The 2023 UN Conference of Parties – or COP28 – like its predecessors, concluded with mixed results. Some have lauded the “historic” consensus text which includes the need to “transition” away from fossil fuels. Others have lamented the vague language and non-binding nature of the text which, once again, leaves countries with too much leeway to circumvent real action while giving the appearance of climate leadership.

After launching in 2022, Drawdown Stories worked this year to more deeply deliver on its core purpose: to “pass the mic” to the climate heroes who often go unheard and, in doing so, invite people everywhere to tap into their unique superpowers to help the world stop climate change.

This past year was marked by evolution: We refined the goals and strategies of Drawdown Labs to best harness our superpowers as we successfully scale climate action in the private sector. We brought to life new initiatives and resources for funders, employees, and the general public. But through it all, we continued to lead the way on climate solutions. Read on to see what we’ve been up to! (For a recap on previous efforts, see our 2022 year in review.)

From climate-fueled disasters to the just-completed COP28, climate change  has been much in the news this past year. At the same time, Project Drawdown has doubled down on our efforts to accelerate adoption of proven climate solutions.

In this latest in our series of monthly Ignite webinars, Project Drawdown executive director Jonathan Foley reflects on climate solutions action over the past year and shares exciting plans for 2024. 

Key Report Takeaways: 

• For the average person in the U.S., personal banking may constitute a large source of indirect greenhouse gas emissions 
• Every US$1,000 a person has in savings is roughly equivalent to the direct emissions generated by flying from New York to Seattle every year 
• Eleven of the largest U.S.-based banks lend around 19.4% on average – and as high as 30% – of their portfolios to carbon-intensive industries 

Key Report Takeaways: 

• Black carbon is a powerful climate pollutant which stems from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass
• Black carbon has unparalleled impacts on human well-being, the environment, and climate change  
• Black carbon has a short-term warming potential up to 1,500 times greater than carbon dioxide and is responsible for millions of premature deaths annually worldwide
• Black carbon emissions are highest in low- and middle-income countries with half of all emissions coming from just five countries

Drawdown’s Neighborhood, presented by Project Drawdown, is a series of short documentaries featuring the stories of climate solutions heroes, city by city across America. For its fifth edition, the series heads to the northeast in Drawdown’s Neighborhood: Tri-State – now available online!