Spring 2025 / quarterly

The QUARTERLY shares free curated content from around the world — covering projects, resources, policy and lots more — to make staying informed easier.
Overview
If you’re already on Lot21, you’re probably engaged in climate action in some way. But, speaking up about climate can be a hard thing to do, depending on the circumstances these days.
In a time of polarizing opinions, new research reveals that more people worldwide want stronger climate action from their governments. Yet this ‘silent majority’ doesn’t realize they are a majority, and additionally, most think their fellow citizens disagree.
This means that you’re not alone.
The research — conducted by several organizations, including the University of Bonn, Oxford University, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication — uncovers widespread climate concern among a whopping 89% of 130,000 respondents across 125 countries, including the U.S.
That’s a lot! Moreover, these findings have led to an exciting new initiative called The 89 Percent Project — a global media collaboration aimed at highlighting the fact that the vast majority of people in the world care about climate change and want their governments to do something about it.
You’re not alone if you’ve seen, heard, or had enough of the world’s slow response to climate change. And as climate change accelerates, more people will likely join you; the silent majority will become more outspoken and motivated to participate directly in climate action, too.
Opportunities for everyone to participate are growing and becoming increasingly global. People from everywhere, at all different commitment levels, have more ways to engage than ever before. And as members of a rising majority, we can produce a powerful multiplier effect.
More Participants = More Progress
Why does participation matter so much right now? Because we can move the needle farther when more of us compel our governments and inspire each other to act.
What’s more, participation is critical now because we have catch-up work to do. Although the Paris Agreement was signed a decade ago, most nations’ climate commitments have not been met, according to the UN’s latest report. And we can’t overlook the number of businesses pulling back on their previous climate commitments, either. This combination of countries and companies lagging behind means that we must pick up our pace even more.
But while these regressions and retreats are disappointing, forces at work offer hopeful signs of movement. New local and national climate legislation and novel advances in climate tech are just two categories of positive public and private sector progress that don’t rely on federal governance. Reports of their momentum regularly appear in national and international news outlets and social media feeds as encouraging reminders of the progress that’s quietly yet steadily underway.
There are also tangible and pragmatic reasons now motivating change. The costs of damages and loss caused by climate change are escalating and will inevitably cause more governments, industries, businesses, and people everywhere to react out of plain necessity. When our safety or security is threatened, we instinctively protect our property and ourselves. That can lead to more alignment around actionable solutions right now that are beneficial for everyone and the planet.
Not everyone will be a climate activist. But we can all be climate pragmatists.
Climate Pragmatism = Common Sense
Climate pragmatism is common sense because it offers practical steps for all stakeholders to follow. It applies science and proof points to inform us about wiser environmental choices for the future. It also uses math to help guide smarter private and public financial decisions as we face the rising costs of past inaction. And, to round things out, climate pragmatism promotes real success stories that motivate all of us to join:
- policy wins — that impact our health, safety, and natural resources
- reforestation wins — that help restore the balance to ecosystems we rely on
- low-carbon materials & climate tech wins — that gain in value as they move from prototypes to pilot projects and scalable commercialization
Climate pragmatism meets people where they are and gives them the tools and agency to act on what they care about. It’s a consequential call to action, a means to change mindsets, and an exponential boost to advancing climate action faster.
Making a difference is becoming easier.
How to Participate
It’s natural to wonder where to start, with whom, and for how much of your time.
This QUARTERLY offers several ways to begin participating — or to go deeper if you’re already involved.
If you’re ready to get started, here are several easy ways to stay informed:
- Read The Daily Difference, from the Carbon Almanac Network, which offers a conversational way to begin, or Bloomberg Green, which provides a more business-oriented yet simple starting place. Both suggestions are quick reads and free.
- Listen to one or more of the following Podcasts: Zero, A Matter of Degrees, and Climate Swings, which is for those who want to work in climate but don’t know where to start.
- Watch the webinars hosted by the World Resources Institute (WRI), which cover foundational climate topics and are delivered in accessible language by global experts.
If you’re ready to interact with organizations, here are a few paths to follow:
- There’s no shortage of climate-focused organizations to interact with. We suggest starting with the Climate Organizations Resource Directory for a well-organized list of resources.
- Every industry, from fashion to pharmaceuticals, has an organization or working group dedicated to sustainability and climate impact. You can find several hundred listed in the Climate Action Directory, as well as a smaller consolidated list by industry.
- To interact with design organizations participating in the global Conference Of the Parties (COP) to advance climate action, here are several to begin with: AIA / Architecture 2030 / ASLA / Climate Positive Design / RIBA / USGBC / WorldGBC
- If you’re interested in climate justice, Bentley University Library provides an extensive directory of Climate Justice Organizations to interact with nationally or internationally.
If you’re ready to join an advocacy group, you have plenty of local to national options:
- All states have agencies responsible for economic development and related functions to attract businesses, foster growth, and support their economies. Local and state agencies are also investing in climate resilience, emissions reductions, and carbon removal legislation. Begin by exploring your state’s resources in Lot21’s national policy directory, available here, to uncover advocacy groups that may fit your interests.
- For example, the 4 Corners Carbon Coalition led a low-carbon concrete campaign that successfully rallied stakeholders, e.g., suppliers, builders, architects, and civic leaders, from four adjacent states. Now, 4 Corners is leading a new campaign to catalyze biochar pioneers in New York State’s Hudson Valley through an active coalition of participants from across the region. Local, state, and regional efforts like these welcome your advocacy.
- As a first-hand experience, I’ve had the privilege of participating in a New York State advocacy group engaged in developing two carbon removal bills led by Chris Neidl, Lot21’s policy advisor. It’s a great way to gain a deeper understanding of how policy is made, who needs to be involved, and why participating matters. (AIA is among our supporters.)
- You can also participate by sharing climate-positive materials, tools, or projects on Lot21 using our easy-entry form, available on each category’s landing page. Your content helps more of our community members to inform, inspire, and empower others to act.
To those just getting started, this is your open invitation. And to those already participating, my heartfelt thanks. A rising majority lifts us all.
With you, we can do a lot more!

Lew Epstein
Founder / CEO
Projects
Collected works at the forefront of climate action

Adaptation Park / Third Nature
The historical Enghavepark has been transformed and is now the largest climate project in Copenhagen. With a 22.600 cubic meter water reservoir, the park answers the need to handle future water challenges, frequently caused by extreme cloudbursts.
Enghavepark’s architectural strength lies in the integration of massive water volumes within its neoclassicist aesthetics, showcasing a pioneering approach to climate adaptation.
Learn more about this highly effective climate-resilient project by clicking the link below.

Loures Riverfront / Topiaris
The Loures Riverfront spans an area of 100 ha of marshlands to form a pedestrian and bicycle mobility connection between the adjacent municipalities of Lisbon.
This pedestrian and cycling route constitutes an important mobility infrastructure with a significant impact on the daily commuter matrix, contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions and positively affecting the lives of the surrounding communities.
Explore this transformative emissions-reduction project further by clicking the link below.

PaperShell
From sporting and consumer goods to furniture and architectural products, PaperShell is enabling the transition from plastics and metals to 100% bio-based composites. Using PaperShell material can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90-98%.
At the end of its useful life, PaperShell can be pyrolyzed, a carbon removal method that produces biochar, which has applications in both agriculture and throughout the built environment.
Dive deeper into PaperShell’s innovative low-carbon capabilities by clicking the link below.
Resources
Materials and tools to help decarbonize the world

Biochar / producers
Biochar is a carbon-sequestering material with applications in agriculture that improve soil health and in the built environment as an additive in concrete, floor and wall tiles, acoustic ceiling tiles, dyes, pigments, bioplastics, and more.
Explore the examples below and many other resources in our materials directory.
Glanris produces BioCarbon® biochar from the world’s largest agricultural waste, rice husks, for a wide range of carbon-storing applications. Utilization includes vital soil amendments, fillers in asphalt, concrete, tiles, and drywall, and filters for air and water.
OurCarbon® is a sustainable biochar used in concrete mixes, inks, and other materials. By aligning with circular economy principles and offering scalable solutions, Our Carbon is at the forefront of waste management and sustainable material development.
Ecolocked makes biochar-based concrete admix materials that permanently sequester captured carbon throughout the built environment, while reducing the need for cement, sand, and other raw materials.
U.S. Biochar Directory By State lists biochar suppliers and their contact information by state across North America. Resources may be sorted by name, state, or sector.

Biochar / initiatives
Biochar provides a well-established solution for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) through broad applications available today. Biochar initiatives are enriching this practice while capitalizing on opportunities across globally diverse market sectors.
Dive deeper and discover far more resources in our growing tools directory.
International Biochar Initiative (IBI) is a platform for fostering stakeholder collaboration, good industry practices, and environmental and ethical standards to support safe and economically viable biochar systems.
U.S. Biochar Initiative (USBI) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the sustainable production and use of biochar through research, policy, technology, and implementation in North America for sustainable food security, improved soil fertility, environment, and climate resilience.
The U.S. Biochar Coalition unites businesses, investors, and civil society to drive policy change, foster industry growth, and build the partnerships needed to scale biochar solutions across markets. Their powerful climate tool provides guidelines to advance biochar carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and applications.
Policy
Advancing climate action through legislation

National / policy in action
Our National policy directory includes a selection of measures in all 50 states that support decarbonization. Within the United States, a bipartisan coalition of 24 states and territories (U.S. Climate Alliance) remain committed to achieving the Paris Agreement goals through legislation. Below are two examples of progress.
Compare states — leading or needing climate legislation now.
To achieve net-zero by 2050, the Building Performance Colorado (BPC) program is taking proactive measures to decarbonize buildings through regulations, programs, and incentives. The focus is on reducing emissions from large buildings, increasing renewable energy use, and exploring electrification options.
The state’s final 2026 budget includes the nation’s largest investment in Thermal Energy Networks (TENs), which allow the state to scale up decarbonization from individual homes to entire neighborhoods, making upgrades more affordable, efficient, and impactful.
The final budget also invests in EmPower+, which helps more low-to-moderate-income households access clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades.
All states can be easily found in our alphabetical directory here

International / agreements
Our International directory connects designers to each country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), industry advocacy groups, and how to participate. The NDCs make it easy to compare each country’s global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and gain a more comprehensive view of global climate action.
Explore countries — their NDCs and GHGs listed under the letter C.
Cabo Verde NDCs / 2021 / global GHG emissions: 0.01%
Cambodia NDCs / 2020 / global GHG emissions: 0.16%
Cameroon NDCs / 2021 / global GHG emissions: 0.27%
Canada NDCs / 2021 / global GHG emissions: 1.54%
Central African Republic NDCs / 2022 / global GHG emissions: 0.12%
Chad NDCs / 2021 / global GHG emissions: 0.24%
Chile NDCs / 2020 / global GHG emissions: 0.1%
China NDCs / 2021 / global GHG emissions: 25.88%
Columbia NDCs / 2020 / global GHG emissions: 0.57%
Comoros NDCs / 2021 / global GHG emissions: 0.00%
8 more countries listed under the letter C
All countries can be easily found in our alphabetical directory here.
Lots
New initiatives to help decarbonize the world

CARBON LITERACY
FOR SPEED AND SCALE
Clever Carbon
Michelle Li stands at the forefront of the global climate movement as a renowned climate champion, influential thought leader, and a compelling keynote speaker.
Michelle is the founder and driving force behind Clever Carbon, an organization dedicated to democratizing carbon footprint literacy through hip and fun content — to accelerate solutions and actions with partners and clients from the NBA to Mastercard and Mubadala.

BIOCARBON® BIOCHAR
FULFILLS WIDE APPLICATIONS
IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Glanris
Bryan Eagle is the CEO & Founder of Glanris, the producer of BioCarbon® biochar from the world’s largest agricultural waste — rice husks — allowing for the global expansion of their carbon negative technology at a gigaton scale.
Biochar has a wide range of carbon-sequestering applications, from being used as a soil amendment to a filler in asphalt, concrete, tiles, and drywall, or as a filter for air and water. Today, it is one of the most affordable and scalable carbon removal solutions available.

NEW BIOMATERIALS
ALGAE-BASED BIOPLASTICS
FOR NUMEROUS APPLICATIONS
BioPlaster Research
Dr. Andrea Bonilla Brunner is a founding partner and the CEO of BioPlaster Research, a company pioneering scalable biomaterials from regenerative sources, such as marine algae, to replace petroleum-based plastics across multiple industries.
BioPlaster’s innovations include biodegradable films and bags, shock-absorbing foams, and sustainable threads for textiles. These materials serve applications in fashion, packaging, and protective transport — offering a viable path to decarbonize the built environment.
Listening & Reading Suggestions

Covering Climate Now: The 89 Percent Project

Aspen Ideas To Go:Katherine Hayhoe On Fighting Climate Change

Zero:How Australia’s Resources Will Shape Global Emissions

A Matter Of Degrees:The Climate Crisis Is Breaking Insurance

World Resources Institute:Nature-Based Solutions For Climate Resilience

Climate Swings:From PhD Dropout To Carbon Removal Comedian
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decarbonize the world.
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