. . . because “Z” stands for Zero emissions AND Zero excuses.
A is for Amazonian Alarm
B is for BYD’s global EV blitz
C is for Catastrophe bonds hitting record highs
D is for Droughts ravaging England
E is for Ethanol-to-jet fuel dreams finally launching
F is for Floods and fire risks . . . from Texas to Oxfordshire
G is for Google’s $3bn hydro power pledge
H is for HSBC’s exit from Net Zero
I is for India’s clean energy paradox
J is for Jet-setting carbon offsets (still dodgy)
K is for Kicking coal . . . except when you don’t
L is for London’s dark gold truths
M is for Mega heatwaves and methane leaks
N is for Net Zero abandonment by ESG giants
O is for Oil drilling in the Arctic (yes, still happening)
P is for Pentagon’s rare earth scramble
Q is for Questionable carbon removal schemes
R is for Rural Europe’s fight not to disappear
S is for Spain’s heatwave death toll
T is for Trump’s pollution rollbacks
U is for UK ditching green taxonomy
V is for Venture capital chasing battery swaps
W is for Wind and solar under new scrutiny
X is for X-treme weather from Oslo to Oklahoma
Y is for Youth still not on the COP agenda
Z is for Zero emissions . . . still a promise, not a plan
This isn’t just a catalogue of catastrophe. It’s a call to conscience. A reminder that every SDG is still in play, and that climate action . . . real, just, inter-generational . . . requires us to read between the headlines and ask: Who benefits? Who suffers? And what are we doing about it?
News articles selected from https://www.ft.com/climate-capital and https://www.bloomberg.com/green:
- China’s Belt and Road investment and construction activity hits record https://www.ft.com/content/a2635ba1-198e-4014-8030-7e420edf34be
- Risky Routes Documentary Showcases Perils of a Toad’s Journey Home https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-17/risky-routes-documentary-showcases-perils-of-a-toad-s-journey-home?srnd=phx-green
- India reaches clean power capacity target despite coal reliance https://www.ft.com/content/a99a5845-9f50-49a3-8c7c-d704b2cf3b95
- Trump Exempts Scores of Plants From Biden’s Pollution Rules https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-17/trump-exempts-scores-of-plants-from-biden-s-pollution-rules?srnd=phx-green
- Catastrophe bond sales hit record as insurers offload climate risks https://www.ft.com/content/fcaf9230-fed8-4d35-9626-7abec8cc95ea
- Wind, Solar Projects on Public Land to Face New Review Process https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-17/wind-solar-projects-on-public-land-to-face-new-review-process?srnd=phx-green
- UK drought hits SSE’s hydropower generation https://www.ft.com/content/50e20dd4-0742-44cf-844c-05c66c00e9b4
- HSBC Hit by Backlash From Green Clients After Net Zero Exit https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-16/hsbc-loses-ecotricity-as-client-after-quitting-net-zero-group?srnd=phx-green
- Banking climate alliance battles to retain big European lenders https://www.ft.com/content/85ecac1c-9393-4d9d-8d7f-0a487b11388e
- Amazon’s (AMZN) Carbon Emissions Climbed 6% in 2024 on Data Center Buildout https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-16/amazon-s-emissions-climbed-6-in-2024-on-data-center-buildout?srnd=phx-green
- Venture capital investors place bets on demand for battery swapping https://www.ft.com/content/ee5973c7-e31e-4cd2-b835-ed49d543f651
- High-Speed Charging Stations Keep Multiplying Despite Trump Attacks https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-16/high-speed-charging-stations-keep-multiplying-despite-trump-attacks?srnd=phx-green
- Pentagon’s China-style rare earths deal triggers industry backlash https://www.ft.com/content/0b7f002d-16ca-4a2e-be69-ba2c05e853d3
- Spain Heatwaves Cause Estimated 1,180 Deaths This Summer https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-16/heat-deaths-in-spain-have-surged-this-summer-amid-record-temperatures?srnd=phx-green
- The fight to revive Europe’s shrinking rural areas https://www.ft.com/content/f77b258f-1084-4bd1-bd99-cb07c721e3ee
- World’s First Ethanol-to-Jet Plant to Start Running After Delay https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-17/world-s-first-ethanol-to-jet-plant-to-start-running-after-delay?srnd=phx-green
- BP offloads US onshore wind business as it pivots back to oil https://www.ft.com/content/dbeab9c4-3015-43ba-835c-6a2255c69f6c
- Led by BYD, China Is Flooding the World With EVs, Driving Down Prices Globally https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-china-ev-byd-global-price-cuts/?srnd=phx-green
- Google and Brookfield strike $3bn hydro power deal https://www.ft.com/content/d8bef8a3-5988-4080-ad7d-61bc9885e6ba
- ABN Amro Analysts See ESG Bond Issuance Dropping ‘Considerably’ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-18/abn-amro-analysts-see-esg-bond-issuance-dropping-considerably?srnd=phx-green
- EU Climate Chief Expects Pension Funds to Help Revamp Grids https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-17/eu-climate-chief-expects-pension-funds-to-help-revamp-grids?srnd=phx-green
- Dutch Government Ditches ‘Not Realistic’ Offshore Wind Goal https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-16/dutch-government-ditches-not-realistic-offshore-wind-goal?srnd=phx-green
- Insurance Group Seeks Collaboration to Cover Disaster Losses https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-16/insurance-group-calls-for-collaboration-to-cover-disaster-losses?srnd=phx-green
- Norway’s $1.9T Wealth Fund Calls Out Banks Over Emissions Reports https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-15/norway-s-wealth-fund-calls-out-banks-over-emissions-reports?srnd=phx-green
- Drought Spreads in England After Driest Start to Year Since 1976 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-15/drought-spreads-in-england-after-driest-start-to-year-since-1976?srnd=phx-green
- UK Abandons Green Taxonomy Plan to Focus on Other Policies https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-15/uk-abandons-green-taxonomy-plan-to-focus-on-other-policies?srnd=phx-green
- EU to Outline What Tech Can Be Used for Permanent CO2 Removal https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-15/eu-to-outline-what-tech-can-be-used-for-permanent-co2-removal?srnd=phx-green
- ConocoPhillips (COP) Seeks to Expand Oil Exploration in Alaskan Arctic https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-14/conocophillips-seeks-to-expand-oil-exploration-in-alaskan-arctic?srnd=phx-green
- Brazil’s Amazonian Leaders Deliver Dark Message on Gold Mining to London https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-14/amazonian-leaders-bring-a-dark-message-on-gold-trading-to-london?srnd=phx-green
Let’s unpack that alphabet into impact, one SDG at a time:
SDG 1 (No Poverty): Drought and mining in the Global South don’t just erode soil . . . they erode livelihoods.
SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Crop failures in India. Fire risks in the UK. Food supply chains on life support.
SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being): Spain: 1,180 heatwave deaths this summer. Texas: $200 billion in climate-related losses.
SDG 4 (Quality Education): How can you learn when your school is flooded, or on fire?
Or when climate denial is being taught louder than science?
SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Women in frontline communities . . . especially Indigenous healers like Dr. Adana Kambeba . . . are still not given a voice at COP tables. Unacceptable.
SDG 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation): Hosepipe bans in England. Contaminated rivers in Brazil. Where’s the Water Justice?
SDG 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy): Amazon’s emissions are up. BP is back to oil. And yet . . . India has hit its clean capacity target. Let’s not confuse progress with victory.
SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth): Arctic drilling is sold as “jobs for locals.” But for whom? And at what cost?
SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure): Battery swaps? Hydro deals? There is innovation . . . but will it scale without trashing trust?
SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): From the Amazon to Alaska, extractive policies deepen inequality in the name of energy “security.”
SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities): Cities keep overheating. Flooding. Failing.
Where’s the resilience funding?
SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production): Gold mining at $3,000/oz. Bezos’ emissions surge. Are we producing responsibly? Consuming consciously? NO.
SDG 13 (Climate Action): HSBC? Out. Trump? Rolling back. Decency NEEDED.
SDG 14 (Life Below Water): Carbon capture may steal headlines, but ocean acidification is stealing life.
SDG 15 (Life on Land): The Arctic isn’t a chronically overdraft bank account. The Amazon isn’t a mine. Let’s call it what it is: a moral failing.
SDG 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions): What kind of karma lets hedge funds lobby against green rules . . . then rewards them for ESG bonds?
SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The UK ditches taxonomy. Brazil’s Indigenous leaders get a symbolic COP invite. Why is performative policy > partnerships for Planetary Health?
Do you want to schedule a workshop at your school, community center, workplace, or _ _ _ _ _?
- Contact C.A.T. (“Climate Action Tiger”) and Christian: christian@youth4planet.org
