EarthX wants you to invest in a more sustainable future

Today is Earth Day. Originally started in 1970, the first-ever Earth Day was launched to raise awareness about the dangers of pollution and encourage environmental change after an oil spill occurred off the coast of Santa Barbara. Today, the conversation about protecting our planet’s environment is more important than ever. And while the message remains the same, we can now take even more steps toward sustainability and environmental justice, whether through art, investment, technology, and the spread of environmental education. The Earth Today is the first day of the conference.

Founded by Trammell S. Crow, EarthX is an international nonprofit environmental organization committed to educating and inspiring action for a more sustainable future. For the past seven years, the conference has focused on bringing together investment firms, global companies, policymakers and researchers to discuss the opportunities that lie in environmental sustainability and clean technology. Taking place next week in Dallas, Texas, the event will bring together environmental leaders, business innovators and government officials to discuss environmental strategies for improving our planet.

This year’s summit will also feature an investment forum and a series of key speakers on topics from conservation to sustainable agriculture, including Southern Company CEO Christopher Womack, Paramount’s Amy Campbell, photographer and conservationist Ivan Carter, and venture capitalist and founder of Onder more C5 Capital, André Pienaar.

Each day, participants will attend a variety of talks with speakers on everything from protecting our planet to investing in our future. At the beginning of the week, topics such as energy and infrastructure will be prioritized, and at the end of the week the focus will be on wildlife and biodiversity. On April 25, CNN political contributor Van Jones will take the stage to give a talk about reunifying America through the transition to clean technology and the growth of the circular economy. Jones has also made significant contributions to the conversation about how AI technology can help grow the environment.

Within a circular economy, companies must use clean technology, which avoids environmental damage through the use of natural materials to eliminate and reduce the creation of pollutants and waste. The goal is to transition from an economy powered by fossil fuels to one powered by renewable energy. Clean technology is forecast to grow to $9.5 trillion by 2030, creating potential jobs and investment opportunities across the sector. AI within cleantech has also been discussed now that smart networks are becoming popular.

“In the past, the future was written in laws. Now it’s being written in computer code,” Jones said. “It used to be written in Washington DC, now it’s written in Silicon Valley… There needs to be an agreement between big AI companies and the communities that are left out.”

The conference’s mission is to raise awareness and influence investments for environmental sustainability. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing, which has become popular in recent years, explores the idea of ​​ethical investing. When companies rely on ESG criteria, investors can determine whether they finance companies that take the environment into account, and whether or not a climate policy has been implemented. This investment style sets a standard for corporate behavior and promotes a socially conscious investor.

There will also be a variety of panels and discussions focusing on wildlife conservation, including water conservation, addressing the illegal wildlife trade, restoring the U.S. Wildlife Act, carbon credits for landowners and many others. Today Dr. Sylvia Earle, a marine biologist, oceanographer and president of Mission Blue, an organization dedicated to exploring and protecting the ocean, discuss the importance behind marine protected areas. Dr. Earle has been a long-time advocate for conservation and leads a number of initiatives focused on water.

In addition to keynote speeches, EarthX 2024 will encourage active participation through interactive zones, such as the Innovation Hub, where startups and technology companies will present their solutions to environmental challenges. Participants will also have the opportunity to pitch their ideas and compete for a cash prize to support environmental companies in the early stages of start-up.

The EarthX 2024 Congress of Conferences: Catalyzing Global Change through Collaboration begins April 22 and runs through April 26.