This document discusses research for global sustainability conducted by NASA and Future Earth. It outlines several frameworks for achieving sustainable development, including the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and planetary boundaries. It also describes long term economic cycles and the opportunities presented by exponential technological changes. The presentation promotes the work of Future Earth's Finance and Economics Knowledge Action Network in bringing together researchers, businesses, and policymakers to address challenges through projects examining topics like climate change risks as investment opportunities and ensuring the long term sustainability of investments.

1. research for global sustainability
NASA
Climate Change Risks as Investment Opportunities
March 13, 2017

2. Thank you to the Montreal Global Hub
Funders & supporters!

3. What is Future Earth?
INRA/C. Maitre
Erik Pihl
Erik Pihl
NASA

4. Sources:
Photo: Fishing in the Mekong © Tan Someth Bunwath / WWF-Cambodia
Societal Challenges
Resilient
Cities
Health Consumption &
Production
Food,
water, energy
Decarbonisation
Rural
landscapes
Natural
capital
Risk &
Governance

5. Epoch Acceleration

7. Planetary Boundaries
• Climate Change
• Novel Entities
• Stratospheric Ozone depletion
• Atmospheric aerosol loading
• Ocean Acidification
• Biogeochemical Flows (Phos,
Nitrogen)
• Freshwater Use
• Land-system change
• Biosphere Integrity (Genetic
Diversity)

8. Social
Aspirations &
Human Agency
The ‘doughnut’, Kate Raworth, 2012

9. research for global sustainability
NASA
Climate Change Risks as Investment Opportunities
“Exponential Changes, Goals & Investments”
David Oram
March 13, 2017

10. Presentation Outline:
• Sustainable Development
Goals [SDGs] – 2015 - 2030
• Long Term Economic Cycles
[K Curve] – 1900-now
• Wave 6 – 2010’s - 2050
• Finance & Economics
Knowledge-Action Network
Exponential Changes, Goals & Investments

11. • How the private sector can better position itself for eligibility towards sustainable investments, ie.
How can local projects prepare for Green Bond issuing?
• How to ensure organizations are using the best of sustainability science to make investment
decisions? In relation to Impact Investment assessment, Sustainability Fund Tracking, what are the
current tools and mechanisms being used to insure long term sustainability of projects and
investments?
• Implementation of new business models that include sustainability principles and processes. What
are the current successes in the benefit corporation/b-corp movements in Montreal and Canada?
Questions

12. Stockholm Resilience Center, 2016
Sustainable Development
Goals [SDGs]
17 Goals
169 Targets
Numerous trade-
offs, synergies.
If one fails, all fail.

13. Stockholm Resilience Center, 2016
SDG
Pyramid
• Top 1% with as
much as bottom
99%
• 6th Great
Extinction -
~50% worlds
biodiversity
gone
• $5-7T/annum
investment until
2030 to achieve
SDGs

14. Volans, Breakthrough Business Models, 2016
Long Wave Economic Cycles

15. U-Bend Investment
Opportunities:
Global Policy:
- COP21, SDGs, HabitatIII
Global Uncertainty:
- Trump/Brexit, ISIS,
Snowdon et al Leaks
Exponential Technology:
- iPhone, Bitcoin, CRISPR,
AI/VR, UBER/AirBnb
Social Change:
- 1.2B [20%] population 15-
24, Only 40% of population
online, Lower Birth rates,
Spirituality Crisis
Volans, Breakthrough Business Models, 2016

16. Role:
• Steer – Mobilize – Create
Interfaces:
• Global Environmental
Change & Sustainability
Science
• Business Model &
Organizational Revolutions
• Financial Flows in the
Anthropocene
Future Earth Finance & Economics
Knowledge-Action Network [KAN]

17. • By building global
communities of practice
around key themes in
sustainability
• By promoting research that
informs solutions to real
problems around the world
• By bringing together
researchers, policy experts,
businesses, leaders in civil
society and more
How can we address these challenges?

18. • Book Series: “Palgrave
Studies in Sustainable
Business: In Association
with Future Earth”
• Ongoing Finance &
Economics KAN ‘Project
Endorsement Series’
• Plus many others!
Sample of Current Projects
• “Climate Change Risks as
Investment Opporuntities”
– Americana 2017
• Earth System Finance
Visulatization Project with
Stockholm Resilience
Center, UNEP Financial
Inquiry & Future Earth
• SDG Lab: “New Interfaces
for Sustainable Financial
Flows” for the 7th ICSS

19. • How the private sector can better position itself for eligibility towards sustainable investments, ie. How
can local projects prepare for Green Bond issuing?
• How to ensure organizations are using the best of sustainability science to make investment decisions?
In relation to Impact Investment assessment, Sustainability Fund Tracking, what are the current tools and
mechanisms being used to insure long term sustainability of projects and investments?
• Implementation of new business models that include sustainability principles and processes. What are
the current successes in the benefit corporation/b-corp movements in Montreal and Canada?
• How business can operate safely within planetary boundaries. Ie. What are the next steps for main
pollution issues surrounding the St. Lawrence? What are the global pollution issues which are impacting
business operations in Montreal and Canada?
• The investment opportunities within the Great Acceleration of the natural, social and technical
spheres. Ie. Animal-free meat, leather, milk, eggs. How do these technological changes impact current
business in Montreal? Will they be adopted socially? How about legally?
Questions

20. Thank you to the Montreal Global Hub
Funders & supporters!