Shows
Invested In ClimateFilling the Climate Finance Gap with TED's Chris Anderson's All Aboard Fund & Spring Lane's Jason Scott, Ep #124We’re back with another episode in our series on the Missing Middle in Climate Tech in partnership with Spring Lane Capital. This is the fifth episode in the series. If you didn’t catch the others, check out InvestedinClimate.com/series and you’ll find our other episodes. If you have ideas for other series and would like to partner, get in touch through the website as well.The missing middle is a structural problem – a lack not only of available capital for climate companies, but also of the kinds of firms able to invest in them. Ne...
2025-11-2543 min
Invested In ClimateLA Climate Week Founders on Spreading EverywhereIn case you missed it, last week was NY Climate Week. There were well over 1,000 events — from summits with CEO and heads of state, to film screenings, concerts, parties, boat cruises, pitch sessions, hackathons and much more. I tried to sum up my experience at New York climate week in a special episode two years ago. This year, of course, the context was different with a US administration no longer interested in climate, and a lot of green hushing, hand wringing and new language that aims to be less politicizing.To me, one of the most interesting th...
2025-09-3044 min
Invested In ClimateBridging the Climate Finance Gap with Blackhorn Ventures & Spring Lane CapitalClimate tech companies face a range of structural challenges to securing the mid stage investment needed to scale their solutions. The lack of capital at this stage prevents many viable, potentially transformative technologies from going mainstream and eliminating gigatons of emissions. That’s why we’ve been running a series of episodes on the Missing Middle in Climate Tech in partnership with Spring Lane Capital. If you haven’t heard our previous three episodes in this series, check them out at investedinclimate.com, and if you have ideas of other topics that warrant a Deep Dive series please...
2025-09-1644 min
Invested In ClimateCharging Ahead with Electric InnovationI’ll admit it’s not often these days that I’m talking to climate leaders, particularly those working on policy, who say it’s an exciting time. This conversation was like a breath of fresh air. It’s not getting the headlines it deserves, but innovation is literally electrifying our country. Sector by sector, state by state, our economy is being transformed by electric technology replacing outdated fossil fuel applications.To elevate and accelerate this wave of innovation, Hawaii State Senator Chris Lee and California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild have teamed up to launch the Electric I...
2025-09-0242 min
Invested In ClimateFunding Climate Tech from Growth to Scale with Spring Lane Capital & Capricorn Investment GroupWe’re back with the third installment in our Missing Middle in Climate Tech series, created in partnership with Spring Lane Capital. If you haven’t yet heard the earlier episodes, head to our website for conversations exploring research from CREO and S2G on the financing gap facing climate tech companies caught between early-stage venture and large-scale project finance. And if you have ideas for future series or want to explore a partnership, we’d love to hear from you—reach out via our site (investedinclimate.com/contact).In this episode, we’re joined by Jason Scott, Par...
2025-08-1347 min
Invested In ClimateRethinking Climate Finance with Spring Lane Capital & S2GIn the second installment of our Deep Dive: Missing Middle in Climate Tech series, created in partnership with Spring Lane Capital, we dive deeper into why the “missing middle” is not just a gap; it's a structural issue. We're joined by two of the sharpest minds in climate investing: Francis O’Sullivan, Managing Director at S2G Investments, and Rob Day, Co-Founder of Spring Lane Capital. Together, they explore how early-stage innovation and late-stage deployment are well funded, while the crucial middle phase of scaling is dangerously underserved.We discuss why this gap exists, what solutions are emergi...
2025-06-1051 min
Invested In ClimateThe Role of Family Offices with Spring Lane & CREOThe climate transition requires not just allocating trillions of dollars to scale new technologies, build new infrastructure, and transform incumbent industries – it requires getting the right mix of capital to develop, grow, and eventually scale innovations. In the world of climate, promising technologies too often don’t find the growth-stage capital that’s needed before large institutional investors can finance reaching scale. Addressing this missing middle is a structural challenge that requires more attention, and today’s episode is the first in a series of discussions on the missing middle in climate, developed in partnership with Spring Lane Capi...
2025-05-2844 min
Invested In ClimateRemoving Carbon Market Bottlenecks with SylveraThe voluntary carbon markets have been a source of curiosity for me. There’s been a lot of hope that the market would mature and offer a reliable way to offset emissions that otherwise could not be eliminated. Reliability has been the problem, however. Not knowing which carbon reduction projects are additive and truly remove or reduce carbon has held this market back, and I’ve been excited to learn about how new technologies will enable the reliability that’s needed. There are many people working on this problem. Dr. Allister Furey, Founder and CEO of Sylvera is one...
2025-05-1334 min
Invested In ClimateGrant Management & Strategy: How to Win & Deliver on Climate GrantsNon-dilutive funding isn’t just about landing the grant; it’s about delivering on it with excellence. In the third episode of our Deep Dive Series with Climate Finance Solutions, we go beyond the application and explore what happens after the award. Our guest host Joel Armin-Hoiland, Founder & CEO of Climate Finance Solutions, is joined by two experts who live and breathe this work: Susan Perri, Director of Grants at Climate Finance Solutions, and Jeff Haydock, CEO of ecoCFO.Together, they unpack the essential strategies behind post-award grant management from navigating audits to implementing smart financial systems, craf...
2025-05-0652 min
Invested In ClimateLeveraging Non-Dilutive Funding as a Climate FounderNon-dilutive funding is a critical part of the capital stack for climate startups. Changes in Washington have made this landscape all the more challenging to navigate. To improve understanding of the opportunities in this space, Invested in Climate is partnering with Climate Finance Solutions on a series of podcast episodes. As our first deep dive in this series, Climate Finance Solutions Founder & CEO Joel Armin-Hoiland joined as a guest host and interviewed Tinia Pina, CEO of Re-Nuble and Dimitry Gershenson, CEO of Enduring Planet. They’ve both unlocked millions in non-dilutive capital to accelerate climate progress and sha...
2025-04-2245 min
Invested In ClimateEnvironmental Storytelling with The Redford CenterI’m fascinated by the question of how we can improve climate and environmental storytelling. There’s research that shows that 45% of young people in the United States experience climate anxiety so bad that it negatively affects their daily functioning. As we learned during a conversation with Nathaniel Stinnett of the Environmental Voter Project last fall, over 5 million Americans list climate and the environment as their #1 top issue, but don’t actually vote. To me, these are indicators that we need new kinds of storytelling and new ways to experience the climate transition.To learn about the state...
2025-04-0446 min
Invested In ClimateDecarbonizing $1 trillion with SphereAlex Wright-Gladstein was one of the first people I interviewed when I launched Invested in Climate nearly 3 years ago. Our conversation has stuck in my mind over the years as her company, Sphere, offers one of the most impactful actions individuals can take to address climate change. The action is really simple: Moving our savings out of fossil fuel companies. In the United States, fossil fuels are included by default in retirement savings accounts. If you have a 401(k), IRA, or pension, you are almost certainly supporting the fossil fuel industry. And we’re not talking about chu...
2025-03-1136 min
Invested In ClimateGrant Funding in a New Era with Climate Finance SolutionsIn just its first few weeks in power, the Trump administration has wreaked havoc on the climate tech landscape. An executive order aimed at accelerating fossil fuel extraction and slamming the brakes on renewables and the freeze on all federal grants has already had a devastating effect. Even though the freeze was quickly rescinded, climate companies and organizations across the country are struggling to operate amidst the uncertainty of whether the government will rescind its contractual obligations and cut funding. At stake are hundreds of billions of dollars that have been crucial to developing America’s green economy. C...
2025-02-1836 min
Invested In ClimateSaving Nature through System Change with RareMany experts today say we’re in the midst of the 6th mass extinction, a relatively short period of time when a high percentage of biodiversity dies out. To be clear, we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of species and an extinction event bigger than anything our planet has seen for over 65 million years when dinosaurs walked the earth. A recent study in the journal, Science, looked at 30 years of research across hundreds of species and showed the close link between climate change and biodiversity loss. It projects that if we can achieve the goals of the Paris Agre...
2025-02-1149 min
Invested In ClimateClimate Tech Predictions with Obvious Ventures' Andrew BeebeWhat 2025 will bring for climate tech is pretty hard to predict. We’ve seen a slowdown in investments at the same time as we see a continued flood of talent into the space, maturing technologies, and a boom in AI that could be transformative for climate solutions. The new administration? Nobody really knows how they’ll orient around climate tech, or how private investors will respond.There’s a lot of uncertainty, but of course, pros who have been in this game for decades and who study early-stage climate technology closely have some ideas of where we’re heade...
2025-01-2841 min
Invested In ClimateEngaging 100 million people in climate action with Count Us InHappy New Year everyone. It's 2025, and we know this year will be tricky in more ways than we can even imagine. I hope our podcast helps you stay inspired and think big throughout the year. Having gotten to talk to hundreds of climate tech founders, funders, advocates, and corporate sustainability leaders in recent years, I’ve been inspired by the amazing energy, innovation, and tenacity of climate champions worldwide. I’ve said it before and will say it again, I believe climate is now the biggest movement in human history. Millions of people wake up every day and w...
2025-01-1442 min
Invested In ClimateUnlocking billions for nature with CultivoLet’s talk about nature – the forests, land, oceans, biodiversity, and ecosystem that make this planet liveable and, if you ask me, quite worth saving. Nature regulates our climate – and stewarding nature well could contribute 20-30% of our emissions reduction needs. It’d also support livelihoods around the world and help prevent the mass extinction of many of our planet’s species. Nature-based solutions often sound simple – planting and protecting forests, farming in ways that improve soil health, restoring wetlands – but require sophisticated techniques to measure and track their impact. The lack of good nature monitoring systems has contributed...
2024-12-1737 min
Invested In ClimatePreventing wildfires by satellite monitoring with AiDashToday, we’re talking about wildfires and some innovative technology to prevent them. Climate change-related heat, drought, and what’s called thirsty atmospheric conditions increase the risks that come with wildfires. These fires have a real impact – they take human lives, create lasting respiratory health problems, destroy billions of dollars of property, and contribute significantly to global carbon emissions. The 2023 fire in Canada that burned an area the size of North Dakota emitted more carbon in five months than Russia or Japan emitted from fossil fuels in all of 2022. It should be noted, of course, that forests reabsor...
2024-12-1032 min
Invested In ClimateImpact strategy with Galvanize Climate Solution's Nicole SystromWhen Tom Steyer and Katie Hall came together in 2021 to bring Galvanize Climate Solutions to the world, it promised to be something rather unique. They both bring decades of experience managing many billions of dollars, incredible networks, and insights to find the best, most impactful investment opportunities for climate. Recently, Secretary John Kerry joined Galvanize as a Co-Chair, adding perhaps unparalleled international expertise to their team. The firm prioritizes not just financial returns for their investors, but also real climate impact. I was thrilled to sit down with Galvanize Chief Impact Officer Nicole Systrom to learn about h...
2024-11-2638 min
Invested In ClimateWhat the Election Changes and Doesn't with CERES & Climate CabinetThere are many reasons to believe the re-election of Donald Trump will be a major setback to climate progress. His previous record, recent campaign, ties to the fossil fuel industry, and perpetuation of misinformation, like the strange idea that wind turbines kill whales, all suggest we’re in for a radical reversal of America’s climate commitment. I’ve had many conversations with climate leaders since the election and a different narrative beyond this obvious fear became clear: Climate change doesn’t care who is President. Its impacts will be impossible to ignore. Business leadership and global competiti...
2024-11-1126 min
Invested In ClimateTapping the trillion dollar government edge with Overture VCEvery once in a while I come across an investment firm with a really different edge and perspective. Overture VC is one such firm. Their specialty is policy – not just understanding the unique opportunities climate tech companies have with government incentives and helping them navigate that tricky terrain, but also actually lobbying for policies that’ll benefit their portfolio companies. In the words of Overture Founder and Managing Partner Shomik Dutta, there’s a $1.2 trillion dollar wall of government money coming downhill for climate companies. So Overture’s edge is meaningful and can make a big difference for a wid...
2024-10-2927 min
Invested In ClimateCan fashion be sustainable? An inside look with Jason Kibbey & Evan WienerThe apparel industry has a massive impact on the environment. The industry is the second-highest consumer of water and it drives almost 10% of global carbon emissions. Despite thousands of smart people working to make this industry cleaner and all sorts of investments by brands, emissions are still increasing. To learn about this problem and get an inside look at the efforts to address it, I caught up with two old friends, Jason Kibbey and Evan Wiener. Jason was the founder of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and more recently a technology company called Worldly that helps bu...
2024-10-2245 min
Invested In ClimateBridge loans to the rescue with Open RoadIf you’re an avid listener, you might know I’m always interested in learning about ways we might improve financial markets for climate ventures. Improving the flow of capital can, of course, be incredibly impactful in helping more climate solutions scale successfully. So I was really excited when I learned about Open Road and the important role they’re playing by offering bridge loans to promising companies. Ok, maybe bridge loans don't sound that sexy to you? Think of it this way: if you’re an entrepreneur, what could be worse than running out of money? How about...
2024-10-0130 min
Invested In ClimateStaying cool and saving energy with Mojave HVACAfter a summer of record heat waves, I’m sure we’re all grateful for air conditioning. And we know, it’s not just about comfort or productivity, but with extreme heat, being able to cool buildings keeps people safe. Yet, it comes at a cost: air conditioning today is responsible for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions and demand is set to triple by 2050.Maybe you’re thinking that heat pumps are the answer and will come to the rescue? They’re certainly an important part of the solution, but until electric heat pumps are plugged into a gri...
2024-09-2432 min
Invested In ClimateHow environmentalists could decide the electionWe’re weeks away from a historic election. It’s one that will decide the course of climate action in the United States at a pivotal moment, a moment when we can’t afford to slow down or send mixed signals abroad. And, it’s an election that all expect to be decided by just tens of thousands of voters. These are all facts that I’m sure you know already. Here’s what you probably don’t know: millions of environmentalists don’t vote. These are people who list the environment and climate change as their number on...
2024-09-1748 min
Invested In ClimateInvesting in Public Climate Companies with ScopeFour CapitalIf you believe the climate transition is creating trillions of dollars of opportunity, then backing public companies whose business models are centered on that transition and whose growth will be driven by it seems an almost obvious approach. That’s exactly what Heather Beatty and ScopeFour Capital are doing, and I was excited to hear what they’re learning and the opportunities they see.In this conversation, we talk about Heather’s background and how she came to found ScopeFour after decades in institutional investing. We talk about their approach, their portfolio, and the oppo...
2024-09-1134 min
Invested In ClimateWellington Management's $385m Climate Fund with Greg WassermanI’m always excited to talk to climate investors who have been around for a bit, those who were investing during the Cleantech 1.0 phase, saw the ups and the downs, and have stuck through to our current climate tech boom. Some of the challenges that the earlier era of cleantech investing saw – like high capex and long payback periods – are still relevant today, and experienced investors offer nuanced insights into current opportunities and what the future might hold.I was thrilled to talk to Greg Wasserman. Greg started investing in clean energy almost 20 years ago at Goldman Sachs...
2024-08-2737 min
Invested In ClimateInside IBM's sustainability strategy with Justina Nixon-SaintilIt’s a sad truth that many companies are struggling or failing to meet their sustainability targets. Sensitive to anti-ESG pressure, interest rates, and other macro factors, many are also holding back from making new commitments. Currently, less than 10% of the Fortune Global 500 has a net zero commitment in place. Amidst this context, it's all the more important to shine a light on the companies that have made ambitious targets and that are working hard to achieve them. IBM is one such company. They began disclosing their CO2 emissions 30 years ago, and since 2010, they’ve cut em...
2024-07-2335 min
Invested In ClimateHedge funds' role in climate action with Corbin CapitalHedge funds aren’t exactly known for contributing to climate progress or other ESG goals for that matter. So I was surprised to learn about Corbin Capital, a firm that aims to leverage the activist strategies of hedge funds not just to generate market-exceeding returns for their clients, but to advance environmental and social objectives.There are trillions of dollars invested in hedge funds that can make a difference in this all-hands-on-deck moment. So why not think about how hedge fund tools can help accelerate decarbonization and other environmental priorities? To learn more about this opp...
2024-07-0935 min
Invested In ClimateGoing for gigatons with Clean Energy Venture's Temple FennellWe know we need to be investing trillions of dollars annually into the climate transition. Venture capital is just a small slice of the pie, but there’s simply no time to slow down its contribution to advancing climate solutions. In 2023, however, climate tech venture funding dropped 30% to $32 billion. Whether this was a temporary slowdown caused by high interest rates and the macro environment, or the new normal, will make a big difference.Recently, I’ve been thrilled to start hearing about funds that are closing new and significantly bigger rounds. One such firm i...
2024-06-1339 min
Invested In ClimateFighting for climate disclosures with CeresAfter two years of waiting, the SEC finally came out with its new climate disclosure rules. As expected, it was met with a mix of celebration, disappointment, criticism, and lawsuits. The suits came from those who felt the rules went too far and from those who felt they don’t go far enough. Disclosure rules are critical to ensuring companies are taking climate change seriously. They ensure investors can consider a company’s climate risks as well as their progress in cutting emissions. Beyond the SEC, Europe and California’s rules are also influencing corporate action i...
2024-05-1437 min
Invested In ClimateMastercard's master plan for sustainable consumptionIf you think of Mastercard as simply a piece of plastic that enables you to buy stuff, you’re not seeing their vast network of businesses, their billions of customers, or the potential influence they have on consumer behavior.There have been countless efforts over the years to encourage consumers to shop more sustainably, but when it comes to the reach and data savvy that Mastercard brings, it’s a whole different ballgame. I’ve known Mastercard’s Chief Sustainability Officer Ellen Jackowski for many years, and I was delighted to sit down with her to unders...
2024-04-2336 min
Invested In ClimateFundraising tips & climate tech outlook with Earthshot VCEarthshot Ventures isn't just any climate tech venture firm. Having grown out of the Elemental Excelerator, one of the biggest and best-reputed accelerators in the industry, Earthshot is deeply rooted in the early-stage ecosystem. And it turns out there's something else that sets them apart. Managing Partner Mike Jackson has a knack for coaching founders on what he thinks of as the art and science of fundraising. We're joined today by Mike and Earthshot Partner Ramsay Siegal to hear about their firm, approach, portfolio, and outlook on the market. We dive deep into Mike's insights to helping...
2024-04-1644 min
Invested In ClimateScaling home upgrades through CSAs with Scope ZeroWe know that motivating homeowners to invest in energy efficiency retrofits and home upgrades is hard. Energy efficiency might not sound glamorous, but across the US, retrofits can actually cut our residential energy usage in half. That’s why when I met Scope Zero CEO Lizzy Kolar, I was excited to learn about her company’s novel way of motivating home upgrades. What Lizzy and her co-founder realized is that our homes are now workplaces. And, with employers having to account for emissions for remote workers, they now have an incentive to help homeowners invest in upgr...
2024-03-2626 min
Invested In ClimateOxford's Climate Tech Opportunity Report with Jamil WyneWe know that addressing climate change will take trillions of dollars of investment. According to the Climate Policy Institute, we’ll need to spend over $10 trillion annually for decades. and we only just exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in 2022. I’ll confess, I find these big numbers hard to conceptualize and I’m always glad for more nuanced ways to break them down. That’s why when I saw Oxford’s Climate Tech Initiative’s recent report, I reached out to one of its authors Jamil Wyne. The Oxford report builds on recent climate finance data by asking alm...
2024-03-1242 min
Invested In ClimateUnlocking the Potential of Scientists with ActivateAt the center of climate progress are scientists. They’re developing new technologies with which we can build a new, more sustainable global economy. Moving inventions from a lab to startup companies to scaled products, however, takes more than science. Research scientists had long lacked a support structure to help them build successful businesses. That’s where Activate came in. Founded in 2015 at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Activate is a fellowship program that has helped almost 200 science fellows create companies that have now collectively created about 2,000 jobs and have raised about $1.5 billion. To learn more a...
2024-02-2037 min
Invested In ClimateSierra Club Foundation's Shifting Trillions Initiative to Transform Energy FinanceIf you’re listening to this podcast you’ve probably heard of the Sierra Club. It’s one of the largest environmental organizations in the United States, with about 4 million members and a history of advocacy going back to 1892.But what do you know about the Sierra Club Foundation? It’s a $200m organization that, as you’d guess, supports the Sierra Club. It also takes on ambitious initiatives to leverage its resources to protect the environment, transform the energy system, and more. One of those initiatives focuses on shifting trillions of dollars out of the fossil fuel econo...
2024-02-1343 min
Invested In ClimateSmart ACs and hot cities with Sensibo's Ran Roth and Prof. Matthias RothI know it’s wintertime for many of you, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore how cities around the world are heating up and how air conditioning is a growing contributor to climate change. Air conditioning is responsible for about 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Today, about 20% of electricity used in buildings and about 10% of global electricity use comes from operating air conditioners. With cities heating up and more people able to afford this technology, air conditioning emissions are expected to double by 2030 and triple by 2050.To understand this problem and some promising solut...
2024-02-0640 min
Invested In ClimateReplacing plastic using captured greenhouse gases with NewlightThere’s a lot we can learn from nature. Processes that happen in nature keep resources in flow, by-products are used and contribute to the health of the ecosystem and there is no waste. Fallen leaves enrich the soil, photosynthesis produces oxygen for animals to breathe, and microorganisms decompose methane and carbon dioxide and produce PHP. Oh, not so familiar with that last example? Well, it’s an important one to know about if you care about removing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere or producing a sustainable replacement for plastics. Today we’re joined by an entrepreneur who for...
2023-11-2829 min
Invested In ClimateBuilding global climate resilience with Global Resilience Partnership & Green Africa Youth OrganizationAs we all feel the impacts of climate change more and more each year, the need to invest in climate resilience becomes more and more clear. The World Bank estimates that by 2050, there’ll be more than 1 billion climate refugees.It’s not about choosing between solutions to dramatically cut emissions and investments that help communities prepare for and bounce back from climate events – we need them both to limit human suffering as well as geopolitical risks of destabilization caused by climate change. Today, we’re joined by two leaders working to advance climate resilience. Nate Matt...
2023-11-1445 min
Invested In ClimateFusion, carbon transformation, grid management and more with Braemar Energy VenturesToday we’re joined by three team members of Braemar Energy Ventures, ESG Head Lori Collins, Partner Don Tappan, a Co-Founder and Managing Partner Bill Lese. I was excited to talk to the Braemar team because their firm has been investing in energy companies for over 20 years and have backed some early category-defining pioneers like ChargePoint and EnerNOC. Since they’re investing in a wide range of companies driving the energy transition, they bring broad insights to today’s climate tech opportunities as well historical lessons from the clean tech 1.0 years. We dive deep into three of their investments, offeri...
2023-10-2444 minInvested In ClimateMassive infrastructure opportunity with Nexus PMG & GreenBackerThe climate transition we’re living through brings so many opportunities to rethink our infrastructure that it could easily be the entire focus of this podcast week after week. Today’s episode focuses on a handful of those opportunities: converting waste into valuable upcycled materials, renewable energy infrastructure, biomass, biofuels and more. We’re joined by Ben Hubbard, CEO of Nexus PMG, a company that advises and develops a wide range of infrastructure projects. They’re a fascinating company, and as you’ll hear, they’re engineering sustainable solutions for everything from wood pellets to solar farms to dog food...
2023-10-1745 minInvested In ClimateGeothermal heat pumps with Dandelion EnergyHeat pumps have gotten a lot of attention lately. They’re one of the technologies most critical to electrifying buildings and removing our dependency on fossil fuels for heating and cooling. And, they’re a technology that’s taking off. Sales of heat pumps have grown by double digits for two years running. According to the Sustainability Trends Report published recently by Al Gore’s investment firm Generation, heat pump sales In Europe grew by 50% and they’re now outselling gas furnaces in the United States. But did you know there’s more than one kind of heat p...
2023-10-1037 minInvested In ClimateSunrise Movement & young people's fight for bold climate actionNo matter who I talk to – whether startup founders, investors, or corporate sustainability leaders – when I ask what is needed to really move the needle on climate change, everyone always comes back to the to importance of policy change, of making climate an electoral issue and holding political leaders accountable to take bold action. There’s no denying that in recent years one of the most important forces making bold climate action more of a priority, has been the voice of young people. Their cry for change and their committed activism has been impossible to ignore, and the pol...
2023-09-1945 minInvested In ClimateAI-Powered Climate Tech Breakthroughs with Neotribe's Kittu KolluriWhen it comes to climate tech, there are a lot of new kids on the block, investors that have brought billions of dollars of new capital and have helped fund climate innovation we badly need. It’s rare that you find folks who have been investing in climate tech for over a decade, let alone two decades. So I was thrilled to sit down with Neotribe’s Swaroop Kolluri who goes by Kittu, a long-time climate investor who sees enormous opportunity in the intersection of different technologies. We talk about several of his investments – from solar to wave en...
2023-09-1231 minInvested In ClimateClimate-first investing with GreenPortfolio & Earth Equity AdvisorsFrom the growing demand for climate-positive investing, new funds, new approaches for financial advisors, and entirely new platforms for managing one's investments are taking off. This is just the beginning. It's hard to imagine how different investing might be as tens of trillions of dollars transfer to younger sustainability-motivated generations.Today’s conversation is with two people working to change how people invest today to participate in and support the unique opportunity that is the climate transition. Pete Krull is a Partner & the Director of Sustainable Investments at Earth Equity Advisors, a firm he founded almost 20 years ag...
2023-09-0543 minInvested In ClimateCreating a circular economy of carbon with LanzaTechFossil carbon is not just burnt for energy. It’s also used as an ingredient for millions of everyday products. But what if, rather than extracting new fossil carbon from the ground, the carbon could be sourced from waste and kept in circulation. That’s exactly what a company called LanzaTech is doing. For almost two decades LanzaTech has been using a synthetic biology process to recycle carbon waste and create new products. They went public earlier this year and provide a fascinating example of a climate tech company with a bold vision for transforming how our mater...
2023-08-1544 minInvested In ClimateClimate TRACE's bold plan to map emissions with satellites, sensors & AIWe all know that addressing climate change means eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, but have you ever stopped to wonder how we know how much we’re actually emitting? The truth is we haven’t really known, but instead rely on estimates. These estimates fail to provide very specific data about where exactly emissions are coming from, when, and what investment and policy choices might be most effective in turning them off.Today’s episode focused on an incredibly ambitious initiative called Climate TRACE, a collaboration of over 100 organizations that use a dizzying number of satellites and remote sensor...
2023-08-0841 minInvested In ClimateElectrifying fleets with Spring Free EV & Spring Lane CapitalThe EV revolution is well underway, and we’re clearly in the midst of a massive transition away from gas-powered cars. Consumers are opting for EVs not only to end their costly dependency on fossil fuels, but also because EVs are often just better cars.For fleet managers, the calculus is different and more challenging. Switching to EVs requires not just an upfront investment, but also operational changes to deal with charging. This is an important problem to solve given the vast number of intensively-used, fleet-owned vehicles on the road. We’re joined today by Tenni...
2023-08-0141 minInvested In ClimateTurning waste into energy onsite with Closed Loop Partners & HomeBiogasI love talking about food waste. It’s one of the biggest contributors to emissions and something that we all contribute to every day. Reducing how much food goes uneaten is, of course, a big part of the solution, but there’ll always be organic waste. If it sits in a landfill, it’ll emit methane and miss the chance to be used as a resource.Today’s episode focuses on an Israeli startup that sees organic waste as a precious resource. HomeBiogas turns waste into fuel onsite to be used for heating and cooking. They’re off to the...
2023-07-2539 minInvested In ClimateClimate investing past, present & future with Jenn KenningMost of our episodes go deep into specific opportunities to address climate change through new technologies, investment opportunities, advocacy, and policy. This episode takes a step back to look at climate and impact investing, how they’ve evolved in recent years, and where they’re heading. Not only have climate and impact investing exploded in recent years, but they’ve also become more mature spaces with more opportunities, tools, nuances, and complexity. So I was thrilled to zoom out for this conversation and speak with a true pioneer and leader in this field, Jenn Kenning. Jenn is the Fou...
2023-07-1835 minInvested In ClimateCarbon-negative pigments with Nature Coatings and Regeneration.vcDecarbonization requires not only eliminating fossil fuels as a main source of energy, but also replacing them as key ingredients in objects we use every day. If you want a crash course on just how much our material world depends on fossil fuels, check out the book How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil. It’s a fascinating, though sobering read, and one of Bill Gates’ favorite books. Today’s episode focuses on pigments, a great example of fossil fuels hiding in plain sight. Take a look around you right now. See any objects that are black i...
2023-07-1127 minInvested In ClimateMaking sustainable investing easy with Carbon Collective & Powerhouse VenturesIf you’re listening to this podcast you clearly care about climate change and it might bother you that your 401k is likely investing in fossil fuels. Many employers have yet to offer sustainable 401k plans, and it sends billions of dollars of capital into fossil fuels every year. Even ESG funds often invest in fossil fuels.Today’s conversation is about making it easier for everyday investors to invest more sustainably. I’m joined by Zach Stein, Founder of Carbon Collective, a startup offering green 401ks and other sustainable financial products, and by Shaandiin Cedar, an invest...
2023-07-0441 minInvested In ClimateDecarbonization intelligence with SINAI & Energize VenturesWe often hear about public commitments to reach net zero, but not the nuance, choices, costs, and complexity big companies face when working to decarbonize their global operations. Behind the scenes, any company that is making climate commitments has teams of people focused on decarbonization strategy, carbon accounting, and reporting to figure out how to ween their companies off of fossil fuels and emission-heavy practices in the most effective and cost-effective ways. It’s a laborious task that requires a ton of data and analysis.This is where SINAI Technologies comes in, a start-up focused on helping co...
2023-06-2736 minInvested In ClimateSustainable shopping momentum with Future & Back MarketToday’s episode focuses on sustainable consumption. I know what you’re probably thinking – that the climate crisis requires systemic change and that shifting consumer behavior is slow, it's difficult and it simply won’t add up to enough in terms of the emissions reductions we need. And, I agree – sustainable shopping isn’t enough, but it’s still essential. Demand for climate-positive products helps accelerate new markets. And when consumers see that their choices matter, it influences what they work on, invest in and vote for.Over the years, there have been many attempts to get consumers to g...
2023-06-1346 minInvested In ClimateMushrooms that eat waste with Mycocycle & Gener8torToday, we’re going to talk about mushrooms. More than a delicious pizza topping, fungi can be useful in many different ways and it might even play a heroic role in addressing climate change. How might mushrooms help? Let's count some of the ways. They can be eaten and help reduce our dependence on animal protein. They can replace animal-based leather, sequester carbon, serve as a biofuel, improve soil health, and thereby reduce our need for fertilizers. They can accelerate reforestation, create an alternative to petroleum-based plastics and packaging, and finally, they can help break down and absorb pollutants.
2023-06-0638 minInvested In ClimateReshaping real estate with Pearl & Clean Energy Ventures, Ep #51You probably know that buildings and the built environment account for 40% of our emissions and about 40% of our energy use. Many bright minds are working on this problem, but it remains a tricky one. In the residential market, homeowners are often reluctant to undertake renovations, and when they do, they usually lack the information and contractors they need to consider energy-efficient and climate-positive options.Now, imagine a world where all homes were rated based on their energy efficiency and environmental impact, and that rating influenced their financial value. Furthermore, imagine if the rating included a recommended retrofitting...
2023-05-0948 minInvested In ClimateUS Department of Energy's Chris Castro on helping communities access the IRA and moreThe US Department of Energy (DOE) plays a key role in the rollout of climate funding and policies, so I was thrilled to chat with Chris Castro. Chris is the Chief of Staff of the Office of State and Community Energy Programs at the DOE. Chris brings entrepreneurial instincts and experience, along with clear passion to his role. We talk about Chris’ journey, the implementation of policies you’ve heard of like the IRA, as well as dozens of lesser-known initiatives managed by the DOE that are helping communities across the country decarbonize. There’s lots to learn in this o...
2023-05-0244 minInvested In ClimateHow shareholder activism accelerates climate action with ShareActionLate in 2022, I noticed a BBC News article stating that HSBC – one of the world’s largest banks – had committed to end funding for all new oil and gas drilling. The commitment alone was noteworthy, but what really caught my eye, as I was looking to understand what drove such a powerful commitment, was the mention of a small nonprofit group based in the UK called ShareAction. I learned that their investigative work, pressure, and collaboration with financial service firms and other companies are accelerating the climate transition. The secret to their sauce is what’s known as shareholder activism...
2023-04-2539 minInvested In ClimateMarilyn Waite on the Climate Finance Fund and the $4T we need, Ep #48Today’s episode is a deep dive into climate finance. I’m joined by Marilyn Waite, Managing Director of Climate Finance Fund. Marilyn is one of the world’s leading thinkers, writers and leaders working in several different ways to stimulate the kind and scale of investment needed to address climate change. She brings a deep commitment to climate justice and using finance to ensure the climate transition happens more equitably. As she works to make investments in the US, Europe and China, Marilyn brings a truly global lens. This is a really thoughtful conversation, reflecting on the role of phi...
2023-04-1841 minInvested In ClimateTransparent solar’s revolutionary potential with Andersen Windows & Ubiquitous EnergyImagine if solar panels could be invisible and so thin that you could install them inside windows. Exciting, right? This isn’t a science fiction thought experiment, but it’s a real technology being developed by a company called Ubiquitous Energy. And it gets even better: they’re developing this technology in partnership with Andersen Windows, one of the largest and perhaps best-known residential window manufacturers in the US. We’re joined today by Ubiquitous Energy’s CEO Susan Stone and Andersen Corporation’s Director of Ventures Prabhakar Karri (who goes by KP), who led Andersen’s inv...
2023-04-1148 minInvested In ClimateDemocratizing climate investing with RaiseGreen & WeSolarIf you’re listening to this podcast you probably agree that climate solutions need to be deployed at scale, across industries, and ultimately influence the lives of everyone. And yet, it’s still hard for most people to invest in and access the solutions our future relies on. The episode features two companies that are working towards increasing access to climate tech for investors and consumers.RaiseGreen is an investment platform that enables non-accredited investors to invest in climate solutions such as climate tech startups, energy efficiency retrofitting programs, green bonds, and renewable energy projects. I’m a...
2023-04-0438 minInvested In ClimateDanone & EDF's partnership to transform agricultureWhile new innovations from climate tech startups are exciting, effectively addressing the climate crisis simply isn’t going to happen without big companies making big changes. To be honest, that’s part of why I recently started a new role at NationSwell where I get to help a growing community of chief sustainability officers and ESG leaders take bold action. But don’t worry this episode isn’t about me. It’s about Danone, a global dairy company that is taking significant steps to reduce emissions, and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a nonprofit partnering with Danone and other c...
2023-03-2152 minInvested In ClimateThe great school bus transition with Highland Electric & Tim Shannon, Ep #43There’s a lot of talk about electric cars, but what about other vehicles like buses and trucks? Buses and trucks create 30% of emissions from the transportation sector, so they need to be a priority. This episode focuses on school buses. It turns out that diesel school buses not only pollute the environment, but they cause real health problems for the kids who ride them. Fortunately, the shift to electric school buses has begun, and we’re featuring two people working hard to make it happen. Today, you’ll hear from Duncan McIntyre and Tim Shannon. Duncan is CEO...
2023-03-1432 minInvested In ClimateOff-grid power anywhere with YouSolar & InergyWhen you think of residential solar, you probably think of solar installations that are tied to the grid. These installations have many benefits. You can rely on the grid when you need to, you don’t need to store all the energy you generate in batteries, and you can sell energy back to utilities. But on-grid solar isn’t for everyone, and our future surely requires some mix of on- and off-grid technology. To learn about the use case and business opportunity of distributed off-grid solar, I sat down with the founders of two growing, off-grid solar compan...
2023-02-2847 minInvested In ClimateSupporting 100,000 climate founders with New Energy Nexus & Third DerivativeGiven the enormity of climate change and the unprecedented opportunity for innovation that comes with decarbonization, I love learning about ambitious efforts that really take seriously the speed and scale at which we need to invest in change. I’ve long been a fan of New Energy Nexus – an organization that aims to make clean energy accessible to everyone by supporting 100,000 climate entrepreneurs. They take an ecosystem approach, recognizing that entrepreneurs need not just cash, but supportive networks to succeed, and they’ve been building up ecosystems all over the world to support diverse entrepreneurs.I was thrill...
2023-02-2147 minInvested In ClimateESG investing insights with Baron Capital's James Stone, Ep #38Today’s episode focuses on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. What began as a fringe interest in socially responsible investing grew at an astonishing rate and is now completely mainstream, considering the ESG performance of companies. According to a PWC report from last November, ESG investing will grow over the next three years to reach over $30 trillion dollars. That’d be over 20% of all assets under management and a real force influencing how well companies act on climate change, amongst many other issues. But ESG can be messy and confusing. To learn more about what it actua...
2023-02-0741 minInvested In ClimateEvery job is a climate job with Project DrawdownSo far in 2023, we've been looking to the future. Our first episode featured new opportunities with Google, CSAA and IDEO. Then, we did an episode focusing on regenerative agriculture, and another on transforming the global food system.This week, we'll look to the past and replay one of our first and most popular episodes ever. The episode features Jamie Beck Alexander of Drawdown Labs, a program of Project Drawdown. I thought it's worth replaying as it helps explain the idea that any job can be a climate job, and highlights some really useful tips for creating climate...
2023-01-3137 minInvested In ClimateFood Tank's Danielle Nierenberg on systems change for climateAre you ready to uncover the truth about our food systems and its impact on our planet? Last week, we delved into the topic of soil and regenerative agriculture, and this week, we're taking a closer look at the larger picture of food and its role in climate change. As it turns out, food is not only something we interact with every day, but it's also a complex web of industries, processes, and relationships that account for a staggering one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. Our special guest, Danielle Nierenberg, is a leading expert and advocate in the f...
2023-01-2439 minInvested In ClimateRegenerative Ag with Biodel’s Ben Cloud & Dr. Paul ZornerWelcome to an episode on agtech, soil health and regenerative agriculture. Here’s some context: one of the big mysteries we’re facing today is how we’re possibly going to feed 10 billion people while transforming agricultural practices that are truly unsustainable. Modern farming is a technological marvel that has dramatically reduced hunger over the last century, but it relies heavily on synthetic fertilizer, which is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, and intensive farming practices that have degraded soil’s ability to grow food. To understand this issue better and learn about some potential solutions, I sat dow...
2023-01-1746 minInvested In ClimateLocal activism, lawyers & transformative change with EarthjusticeThis is going to be our last episode for 2022. We’ll be back in January with more great conversations. If you have ideas for episodes or topics you’d like us to explore, please reach out through our contact form or on LinkedIn. I’ve had a blast getting this podcast started and I’m excited for it to only get better as we continue. A big thank you to all our guests, to our listeners providing feedback and reviews, and also to Julie Mai, and Aaron & Carey Green for their help behind the scenes.For our last epi...
2022-12-1339 minInvested In ClimateMarket insights with Climate Tech VC’s Kim ZouIf you’re interested in venture investing in climate tech, you probably already know about Climate Tech VC (CTVC). It began as a side hustle and small newsletter and now reaches 40,000 people. In my opinion, there’s really no better source of data and insights around climate tech investing. In this episode, I sat down with CTVC's Co-Founder Kim Zou. Kim was an investor at Energy Impact Partners and has been following climate tech investment closely as its taken off over the past several years. In fact, Kim might have actually been the person who coined the term...
2022-11-2243 minInvested In ClimateFrom venture syndicates to funds with Climate Capital's Sundeep AhujaYou're probably aware that venture capital investing in climate has grown very quickly in recent years, from around five billion in 2016 to over 40 billion dollars deployed in 2021. Large funds drive most of that growth, but small vehicles still play an important role - especially in recruiting new investors to start investing in climate. Sundeep Ahuja has helped many investors dip their toes into climate. He's invested in over 100 companies through syndicates that he's led. Full disclosure: I've backed a couple of his syndicated deals. Now, he's focusing on developing funds to deploy more capital into climate startups. S...
2022-11-1532 minInvested In ClimateRewiring America, systems change & electrifying everythingHave you come across the idea yet that we need to electrify everything? It's the concept that we need to replace gas appliances with electric ones and power those with renewable energy. It's a simply idea really, and yet it's crucial to eliminating pollution, protecting the environment, saving a whole lot of money and eliminating the illnesses caused by burning fossil fuels. The benefits are massive – but so is the complexity of decarbonizing billions upon billions of buildings.At the forefront of the movement to electrify everything is Rewiring America, an ambitious organization focused on the systemic ch...
2022-11-0847 minInvested In ClimateReplacing plastics through a circular economy with Dispatch Goods & Congruent VentureEver get carry out food and then feel guilty about all the plastic packaging? Single use plastics are a real problem. Every year over 14 millions tons of plastic end up in our oceans, and plastic that ends up in landfills release toxins that pollute our soil, waterways and food chain. This is not to mention the carbon emissions of producing plastic packaging to begin with. The convenience of carry out food isn’t going anywhere, and so we need to find alternatives to plastic packaging. That’s where Dispatch Goods come in. They’re an innovative startup that’s...
2022-10-2539 minInvested In ClimateSaving the planet with seaweed, Symbrosia & SwayI’ve been really curious about seaweed. I hear a lot about seaweed-based businesses, and there’s a lot of hope and hype around the potential for seaweed as a climate solution. The seaweed market has grown to become a $15 billion industry and it's projected to grow to $25 billion by 2028. To learn more, I caught up with two aspiring seaweed startup founders: Alexia Akbay and Julia Marsh. Their companies couldn’t be more different – one is using seaweed to eliminate plastic packaging and the other is feeding seaweed to cows so they burp less. This conversation helps highlight...
2022-10-1841 minInvested In ClimateSeth Godin on Systems Change and The Carbon AlmanacA couple weeks ago our episode focused on Speed & Scale, a comprehensive action plan to cut emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. It's a book and an ambitious ongoing effort to track global progress on addressing climate change. This week we focus again on a book and ambitious ongoing effort: The Carbon Almanac. Over 300 volunteers created the book, and now it's a movement of over 1,900 people who are continuing to add resources to help the world get the facts straight about climate. The founder and lead organizer of this ambitious project is som...
2022-10-1134 minInvested In ClimateCreating a circular economy with Cotopaxi & TERSUSI’m not going to sugar coat this – fast fashion stinks. It creates a truly unfathomable amount of wasted materials, water, labor, money and carbon emissions.This means it provides the perfect context for discussing today’s prevailing paradigm for eradicating waste – not just in fashion, but in all sectors. The idea is a bold one – that we can transform our economy from an extractive, wasteful, linear system of using and discarding stuff, to a circular economy that keeps products, components and materials in circulation for future use. It's an idea that has gained tremendous attention and enthusiasm...
2022-10-0450 minInvested In ClimateSpeed & ScaleMy favorite read in the last couple years by far is a book called Speed & Scale. We know there’s been a massive mobilization of capital, talent and attention to address climate change, but how do we know if it’ll be enough? Speed & Scale offers a clear, sector by sector, action plan and online tracker of what we need to do to cut emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. It’s incredibly well researched, packed with data and inspiration, and it uses the tried and tested system of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to crea...
2022-09-2743 minInvested In ClimateEliminating Food Waste with ReFED & Too Good to GoToday’s episode focused on food waste, a topic that I love talking about as it's one of the most accessible ways for pretty much anyone to make a difference on climate change. Wasting food is a huge problem. Roughly 40% of the world’s food is wasted each year, while almost a billion people are undernourished. Further, wasted food adds up to 8-10% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.Like many people working on this issue, my understanding of the food waste opportunity was shaped by an organization called ReFED. They launched in 2015 and have been on...
2022-09-2049 minInvested In ClimateInvesting for a Net Positive Civilization with Tom ChiThis week’s episode was a lot of fun. Tom Chi is one of the biggest thinkers I’ve encountered in the climate space. He was one of the founding members of GoogleX, leading teams that developed self-driving cars, Google Glass, high altitude balloons that broadcast the internet and much, much more. He also helped build Microsoft Outlook and Yahoo Answers. Tom now teaches and coaches entrepreneurs and is the founder of At One Ventures. Tom’s investment thesis is truly visionary, aspiring to not just reduce carbon emissions, but to create a net positive civilization where humans do more g...
2022-09-1357 minInvested In ClimateInvesting in water with Burnt Island Ventures & StormSensorThis summer, the impacts of climate change have been impossible to ignore. Record heat waves, droughts and floods have inflicted a terrible toll around the world. They’ve made all the more clear the pressing need to transform how we access, use, reuse and protect ourselves from water. It’s the source of life on Earth, and yet our relationship with water clearly needs to change. In this episode, we dive deep into the opportunity for investing in water with Tom Ferguson and Erin Rothman. Tom is the Founder and Managing Partner of Burnt Island Ventures, a new v...
2022-09-0654 minInvested In ClimateSupporting founders with Lowercarbon Capital and the Climate Tech BootcampHi folks, tackling climate change will take entrepreneurial efforts of all shapes and sizes. There’s already been unprecedented growth in the number of startups focusing on climate over the past few years, but I believe it's just the beginning. Decarbonizing the global economy, adapting to climate impacts, and introducing new products and services for a decarbonized world will require millions of people with an entrepreneurial mindset and commitment to climate. So where will all these entrepreneurs come from and how will they be supported? That’s just one of the questions I discussed with Mia Diawara and J...
2022-08-3049 minInvested In ClimateClimate positive cities and air conditioning with 2150.vc and Blue FrontierIn this week’s episode, we’re focusing on the opportunity to invest in buildings, cities, infrastructure and air conditioning. Why? Well, for one thing, 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the built environment, and according to the Climate Group, those emissions are set to double by 2050 if they’re left unchecked. Why else? Because it's been crazy hot this summer and the record heat waves we’ve experienced are unfortunately just the beginning. I was thrilled to talk with Christian Hernandez Gallardo, Co-Founder and Partner of venture firm 2150 that’s investing in making cities more efficient...
2022-08-2343 minInvested In ClimateThe Power of State Action with CA Senator Josh Becker and CA Envirovoters CEO Mary CreasmanI've noticed that no matter who I talk to, I keep hearing about the importance of government action for addressing climate change. Laws, public programs, and incentives are critical to speeding up decarbonisation, protecting the environment, and ensuring that historically underserved communities aren't left behind. Much of the climate policy we need will happen at the state and local level. And there's perhaps no state more influential than California. And so I was thrilled to talk with California State Senator Josh Becker, and Mary Creasman, CEO of California Envirovoters. They're both working hard to make sure California continues to...
2022-08-1645 minInvested In ClimateMagically appearing electric vehicles with Halo.carTo address climate change, there's little doubt that we need to replace gas powered cars with electric vehicles. But is owning an EV actually needed? What if rather than buying a car that remains parked most of the time, electric vehicles could just appear when we need them. That's the bold vision of Anand Nandakumar, Founder of the startup Halo.car. The company provides a solution enabled by technology and a team of remote pilots that offers the convenience of Lyft or Uber, combined with the freedom of Zipcar. I had a blast talking to Anand and think you...
2022-08-0948 minInvested In ClimateNon-dilutive climate investing with Enduring PlanetThe thing that's most exciting for us working in climate is that we are witnessing one of the largest societal transformations that we'll probably ever see. And we're right at the start of it. Over the next decade, we're going to see an explosion of growth and opportunity in this space. Last year, over $40 billion in venture capital went to over 900 climate tech companies. To put that in context, that's double what it was just the year before. And yet, this is just a fraction of climate entrepreneurship. In addition to these hundreds of venture backed startups, t...
2022-08-0148 minInvested In ClimateClimate tech insights from Latin AmericaBienvenidos and welcome. Latin America is one of my favorite places in the world to visit and so I was thrilled to get to learn about the state of climate tech investing in Latin America for this episode. Today you’ll get to hear three interesting perspectives – a climate tech investor, a startup founder and a car designer rethinking mobility and urban design. Diego Serebrisky is a climate tech investor based in Mexico City. He’s the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of a firm called Dalus Capital. Jose Manuel Moller is the founder and CEO of a growing circular econom...
2022-07-2542 minInvested In ClimateCreativity, movement building and culture change for climateMight it be that the climate crisis requires not just technological change but also culture change. Might it be that as a civilization we need profound shifts in how we think, speak and act. If that’s the case, then art and creative expression will be critical to stretching our imaginations and to creating the new narratives, paradigms and mindsets that underpin our society. Planning for this episode I became fascinated with the role and potential of artistic movements in creating culture change. I actually recorded this episode with a live audience of designers and creative people at...
2022-07-1847 minInvested In ClimateSupporting synthetic biology startups for climate with Exponential Impacts' Michael Luciani & Jenny KanClimate tech is a $90 trillion opportunity and synthetic biology is projected to be a $30 trillion opportunity. Both sectors are expected to grow by 100x in the next decade, and we know that more than 60% of the dirty inputs to the global economy can be replaced by inputs made by biology which are more efficient, cleaner and cost effective. So we invest in the intersection of these two markets, both of which are at inflection points.When it comes to a rapidly decarbonizing world, there's many things we take for granted that we shouldn't. For example, it's easy...
2022-07-1141 minInvested In ClimateTake care of your emissions with Joro's Sanchali PalThe IPCC report that came out recently found that demand side changes, including consumer behavior change, can help reduce 40 to 70% of the emissions that we need to cut by 2050. So we do have power to meet global climate goals, especially where we act together, and when we know which choices to focus on.I'll be honest here, I don't think carbon offsets are the answer. Companies relying only on offsets to become carbon neutral are pushing off the hard work of reducing their emissions. On the individual level, however, buying offsets actually has a different effect. It...
2022-07-0437 minInvested In ClimateClimate Investing with Goldman Sachs' John GoldsteinThere are likely only a few people who know more about impact investing than John Goldstein. His firm—Imprint Capital—helped pioneer the field before getting acquired by Goldman Sachs in 2015. Now, John is the head of Goldman’s Sustainable Finance Group, offering him a truly unique perspective on the trillions of dollars needed to finance decarbonization and conservation globally.In this episode of Invested in Climate, we talk about the work that John does, how investing in climate has evolved in recent years, and why now is the time to invest. If you’re investing in climate...
2022-06-2746 minInvested In ClimateGoing Solar is Easy & Affordable with WildgridSwitching your home energy source to solar is one of the most impactful things you can do to slow climate change—yet going solar is confusing and can be prohibitively expensive. Wildgrid Solar is a startup working to make solar accessible to more people. In this episode of Invested in Climate, I sat down with Wildgrid’s co-founders Krystal Persaud and Parinda Darden to learn how they’re making the world of solar energy easier to navigate. And if you don’t yet power your home with solar, hopefully this episode has you considering making the switch. In Today’...
2022-06-2032 minInvested In ClimateMoving billions through 401ks with SphereToday’s episode focuses on what’s perhaps the easiest way for you to help move billions of dollars out of fossil fuels. That’s right, I said “you,” “billions of dollars,” and “easy,” all in the same sentence. The surprising answer to this riddle is your 401k—and a young company called Sphere. In this episode of Invested in Climate, I have a fascinating conversation with Sphere CEO and Founder Alex Wright-Gladstein, a serial entrepreneur who’s making it easy for everyday people and companies of all sizes to divest their 401ks from fossil fuels. I think you’ll learn a lo...
2022-06-1336 minInvested In ClimateClimate Action Today with Sustainability Legend William McDonoughWilliam “Bill” McDonough pioneered the green architecture field, creating buildings that create more energy than they use, clean their own air and water, and create habitats for native wildlife. His book and work on the “Cradle to Cradle” approach spread the idea that waste equals food, helping to spark the circular economy movement. Bill has won two presidential awards and was recognized by Time Magazine as a hero for the planet. Fortune ranked him #24 of the world’s 50 greatest leaders. He brings sage wisdom and poetry to this conversation. Are you ready to push the boundaries of your thinkin...
2022-06-0636 minInvested In ClimateClimate accelerators and investing at Google, ANIM and the Black Angel GroupJason Scott has been recruiting his coworkers at Google to directly support climate startups as both mentors and investors. Jason is also a partner at ANIM, an early-stage venture fund. He’s built funds and accelerator programs for Google including accelerators for black-led, women-led, and climate-focused companies.He’s also launched the Black Angel Group as a way to take advantage of investing in climate tech companies and have a tangible impact on climate change. It’s also a great opportunity to learn from and collaborate with others. He shares numerous practical insights in this episode of Invest...
2022-05-3039 minInvested In ClimateEvery Job is a Climate Job with Drawdown LabsJamie Beck Alexander argues convincingly that to mitigate climate change, every job must be a climate job. What does that mean? You have to recognize the influence you have no matter your role, industry, or the level you’re at in your organization. You can be part of what’s driving change: a movement of committed employees who help their companies do more to address climate change. As the founding Director of Drawdown Labs, Jamie helped develop the “Climate Solutions At Work” guide and provides hands-on support to dozens of companies. In this episode of Invested in Climate...
2022-05-2337 minInvested In ClimateStop Lending Your Money to Fossil Fuels with Atmos FinancialMost people don’t put that much thought into where they bank. Do you? Do you choose a bank because it’s convenient? Is it simply somewhere your family has always banked? Do you look for the best interest rates? You probably haven’t considered how your bank invests the money you deposit in your savings or checking account(s). The majority of big banks are investing your money into fossil fuels.Today’s guest—Ravi Mikkelsen—is the founder of Atmos Financial, a bank that ensures your deposits only fund climate-positive investments like renewable energy projects. Switching ba...
2022-05-1642 minInvested In ClimateHelping Shape Climate Policy with the Climate Advocacy LabThe vast majority of people in the United States are frustrated with lawmakers' lack of action when it comes to climate policy. They want the government to fund renewable energy research, regulate CO2 emissions, and take other climate-positive measures. Yet the “Build Back Better” bill remains stuck in Congress. The country’s ability to meet its climate change commitments is uncertain at best.So I sat down with Sean Kosofsky—the executive Director of the Climate Advocacy Lab—to learn about the state of climate advocacy in the US. The Climate Advocacy Lab is a community of over 3,000...
2022-05-0937 minInvested In ClimateClimate Jobs for Everyone, with Terra.doCan you imagine a time in the future when decarbonizing the economy and protecting the planet are such important priorities that half of all jobs are oriented toward climate issues? It’s hard for us to picture right now, but it’s the compelling vision of two startup founders, Anshuman Bapna and Kamal Kapadia. Their company, Terra, offers education and community for the fast-growing climate workforce. Their insights into the explosion in climate work is valuable on a number of levels and I’m excited to bring them to you on this episode of Invested in Climate....
2022-05-0951 min