Welcome to Zero Ideas. We believe leaders need to think and act quite differently if we are to achieve our climate goals. That’s why we are here, challenging leadership thinking on climate action.
Conservation > Transformation
The world is treating climate change as a conservation problem. That’s where the environmental movement is rooted, and how the corporate world likes to see risk. But climate change is a transformation problem, which demands a different mindset. In particular, it needs a mindset that relies less on conscience, and is more aligned with self-interest, if we are to do what is needed at scale.
Explore our research on this:
Seeking Impact: Using theories of change to assess and guide corporate climate action, a research report in collaboration with the Centre of Climate Engagement at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge. You can read a short summary for board directors from Chapter Zero.
A transition plan needs a transition mindset, a comment article for Responsible investor.
Radical Realism: Climate action that is fast, feasible and universal, a Zero Ideas research paper.
Progressive > Multi-partisan
We are missing a trick by seeing climate change as a progressive cause belonging to the political Left. There is strong latent support on the Right, which we (both political and business leaders) are inadvertently suppressing. We need that support, not just for the numbers, but for consistency of commitment across election cycles, and to broaden the choice of policy, technology and business solutions.
Explore our research on this:
Unleashing multi-partisan support for climate action, a Zero Ideas research report.
The silent majority on climate change, an article for Persuasion based on this research report, arguing why treating climate change as a progressive cause is self-defeating.
Later is too late, the report from a 23-country, 58,000-person research into what moves and motivates people across the world to support climate action, in collaboration with Potential Energy and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. You can read a New York Times piece featuring this research, and explore the research findings country by country, and policy by policy, with our interactive global data explorer.
Keeping politics out of companies’ climate action, a Zero Ideas research report.
What if climate justice means climate delay?, a Zero Ideas research paper.
Financial disclosures > Industrial strategy
Financial disclosures are nudging incremental shifts, but by themselves (even when regulated) they depend on the conscience of investors, and conflict with financial self-interest. Driving transformation means embracing risk, not just avoiding it, in pursuit of an industrial strategy.
Explore our research on this:
Sustainable finance supply needs industrial strategy demand, a collaboration with the Financial Services Agency of Japan, first published in MIT Sloan Management Review.
It’s time to challenge our finance-led theory of change, a comment article for Responsible Investor.
We must stop building a Soviet carbon economy, a Zero Ideas research paper.
Saving and sacrifice > Science-led advances
We can’t arrest climate change and species loss, and ensure a liveable planet for 9-10 billion people, by using resources more efficiently and getting back to nature. We need to make use of a range of science-led, technology-enabled solutions. To deploy these solutions, we need to overcome political obstacles.
Explore our research on this:
The world wants new nuclear, a collaboration with ClearPath, Potential Energy, Third Way and WePlanet.
For a broad range of our analyses from the investor, board and finance angles on climate action, read more of our comment articles in Responsible Investor.
Reactions? Ideas? Have a think. Please get in touch.
Simon Glynn