Back to all
June 7, 2021
iClima Team
Credit: Project Drawdown
Project Drawdown identifies a range of existing and effective climate change solutions that can bring the world to net zero by 2050. Each of the 100 solutions they pointed out reduces greenhouse gases by avoiding emissions or by sequestering carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere.
According to their research, the world can reach Drawdown by mid-century by utilising emissions reduction and sink solutions across the main sources of GHS. Also, they point out the relevance of educating society about reproductive healthcare and individual efforts to mitigate climate change. For each of the climate change solutions identified, Project Drawdown estimates and discloses the potential avoided emissions - CO2 equivalent reduced or sequestered – that each solution could enable, from 2020 to 2050 in gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent. Project Drawdown quantifies the potential impact of each technology and the most effective means to decarbonise the world.
Inspired by these findings, iClima Earth shaped a portfolio of companies that generate revenues in line with the solutions identified by the Project Drawdown. iClima effectively combines and reflects them in five segments and 27 sub-segments, as shown in the following table.
The full range of the Project Drawdown solutions are shown and explained below. The solutions are split by sector - highlighted in blue the solutions that are represented in the universe of companies vetted by iClima Earth. The CO2e reduced or sequestered figures are highlighted in pink, ranging from dark pink (for high emissions avoidance potential) to light pink (for low emissions avoidance potential).
Project Drawdown’s Energy sector is represented by 32 solutions that either shift electricity production from fossil fuels to renewable sources, improve energy efficiency, or improve the electricity supply system.
Nuclear Power is not considered by iClima as a climate change solution because of its controversial operational safety and waste issues. The rest of the solutions are represented by iClima’s Green Energy, Water and Waste Improvements, Enabling Solutions and Sustainable Products segments.
Project Drawdown’s Electricity sector climate change solutions
Project Drawdown’s and iClima's Climate Change Solution segments
Project Drawdown identifies 14 solutions in the Food, Agriculture and Land Use sectors related to conservation of land, efficient management of soil, sustainable agriculture practices that enable reduction and sequestration of emissions. iClima was able to integrate some of these solutions with the most significant emissions avoidance potential and included companies that are engaged in forest protection, reduction of food waste and production of plant-rich diet products.
Project Drawdown’s Food, Agriculture, and Land Use sector climate change solutions
Project Drawdown’s and iClima's Climate Change Solution segments
In Project Drawdown’s Industry solutions there are technologies that improve materials’ carbon footprint throughout their lifecycle stages, as well as solutions that enable emissions reduction from waste use and management. iClima reflects all the solutions from this sector across its segments except for Alternative Refrigerants and Refrigerants Management that have not yet been integrated for lack of relevant publicly traded companies in this activity.
Project Drawdown’s Industry sector climate change solutions
Project Drawdown’s and iClima's Climate Change Solution segments
In the Transportation solutions sector, Project Drawdown includes electric alternatives to conventional vehicles. Such alternatives include trains and other public transport, technologies that enable transport efficiency, and a shift of the transportation mode to low-carbon alternatives. iClima integrated the majority of the Transportation solutions, highlighted in blue in the table below, that are covered and represented by iClima’s segments and portfolio companies.
Project Drawdown’s Transportation sector climate change solutions
Project Drawdown’s and iClima's Climate Change Solution segments
Project Drawdown’s Buildings solutions cover technologies that enhance energy efficiency of buildings’ heating and cooling systems, technologies that enable a shift to renewable energy source for electricity and heat generation, and solutions that address greenhouse gas emissions from refrigerants. These solutions are represented by products and services developed by companies in iClima’s Sustainable Buildings, Energy Efficiency and Measurement Instruments sub-segments.
Project Drawdown’s Buildings climate change solution
Project Drawdown’s and iClima's Climate Change Solution segments
There are 22 carbon sequestration solutions identified by Project Drawdown. Such solutions are in sustainable land management, afforestation and forest conservation. Forest Protection, Plant-Rich Diets and Reduced Food Waste solutions are provided by companies in iClima’s Sustainable Forestry and Food Solutions sub-segments. There are not many publicly traded companies operating in several of the segments identified by Drawdown (cells in grey).
Project Drawdown’s Land and Sinks sector climate change solutions
Project Drawdown’s and iClima's Climate Change Solution segments
Lastly, we highlight four specific solutions identified by Project Drawdown where iClima Earth has not been able to identify a publicly traded company with relevant activities in the space.
Source: Project Drawdown Solutions