Silverline was in Boise, Idaho this month at the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 2023 Conference, which features an intriguing session on “How To Be an Ally for Environmental Journalists of Color,” moderated by The Uproot Project Director Lucia Priselac. The topic aligns with Silverline’s core values and commitment to diversity and inclusion. In fact, we recently published a comprehensive report on influential Black Leaders in Energy & Cleantech that seeks to elevate the valuable voices and perspectives of key leaders in this space.

Earth Day 2023 finds many of America’s top environmental and energy reporters gathering in Boise, Idaho for the annual conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ). This yearly event brings together journalists from across the climate landscape to discuss the challenges of serving as the proverbial canary in the coal mine about our changing climate. One topic of growing interest is covering climate issues through a cultural lens, whether through music, television or art – all this as our ever-changing environment and emerging technologies generate new interest in this important topic.

As we start 2023, we expect the clean energy revolution to continue and we’re carefully watching these top three climate trends… First, an increase in ESG funding is on the horizon as well as new regulations governing these ESG funds. Second, the drive for electric vehicles cranks into high gear in 2023. Beyond skyrocketing EV sales, we’ll see a substantial increase in battery-powered school buses, fleets and commercial trucks. And third, we predict the challenge to reduce Scope 3 emissions will take center stage in 2023.

Unprecedented climate legislation is opening a vast array of opportunities for those in the cleantech space. The $369 billion dollars in federal funding is proving to be a gamechanger by delivering critical investments to climate tech developers and manufacturers. Companies are taking advantage of tax incentives and grants for solar, wind, and other renewable energy projects. Developments are moving even faster in e-mobility, where Americans now can now tap into a $7,500 credit to buy EVs. The law also requires that some manufacturing and assembly of EVs happens right here at home in the U.S. And as an important first, this law will dedicate between around $60 billion to environmental and climate justice efforts.

EPA Scopes have created a framework for a path forward on reducing emissions, and investors are following the lead. Investment areas are concentrated, for now, on Scopes 1 and 2. These scopes cover greenhouse gases (ghgs) from sources owned or controlled by a federal agency to ghgs resulting from generation of electricity, heat or steam purchased by a federal agency. Scope 3 is tackling ghgs from sources not owned or directly controlled by a federal agency but related to activities. This means transportation, business air travel, commuting, contracted solid waste and wastewater are covered.

On the heels of the most transformative climate legislation in history, the clean energy movement is poised for action. Against this backdrop, how can climate and cleantech attract and elevate diverse voices that reflect the communities where equitable and just climate action is needed most? As a cleantech communications agency with diversity, equity, and inclusion at our core, Silverline wondered how Black leaders in cleantech are addressing the issue, so we partnered with Canary Media to develop and sponsor a forum on Accelerating Black Leadership in Climate Tech.

Amazon bestselling author Tom Weirich and Silverline Founder Laura Taylor share both a deep friendship and commitment to clean energy, so we at Silverline are thrilled to support Tom as he celebrates the launch of his book We Took the Risk with gatherings in Washington, DC, at the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) headquarters and in Houston at Pillsbury. Beyond our enthusiastic support, we were curious, so we chatted with Tom to find out his motivation and goals for writing about the early risk-takers in renewable energy.

Next week world leaders, media and advocacy groups will gather in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for COP27, which will focus on several different topics covering the global south, as well as the rest of the world. The conference will cover themes from finance to agriculture, gender, biodiversity, and conclude with civil society. In addition to these themes, we will be tracking other topics.

At Silverline, we believe in the power of storytelling - articulating unique and compelling narratives to help our clients break through the most crowded and complex climate landscape in history. Recognizing the demand for our unique domain expertise in storytelling at the nexus of climate, innovation, and policy led to the launch of Silverline+. The Silverline+ practice area is dedicated exclusively to strategic communications and executive thought leadership for Fortune 500 and market-moving organizations seeking a competitive edge in ESG, climate, and energy storytelling.