🔮 My 8 Reflections on 2024 & 8 Predictions for 2025
8 Key Reflections on what shaped this year. 8 Predictions on what will drive success in 2025. From market shifts to emerging trends, these insights aim to prepare you for what’s next.
👋 Hi, I’m Djoann Fal. I’m fascinated by our planet, our changing weather, and peaceful, green technological utopias. Welcome to my monthly newsletter.
2024 was a year defined by extreme climate disasters, AI breakthroughs, political turbulence with Trump’s re-election, Elon Musk’s growing political influence, record tech valuations, and rising social tensions driven by technological unemployment and wealth inequality.
Let’s dip into the oracle pool, just for fun, and predict what 2025 could have in store for us within the realm of technology and climate. 🚀🌍
1. 📈 Tech Officially Ate the World: Entering an Era of Tech Dominance
In 2024, technology cemented itself as the undisputed driver of global economic growth and cultural influence, reshaping industries, financial markets, and societal norms on a scale never seen before.
The Magnificent 7 tech companies—Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, Alphabet, Meta, and Tesla—collectively added over $3 trillion in market capitalization in 2024, surpassing the GDP of countries like France and the UK. Their stock performance outperformed every other asset class globally, solidifying tech's dominance in the financial markets.
Apple's valuation soared to $4 trillion, fueled by its AI-powered ecosystem, strong hardware sales, and high-margin services sector. Analysts predict Apple will surpass $5 trillion by 2025, making it the first company in history to reach such a valuation.
Tech Investments Broke Records: Global venture capital investment in AI and tech startups crossed $500 billion in 2024, with the U.S. and China leading the charge.
In 2024, technology isn’t just a sector anymore—it’s the bloodstream of the global economy. The tech industry’s contribution to global GDP is projected to surpass 15% by 2025, with AI, cloud computing, and robotics driving much of this growth.
2. 🌍 Adaptation Took Center Stage Amid Historic Climate Disasters
2024 will be remembered as the year the world faced an unrelenting wave of climate disasters, pushing adaptation to the forefront of global conversations.
In the United States, Hurricane Helene devastated coastal regions, causing billions in economic losses and resulting in 200+ tragic deaths.
Thailand and Vietnam experienced catastrophic floods and typhoons, leading to an estimated $1.4 billion in damages and triggering mass population temporary migrations from heavily affected regions.
Spain endured a relentless series of climate-induced disasters, including record-breaking heatwaves, wildfires, and historic flash floods in Valencia. These events caused immense property damage, political turmoil, and loss of life.
In French Polynesia, a massive typhoon not only displaced thousands but also created political instability as local governments struggled to respond effectively.
In 2024, adaptation finally emerged from the shadows of mitigation to stand as an equal pillar in the global fight against climate change.
2. 💡 From Moonshots to Earthshots: Pragmatic Investments Took Over
In 2024, the climate investment landscape reflected a decisive shift from high-risk moonshot technologies to scalable, pragmatic solutions.
The Rise of "Not-So-Green" Green Tech: In the rush to deploy pragmatic, scalable solutions, some technologies have been fast-tracked despite questionable environmental benefits:
Carbon Offsetting Platforms: While carbon credits and offset projects have surged, many lack transparency and face accusations of greenwashing, with real-world impact often far below reported figures.
Biofuels from Unsustainable Sources: Biofuels have seen increased adoption, but many still rely on deforestation, monoculture farming, and water-intensive crops, undermining their net environmental benefits.
Sustainable Plastics: The market for "biodegradable plastics" has grown, but many products only break down under industrial composting conditions, failing to deliver promised environmental benefits in natural ecosystems.
As a response, more tangible Clean Tech investments are now receiving favors:
Renewable Energy Growth Accelerated: By the end of this decade, renewable energy is set to meet almost half of global electricity demand. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the world will add 5,500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, representing a 2.7x growth from 2022 levels. While this falls slightly short of the UN goal to triple capacity by 2030, it still represents a historic shift towards clean energy.
Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Dominated 2024's Largest Climate Tech Investments. SAF emerged as the star of the year, attracting record funding. While SAF helps reduce aviation emissions, it still relies on burning hydrocarbons, underscoring the market's preference for incremental innovation over moonshot breakthroughs.
2024 proved that investors are increasingly prioritizing tangible, scalable solutions over speculative bets. Earthshots—solutions that drive measurable impact today—are winning the race against moonshots that promise future miracles.
3. 🤖 AI Became the Backbone of the Tech Race
2024 was the year AI became the undisputed engine of technological dominance across every sector.
Technological Advancements and AI Investments: Companies like OpenAI secured record-breaking funding rounds, while strong competitors like Mistral and Meta's LLaMA emerged as serious contenders in the AI race. The battle for AI supremacy intensified, driving massive investments across the industry.
Corporate Adoption Skyrocketed: AI adoption (mainly through OpenAI platforms) reached 72% of corporate executives globally, signaling that the future of work is no longer a distant concept but a present reality. AI isn’t a tool anymore—it’s the engine behind decision-making in the world's largest companies.
Controversy on AI Life & Death Decisions in the Insurance Industry: In one of the most shocking events of 2024, Luigi Nicholas Mangione, an American man, became infamous for the killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of a U.S. insurance company. The company had replaced its entire customer service team with AI, which subsequently declined Mangione’s back surgery claim, effectively leaving him without life-saving care. This tragic event sparked a global debate about the ethical boundaries of AI in decision-making, especially in life-and-death scenarios, and raised pressing questions about accountability and oversight in AI systems.
A New Kind of Warfare: The Ukraine War became a testing ground for a new era of warfare—drone warfare. With $100 off-the-shelf drones, Ukrainian forces managed to disable tanks, eliminate key commanders, and demolish strategic infrastructure, effectively neutralizing an army 10x larger.
In 2024, AI didn’t just power corporate efficiencies—it reshaped geopolitics, warfare, and how nations think about power.
4. 🏘️ Community-Driven Climate Fights Proved Their Worth
2024 showcased the power of grassroots movements and local leadership in driving meaningful environmental change:
🌳 Amazon Deforestation Reached a Nine-Year Low: Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by more than 30% in the 12 months leading to July 2024, according to INPE data. While 2,428 sq miles (6,288 sq km) of rainforest were still lost—an area larger than Delaware—it marked the lowest annual loss since 2015, despite an 18-fold increase in fires driven by a historic drought.
🌊 New Ocean Protections in the Azores: The Azores Archipelago announced one of the world's largest marine protected areas (MPA). Spanning 111,000 sq miles (287,000 sq km), half will be "fully protected"—free from fishing and resource extraction—and the other half will be "highly protected."
🌾 Community-Driven Agroforestry Programs in Africa Thrived: In Kenya and Ethiopia, agroforestry initiatives supported by local communities restored over 1 million acres of degraded land in 2024. These programs combined tree planting, sustainable agriculture, and community-led conservation, boosting food security and creating thousands of jobs in rural areas.
🌱 India’s Largest Urban Rewilding Project Took Root: In Mumbai, an ambitious urban rewilding initiative turned over 1,500 acres of abandoned industrial land into green corridors and biodiversity hubs. This effort not only reduced urban heat island effects but also improved air quality and flood resilience in vulnerable districts.
These community-driven initiatives remind us that global change often starts with local action, and 2024 proved that the smallest actors can drive outsized impact.
5. 🏙️ Singapore Led the World in Urban Climate Adaptation
In 2024, Singapore cemented itself as the global leader in urban resilience, offering a blueprint for climate adaptation in densely populated cities. Amid rising global temperatures, worsening floods, and increasing water scarcity across Southeast Asia, Singapore’s proactive, technology-driven approach stood out as a global case study in urban adaptation success.
🌿 Biophilic Architecture: Singapore continued to integrate green urban planning into its infrastructure, with vertical gardens, green rooftops, and biodiversity-rich urban spaces minimizing urban heat islands and improving air quality. Over 50% of Singapore’s urban space is now covered by greenery, a model envied by megacities worldwide.
💧 Smart Water Grids: AI-powered water management systems ensured water security amid unpredictable rainfall patterns. Advanced desalination plants and water recycling technologies provided Singapore with self-sufficiency in water resources, a critical edge as Southeast Asia faced prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall.
⚡ Aggressive Renewable Targets: Singapore accelerated its plan to source 30% of its electricity from low-carbon energy by 2030. In 2024, floating solar farms expanded across reservoirs, and large-scale battery storage systems became essential components of the national grid.
🏢 Cooling Districts: Singapore deployed district cooling systems across commercial hubs, reducing energy consumption by up to 40% compared to traditional cooling methods. These AI-optimized systems became essential tools in combating rising urban temperatures.
📊 AI-Driven Climate Monitoring: Real-time climate risk assessment systems, powered by machine learning algorithms, monitored flood risks, heatwaves, and water levels. These systems informed urban planning decisions, ensuring infrastructure was proactively reinforced against climate threats.
In 2024, Singapore didn’t just adapt—it led, offering a vision of what resilient cities of the future can and must look like.
6. 🤝 Trump Assassination Attempt, Elon’s Support, and the U.S. Elections Became the Media Event of the Year
In 2024, the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, Elon Musk’s vocal support during the campaign, and the highly charged U.S. presidential elections combined to create the most-watched media event of the year, nearly surpassing global viewership numbers from the Paris Olympic Games.
The Assassination Attempt: During a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt, emerging bloodied but defiant. The event sent shockwaves across the world, dominating headlines and sparking heightened political tensions in an already polarized America.
Elon Musk's Funding and Influence: Musk’s financial and vocal support for Trump’s campaign played a pivotal role in the election outcome. Musk became not just a tech figure but a political kingmaker, using platforms like X to shape narratives and rally support among voters.
A Hyper-Polarized Election Cycle: The months leading up to and following the 2024 U.S. presidential election became a global spectacle. Media coverage was relentless, social media platforms buzzed with misinformation and real-time updates, and streaming networks broke records with live broadcasts of key moments.
The combined viewership from traditional broadcast networks, online platforms, and social media made the Trump-Musk-Election trilogy one of the most consumed media narratives in history, eclipsed only by global sporting events like the Olympic Games.
2024 proved that politics, technology, and media are now inseparable, and the collision of these forces can command global attention on an unprecedented scale. The year will be remembered as a defining chapter in the intersection of power, technology, and media influence.
7. 🌊 Extreme Weather Accelerated Corporate Insurance Losses & Adaptation Plans
In 2024, the escalating frequency and severity of extreme weather events compelled businesses to intensify their adaptation strategies, focusing on operational resilience. In California, wildfires led to the destruction of 243 structures, prompting the state's insurer of last resort to consider surcharges for homeowners if funds are insufficient to cover catastrophic losses. Insurance Journal
Hurricane Helene inflicted substantial damage across the southeastern United States, with insured losses estimated between $8 billion and $14 billion, encompassing wind, storm surge, and flooding impacts. Carrier Management
The logistics sector faced significant disruptions due to these hurricanes, with the cumulative insured losses from Hurricanes Helene and Milton projected to reach up to $55 billion, underscoring the vulnerability of supply chains to natural disasters. Benzinga
8. 🌞 The Sun Reached Its Solar Maximum Amid Milankovitch Cycles
In 2024, the Sun's progression toward its Solar Maximum phase led to a series of significant solar flare events, profoundly impacting Earth:
Intense Solar Flares and Geomagnetic Storms: The year witnessed over 50 X-class solar flares—the most powerful type of solar flare—marking a highly active period for solar phenomena.
Disruption of Communication Systems: These solar flares caused disruptions in GPS systems, telecommunications networks, and satellite operations, leading to temporary outages and highlighting vulnerabilities in our technological infrastructure.
Aurora Displays at Lower Latitudes: The heightened solar activity resulted in auroras being visible at much lower latitudes than usual. For instance, in May 2024, a powerful solar storm produced auroras observable in regions far from the poles.
Increased Awareness and Monitoring: These events underscored the importance of monitoring space weather, prompting scientists and governments to enhance efforts in predicting and mitigating the impacts of solar activity on Earth's technological systems.
The solar flare events of 2024 reminded us of the Sun's profound influence on our planet, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance and preparedness in the face of space weather phenomena.
In 2024, humanity experienced the dual forces of climate resilience and technological dominance. The world witnessed governments, corporations, and communities unite to drive impactful change.
At Atlas Adaptation Fund, we stood at the intersection of these forces—backing bold founders and scalable technologies building a world resilient to climate chaos and technological disruption.
🔮 My 8 Predictions for Tech & Climate in 2025
1. 🤖 AI is Already Ubiquitous, Robots Are Next
In 2025, "AI Agents" will dominate tech investment conversations, siphoning significant capital away from traditional SaaS ventures. AI-powered physical robots will move from factory floors to everyday life, seamlessly integrating into society. Expect to see consumer robots like Tesla Bot and Unitree become mainstream, with influencers and celebrities leading adoption trends. Imagine Kylie Jenner’s assistant robot casually shopping on Rodeo Drive—it’s not science fiction, it’s 2025.
Mass production of consumer robots will kick off, and we’ll see an explosion of robotics applications in logistics, elder care, hospitality, and home assistance. The boundary between digital AI assistants and physical robots will blur, unlocking trillion-dollar markets and transforming industries.
However, perhaps the defining moment of 2025 will be Elon Musk's groundbreaking “We Robot Part 2” event. In an awe-inspiring demonstration in October 2024, Musk unveiled an army of synchronized servant robots and a fleet of self-driving cars, collectively managing and operating an entire tech conference without human intervention. From concierge services to live logistics coordination and dynamic event management, every aspect of the conference was powered by AI and robotics.
This moment didn’t just mark technological progress—it felt like a cultural tipping point, signaling the arrival of a world where robots aren’t tools—they’re participants in our daily lives. In 2025, we’ll witness robots step out of factories and into our homes, cities, and culture, reshaping human-AI relationships forever.
2. 🌡️ Heatwave Adaptation Tech Will Dominate
The global HVAC market is projected to reach $367 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.3%. Air conditioning alone accounts for nearly 10% of global electricity consumption, and rising global temperatures will push this even higher.
In 2025, startups focused on AI-powered cooling systems, next-gen heat pumps, and energy-efficient HVAC solutions will see explosive growth. Urban environments will adopt district cooling systems and AI-driven building energy optimization tools to combat rising temperatures.
Our investment in Zauben addresses urban heat islands through flood-proof green roofing solutions, while we’re actively exploring technologies like Gradient Comfort, which optimizes heat pumps with AI for sustainable cooling.
But rising temperatures also threaten global food security. Our investment in Avalo.ai tackles this by using AI-powered genomics to rapidly breed heat-resistant crops, safeguarding agricultural yields in extreme climates.
At Atlas Adaptation Fund, we see cooling cities and adapting crops as two essential strategies for thriving in a warming world—and we’re investing in the technologies making this possible.
3. ⚡ Renewable and Nuclear Energy Will Power Data Centers
By 2025, AI data centers are projected to consume 4.5% of the global electricity supply, and this number is expected to rise to 7% by 2030. As AI workloads scale exponentially, data center power consumption will outstrip entire nations' energy demands.
In response, 2025 will see a massive push for clean energy integration into data center operations. While solar and wind will remain dominant, nuclear energy—particularly Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)—will become essential to the energy mix.
Bill Gates' acquisition of Three Mile Island aims to retrofit it into an 800 MW nuclear facility specifically for powering AI data centers.
Amazon boldly moved in March 2024, investing $650 million in a Talen Energy (TLNE) nuclear-powered data center campus in Pennsylvania. The deal arranged for Amazon Web Services (AWS) to eventually source up to 960 MW of electricity from Talen's Susquehanna nuclear site.
These moves mark a clear shift: nuclear power is no longer seen as an aging relic but as a critical player in powering the digital economy. With tech giants leading the charge, nuclear energy will become a cornerstone of AI and cloud infrastructure resilience.
4. 🚢 Climate Logistics Adaptation to AI & Robotics Will Become a Billion-Dollar Vertical
The global logistics adaptation market is projected to exceed $1.3 trillion by 2030, driven by AI, robotics, and resilient infrastructure. In 2024, disruptions caused by floods, hurricanes, and rising sea levels resulted in over $100 billion in global supply chain losses.
At Atlas Capital, we’ve witnessed firsthand the growing demand for resilient logistics solutions while working with key clients like CMA CGM, Maersk, and Hapag-Lloyd. These industry leaders are already investing heavily in AI-powered logistics platforms capable of predicting extreme weather disruptions and optimizing supply chain routes in real time.
In 2025, we expect:
Growth in autonomous cargo ships and AI-optimized port operations.
Adoption of robotic warehouse management systems for resilience and efficiency.
Deployment of climate risk analytics platforms to preempt and mitigate supply chain disruptions.
The logistics sector will no longer be about just efficiency—it will be about survival and adaptability in an unpredictable climate landscape.
5. 🏙️ Southeast Asia Will Be a Climate Adaptation Case Study
In 2024, Southeast Asia faced over $50 billion in economic losses from typhoons, floods, and heatwaves, with damages expected to surpass $65 billion in 2025. Yet, the region is emerging as a global hub for adaptation innovation, with AI-powered flood management systems and resilient urban infrastructure solutions leading the way.
With our Adaptation Fund at Atlas Capital, we see an opportunity to bridge Southeast Asia’s climate innovations with North America’s capital and infrastructure expertise:
AI for Extreme Weather Event Prediction: Deploy AI-driven data systems to forecast and mitigate risks in flood-prone and heatwave-prone cities, reducing insurance losses and disaster recovery costs across both regions.
Urban Cooling Solutions: Scale technologies like heat pumps, energy-efficient cooling systems, and green retrofitting to reduce urban heat islands and grid strain in densely populated cities.
Logistics Adaptation to AI and Autonomous Drones: Integrate AI-driven logistics management systems and autonomous drones for harbor operations, ensuring supply chain resilience during extreme weather events and reducing operational downtime caused by climate disruptions.
Through our Atlas Adaptation Fund, we aim to catalyze scalable, high-impact technologies that protect lives, strengthen urban infrastructure, and secure essential supply chains across two of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
6. 🚀 The Rise of a Technocracy: Billionaires Will Reshape U.S. Governance
6. 🚨 The U.S. Shifts Towards Authoritarian Technocracy in 2025
In 2025, the Trump-Musk alliance will mark a fundamental shift in American governance, blending authoritarian leadership with technocratic control. This era will be characterized by a concentration of power in the hands of political elites and tech billionaires, sidelining traditional democratic checks and balances.
Elon Musk as a Political Powerbroker: No longer confined to Silicon Valley, Musk will solidify his role as a key political architect, influencing policy on energy, AI regulation, and infrastructure directly from the White House’s inner circle. His platforms, including X, will serve as both communication tools and propaganda channels, amplifying government narratives while suppressing dissent.
Tech Billionaires as Policy Architects: Figures like Musk and other Silicon Valley moguls will dominate federal policymaking, using their financial leverage and technological infrastructure to dictate national priorities. Laws and regulations will increasingly favor corporate tech interests over public welfare.
Erosion of Public Institutions: Under the guise of “government efficiency,” federal functions will be outsourced to private tech giants, embedding AI-driven systems in essential services such as healthcare, social security, and public administration. Traditional government oversight mechanisms will weaken, leaving critical decisions in the hands of AI algorithms controlled by corporate entities.
Surveillance and Digital Control: With digital identity systems, energy grids, and public services managed by private tech corporations, mass surveillance and data collection will become pervasive. The state will have unprecedented access to citizen behavior, financial transactions, and online activities, further tightening control over public discourse and dissent.
Crisis as a Political Tool: In response to rising unemployment, economic insecurity, and social unrest caused by technological displacement, the administration will use emergency powers and AI-driven predictive policing tools to maintain order, blurring the line between security and oppression.
This transformation isn’t just a political shift—it’s a systemic overhaul of governance, driven by the belief that technology, data control, and private capital are more effective at managing society than traditional democratic institutions. As the year unfolds, the balance between innovation, power, and accountability will become one of the most defining global conversations.
7. 🤖 Technological Unemployment Will Rise Rapidly While Crypto Income Hits All-Time High
In 2025, AI, robotics, and automation will displace jobs across insurance, logistics, manufacturing, and retail, with fully automated warehouses, AI-driven insurance processing, and self-driving fleets becoming standard.
As traditional employment shrinks, millions will turn to cryptocurrency investments, DeFi platforms, and digital asset trading as alternative income sources. Bitcoin is projected to surpass $200,000, driven by financial instability and institutional adoption, creating unprecedented wealth for early adopters while widening the economic gap between digital elites and displaced workers.
Governments will face growing pressure for policies like Universal Basic Income (UBI), potentially funded through crypto taxation and sovereign digital reserves.
In 2025, the world will see two diverging realities: a booming crypto economy enriching the tech-savvy and widespread unemployment straining social systems, forcing societies to redefine value, labor, and wealth distribution in an AI-driven future.
8. 💵 $86 Billion of Climate Tech Dry Powder Will Flood the Tech Industry
In 2025, an unprecedented $86 billion in undeployed capital (dry powder) from climate tech-focused funds will flood the tech ecosystem, setting the stage for a transformative year in investments across hardware, AI, energy storage, and industrial decarbonization.
Time-Driven Deployment: This capital was largely raised during the 2021 climate tech boom and comes with a four-year investment mandate, creating a natural deadline for deployment in 2025—whether in new investments or follow-on rounds for existing portfolio companies.
AI Diversion: A significant percentage of this climate tech capital will pivot toward AI and SaaS investments, as many climate-focused GPs seek safer returns in rapidly growing AI applications tied to energy efficiency, predictive analytics, and smart infrastructure.
A Defining Year for Climate Tech Investments: Despite some capital leakage into AI, 2025 will likely be the largest year ever for climate tech investments. Expect large late-stage deals, accelerated funding for proven technologies, and—potentially—the first major Climate Tech IPO in years.
This wave of capital isn’t just a financial milestone; it’s a signal that climate tech is reaching an inflection point where deployment, scalability, and liquidity events converge. Buckle up—2025 is poised to be the year climate tech moves from promise to profitability.
2025 will be defined by contradictions—political friction versus technological acceleration. But one thing is clear: Adaptation is non-negotiable. At Atlas Capital, with our Adaptation Fund, we’ll be there, investing in the bold ideas and visionary founders shaping this future.
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