nations/Mark Garten/Flickr

26. 2020 Targets Off Track
• End illegal fishing
• End harmful fishing subsidies
• Protect 10% of the ocean

27. 2020 UN Ocean Conference
Lisbon, Portugal
June 2-6
Photo: Michaela Loheit/Flickr

28. Can High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean
Economy Create a New Narrative?
HLP Report:
June 2020
Photo: Alex Bennett/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH
Kenya
Palau Portugal
Australia Chile Fiji
Indonesia
GhanaCanada
Jamaica Japan Mexico
Namibia Norway

29. Will WTO Cut Harmful Fishing Subsidies?
Twelfth Ministerial Conference
Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
June 8-11
Photo: Kalpak Travel/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

30. Will Nations Reach a High Seas Agreement?
2/3 of the ocean
unregulated
and unmanaged
Photo: Ruth Noguerón/WRI/Flickr
UN negotiations:
Next round
March 23-April 3
WHAT TO WATCH

31. Will New National Climate Commitments Include
Ocean Action?
Ocean-based action
could deliver 1/5 of
emissions reductions
needed by 2050
Photo: Chris Bentley/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

33. Biodiversity Under Threat
1M species threatened
with extinction​
~60% average decline in
animal populations since 1970
Photo: Vincent Poulissen/Flickr

34. AICHI Targets: Deadline in 2020

35. AICHI Targets: Deadline in 2020
…instead, almost doubled

36. 2020 Biodiversity COP
Kunming, China
October 5-10
Photo: Stephen Zopf/Flickr

37. Will New Targets Drive Accountability?
• Geography-Based ​
• Footprint-Based​
• Equitable Sharing
Photo: WRI/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

38. Will Governments Commit to Protect 30% of Land
and Sea?
Photo: Brando/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

39. China in the Spotlight?
#1 importer of
soybeans, beef
and timber
Photo: Xusenru/Pixabay
WHAT TO WATCH
#1 foreign investor in
infrastructure and
extractive industry

41. Hottest Decade on Record (2010-2019)
Source: NASA

42. Global CO2 Emissions All-Time High
Source: Global Carbon Project

43. We Need to Peak Emissions ASAP
Source: WRI

44. We Need to Peak Emissions ASAP
Source: WRI

45. We Need to Peak Emissions ASAP
Source: WRI

46. We Need to Peak Emissions ASAP
Source: WRI

47. 2020 UN Climate Conference
Glasgow, UK
November 9-20
Photo: Ad Meskens/Wikimedia

48. Will Countries Make Ambitious Commitments?
Long Term…
Net Zero by 2050:
73 Countries
398 Cities
786 Businesses
16 Investors
Photo: Aaron Minnick/WRI
WHAT TO WATCH
…And Short Term
Enhanced National
Climate Commitments
(NDCs)

49. Progress in Key Areas?
• Nature-Based Solutions
• Adaptation
• Finance Ministers
Photo: CIFOR/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

50. Will Climate Commitments Move the Needle?
WHAT TO WATCH

51. Will Climate Commitments Move the Needle?
WHAT TO WATCH

52. Part 2: The Actors

53. Part 2: The Actors

54. Part 2: The Actors

56. It’s Not the Good Old Days
Photo: United Nations

57. Don’t Count on Us
G20 Summit November
2020 Saudi Arabia
Photo: Alan Santos/Wikimedia

58. A Mixed Bag
Photo: White House/Flickr

59. Leaders of the Pack
Source: Climate Watch
79 countries
10.5% of
emissions

60. Will Major Emitters Stand Up?
China 23%
US 12%
EU 7.3%
India 7%
Source: Climate Watch
WHAT TO WATCH
~50% of global emissions

61. Will China Be Bold?
• More coal? Renewables?
• Belt and Road Initiative
• Commodities
Photo: Kremlin
WHAT TO WATCH

62. Will India Surpass Expectations?
• Renewables
• Coal
• Electric Vehicles
Photo: Presidential Communications Operations Office/Wikimedia
WHAT TO WATCH

63. Will the EU Green Deal Gain Traction?
• Germany?​
• Brexit?
• EU-China?
Photo: Diliff/Wikimedia
WHAT TO WATCH

64. And What About the United States?
Photo: Dean Franklin/Wikimedia
WHAT TO WATCH

65. Trump’s Attack on Environment Continues
95
total rollbacks
Photo: Tony Webster/Flickr

66. We Are Still In
68% of GDP
51% of emissions
Photo: Steve Morgan/Wikimedia
3,800 states, cities,
business and more

67. Progress in 2019—Despite Trump
↓ 2% decline GHG emissions
↓ 18% decline in coal generation
Photo: Flickr/National Renewable Energy Lab

68. How Will Climate Play in the Primaries?
Democratic National Convention
July 2020
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Photo: Andrew Dallos/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

69. What Happens on November 3?
Photo: Steven Bevacqua/Flickr
November 9:
COP 26
November 4:
Paris Withdrawal
WHAT TO WATCH

71. Financial Sector Waking Up to Climate Risk

72. Fossil Fuels No Longer a Sure Bet
BlackRock:
$90B lost on fossil fuels,
2009-2019
Photo: Financial Times/Flickr

73. … and Physical Risks Have Arrived
Climate disasters cost
$650B in past 3 years
Photo: CIFOR

74. More Heavyweights Avoiding Fossil Fuels
INSURERS MULTILATERAL
DEVELOPMENT
BANKS
STATE INVESTMENT
FUNDS
SOVEREIGN
WEALTH FUNDS
ASSET MANAGERS

75. Flows to Sustainable Investment Funds on the Rise
Morningstar

76. Lots of Initiatives
ASSET MANAGERS ASSET OWNERS BANKS
FINANCIAL
REGULATORS
FINANCE
MINISTERS
INSTITUTIONS FOR
DISCLOSURE

77. But Fossil Fuels Still Winning
Source: WRI
Wells Fargo
Barclays
Bank of America
JP Morgan Chase
Société
Générale

78. Will Financial Regulators Push for More Green, Less
Brown Investment?
• Risk weighting
• Disclosure
• Stress testing
Photo: Europe Central Bank/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

79. Will Development Banks Align Portfolios
with Paris Goals?
European Investment Bank: No more
fossil fuel projects, including oil and gas
Photo: Forgemind ArchiMedia/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

80. Will Finance Ministers Influence NDCs?
• Carbon Pricing
• Green Fiscal Policies
Photo: World Bank
WHAT TO WATCH

81. Can the Financial Sector Come Together?
Mark Carney, UN Special
Envoy on Climate Action
and Finance
Photo: World Economic Forum/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

83. Leading Corporations Rethinking Their Role
WEF: “The purpose of a
company is to engage all its
stakeholders in shared and
sustained value creation”
Photo: WEF/Flickr

84. Some Major Businesses Taking the Lead
• 750+ companies committed to
science-based climate action
• Nearly 4 GtCO2
Photo: Walmart Corporate/Flickr

85. New Circular Economy Models Emerging…
Photo: Bradley Siefert/Flickr
$4.5T opportunity

86. …But Consumerism Still Draining Natural Resources
1.75x faster than
planet can renew
Photo: CSIRO/Flickr

87. Companies Missing the Mark on Deforestation Targets
5M hectares
sacrificed for
commodities each year
Photo: CIFOR/Flickr

88. Will 1,000 Businesses Align With Climate Science
by COP26?
WHAT TO WATCH

89. Will More Industries Reach a Tipping Point?
Photo: Adam Cohn/Flickr
What about others?
• Fossil fuels
• Cement
• Metals
• Aviation
20% of companies in
some sectors:
• Food & beverage
• Apparel
• Hospitality
• IT & Telecom
WHAT TO WATCH

90. Will Companies Go Beyond Climate?
WHAT TO WATCH

91. Will Trade Associations Change Their Ways?
• International Chambers Coalition​
• Business Roundtable​
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce​
Photo: Walmart/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

93. Tech Moves Faster Than You Think
Source: Comin and Hobijn and others/visualcapitalist.com

94. Tech Moves Faster Than You Think
Source: Comin and Hobijn and others/visualcapitalist.com

95. Tech Moves Faster Than You Think
Source: Comin and Hobijn and others/visualcapitalist.com

96. Tech Moves Faster Than You Think
Source: Comin and Hobijn and others/visualcapitalist.com

97. Tech Moves Faster Than You Think
Source: Comin and Hobijn and others/visualcapitalist.com

98. Tech Moves Fast
Impossible Burger:
2016: 0 restaurants​
2020: 15,000+ restaurants​
Photo: Tony Webster/Flickr

99. Will Cities and Companies Electrify Their Fleets?
• Bogotá and Chile:
1100 new e-buses for 2020​
• Amazon's 100k electric truck fleet
starts starting in 2020​
• Coming soon: Ford's Electric
F-150 and Tesla Cybertruck
Photo: WRI
WHAT TO WATCH

100. Is Battery Storage the Next Disruptor?
3x GW growth projected for
2020 in U.S.
Photo: Smnt/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

101. Hard to Abate Sectors: Easier Than You Think
Total cost of decarbonization:
<0.5% of global GDP​
Photo: Unsplash
WHAT TO WATCH

102. The Next Frontier?
• Plans for world’s largest direct air
capture plant underway​
• Heliogen’s solar energy
reaches 1,000° C​
• Electric aircraft testing​
• First zero emission gas power plant
moves toward full-scale deployment​
Photo: Heliogen
WHAT TO WATCH

104. Photo: University of Michigan

105. First Earth Day: April 22, 1970
• 1970: Clean Air Act
Creation of EPA
• 1972: Clean Water Act
• 1973: Endangered Species Act
Photo: University of Michigan

106. Growing Social Movements
• Extinction Rebellion​
• #FridaysForFuture
• #PrayForAmazonas
• Green New Deal​
• Tech walkouts​
Photo: Julia Hawkins

107. Youth Leading the Way
• September 2019:
7M people
in 185 countries
• Young people across
6 continents rank climate
change top global issue​
Photo: 350.org/Flickr

108. Indigenous People Standing Together
4 environmental
defenders killed
every week
Photo: 350.org/Flickr

109. Workers in on the Climate Movement
• International Trade Union
Confederation
• AFL-CIO
Photo: Peg Hunter

110. A Time of Social Unrest
• France: rise
in fuel taxes
• Chile: fare hike for
public transit
• Ecuador: reduced
fuel subsidies
Photo: Olivier Ortelpa/Flickr

111. Inequality and Climate Crisis Are Linked
The richest 10%
account for half of
global greenhouse
gas emissions​
Photo: Johnny Miller/Unequal Scenes

112. Will Civic Space Be Protected?
Escazú Agreement:
5 more countries to
enter into force​
Photo: Daniel Cima/CIDH
WHAT TO WATCH

113. Will Climate Plans Address Just Transition?
Photo: Unclimatechange/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

114. How Will Governments Respond?
EU, Argentina,
Bangladesh, Canada,
UK declared climate
emergencies​
Photo: European Parliament/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

115. Will Activism Lead to Political Change?
Photo: Peg Hunter/Flickr
WHAT TO WATCH

118. Silent Spring: Published 1962

119. US Banned DDT in 1972

120. Cuyahoga River—1969

121. Cuyahoga River—Today

122. April 22: 50th Anniversary of Earth Day

123. Photo: White House Photo Office