Capitalism Created the Climate Crisis and Capitalism Will Solve It

USA Today Bestseller

Creative and practical free-market solutions to climate change

In Capitalism Created the Climate Crisis and Capitalism Will Solve It: The Market Forces Catalyzing a Climate Technology Renaissance, distinguished author Kentaro Kawamori delivers a fascinating and timely exploration of the interplay between capitalism and climate change. He explains how the capitalist system helped to contribute to the current crisis of global warming and how that same system will help to end it.

In the book, the author discusses the enormous impact of the climate crisis and how the government, the modern finance industry, the fossil fuel industry, and others combined to accelerate the warming of the world. He then considers the roles those same players will play to reverse this effect in the coming years.

You’ll also find:

• Discussions of how climate tech innovations will transform the economy and how technology disruptors will become involved in the process
• The ways the energy industry will change to incorporate the realities and consequences of a warming climate
• Explorations of the incentives created by free market structures and how to include climate stakeholders in the discussion

An engaging and exciting new resource for anyone interested in the intersection of economics, business, and the environment, Capitalism Created the Climate Crisis and Capitalism Will Solve It contains practical and thoughtful climate prescriptions for a world desperately in need of them.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

Part I Where We Are Today 7

Chapter 1 Collision Course: Consumerism, Capitalism, and Climate Crisis 9

Chapter 2 A Primer on Climate Change Today 25

Chapter 3 The Growing Power of Climate Stakeholders and Externalities 37

Chapter 4 Fossil Fuels: Culprit or Savior or Both 53

Chapter 5 The Supply and Demand Dilemma: Short- Versus Long-Term Gains 63

Part II How Capitalism Will Solve the Climate Crisis 77

Chapter 6 The Principles of Stakeholder Capitalism 79

Chapter 7 The Role of Modern Finance, Wall Street, and Private Equity 97

Chapter 8 Governance, Promoting Capitalism, and Efficient Free Market Economies 103

Chapter 9 How Climate Tech Will Transform the Economy 117

Chapter 10 Energy Transition: The Renewable and Clean Energy Revolution 127

Chapter 11 A New Hope: Our Changing Culture 145

Addendum I: My Climate Journey 153

Addendum II: For More Information 159

Glossary 161

Notes 169

Index 197

ENTARO KAWAMORI is CEO and Co-Founder of Persefoni, one of the world’s leading climate management and accounting platforms. Kentaro’s work as a ClimateTech expert, entrepreneur, and Fortune 500 executive has been recognized by the likes of Forbes on its 30 Under 30 list, SXSW’s startup competition and as an EY Entrepreneur of The Year award finalist.

“Kentaro Kawamori is a proven and insightful leader in the climate tech space. His new book thoughtfully explores how the right combination of market incentives and regulation can fuel the energy transition.”
—ALLISON HERREN LEE, former Commissioner and Acting Chair, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

“From visionary leader to future architect of tomorrow, Kentaro embodies a blend of youthful idealism with the expertise of an S&P 500 chief officer. He is a brilliant thinker, yet grounded and inspiring. Kentaro’s ability to unite great people together towards a common goal is a unique ability.”
—PAUL DICKINSON, Founder, Carbon Disclosure Project and co-presenter, Outrage and Optimism podcast

THERE IS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, AND CLIMATE RECOVERY IS ALREADY UNDERWAY

Capitalism Created the Climate Crisis and Capitalism Will Solve It is a book whose title says it all. From the industrial revolution and the fossil fuel industry to the free market and Wall Street, the market forces that transformed the world starting in the mid-1700s led to some alarming consequences. Inside, climate tech thought leader Kentaro Kawamori explains exactly how it all happened—and what today’s groundbreaking entrepreneurs, investors, legislators, and activists are doing about it.

It would be natural to want to dismantle the system that generated catastrophic climate instability. But the same system has also generated incredible advances, including renewable energy, stakeholder accountability, and climate tech innovations that are poised to revolutionize—without destroying—our capitalist economy. Best of all, these solutions are already in place and gaining speed.