The hottest Climate tech Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Technology can cut plane contrails by two-thirds. Getting airlines to use it isn't so easy

Sustainability by numbers • 246 implied HN points • 23 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Climate tech
  1. AI plus satellite-based route planning can sharply cut contrail formation when crews follow the plan — flights that flew avoidance routes saw about a 63% reduction in contrails.
  2. The main barrier is human and operational: dispatchers chose the avoidance plan rarely and pilots only partly executed it, so overall contrail reductions were only around 12%.
  3. Scaling this up will require better tools (like vertical route profiles), automation or incentives to make avoidance routes the default, and regulatory or financial support; early data suggest little extra fuel burn but more study is needed.

🚀 FP! Week In Review, Briefly #23

Faster, Please! • 1005 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Climate tech
  1. AI is likely to reshuffle tasks rather than wipe out work soon, since jobs combine tasks with judgment, trust, and responsibility and history shows new tech creates new kinds of work.
  2. Big technological progress is happening across many areas — from lunar missions and robotaxis to vaccines and renewable energy — which will open new opportunities and industries.
  3. Political pushback, infrastructure limits, and safety concerns about AI and data centers could slow adoption and create real economic and regulatory uncertainty.

Renewable Energy Won

Erik Explores • 737 implied HN points • 21 Dec 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. Wind and solar paired with batteries are now cheaper than coal and can deliver reliable 24/7 power. The economics mean the energy debate over renewables versus fossil fuels is effectively over.
  2. Practical challenges remain, like upgrading grids, training installers, and storing energy across seasons, but these are solvable with investment and various solutions. Options include overbuilding renewables, heat pumps, hydrogen or ammonia, pumped hydro, and novel carriers like rechargeable metal powders.
  3. Political and expert skeptics who said renewables couldn’t scale or would need permanent subsidies were proven wrong as costs fell and deployment surged globally. Nuclear remains expensive and slower to replace aging plants, so renewables are expanding even in traditionally nuclear countries.

Sunset Solutions or Solar Sins: the Geoengineering Gamble to Cool the Planet

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. Private solar geoengineering companies are rapidly growing, raising large investments, running field tests, and positioning the sector for big market expansion in the coming decade.
  2. Supporters argue that reflecting sunlight could quickly cool the planet and save many lives from extreme heat, which is driving calls for major research funding and more academic trials.
  3. But the approach has serious risks and uncertainties—it can worsen ozone depletion and ocean acidification, disrupt regional climates, and may distract from the more effective long-term solution of cutting fossil fuel emissions.

February 12: Green-technology startups are creating the innovation needed to save the environment

Respectful Leadership • 54 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. Green-tech startups are building the innovations we need to tackle the environmental crisis.
  2. Entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders from areas like green housing, climate finance, and carbon capture are sharing practical solutions and working together.
  3. A fast-paced panel of short expert talks followed by audience Q&A is designed to spark ideas, learning, and action.
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🚀 FP! Week In Review, Briefly #15

Faster, Please! • 274 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Climate tech
  1. AI is racing forward — new superhuman claims, big model releases, and CEO buy-in — but that progress is colliding with safety worries, hacking risks, and political fights over regulation.
  2. Major bets are popping up across many frontiers, from space solar and air taxis to solar geoengineering, GLP-1 drugs, and renewed plans for Mars, showing broad technological momentum.
  3. Wealthy investors now treat aging as an engineering problem and are pouring money into longevity tech and drugs; if those bets pay off, longer healthy lives could reshape work, politics, and inequality.

Why the World is Watching Houston's Remarkable Energy Transition

This Week in MCJ (My Climate Journey) • 176 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. Houston's remarkable energy transition is being closely watched by the world due to its industrial prowess and diverse workforce.
  2. Perceptions of Houston as a city focused on preserving the energy status quo are changing as traditional energy companies are investing in clean technologies.
  3. Houston has the opportunity to become a leader in climate tech by leveraging its resources, attracting investment, and supporting climate-focused startups.

$6 Million of New Funding for Smart Weather Balloons: Meet WindBorne CEO John Dean

Ubiquitous Thoughts • 98 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Climate tech
  1. WindBorne raised $6 million for smart weather balloons to improve weather forecasts and tackle climate change.
  2. The company designs, builds, and operates a network of weather balloons to provide global weather data through data-as-a-service.
  3. WindBorne's journey started with a team enhancing conventional weather balloons to fly longer, aiming to address the significant gap in weather data collection globally.

What SVB really means for climate tech

Climate Money • 78 implied HN points • 29 Mar 23
💰 Finance Climate tech
  1. SVB's collapse impacts capital markets, leading to fear and hesitation in committing funds.
  2. Climate tech companies are disproportionately affected by the liquidity crunch due to their capital needs and revenue profiles.
  3. Founders in the climate tech space should be prepared for higher financing risk and seek alternative forms of capital.

The True Efficacy of Carbon Removal Technology

Warming Up to Climate Tech • 58 implied HN points • 28 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. Carbon removal technologies like afforestation and carbon capture play a crucial role in mitigating climate change and achieving net zero emissions.
  2. Innovative startups are developing novel methods for carbon capture, such as direct air capture and biochar production.
  3. Investment in carbon removal technologies is increasing, with significant VC funding going towards startups in this sector.

Pitch Me: Real Advice from Climate Founders & Investors

The Green Techpreneur • 8 implied HN points • 25 Jul 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. Investors care more about the team and the business plan than just the technology. It's better to show how your product helps customers and to tell a clear story.
  2. Avoid overloading your pitch with too much technical detail. Keep it simple and focus on how you will make money and solve problems for customers.
  3. Raising money for climate startups can be tough and emotional. It's important to build relationships with investors early and to lean on your team for support.

The best of The Green Techpreneur

The Green Techpreneur • 28 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
💼 Business Climate tech
  1. The Green Techpreneur platform achieved significant milestones in 2023, such as winning awards and helping startups secure funding.
  2. For 2024, the platform acquired Climate Marketplace to connect startups with a network of 2,000 climate investors.
  3. The newsletter also featured updates on innovative climate tech startups and insights from industry leaders to help readers succeed.

WindBorne Systems

next big thing • 34 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Climate tech
  1. Accurate weather data is crucial for making informed decisions and mitigating costs associated with severe weather events.
  2. Improvements in weather technology are needed due to gaps in weather observations globally.
  3. WindBorne Systems received a $6M Seed round investment led by Footwork for their work in providing detailed weather observations to improve forecasting and reduce carbon emissions.

Equal's 2022 Climate Wish List

Equal Ventures • 19 implied HN points • 01 Feb 22
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. 2021 saw record climate funding and renewed focus on climate policy, but 2022 is anticipated to be even more promising with new talent, capital, and digital innovations entering the climate tech space.
  2. Key areas of interest in 2022 include empowering the green workforce through software solutions, turning buildings into digital power plants using batteries and EVs, and establishing data connectivity services to manage distributed energy resources effectively.
  3. The shift towards circularity is expected to grow, especially in areas like food, packaging, and materials, driving the need for software solutions that enable businesses to operate more efficiently and sustainably.

Despite Heat, Despite Rising Seas, Despite loss of Protected Areas, Big Oil Marches on with Production

Adetokunbo Sees • 9 HN points • 09 Dec 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. Big oil companies are continuing with oil production despite climate change risks and calls to end fossil fuel usage.
  2. Oil giants like Shell, ExxonMobil, and Chevron are pushing ahead with new projects and investments, expanding production.
  3. Active and proposed oil and gas extraction facilities within protected areas are threatening the environment and worsening climate change effects.

Pitch Me: what Europe's largest climatetech VC fund is looking for

The Green Techpreneur • 4 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
💼 Business Climate tech
  1. Danijel Visevic started the World Fund, Europe's largest climatetech VC fund, with a unique approach to fundraising, focusing on building a strong portfolio and attracting investors by taking risks early.
  2. The World Fund invests in companies with significant Climate Performance Potential, aiming to save at least 100 megatons CO2 emissions annually.
  3. Danijel Visevic's investment style involves ESG support, expansive network connections for funding rounds, and a strategic focus on energy and agricultural sectors for climate impact.

Displacement, Deforestation: How Sustainable turns Unsustainable in Lithium Production

Adetokunbo Sees • 3 HN points • 10 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. Lithium production can lead to displacement of local communities, deforestation, and environmental degradation.
  2. To make lithium production sustainable, methods that reduce water and energy usage should be implemented, along with new technologies to decrease resource requirements.
  3. The growing demand for lithium, driven by the transition to clean energy, presents opportunities for investment and innovation in climate tech sectors like climate data analytics, satellite imaging, and carbon footprint management.

Heat records on land, heat records in forests, heat records in oceans: when will the records end?

Adetokunbo Sees • 2 HN points • 05 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. Heat records are continuously being broken on land, in forests, and in oceans due to rising global temperatures.
  2. The oceans are absorbing a significant amount of the warming from increased carbon dioxide emissions, leading to record-high sea temperatures.
  3. Global sea temperatures are projected to continue rising, impacting coral reefs, weather patterns, and human lives unless fossil fuel consumption is reduced.

Emerging Software Solutions for Climate Challenges

The PhilaVerse • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jul 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. Software solutions are becoming more important for tackling climate issues. They help businesses track emissions and improve sustainability efforts.
  2. Many startups have created tools to help companies manage their carbon footprints and comply with environmental regulations.
  3. While software can't solve climate problems alone, it provides valuable data and insights for making better decisions about the environment.

Halfway into 2025, let's look at climate tech trends...

The Green Techpreneur • 0 implied HN points • 11 Jul 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate tech
  1. AI is becoming a huge part of climate tech, taking away a lot of investment money. Investors are worried about government policies affecting their funding decisions.
  2. Clean energy still gets the most funding, but there's a growing interest in AI that helps improve energy efficiency. Companies that show they can sell well are more likely to get money.
  3. There's a need for more diversity and regional focus in climate tech investments. Companies that promote gender diversity might see better returns.