Bloomberg Green, Bloomberg News’ dedicated platform for climate news, data, and solutions, made a significant impact at this year’s SXSW 2023 festival in Austin, Texas. True Hollywood Talk was invited to attend Bloomberg’s ESG House inside Austin’s beloved Native Hostel (R.I.P. 2024), sitting amongst a select number of journalists while underscored the critical intersection of media, technology, and environmental action by focusing on its pivotal event, discussions, and the overarching message of urgency and innovation in the fight against climate change.
Split between two days of programming, Bloomberg Green’s production was a comprehensive platform that brought together environmental experts, technologists, policymakers, and activists. The goal was clear: to explore and amplify the most effective and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Through a series of panels, workshops, and interactive discussions, Bloomberg Green facilitated a deep dive into topics ranging from renewable energy and sustainable urban development to climate finance and green technology.
Beyond the panel discussions, the event also provided interactive exhibits that showcased the latest in green technology and sustainable design. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge products and services that promise to reduce carbon footprints and enhance sustainability. Workshops on sustainable living and climate action provided hands-on experiences, from calculating personal carbon footprints to understanding the impact of dietary choices on the environment.
One of the highlights of Bloomberg Green’s programming was a panel discussion titled “The Future of Energy: Transition, Technology, and Policy.” This session featured a diverse group of speakers, including renewable energy entrepreneurs, policy advocates, and technology innovators. The discussion centered on the pathways to achieving a sustainable energy future, the role of policy in accelerating change, and the latest technological advances in the sector.
Another standout session was “Climate Finance: Investing in a Greener Future.” Here, financial experts, venture capitalists, and environmental economists explored the evolving landscape of climate finance. They discussed the surge in green investments, the importance of sustainable finance in driving environmental initiatives, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for investors and businesses alike.
Enter Kal Penn
It’s worth noting that the event attracted quite the number of journalists, eager to hear actor, author, and former White House staff member Kal Penn take the Bloomberg stage, which, to the surprise of attendees, was unable to appear in person and instead appeared via Zoom.
Penn, known for his advocacy on a broad spectrum of causes, including sustainability and the environment, spoke live to attendees as he casted a well-needed nonpartisan, social, and practical synthesis of current solutions for the human stamp on the climate. In partnership with Bloomberg Originals, Penn announced his newest series, “Getting Warmer,” which takes Penn across the world as he explores solutions to the climate crisis with a dose of humor and optimism, while educating viewers on the horrors of greenwashing.
His cogent understanding of major social mechanisms, melded with Bloomberg Green’s greenfield programming lineup, produced fast-moving sparks and refrains that grasped a player crossover game from actionable ICTs to severe handiness of core living issues and planate facts. His humorous but sieging voice on the need to “upstand” rather than “withstand” the tides in adopting new, younger technologies, notably in our backyards and thrashing leeways, drew workable IoT, fintech, and real e-soc solutions from the spots and beams.
