8 sustainability experts on the front lines share concrete reasons to be hopeful about the climate crisis

Youth leadership makes me hopeful: the vision, the innovation, the passion of youth such as Jerome Foster and Vanessa Nakate.

The communities that are standing up and forging ahead and striving towards climate justice in the face of such dire circumstances also give me hope.

It reinforces the sheer resilience and determination it's going to take to rise above the forces that want to maintain the status quo of the extractive economy.

The world has witnessed change and leadership in the past few years.

We have heard speeches and seen revolutionary gatherings — but not from our politicians or adults, but from young people all over. I witness a glimpse of hope for the future every time there is transformative justice called for by my generation challenging the status quo.

My peers are my hope, and that glimpse I continue to see must become a reality. Generation Z will not be the last generation.

In communities where air pollution and climate change are disproportionate burdens today, access to EVs can make a big difference — helping to improve air quality, but also creating jobs and other economic growth in the economies of the future.

I'm excited about the potential that these vehicles can provide to create social and economic mobility — helping more people access jobs, education, and healthcare.

We need to make sure we're educating communities on the benefits of clean transportation and that we are providing affordable and accessible products that meet their needs.

The future of the climate rests with our determination and willingness to be bold, inclusive, and action-oriented in our approach. There is no doubt that accelerating solar-energy deployment will have the most significant impact.

The Inflation Reduction Act has put the US on the path to speed solar-energy adoption and curb the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Now more than ever we must overcome the obstacles that stand in our way so we can hire a strong workforce, scale up our domestic supply chain, and deploy enough clean energy to decarbonize the electric grid.

There is no doubt that accelerating solar-energy deployment will have the most significant impact.

Fortunately, solar energy is more accessible than ever before. Over the last decade, solar costs have come down more than 50%. Coupled with the recent policy wins, our industry is poised to meet this climate moment.

We've set a new vision for the next decade: for solar to comprise 30% of US electricity generation by 2030. If we meet this goal, we will reduce carbon emissions from the electricity sector by 50% and make a meaningful contribution to our biggest challenges today.

When I first began this effort a decade ago, sustainability and discussions about combating climate change weren't new, but talk about bringing it into the financial world wasn't widespread.

However, over the past few years, sustainability has become a topic of interest for not just the financial industry but everyone, including regulators and public entities.

Organizations have realized that there is an economic advantage to integrating sustainability within core business strategy.

The climate crisis has single-handedly united more people than anything else in history. Because it moves beyond borders and does not discriminate how hard it hits people and nature, we have seen and keep seeing more and more people joining endeavors to have climate action and calling on the duty bearers to do something about it. So it has united the world.

Secondly, the number of bright and clever people working day and night to devise real solutions — forget the false solutions — gives me hope that this catastrophe can be averted by breakthroughs made in renewables like wind, solar, and battery storage.

It is now not a matter of if fossil fuels will be left in the ground but when.

We have all the hardware, software, and data we need to reduce about 30% to 35% of US greenhouse gas emissions generated by buildings. It just requires focus and will — and a lot of funding.

Decarbonizing all 125 million buildings in the US will require trillions of dollars from both public and private sectors. The funding provided by the IRA, coupled with increased investment by Wall Street and major businesses, give me hope that we will be able to achieve our country's decarbonization goals — city by city, block by block.

I have worked on climate and environmental issues for nearly 25 years, and it is only in the past couple of years that I have started to have conversations about climate-change action with almost everyone I know, from all parts of my life. This interest, openness to take action, and recognition that we need a future that might be different from the past but that will be altogether better gives me great hope.

I think seeing change that you can relate to, in your own communities, can often be the most inspiring.

I can also see physical changes in the landscape near me. I get excited when I see offshore wind farms, solar farms with sheep wandering around them, street-side EV chargers, products that I can buy that reflect circular modules of use and disposal, and so much more.

Of course, the global perspective is vital here, but I think seeing change that you can relate to, in your own communities, can often be the most inspiring because it is what I understand most deeply.

People provide many bright spots — I meet so many people who deliberately add climate to their job description or activities because they care. Each and every one of these individuals gives me a boost.