Eugene Kirpichov’s Post

It’s time to speak out, even though it’s hard: for the first time, we’re going public with our story. For five years, my colleagues and I worked with Microsoft’s leadership to change the way it works with fossil fuel companies and get environmental considerations included in the company's Responsible AI Principles. We had some notable successes but ultimately fell short of our goals. After exhausting all internal avenues for change, we decided to tell our story publicly to open a larger conversation about the role tech companies are playing in expanding fossil fuel production at a precarious moment in the climate crisis. These companies are widely seen as sustainability leaders, and are doing incredible, important, innovative work within their own four walls. Frustratingly, the work they do with Big Oil overshadows most of it. We calculated that a single deal with Exxon Mobil to expand production in Texas and New Mexico by up to 50,000 barrels per day could enable carbon emissions adding up to 640% of the company’s carbon removal target for all of 2021. How many deals are there? If this is what corporate sustainability leadership looks like, we have a lot more work to do - and everyday employees have an important role to play in pushing companies to go farther and holding them accountable to the Paris Agreement. The science is crystal clear: the world needs to reduce global emissions 50% by 2030. Thank you to Grist and Drilled Media for helping us tell our story. We hope it will shed further light on this issue, inspire others to act, and build further transparency and accountability in the tech industry. We also hope it inspires employees to examine how their companies and industries work with the fossil fuel industry and address it directly with their leadership. These conversations can be positive, constructive, respectful, and most importantly – effective. Let our story make one thing crystal clear: when employees speak, companies listen. Use your voice. “Former Microsoft employees and sources familiar with tech industry advocacy say that, broadly speaking, employee pressure has had an enormous impact on sustainability at Microsoft, encouraging it to announce industry-leading climate goals in 2020 and support key federal climate policies. A Microsoft spokesperson told Grist that the company’s employees are ‘core to our sustainability mission’ and that executives engage with employee groups, like the Sustainability Connected Community that Alpine helped establish, ‘on a regular basis as part of an ongoing dialog.’” Special shoutout to Holly Alpine (née Beale) for years of fierce and tireless work on this issue, you are a force of nature.

Now that we've closed a chapter on Bee Corp, I owe an update on what's next! Motivated to solve environmental challenges at my core, I've pivoted to the world's most pressing environmental issue: the climate crisis. I will be leveraging learnings from building a deep tech solution in a legacy industry where financial ROI is the key market driver, not environmental impact. I love playing in this space I call 'sneaking sustainability solutions through the back door'. I am building two side projects of my own in the climate space--one I will be announcing very soon! In tandem, I am a strategic consultant for impact startups and entrepreneurial support organizations. Lastly, I fill my cup by giving back to founders through the TechPoint's Indiana Founder's Network. Check out my profile for details on all of these activities. Are you climate curious? Are you building the next amazing breakthrough for the climate crisis? Are you an impact or Indiana-based founder that needs some support? Let's talk. I didn't get to this place by myself--I leaned on a network of support. Gratitude post coming next 🤗!

Canadians, if you‘re considering switching to a heat pump to heat and cool your home, and you’re curious about utility bill costs, pay back period, and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, I made a thing for you. https://lnkd.in/gkZJfMaR At the beginning of the year, I was helping my family decide whether to switch our home heating in Ottawa from a gas furnace to a heat pump. Estimating the costs is complicated, the information in the wild is confusing, and it’s too complex to calculate simply in a spreadsheet. So I built a calculator for everyone to use, and made it open source so the calculation method would be transparent. Try it out, and if it looks helpful, share with other homeowners considering switching to a heat pump. If you have any feedback, please let me know in the comments or DM me!

What an incredible turnout at our SF Climate Week event this week! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us at SF Cisco and contributed to a day full of insights, strategies, and collaborations aimed at filling climate jobs. 🚀 We dove deep into how we can activate the 88% of climate-concerned Americans who haven't yet recognized the power of their job as a climate lever. Together, we explored action we can take thanks to the research from Work on Climate and the dedicated efforts of our partners at Jobs for the Future (JFF), Green Jobs Board, Terra.do, Climatebase, and OnePointFive (opf.degree). 🤝 For climate employers, educators, job boards, and advocacy organizations who attended: We are already seeing momentum build from the day's discussions and look forward to seeing how each of you implements these insights into your initiatives. 💼 Special thanks to the Cisco Foundation for supporting us in making this event possible. Comment below your on how to bring more people into climate jobs so we can continue the conversation! Anshuman Bapna, Matthias Muehlbauer, Taj Ahmad Eldridge, Usman Fahimullah, Evan Hynes, Eugene Kirpichov, Alex Wilkins, Charu Adesnik, Inbal Nachman

We are so excited to announce the launch of the Advanced STEM in Cleantech Working Group, a collaborative initiative bringing together over 30 stakeholders from a variety of sectors across New York and New Jersey. Our main goal? Supercharge the growth and diversity of the cleantech talent pool in the region. By joining forces, we aim to bridge the STEM talent gap in the region, as well as provide a blueprint for the workforce transformation in other sectors and regions. Learn more about the Working Group’s main goals, activities, and participants: https://lnkd.in/gkk3KfnY

📢 Announcing our event during SF Climate Week on April 24 🌍 Are you hiring for a climate job or recruiting into your climate training program? 🤝 This #SFCW event is a must for: climate employers, educators, job boards, advocacy orgs, funders, and other stakeholders building the climate workforce. Did you know that only 12% of climate-concerned Americans recognize the power of their job as a climate lever? To build the full workforce to solve climate change, we’ll need to get through to the other 88% — come to this event to find out how. The event will feature strategies to attract the general population into climate jobs from Work on Climate's recent research, as well as the efforts of Jobs for the Future (JFF), Green Jobs Board, Terra.do, Climatebase, and OnePointFive (opf.degree). Register to attend during #SFClimateWeek: https://lu.ma/teajb3i1

📢 Join us for an important discussion on "Empowering Women in Climate Action: A Key to Sustainable Solutions" tomorrow, April 4, 2024, from 9:00-11:00 am (DC time) / 13:00-15:00 (GMT). 🖥️ Microsoft Teams Link: https://lnkd.in/eCzrtx46 🎙️The event will kick off with opening remarks by Iain Shuker, Regional Director for Sustainable Development, Eastern and Southern Africa, World Bank. 🗣️ Our distinguished panel of experts and development practitioners will share insights on: - Indigenous women's leadership in climate action - Gender and climate-smart private sector investments - Integrating gender equality in climate adaptation strategies - Ensuring a gender-equal just transition - Building an inclusive climate workforce - The World Bank's gender and climate program Panelists include: - Agnes Leina, Founder, Il'laramatak Community Concerns, Kenya - Henriette KOLB, Global Manager for Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory, IFC - Tracy C. Kajumba, Director, LIFE-AR secretariat, IIED - Sandeep Pai, Research Director, Swaniti Global - Eugene Kirpichov, Co-Founder, Work on Climate - Anne Kuriakose, Senior Social Development Specialist, World Bank 🌱 We will also hear reflections from: - Margaret Arnold, Senior Social Development Specialist, World Bank, on incorporating gender in locally-led climate action in Kenya - Bandita Sijapati, Senior Social Development Specialist, World Bank, on operationalizing gender equality in the Just Transition agenda in South Africa 🎤 The event will conclude with closing remarks by David Warren, Practice Manager, Social Sustainability and Inclusion, World Bank. #GenderEquality #ClimateAction #JustTransition The World Bank Swaniti Global Work on Climate IFC - International Finance Corporation International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)