Saideep Raj

Cornell University researchers have tallied the environmental benefits of #NewYorkCity's cordon congestion pricing on air quality, since being introduced in January 2025. After reviewing air pollution data from 42 air quality monitors daily for 518 days, results showed particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and smaller dropped by 22% in the Congestion Relief Zone (all local streets and avenues at or below 60th Street). Significant declines were also observed across the city’s five boroughs and surrounding suburbs. The nature publication shows the results and extensive variables controlled for. "Three key takeaways emerge. First, reinvestment is critical. Allocating a portion of toll revenues to support outer-borough transit, subsidized fares, and active-mobility infrastructure would extend benefits beyond the CRZ and ensure citywide accessibility. Second, freight management deserves explicit integration. Our results confirm that heavy-duty truck activity remains a dominant driver of localized air-quality variation. Differentiated tolls, incentives for zero-emission freight vehicles, and coordinated delivery scheduling could amplify environmental benefits while reducing concentrated burdens in communities already overexposed to truck emissions. Third, adaptive management is essential. As weekly treatment effects grew over time, continuous air-quality monitoring, dynamic rate adjustments, and iterative policy design will be vital to sustaining gains and preventing rebound effects . These lessons align with international evidence that successful congestion pricing programs rely on transparency, reinvestment, and continuous adaptation." npj: https://lnkd.in/gcsdkHay https://lnkd.in/gxZ5KCSC

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While investing in #AI, many corporations fail to achieve strong ROI as a result. The root of this failure is not technological. It is macroeconomic and organizational. US enterprises are attempting to execute a paradigm-shifting technological transition within a market environment that offers them no structural shock absorber, in the way a formal industrial policy can. These enterprises must navigate the AI transition while addressing a rapidly changing market environment and the AI Stakeholder Squeeze. The post builds expands on some of the ideas presented in the recent podcast with Ben Lorica 罗瑞卡 about remaining employable in the AI era (https://lnkd.in/gAGRYxQN) #AIstakeholdersqueeze #AItransition #industrialpolicy

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Glad to finally announce that we're partnered with Amazon on it's Amazon Devices Climate Tech Accelerator. What makes this program unique is the the way it's designed. Participants receive dedicated support from Amazon technical experts to validate real deployment potential that can help reduce the carbon impact of millions of Amazon devices. 👉 If you're an interested startup, learn more and apply to the 2026 cohort here by February 24: https://lnkd.in/g6DZbtVh

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🌎 “𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 — not only for integrating more renewable energy, but also for better power systems planning.” 🎤 Shunondo Basu — Director, Energy Technology & Innovation @ The Rockefeller Foundation -- 🪙 Last April at the 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 & 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼: Shunondo Basu shared how the Rockefeller Foundation is using AI and digital twin technology to bring clean, reliable power to low- and middle-income countries — starting with a pilot in Rajasthan, India. 🌍 A bold vision to end energy poverty and expand access to clean energy for the next billion. -- 📍 This September, we return to NYC with 200+ investors, family offices, and innovators shaping the future of climate and frontier technologies. ⚡ Join us @ Climate Week NYC 🎟️ 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 → https://lnkd.in/gEgy-aKx

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Thrilled to share this landmark announcement from Global Interconnection Group (GIG). Our new joint venture with Scale-42 – GIGA-42 Ltd. – marks a huge step forward in building sustainable, AI-ready data centres across the Nordics. This is exactly the type of collaboration we envisioned when setting up GIG: bringing together visionary partners, renewable power, cutting-edge infrastructure, and long-term thinking to meet the world’s growing demand for secure, efficient digital capacity. A big thank you to our partners at Scale-42, and to the outstanding GIG team who are driving this mission forward. Exciting times ahead! #Sustainability #DigitalInfrastructure #DataCentres #AI #GIG #GIGA42

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As global scrutiny on corporate climate action intensifies, the transition plan has moved from a reporting formality to a strategic imperative. But what does it take to build a robust, actionable climate transition plan—and why are leading companies treating it as a business-critical exercise, not just a disclosure requirement? I truly enjoyed hosting a webinar on this topic last week together with Jacob Westerberg, Sebastian Ebbing and Saga Stugholm, and loved the engagement and intelligent questions from everyone attending. For the 250+ people attending, we asked what the most challenging aspect of their transition planning journey is. The most prominent answer was data quality, followed by C-level awareness and buy-in. This resonates with what we are seeing across our community as well: it all starts with good baseline information and strong leadership. The rest is (just) maths! We have summarised our key take-aways in this article: https://lnkd.in/eX55rXgf

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Excited with this announcement of a coalition of committed climatech investors focused on driving companies through FOAK (first-of-a-kind) plants. From 2021–2024, climate tech saw a wave of early-stage, high-risk bets. The next phase—2025 and beyond—demands focus: narrowing those bets to solutions that are ready to FOAK & scale, to compete with fossil fuels in the near term. A coalition that pursues this rigorously, free of bias toward existing individual fund positions, is the right approach to collectively win. Thrilled to partner with investors who share this vision, and looking forward to engaging with the top 20 companies selected for our first event later this month. Great FOAK opportunities are emerging across a) geothermal & nuclear to enable 24x7 baseload power for data centers b) US mfg leadership across infra buildout (cement & steel) c) batteries to support high growth solar around the world d) AI for critical minerals & materials discovery .. and many more.

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