Podcasts about climate positive

In this episode of Climate Positive, host Gil Jenkins sits down with Mike Berners-Lee—author, professor, and leading expert on sustainability—to explore the central message of his latest book, "A Climate of Truth." In a world spiraling deeper into climate, ecological, and social crises, Mike argues that the most powerful lever we have isn't new technology—it's honesty. The conversation unpacks why truth in politics, media, and business is essential to breaking the deadlock on climate action and building a livable future.Links:Purchase “A Climate of Truth: Why We Need It and How To Get It” (Published April 2025)Mike Berners-Lee on LinkedInMike Berners-Lee WebsiteEpisode recorded March 26, 2025 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.

The circular economy is one of the most powerful tools we have to tackle the climate crisis—but you wouldn't know it from the carbon accounts.In this episode, we're joined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's João Murilo Silva Merico, who explains how current accounting frameworks—like the Greenhouse Gas Protocol—often fail to recognise or reward the emissions benefits of circular practices such as reuse, remanufacturing, and sharing models.You'll hear:Why emissions reductions from circularity don't show up where they shouldReal-world examples of how this distorts decision-makingWhat needs to change at a policy and reporting levelWhat businesses can do right now to align climate strategies with circular actionDownload the paper to find out more.  

In this episode, host Gil Jenkins speaks with Marshall Cox, co-founder and CEO of Kelvin, a national leader in intelligent HVAC solutions for legacy buildings in major cities. Marshall shares the origin story of Kelvin (formerly Radiator Labs) and discusses the company's flagship product—the Cozy—an insulated radiator cover that maximizes efficiency and eliminates waste in steam-heated buildings. He also outlines Kelvin's growth plans and explains how New York's Local Law 97 is accelerating the push for building efficiency and decarbonization. The conversation explores Kelvin's hybrid electrification strategy and its broader implications for cost-effective, resource-efficient building decarbonization. Additional topics include market expansion, Kelvin's innovative financing model, and the importance of partnerships with HVAC contractors and other key stakeholders.Bio:Dr. Marshall Cox is the co-founder and CEO of Kelvin, a pioneer in sustainable building decarbonization and innovative HVAC solutions. He earned his M.S. in materials science and engineering from Cornell University in May 2004 and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Columbia University in 2013. Marshall holds over 10 U.S. patents and has published eight peer-reviewed papers in semiconductor devices, processing, and inorganic synthetic chemistry. He has received numerous awards through his work at Kelvin, including the MIT Clean Energy Prize, the Verizon Powerful Answers Award, and the Popular Science Innovation Award.Links:Kelvin WebsiteKelvin on LinkedInMarshall on LinkedInEpisode recorded February 7, 2025 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.

What the heck is carbon? Is it good or bad? And what are we doing about it? Join Director of Sustainability Aaron Schreiber-Stainthorp and Ann Wallace in a fun, engaging and informative discussion on JFW's commitment to becoming Climate Positive by 2050.

The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation, with electric vehicles poised to dominate the future of transport. But this transition requires more than just building great EVs; it demands a comprehensive approach to ensure our electric grid can reliably support the demand from millions of new EVs. In this episode of Climate Positive, host Guy Van Syckle speaks with Apoorv Bhargava, CEO of WeaveGrid, a company at the forefront of electric vehicle deployment and grid reliability. WeaveGrid helps utilities integrate EVs into our grid at scale, with a focus on elevating the EV driver experience and keeping charging affordable.  Their platform also enables better charging alignment with renewable energy availability and broader decarbonization. Guy and Apoorv explore how WeaveGrid has built an AI software platform to transform EVs from a grid liability into a valuable grid asset, developing key partnerships with both automakers and utilities.  Links:WeaveGrid Website Apoorv Bhargava on LinkedInWeaveGrid on LinkedInEpisode recorded  February 6, 2025 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.

In this episode of Climate Positive, hosts Gil Jenkins and Daniela Shapiro sit down with Tom Hunt, CEO, and Bret Labadie, CFO, of Pivot Energy—a Colorado-based renewable energy provider and IPP that develops, finances, builds, owns, and manages solar and energy storage projects. As an ECP portfolio company and Certified B Corporation, Pivot Energy seeks to leverage its renewable expertise to deliver innovative solutions that help businesses and communities achieve meaningful decarbonization. Tom and Bret discuss Pivot Energy's growth, the rapidly evolving community solar market, creative financing strategies, and the power of corporate partnerships. They also explore the expanding role of distributed solar in the clean energy transition and what lies ahead for the industry.Bios:Tom Hunt is the CEO of Pivot Energy, a role he assumed in 2019. During his tenure as CEO, the company has grown by strong multiples in revenue, income, project deployment, and number of team members. In 2021, he drove a process to bring in blue-chip firm ECP as new sponsor investors for the company, allowing for renewed pursuit of Pivot's mission of making distributed generation a key part of the fight against anthropogenic climate change. A long-time community solar market leader, Tom also currently serves as the Board Chair for the Coalition for Community Solar Access, the national community solar trade association. Prior to Pivot, he oversaw corporate development, public policy, and project construction/operations for the first national community solar developer. He has also worked as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Colorado Governor's Energy Office and as a research chemist investigating biofuels synthesis methods.Bret Labadie is the CFO of Pivot Energy and has spent the last 18 years in escalating roles within energy finance, 8 of which have been concentrated in distributed solar. In his tenure in the renewables industry, Bret has closed debt and tax equity financings for over $600 million of distributed generation solar projects and has led three separate corporate capital processes, including the latest partnership between Pivot and ECP. Bret currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Pivot Energy, where he leads all financial, strategic, project finance, and capital market-related activities for the company.Links:Pivot Energy WebsitePivot Energy on LinkedInTom Hunt on LinkedInBret Labadie on LinkedInThe Kacie Peters Community Solar GardenPress Release: Pivot Energy Secures Over $450 Million in Major Financing of Distributed Generation Portfolios from First Citizens, ATLAS SP, and HASI (November 21, 2024) Press Release: Pivot Energy Collaborates with Microsoft to Develop Up to 500 MWac of Community-Scale Solar Projects that Will Deliver Significant Benefits to Local Communities (August 8, 2024)Press Release: Rivian Partners with Pivot Energy to Build Community Solar in Illinois (May 22, 2024) Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.

In this insightful interview, Chris and Ashley reconnect with Karl Walker Finch, the proud owner of a dental practice in the Kirklees area of Yorkshire. For the second time, we delve into Karl's remarkable journey. Setting an ambitious goal, Karl aimed to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of his practice. Astonishingly, he achieved a reduction of over 35% in just the first year! But that's not all—his practice is now proudly climate-positive. Karl speaks with such passion that you'll be motivated to bring similar changes to your own practice. Here's what you'll discover in this podcast: Engaging the team: Learn how Karl successfully involved his team in this project, boosting their motivation and commitment. Tree-planting for referrals: Discover the unique initiative of planting a tree for every new patient referral. The 'One Idea a Week' concept: Explore how ensuring accountability with weekly ideas has led to consistent progress. Focusing on key areas: Understand how concentrating on three main areas helps Karl maintain a carbon-neutral dental practice. Financial Benefits: See how striving for a carbon-neutral practice can actually enhance the bottom line. Patient appreciation: Find out why patients love what Karl is doing. And much more!

  With an extensive background in sustainable architecture, Allison Bernett worked to reverse climate change and improve quality of life through innovative design. Allison Bernett pursued a diverse career spanning architecture, sustainable design, and biology, reflecting her belief that the most effective solutions to the climate crisis emerge from integrating the natural and built environments.   Her expertise includes regenerative design, design for manufacturing and assembly, whole life carbon analysis, building performance simulation, and health and wellness strategies. As the founder of Vireo Design & Strategy, she leveraged this expertise to develop climate-positive solutions for her clients.    Previously, Allison worked as the Sustainability Manager at the modular housing company Assembly OSM, where she guided designs through Passive House and WELL compliance. She also contributed to pioneering sustainability projects and research at Terrapin Bright Green, such as Factory as a Forest. Allison is a published author on early design building simulation and a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC). She holds a bachelor's degree in architecture and biology from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.Arch degree from Cornell University.   Through design and technology informed by the natural world, She believes that we can and must transform the built environment to support ecosystems, reverse climate change, and foster thriving communities.   Show Highlights   Advocated for Passive House design at Assembly OSM Developed ecological performance metrics for factories to integrate biological principles into factory design, enhancing sustainability and ecological impact. Allison started Vireo Design & Strategy to focus on diverse projects aimed at achieving a climate-positive future.  Focuses on driving towards a climate positive future by going beyond net-zero to regenerative design, Emphasizes the importance of Passive House principles Highlights the significance of WELL certification for creating healthful spaces Stresses the need to consider both energy/carbon and human factors in design "Be open to new opportunities that may not seem like a perfect fit with your plan... especially in the sustainable design field. It's evolving so fast, so rapidly. There are new jobs and new roles and new specialties and needs coming out every year."   Show Resource and Information Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community!   If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2025 GBES

A conversation with Joseph Rehmann, co-founder of Victory Farms in Kenya, with the mission to be the world's most sustainable fish business and provide high nutrition protein to the mass market in Africa. How do you go from being a happy but unfulfilled banker to co-founding one of the leading and largest animal protein companies in East Africa?We unpack Joseph's journey into fish farming—specifically tilapia, a species indigenous to the region- and how he and his company are proving that it can have a net positive impact on the environment, people, and finances. Of course, Victory Farms' journey hasn't been without challenges. Feed is obviously a challenge and led to starting their own feed mill, reducing import of soy and maize from abroad and experimenting with local feed ingredients and cold chain and spillage. Managing the cold chain has been another significant challenge—especially in the East African context, where stable and clean electricity is notoriously hard to come by. Yet, they managed to figure out solutions using AI and machine learning and reduced spillage to under 1%, a remarkable achievement in an industry where losses often reach 30–40%.We also dive into their bold decision to outsource a critical part of their value chain: the growing of eggs. By partnering with local village entrepreneurs who manage their own ponds, they've created a system where harvested eggs are delivered to Victory Farms using drones. This isn't just a flashy gadget; but makes scale possible. A single drone carrying up to 500,000 eggs completes a trip in six minutes—a journey that would take a cooled truck two hours, assuming a road exists at all.Get ready for a conversation full of surprises, insights, and stories of leapfrogging challenges in scaling an animal protein business in East Africa.More about this episode on https://investinginregenerativeagriculture.com/joseph-rehmann.==========================In Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast show we talk to the pioneers in the regenerative food and agriculture space to learn more on how to put our money to work to regenerate soil, people, local communities and ecosystems while making an appropriate and fair return. Hosted by Koen van Seijen.==========================

In this episode of Climate Positive, hosts Gil Jenkins and Guy Van Syckle chat with Zeyneb Magavi, Executive Director of HEET, a Massachusetts-based non-profit focused on designing a strategic evolution of aging gas systems into bidirectional ambient thermal grids, with the aim of driving rapid and equitable decarbonization of heating and cooling in urban areas. The enlivening conversation centers around the networked geothermal, a novel technology gaining traction nationwide that utilizes underground thermal energy systems to provide efficient and sustainable heating and cooling. Magavi breaks down how this innovative neighborhood-scale decarbonization solution works, highlights the business case, policy drivers, the benefits for communities, utilities, workers, and more.Links:HEET WebsiteZeyneb Magavi on LinkedInZeyneb MagaviBioHEET on  XHEET on  LinkedInArticle: Underground Thermal Energy Networks May Be About to Have Their Moment (Wall Street Journal, April 21, 2024)Article: How an Unlikely Coalition of Climate Activists and a Gas Utility Are Weaning a Boston Suburb Off Fossil Fuels (Inside Climate News, December 21, 2024)HEET Blog:  13 Massachusetts Communities Kickstart New Geothermal Networks with $450,000 in Funding from MassCEC (February 29, 2024)HEET Blog: Networked Geothermal: The National Picture (April 17, 2023)Episode recorded December 17, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

The circular economy can be a powerful climate mitigation strategy. But what about the other side of the climate action coin? In this episode, we explore the connection between circular economy activities and climate adaptation outcomes.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review or a comment on Spotify or YouTube. Your support helps us to spread the word about the circular economy.

In this this episode of Climate Positive, hosts Gil Jenkins and Conor Fryer sit down with Tim McDonnell, Climate & Energy Editor at Semafor and the author of Semafor's Net Zero newsletter, to delve into the current state of climate journalism, real-time energy crises, and the forces driving the energy transition. Tim reflects on how far climate reporting has come, moving past basic awareness to explore intricate, interwoven stories at the heart of sustainability and energy. They also discuss Semafor's mission to bridge divided audiences with “common facts” and Tim's take on the energy demands of AI,  and the high-stakes landscape of climate policy ahead of the 2024 U.S. election.Links:Sign up for Semafor's Net Zero newsletterTim on XTim on LinkedInArticle: The data center boom is giving clean energy a jolt (September 25, 2024)Article: Political infighting is holding back Ukraine's energy reconstruction (September 18, 2024)Book Recommendation: The Bickford Fuse by Andrey KurkovEpisode recorded October 16, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

For the world to meet its growing need for low-cost clean energy and achieve ambitious decarbonization targets, land-based onshore wind energy must be an increasingly large part of the electricity generation mix—potentially as much as 20-41% by 2050, according to BloombergNEF and the International Energy Agency (IEA). But there is a challenge: the most efficient and cost-effective wind turbines, currently applied only in offshore wind farms, have enormous blades—some longer than a football field. That makes them extremely difficult, if not impossible, to deliver and deploy, as bridges, tunnels, and road curves literally get in the way.To explore how the onshore wind industry can overcome these obstacles and drive further growth for the sector, Gil Jenkins spoke with Mark Lundstrom, Founder and CEO of Radia. Mark is a serial cross-industry entrepreneur and MIT aerospace engineer who has co-founded companies over the course of his career that seek to bring aerospace solutions to new sectors, including biotech, telecommunications, and materials science. With Radia, Mark is focused on applying these technologies to the low-carbon energy transition. Radia is in the process of building the world's largest aircraft, which will enable the deployment of the industry's biggest and best wind turbines to locations they could never reach before—creating more clean power at a lower cost.Links:Radia WebsiteMark Lundstrom on LinkedInRadia on LinkedInPress Release:Radia to Provide Low-Cost Clean Energy with the World's Biggest Wind Turbines Enabled by the World's Largest Aircraft (March 17, 2024)Press Release: Aerospace Leaders Aernnova, Leonardo and AFuzion Will Partner With Radia to Build WindRunner™, World's Largest Aircraft (July 16, 2024)Whitepaper: DeSolve Study: GigaWind has enormous economic and environmental impact (Princeton University researchers Dr. Jesse Jenkins and Dr. Nestor Sepulveda - September 1, 2023)Episode recorded August 22, 2024  Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

We started the Climate Positive podcast just over three years ago at HASI, seeing an opportunity to contribute our unique perspective to the climate and clean energy podcast scene. As a pure play climate investment firm, we aimed to cultivate a forum for mission-driven leaders, innovators, and changemakers to engage in conversations about the challenges and opportunities on the path to a climate-positive future. Our inaugural episode of Climate Positive featured our trailblazing former CEO and current Board Executive Chair, Jeff Eckel. Now, looking back on over 75 episodes since launch, we wanted to take a moment to reflect and celebrate this journey and share more about the people leading HASI today in this special episode. Join Chad, Gil, and Hilary in this insightful conversation with three of HASI's most senior leaders - CEO Jeff Lipson, CFO Marc Pangburn, and Chief Client Officer Susan Nickey.Links: Jeff Lipson Bio & LinkedInMarc Pangburn Bio & LinkedinSusan Nickey Bio & LinkedinEp. 1: A climate finance pioneer | Jeff Eckel, CEO of HASIPress Release: HASI and KKR Establish $2 Billion Strategic Partnership to Invest in Sustainable Infrastructure Projects (May 7, 2024)Episode recorded June 13, 2024  Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

Barbara Humpton, President and CEO of Siemens USA, sits down with Gil Jenkins and Susan Nickey to discuss Siemens' pivotal role in advancing sustainability across industry, infrastructure, and transportation sectors. The conversation dives into Siemens' approach to decarbonization as an engine for growth and spotlights how innovation at the grid edge will be key to delivering a more sustainable future, guiding energy flows and balancing supply with the demands of buildings, industry, and private consumers. Additionally, Barbara discusses the encouraging trend of U.S. manufacturing expansion, advancements in EV charging infrastructure, and more. Finally, Babara shares insights into her leadership philosophy, discusses her passion for integrating work and personal life priorities, and explains why she started a podcast for Siemens, The Optimistic Outlook, back in 2021.Links: BioBarbara Humpton on XBarbara Humpton on LinkedInPodcast: The Optimistic Outlook with Barbara HumptonThe Optimistic Outlook LinkedIn NewsletterSiemens on LinkedInSiemens USA on XPress Release: Siemens launches Gridscale X™, paving the way for autonomous grid management (February 27, 2024)Video: Barbara Humpton's Address for George Mason University's 2024 Spring CommencementEpisode recorded June 12, 2024  Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

Ken sits down with Hali Borenstein, CEO of Reformation, for this episode of The Retail Pilot - Leaders & Legends.BioHali Borenstein is the CEO of sustainable fashion brand Reformation. Hali has been with Reformation since 2014, when she joined the company as Director of Merchandising, and most recently served as President of the company prior becoming CEO.Under Hali's leadership, Reformation has grown to 1,000 team members, over 40 retail locations and its international business has more than tripled. She has also overseen significant category expansion and product innovation during her tenure, establishing Reformation as a day-to-day wardrobe staple. Hali has accelerated the brand's progress toward its lofty sustainability commitments, including Climate Positive by 2025 and a new commitment to be fully Circular by 2030.A native of Miami Beach, Florida, Hali received her BA from Duke and her MBA from the Stanford. In addition to her role at Reformation, she serves on the Board of Directors for Carter's Inc. Hali currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two daughters.SummaryHali Borenstein, CEO of Reformation, shares her journey in the retail industry, the growth of Reformation, and the unique store experience. She discusses the impact of a major investor, the company's growth strategy, and the innovative technology used in Reformation stores. In this conversation, Hali discusses Reformation's commitment to sustainability, their approach to sustainable fabrics, factory partnerships, circularity, vintage products, and marketing strategies. She also shares insights on leadership, mentors, and lessons learned from past decisions.TakeawaysHali's background in retail and her journey to becoming the CEO of ReformationThe impact of a major investor on Reformation's growth and expansionThe unique store experience and innovative technology used in Reformation storesReformation's mission is to bring sustainable fashion to everyone, and sustainability is at the core of their business practices.The majority of Reformation's products come from sustainable materials, and they are committed to minimizing the use of non-sustainable fabrics.Reformation's factory partnerships, commitment to circularity, and vintage product offerings align with their broader mission of sustainability.The company's marketing strategy focuses on building great content, brand awareness, and collaborations with influential figures and brands.Hali's leadership style is influenced by various mentors and lessons learned from different leaders, emphasizing the importance of asking questions and seeking expertise when needed.Chapters00:00Journey to Retail CEO03:10Impact of Major Investor10:41Innovative Store Experience and Technology13:34Growth Strategy and Expansion25:52Sustainable Fabrics and Circular Economy32:02Vintage Products and Circular Business Model34:44Innovative Marketing Strategies40:21Lessons in Leadership and Decision-MakingKeywordsretail, Reformation, CEO, growth strategy, technology, store experience, sustainability, investor, expansion, sustainability, sustainable fashion, supply chain, circularity, vintage, marketing, leadership, mentors, decision-making

In this episode of I Hear Design, we talk to interiors+sources' long-time partner, journalist and educator Kenn Busch, about the launch of the new Climate Positive Solutions Gallery at NeoCon 2024. As the founder of Material Intelligence, Kenn is a go-to expert about educational messaging around architectural materials, informed by years of research. He talks about the evolution of the Climate Positive NOW initiative, what people can expect at his activation space at NeoCon this year, and the vital importance of effective storytelling around sustainability.  Also, visit the i+s booth at NeoCon (#7-1049) to share your thoughts about sustainability at our "Climate Connect Corner" with Chief Content Director, Robert Nieminen, that will be part of a post-show podcast episode. You can also enter to win an e-Bike thanks to our generous sponsors, Bradley Corp. and InPro.

In this episode, Hilary Langer met with Dr. Antonius Gagern, the Executive Director of the Carbon to Sea Initiative, for a lively conservation about a hot topic: the promises and sensitivities of tinkering with the ocean's chemistry to enable it to store more carbon dioxide. Initial research on ocean alkalinity enhancement supports its potential as a significant means of capturing carbon. Carbon to Sea is a $50M non-profit effort that brings together leading funders and researchers to explore ocean alkalinity enhancement.  The area is gaining increasing attention and traction, as evidenced by the White House's launch of a “Fast-Track Action Committee” on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal. Within the past year, the U.S. federal government has put out about $100 million in grants to accelerate research in the area, including $23.4M from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Researchers and funders are balancing the urgency of action with the need to ensure that any intervention is a clear win for the oceans they seek to protect.Links: Home - Carbon to Sea InitiativeMeta's former CTO has a new $50 million project: ocean-based carbon removal | MIT Technology ReviewClimate crisis sparks effort to coax oceans to suck up carbon dioxide | Science | AAASSupercharging Nature to Suck Carbon From the Air - WSJEpisode recorded May 15, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

In this episode, Gil Jenkins sits down with Bill Weir, Chief Climate Correspondent at CNN, for a rich, engaging, and meaningful conversation about his new book, “Life As We Know It (Can Be): Stories of People, Climate, and Hope in a Changing World.”While reporting from every state and every continent, Bill Weir has spent decades telling the stories of unique people, places, cultures, and creatures on the brink of change. As the first Chief Climate Correspondent in network news, he's immersed in the latest science and breakthroughs on the topic, while often on the frontlines of disasters, natural and manmade. In 2020, Bill began distilling these experiences into a series of Earth Day letters for his then-newborn son to read in 2050, to help him better understand the world he will have grown up in and be better prepared to embrace the future. Bill's work and his letters were the inspiration for “Life As We Know It (Can Be),” which confronts the worry and wonder of climate change with messages and examples of hope for all of us on how a better future can still be written. Highlighting groundbreaking innovation in fields of clean energy, food and water sources, housing and building materials, and more, and touching on how happiness, resilience, and health and wellness factor into the topic of climate change, Bill's stories take readers on a global journey, from one community in Florida that took on a hurricane and never lost power, to the Antarctic Peninsula where one species of penguin is showing us the key to survival, to the nuclear fusion labs where scientists are trying to build a star in a box.  Through a tapestry of stories—tales of resilience, community, and the indomitable human spirit— ‘Life As We Know It (Can Be)' celebrates our planet's marvels, contemplates our collective desires, and calls us all to unite with nature and each other. It's about preparing and planning for the future, together. Links: Book: “LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (CAN BE): Stories of People, Climate, and Hope in a Changing World”Bill Weir's fourth letter on Earth Day to his young son (CNN, April 22, 2024)Bill Weir BioBill Weir on XBill Weir on LinkedInEpisode recorded April 19, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

Mike Buckley - Co-Owner & CEO of the United States SailGP Team - shares his excitement around the sport of sailing and the upcoming New York Sail Grand Prix.   As both an executive and a champion sailor himself, Mike has a unique perspective not shared by many other owners of professional teams.   His fellow investors in the U.S. team include include boxer Deontay Wilder; NFL players DeAndre Hopkins, Malik Jackson, and Roquan Smith, actress Issa Rae, and many other big names.   Details: 1:30 - Mike's experience with sailing 6:30 - The growth of SailGP 8:50 - SailGP's Climate Positive status 11:00 - The U.S. team 14:25 - The NYC race 17:25 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

In honor of Earth Day, Doug sits down with journalist and founder of Climate Positive Now—Kenn Busch, to discuss the intricacies of carbon management and its environmental implications.Throughout the episode, Kenn demystifies the complex dynamics of carbon's interaction with our environment and highlights some innovative approaches to utilize carbon management for environmental gain.Looking for continuing education credits related to sustainability? Check out Ken's CEU below! Climate Positive Materials for Sustainable Interiors, A CEU course brought to you by OFS    Follow Doug on LinkedIn.Click here to get your copy of Doug's children's book—Design Your World.Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Gil Jenkins sits down with Akshat Rathi, a senior climate reporter at Bloomberg News and the host of Bloomberg Green's Zero podcast, to discuss his new book, "Climate Capitalism: Winning the Global Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of our Age," which was released on March 12 in the U.S. "Climate Capitalism" takes readers across five continents, tracking the unlikely heroes driving the fight against climate change. The stories within the book reveal how people, policy, and technology are converging to create a green economy that is not only possible but profitable. Akshat and Gil explore key chapters from the book, touching on stories like that of Wan Gang, a Chinese bureaucrat who played a pivotal role in the rapid expansion of electric vehicles in China. They also discuss India's significant progress toward solar power since 2015, the transformative influence of the International Energy Agency, and the UK's legally binding decarbonization commitments, among other topics.Links: About the BookAkshat on XAkshat on LinkedInZero PodcastEpisode recorded March 8, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

The Sustainable Energy in America Factbook serves as a key reference for the state of renewables in the United States. To mark the release of the 12th edition, Gil Jenkins and Hilary Langer talked to the people behind the annual report: Lisa Jacobson, President of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Tom Rowlands-Rees, Head of Research for North America at BloombergNEF. Despite significant headwinds in 2023, including high interest rates and supply chain challenges, the factbook is full of record-shattering figures that reveal momentum toward a more sustainable energy future. Lisa and Tom discuss the importance of stable federal policies, the optimism they find in reduced emissions, and how America will need to accelerate sustainable energy development to meet carbon reduction targets.Links: The 2024 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook | BloombergNEF (bnef.com)The Business Council for Sustainable Energy (bcse.org)Lisa Jacobson | LinkedInTom Rowlands-Rees | LinkedInBloombergNEF (bnef.com)Episode recorded February 26, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

In this week's episode, Gil Jenkins sits down with Steve Raeder, the founder and CEO of Summit Ridge Energy. As a leading player in the community solar market, Summit Ridge Energy (SRE) has made significant strides since its inception in 2017, deploying over $1.6 billion into clean energy assets. With a robust development pipeline of more than 2 GW, SRE will have more than 400 MW of solar PV online by the end of 2024, powering 50,000 homes and businesses. During the conversation, Steve opens up about his journey from SunEdison to founding Summit SRE. He breaks down the incredible value proposition for community solar, which offers guaranteed savings to both residential and small commercial customers while underscoring its pivotal role in the broader energy transition. Steve also discusses SRE's growth strategy. Giving his outlook on the future of the community solar market, he details how the company is positioning itself to capitalize on this sector's continued growth. Additionally, Steve talks about the company's solar panel supply partnership with Qcells, which was announced last year and is the largest domestic community solar purchase ever. He also shares insights into their innovative sustainability apprenticeship program in Chicago. Note: Summit Ridge Energy is a client of HASI. Links: Summit Ridge Energy WebsiteSummit Ridge Energy on LinkedInSummit Ridge Energy on XSteve Raeder on LinkedInPress Release: Summit Ridge Energy and Qcells Announce Largest Community Solar Partnership in the U.S (April 6, 2023)Article: Clean energy job training has started at Chicago's Sustainability Hub (Solar Power World, May 2, 2023)Summit Ridge Energy's “Bomber” Project - Nation's Largest Rooftop Community Solar ArrayPress Release: HASI and Summit Ridge Energy Expand Partnership with New 250 MW Community Solar Portfolio in Illinois and Maryland (August 29, 2023)Article: How to run your house on clean electricity, no solar panels required (Washington Post, February 8, 2023)Steve's Book Recommendation: A Sense of Urgency, by Dr. John KotterEpisode recorded January 24, 2024 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

In this week's episode our host Bianca Foley is chatting all about Regenerative farming and how it is helping to accelerate the beauty industry to new heights!Did you know that regenerative farming can lead to a 26% increase in profitability for farmers while reducing carbon emissions? It's like a win-win for the planet and our pockets! We will look a bit more at these numbers and find out how beauty brands are hopping on the regenerative bandwagon, sourcing ingredients responsibly, and supporting initiatives that promote biodiversity and soil health.Today's guests: Laura Rudoe, who founded “Good Ventures' in 2008 as an ethical development company with the mission to create new organic personal care brands that are a force for good. Under her Good Ventures umbrella Laura has created 2 beauty brands, Evolve Organic Beauty and Adaptology. The Evolve Beauty range consists of 52 products for skin, body and hair and is retailed in John Lewis, Holland & Barrett, and Sephora and is available worldwide in over 45 countries. Evolve is proud to have won over 100 industry awards and is one of the first 1000 B Corp companies in the UK. The brand is also certified Climate Positive, Vegan, Cruelty Free and is a certified Living Wage employer.Tanya Hawkes began her career working in nature conservation and environmental education. Her interest in the botanical world soon led her to honeybees and the art of beekeeping. Over many decades she researched and worked with botanical and bee ingredients, using their healing properties for her reactive skin. In 2013, along with her daughter Esme, an Oxford Biology graduate turned ecologist and skincare aficionado; Tanya launched Therapi - meaning 'healing through the bee' - a natural and certified organic skincare range which harnesses the therapeutic properties of honey and propolis alongside time-honoured plant ingredients to transform skin and planet.Subscribe to this podcast in all places where you listen to podcasts and drop us an email at info@sustainablyinfuenced.com, or follow us on Instagram and TikTok Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America's dramatic shift towards renewable energy generation in remote areas will require a substantial transmission build-out in the years ahead, potentially doubling or tripling the current grid. In other words, there is no transition without transmission. While it's crucial that we expedite the construction of large power lines at a much faster clip, there's another technology solution that demands equal attention. This parallel approach involves the use of Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs). GETs offer a modular, cost-effective path to enhancing our existing infrastructure while also significantly amplifying the efficacy of new transmission investments. To gain deeper insights into how GETs can help us meet the needs of the 21st-century electric grid, accelerate the clean energy transition, and lower energy costs, Gil Jenkins and Manish Chaturvedi spoke with Julia Selker, Executive Director of WATT Coalition.Links:WATT Coalition WATT Coalition WebsiteWhat are Grid Enhancing Technologies?Whitepaper: Building a Better Grid: How Grid Enhancing Technologies Complement Transmission Buildouts (WATT Coalition & Brattle Group, April 20, 2023)WATT Coalition LinkedInWATT Coalition XMore on Julia: Julia Selker is Executive Director of the WATT Coalition and Director of Policy and Strategy and Chief Operating Officer for Grid Strategies. She previously worked for the Business Council on Sustainable Energy, the technology startup Faraday Grid, and interned with Congressman Peter DeFazio focused on energy and climate policy. Prior to coming to Washington, DC, Julia worked on the launch of Monterey Bay Community Power through the public relations agency Miller Maxfield, Inc., in Santa Cruz, California. Julia previously worked for the Bulleit Group, a San Francisco public relations agency. She has a bachelor's degree in physics from Reed College. Julia Selker LinkedInJulia Selker XLinkedIn Post: The grid fairy godmothers of the energy transition (Julia Selker, August 3, 2023)Episode recorded December 8, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

In this week's episode, Gil speaks with Matt Rogers, the founder and CEO of Mill, a startup revolutionizing how we tackle food waste. They delve into the inspiration behind Mill, discussing how the idea came about and the parallels to Matt's previous work as the co-founder of Nest, the company behind the iconic learning thermostat and other smart home products. Matt discusses the functionality of Mill's kitchen bin, which transforms food scraps into nutrient-rich animal feed, and how the company is bringing this groundbreaking product to the market. He explains the emissions profile of Mill's appliance and the positive impact it can have on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Also, Matt shares his insights on the crucial role of technology and innovation in driving sustainable solutions.Links: Mill WebsiteMill Impact StatsMatt Rogers TwitterMatt Rogers LinkedInMill LinkedInMill TwitterMill InstagramMill TikTokThe episode originally aired on June 15, 2023.Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

“It slowed me down. It made me realize so many beautiful things around me. I paid more attention. I paid more attention to what the fire crackling sounded like, to the chipmunks outside, the snow falling around me.” We're in great company with Emily Padan and Mauricio Padilla, Co-Founders and Owners of hinter, where they design innovative spaces hidden in nature with minimalist design and a climate positive business approach for guests to experience the world like never before, starting in Quebec, Canada.  hinter is a collaborative project - crafting spaces with like minded architects, concepting interiors with soulful designers, curating partnerships with local artisans - all with the intention to create destinations where guests can leave behind their baggage and find themselves in nature.  In this episode, Emily and Mauricio share how they are inspired to build a space where their community can be inspired, and how recently this inspiration has led them to grow their sense of place naturally, digitally, and internationally.  Top Takeaways [1:40] How they took the leap into a new relationship and new business together - Mauricio from a career in the software industry, and Emily from a career as an elementary school teacher.  [3:35] From growing up with the backdrop of the Andes in Ecuador, to seeking out hikes across Canada, to falling in love with the Nordics during international travels - Mauricio got lost in the beauty of the natural world, finding his way home with hinter.  [11:45] As they look back on their 1 year wedding anniversary, Emily shares why having a “third thing” is healthy in any relationship. [16:50] How “hinter,” German for “behind” or “hidden” came to be - from being hidden in the woods to leaving behind your baggage to be present with yourself.  [21:30] hinter is much more than just a space to stay, they are spaces to inspire - “livable showrooms” filled with unique work by local artists to be experienced and purchased directly.  [25:40] Sustainability is ingrained in every inch of Hinter spaces, so much so that Emily and Mauricio have made it their mission to give back more than they take. [30:30] Wanting to have more impact beyond the physical property itself, “the hinter planet” is building a community and conversation in the digital world around design, culture, sustainability, wellness and more.  [37:40] Coming Soon - the hinter outpost, a landscape hotel and hidden gem nestled in the nature of Vermont, reimagining what hospitality can be when you learn from the past and build towards the future.  Notable Mentions  O-p-e-n Guided Meditation Fellow Products Coffee Bang & Olufsen Speakers  Inspiring Architects: Olson Kundig & Peter Zumthor Visit For Yourself hinter website | 10% OFF with code STAYINGOODCOMPANY @hintercompany @hinterhouse Stay In Good Company Website

Anastasia Volkova, CEO of Regrow, discusses science-based technology for the agriculture industry. Hosts: Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. Producer: Paul Brennan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Chad Reed speaks with Calvert Impact's President and CEO, Jennifer "Jenn" Pryce, and Beth Bafford, Calvert Impact's Vice President of Syndications and Strategy. Calvert Impact is a global nonprofit investment firm that helps investors and financial professionals invest in solutions that people and the planet need. During its 28-year history, Calvert Impact has mobilized approximately $5 billion to build and grow local community and green finance organizations.Jenn and Beth discuss Calvert Impact's history, evolution, and core mission. They also delve into Calvert Impact's unique nonprofit model, financial self-sufficiency, and structure. Chad, Jenn, and Beth explore the impact investing space overall and highlight the distinctions from ESG investing. Finally, Jenn and Beth share stories about what drew them into the impact investing field before closing with a discussion around Calvert Impact's work spearheading the Climate United coalition, which is participating in the EPA's National Clean Investment Fund $14 billion grant competition announced earlier this summer.Links: Jennifer Pryce BioJennifer Pryce LinkedInBeth Bafford BioBeth Bafford LinkedInCalvert Impact LinkedInWebsite: Calvert ImpactCalvert Impact 2022 Impact ReportWebsite: Climate UnitedClimate United Press Release (June 21, 2023): Leading sustainable energy and community finance organizations join forces to pursue National Clean Investment Fund mandateEpisode recorded August 15, 2023 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

In this week's episode, we're stepping into the world of sustainable footwear with Kirsten Blackburn, Director of The KEEN Effect — the social impact division for hybrid footwear brand KEEN. Since its founding in 2003, KEEN has evolved into a leading global footwear company renowned for innovation, originality, and a strong emphasis on sustainability. Throughout the conversation with Gil, Kirsten, who has spearheaded environmental, social, and governance strategies across for-profit and non-profit sectors for over a decade, shares invaluable insights into KEEN's sustainability journey and its global commitment to ethical practices. Additionally, she sheds light on several actionable strategies to reduce the broader footwear industry's environmental impact.Links: Kirsten Blackburn LinkedInKirsten Blackburn TwitterKEEN LinkedInKEEN TwitterWebsite: Keen Impact2022 KEEN Impact ReportKEEN Green Paper: The Road to PFAS Free, a step-by-step guide to removing PFAS from your supply chainVideo: What is the KEEN Effect?Video: The Newport: How the World's Ugliest Sandal Was BornEmail your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

Josh Garrett (@jgarrett9) is CEO and co-founder of Redwood Climate Communications, a PR firm that's on a mission to help curb the climate crisis by telling the stories of incredible companies behind promising solutions. But what does this really mean? Well, climate change is complex, and some of the mechanics behind the solutions are too! So how should a company simplify the ‘what' and the ‘how'? That's where Redwood comes in. They have supported a ton of companies, some that you might recognize are Google Nest, The Nature Conservancy, and Rocky Mountain Institute. We dive deep: how the zeitgeist of “talking about climate” changed over the past 30 years, how the failure of the current “sacrifice to serve” climate movement has failed, how to create more Tesla brands, and much much more. Check out https://climatemayhem.com/josh-garrett-part-2 for show notes. Connect with Ty Wolfe-Jones and Jakub Kubicka With Ty Wolfe-Jones on LinkedIn With Ty Wolfe-Jones on Twitter With Jakub Kubicka on LinkedIn With Jakub Kubicka on Twitter Subscribe to Climate Mayhem On any podcast platform Read all show notes at climatemayhem.com Ask a question or suggest a topic on our What-The-Climate Listener Mail Form

More than a third of the world's current greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels go through underground networks of fungi, according to a new peer-reviewed study in Current Biology. That's a whopping 13 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year. Mycorrhizal fungi act as a symbiotic partner of plants, seeking out nutrients and bringing them back to the plants' roots. In return, they accept carbon in the form of carbohydrates—which they then lock away in the structure of the fungi. This symbiotic relationship is nothing new to scientists; what's surprising is the magnitude of carbon stored. But how permanent is this sink? And what can we do to support fungi as a nature-based climate solution? In this episode, Shayle talks to Dr. Heidi-Jayne Hawkins, lead author of the new paper and research director at Conservation South Africa.  They cover topics like: The evolutionary history of mycorrhizal fungi  The mechanics of fungal carbon storage, which boosts carbon storage by 5-20% more than plants alone What we can do to support conditions for fungi to absorb carbon Open questions about the permanence of the storage Recommended Resources: Current Biology: Mycorrhizal mycelium as a global carbon pool Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

Every community across the globe produces waste. This waste can come from landfills, decomposing food, animal manure, and wastewater sludge. As this waste decomposes, it emits natural gas – primarily composed of methane, which is a naturally occurring but very potent and harmful greenhouse gas. In fact, methane is nearly 30 times more potent at trapping heat in our atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) projects capture this methane before it harms our environment and repurposes it to create clean and reliable energy that is used to generate electricity, power our vehicles, heat our homes, cook our food, and many other productive purposes. In this episode, Chad and Gil speak with Michael Bakas, Executive Vice President at Ameresco, a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Michael details the various RNG production pathways and revenue streams, discusses his views on RNG market growth drivers, and makes a compelling case for the essential role of RNG in the energy transition. Links: Michael Bakas Bio Ameresco White Paper: Making Your Organization Carbon Neutral with Renewable Natural GasAmeresco White Paper: Beyond Hydrogen: Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) & Deep DecarbonizationAmeresco Case Study: BMW Landfill Gas to Energy, SCRNG CoalitionEpisode recorded May 4, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

Everything, everywhere, all at once—that's the state of the U.S. solar industry right now. Suppliers are rushing to take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act's generous domestic-manufacturing incentives. Major manufacturers like First Solar and Enel have announced billion dollar investments in places like Tulsa, Oklahoma and Lawrence County, Alabama. But tariffs on the import of some Chinese-made parts may resume at the end of 2024; and the industry still faces supply chain shortages and permitting backlogs. Meanwhile, the stakes are high. To reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the U.S. needs to install 100 gigawatts of solar per year by 2030, according to a report from the REPEAT Project of Princeton's ZERO Lab, up from about 30 gigawatts this year.  Is that achievable in this chaotic environment?  In this episode, Shayle talks about the state of the U.S. solar industry with Ethan Zindler, head of Americas at BloombergNEF. They cover topics like: Generous manufacturing incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act  Conditions to qualify for the incentives, such as meeting prevailing wages, building in “energy communities,” and sourcing domestic content The saga of solar tariffs Looming competition from manufacturers in Southeast Asia How supply chain bottlenecks have eased up Recommended Resources: Canary: Can the US manufacture enough solar panels to meet its surging demand? Canary: In Biden solar tariff compromise, installers win Princeton ZERO Lab's REPEAT Project: Preliminary Report: The Climate and Energy Impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

“What I'm hearing is, how do we go faster? How do we transform the key industries that are driving emissions now? And, that can be the solutions to our climate crisis, to our biodiversity crisis. They're really seeking what are the strategies, where should they be going strategically to shift capital, to shift their operations?...I'm seeing is a great eagerness to learn to act, uh, far ahead of the global targets by governments. So working with companies, working with, uh, local and regional and state governments, um, working with innovators to large corporates. Uh, what I'm hearing is how do we go faster and how do we do it in a way that is truly credible?” Aimee Christensen on Electric Ladies Podcast Climate change affects the entire economy – every sector – and therefore, any solution requires a multi-sector, multidimensional approach. But how do those work exactly in real life? What's working? Aimee Christensen, CEO of Christensen Global and Founder/CEO of the Sun Valley Forum, has been collaborating with top leaders across sectors in this work every day for 30 years, making the hard choices, running the numbers, identifying financial products and metrics. Listen to Aimee on Electric Ladies Podcast help us make sense of these strategies in this enlightening interview with host Joan Michelson.  You'll hear: How to build successful public-private partnerships. How to align financial assets with growing a climate positive economy. What impact new federal funding, ESG reporting and climate disclosure rules will have. What corporates are doing to transition to net zero operations and why. Plus, insightful career advice, such as… “Something that I've tried to do in my career that's been important has been to trust my gut and to be a truth teller….People are looking for community, so even if you think you might be the only one who's raising this issue,…you will find your people. And if you don't speak your truth, if you don't ask the hard question, you won't find the people who are looking to align with that aggressive leadership and trust your gut on that. So trust your gut, whether it's about a new job, about a direction we need to be going in, even if it feels a little bit lonely, because… You'll be proven. People will find you and want to collaborate with you.” Aimee Christensen on Electric Ladies Podcast Read Joan's Forbes articles here too. You'll also like (some may have been recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio): Kristina Wyatt, Chief Sustainability Officer & Deputy General Counsel, Persefoni and former leader of the SEC task force developing the Climate Risk Disclosure rules. Sandrine Dixson-Decléve, Co-President of Club of Rome, on transitioning to a people-planet first economy. Kathy Baughman-McLeod, SVP and Executive Director, Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, on scaling resilience across the globe and across populations. Melissa Lott, Ph.D., Director of Research, Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, on how exactly to get to carbon zero Jean Case, CEO, the Case Foundation and Chair, National Geographic Society, on ESG and impact investing. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our podcasts, blog, events and special coaching offers.. Thanks for subscribing on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio and leaving us a review! Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson

The list of potential uses for AI in climatetech is growing fast: developing better materials, optimizing solar farms, integrating renewables and microgrids. But many of these are still theoretical. We wanted to find a real-world application that changed the way we make climatetech. So we decided to come up with our own test run. Back in March Duncan Campbell, vice president at Scale Microgrids, used ChatGPT to code some battery dispatch software and tweeted about his experience. Duncan isn't a professional software developer, but he still came up with some promising results.  Could a non-coder like Duncan use AI to do the work of several climatetech coders? We invited Duncan to do it again and ramped up the challenge. We recruited Seyed Madaeni, CEO and co-founder of Verse to create a challenge for Duncan. Seyed is an expert in AI and the software used in electricity markets. He routinely sends “problem statements” to his team of software developers to create new software. This time, he sent a problem statement to Duncan that reflects real world conditions, one that we might actually assign to real engineers to solve. The challenge? Develop battery dispatch software using ChatGPT.  In this episode, Duncan presents his results to Shayle and Seyed. They talk about things like: The different methods of optimizing battery dispatch, from old-school Excel sheets to more sophisticated software written by coders Seyed's process of assigning a problem statement to his engineering team and the simplified version he sent to Duncan Duncan's process of iteratively working with ChatGPT-4 to develop and debug the code  Why working with ChatGPT is like working with a bunch of really fast, but really inexperienced junior coders If you want to see the code that Duncan wrote with ChatGPT, click here.  Recommended Resources: Carbon Copy Live: How AI could supercharge climatetech The Wall Street Journal: Why AI Is the Next Big Bet for Climate Tech Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

In this week's episode, Gil speaks with Matt Rogers, the founder and CEO of Mill, a startup revolutionizing how we tackle food waste. They delve into the inspiration behind Mill, discussing how the idea came about and the parallels to Matt's previous work as the co-founder of Nest, the company behind the iconic learning thermostat and other smart home products. Matt discusses the functionality of Mill's kitchen bin, which transforms food scraps into nutrient-rich animal feed, and how the company is bringing this groundbreaking product to the market. He explains the emissions profile of Mill's appliance and the positive impact it can have on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Also, Matt shares his insights on the crucial role of technology and innovation in driving sustainable solutions.Links: Mill WebsiteMill Impact StatsMatt Rogers TwitterMatt Rogers LinkedInMill LinkedInMill TwitterMill InstagramMill TikTokEpisode recorded May 2. 2023 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.com or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

Voluntary carbon credits are a lot like used cars; you really have no idea what their quality might be. Or maybe they're more like expensive bottles of wine. Most people (or at least Shayle) can't tell if they're buying good quality wine. If it's expensive, it must be good, right? That's the logic that has plagued voluntary carbon markets for years.  A carbon credit can work in two ways. First, it can avoid 1 metric ton of emissions that would have otherwise happened by, for example, preventing deforestation. Alternatively, a credit can directly remove a ton of carbon from the atmosphere through methods like direct air capture or biochar. But widespread reporting reveals that most credits don't do what they say they do. Just this month the CEO of the world's leading certifier stepped down after an investigation by The Guardian revealed that over 90% of rainforest carbon credits were worthless. In May, a new $1 billion California lawsuit alleged that the credits that Delta relied on for its claim of reaching carbon neutrality claims were bogus. Carbon credits are in crisis at the same moment we need to massively scale up carbon credits to meet net zero goals. So what do we do about these quality problems?  In this episode, Shayle talks to Allister Furey, co-founder and CEO of Sylvera, a company that rates the quality of credits, akin to what agencies like Moody's or Standard & Poor's do for bonds. Shayle and Allister cover topics like: The history of the first voluntary carbon markets and their early problems, like producing fluorocarbons just to destroy them The state of the current market, including its size, segments and prices The wide gulf in price between the cheapest avoidance credits and the most ambitious engineered removal credits  Why Allistair thinks we need to be on a “war footing” to reach to the highly ambitious carbon removal targets to meet net zero, such as growing the market from $2 billion to $1 trillion by 2050 Why high prices do not necessarily mean high quality  Recommended Resources: The Guardian: Revealed: more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by biggest certifier are worthless, analysis shows The Guardian: Delta Air Lines faces lawsuit over $1bn carbon neutrality claim Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Are you a utility or climatetech startup looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape your company? Come to our one-day event, Transition-AI: Boston, on June 15. Our listeners get a 20% discount with the code PSPODS20. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

The energy transition is fueling skyrocketing demand for copper, an essential metal for renewables, batteries, and other climatetech. But supply isn't keeping up. There's more than enough copper in the earth's known reserves to supply our growing demand for the metal, but supply is stagnating due to rising extraction costs and decades-long lead times to open new mines. A July 2022 report from S&P Global predicts that demand could begin to exceed supply in just a few years.. Without action, a growing supply gap could last into the 2050s, hampering the speed and scale of the transition. What can we do about it? In this episode, Shayle talks to Cristóbal Undurraga, the CEO of copper mining technology company Ceibo. They talk about the causes of stagnating supply and the technologies that could help increase production.  They cover topics like: Energy usage and carbon emissions in copper supply chains The limitations of scrap recycling to meet growing demand The geopolitics of copper supply chains, including China's major role in smelting The pros and cons of the two major copper extraction methods – concentration and electrolysis The two major types of ore – copper oxides and copper sulfides, and why one is so much harder to mine The long lead times to build new mines and why constructing new ones isn't easy Ceibo's approach to increase mine capacity using novel electrolysis technology for copper sulfides Recommended Resources: S&P Global: The Future of Copper The Economist: Copper is the missing ingredient of the energy transition Bloomberg: The Green Energy Transition Has a Chilean Copper Problem Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

Are you a utility or climatetech startup looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape your company? Come to our one-day event, Transition-AI: Boston, on June 15. Our listeners get a 20% discount with the code PSPODS20. On the Catalyst with Shayle Kann podcast this week: The good news: the U.S. has about 47 days' worth of energy stored up for later use. The bad news? Virtually all of it is in the form of fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas. By comparison, if you add up all the energy stored in batteries, pumped hydropower and other zero-carbon storage, it adds up to just a few seconds' worth. This small scale of low-carbon energy storage is a big problem. We're building out intermittent renewables fast, and we need enough energy storage to back up wind when turbines slow down and solar when the sun isn't shining.  But there are technologies that could get us there. In this episode, Shayle talks to his colleague Andy Lubershane, who is a partner and head of research at Energy Impact Partners. Andy recently wrote a piece called Four ways to store sunlight, which compares lithium-ion batteries, heat storage, ion-air batteries, and hydrogen. Andy and Shayle cover topics like: The storage trifecta: short duration, diurnal, and multi-day seasonal Andy's guess at how low the price of lithium-ion batteries could go Why we would use heat storage and hydrogen, despite their low round-trip efficiencies Why molten-salt heat storage didn't take off High hopes for iron-air batteries' low costs Blending hydrogen into gas turbines How all these technologies are competing against carbon capture and storage (CCS) Recommended Resources: Andy Lubershane: Four ways to store sunlight Form Energy: Enabling a True 24/7 Carbon-Free Resource Portfolio for Great River Energy with Multi-Day Storage Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

Are you a utility or climate tech startup looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape your company? Come to our one-day event, Transition-AI: Boston on June 15. Our listeners get a 20% discount with the code PSPODS20. Last year, the Supreme Court struck down the EPA's first attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. But it also preserved the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The agency just needed to find the right approach. The question for the EPA was: What legal tools would pass the scrutiny of the court? Last week, Biden's EPA came out with its answer. The proposed plan requires new and existing power plants to meet emission standards. The agency estimates that the rule would reduce GHG emissions by a total 617 million tons through 2042, a small but meaningful fraction of the total. Right now the U.S. power sector emits about 1.5 billion tons per year.  It's an approach that dovetails with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which is expected to dramatically reduce the cost of key emissions-reducing technologies, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen. If the IRA was the Biden administration's carrot for reducing climate emissions, then the new rule is the stick.  In this episode, Shayle unpacks the proposal with John Larsen, who leads U.S. climate policy research at the Rhodium Group. In March, John's team modeled the impact of hypothetical power emissions standards on the U.S. power fleet, finding that many coal plants might shut down rather than install CCS. Shayle and John dig into specifics, like: The four main options available to power plant operators under the proposed rules: shut down, install carbon capture and storage (CCS), co-fire with hydrogen, or just run less The differences in rules for new and existing plants How the standards become more stringent with higher capacity factors The role of states in the rules and the “off-ramps” they could use to get around some of the rules The power plants that would be exempt from the rules, such as gas peaker plants with low capacity factors What the changing economics of CCS and hydrogen could mean for the effect of the regulations The legal gauntlet that the plan is sure to face, including lawsuits from Republican states  Recommended Resources: Rhodium Group: Pathways to Paris: Post-IRA Policy Action to Drive US Decarbonization Rhodium Group: Has the Supreme Court Blocked the Path to the 2030 Climate Target? Heatmap: What the EPA Can't Say About Its New Power Plant Rules Canary: The EPA has a controversial new plan to clean up power plants Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

Depending on who you talk to, Bitcoin mines are either great for the grid or the worst thing that's ever happened to it. These warehouses of computers essentially turn electricity into bitcoins. Proponents argue that mines can do a number of things for the grid, like: Support grid reliability by reducing demand during peak hours Incentivize new renewable generation by raising the prices that solar and wind farms receive Reduce methane emissions by capturing flare gas from fossil fuel wells and then using that gas to generate electricity for mine operations Meanwhile, opponents argue that the mines raise emissions and electricity prices. So how do we make sense of the great Bitcoin energy debate? In this episode, Shayle talks to Ben Hertz-Shargel, global head of grid edge at Wood Mackenzie. The New York Times recently reported on the role of Bitcoin mining on the grid, and Ben was part of a team that contributed to the report. Shayle and Ben discuss:  How Bitcoin mines affect electricity prices for nearby consumers Whether mines use only excess renewable generation or incentivize fossil-fuel generators to ramp up What mines' load profiles say about their flexibility and price-sensitivity, especially during peak demand The evidence on whether mines are signing long-term power purchase agreements, repowering mothballed projects or otherwise helping to incentivize new renewables construction Alternative crypto currencies that don't require so much electricity Recommended Resources: NYT: The Real-World Costs of the Digital Race for Bitcoin Earth Justice and The Sierra Club: The Energy Bomb: How Proof-of-Work Cryptocurrency Mining Worsens the Climate Crisis and Harms Communities Now Coinspeaker: Texas Senate Passes Bill to Limit Incentives for Crypto Miners Participating in Demand Response Programs Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

The U.S. power grid is clogged, and it's holding back the energy transition.  Solar and wind farms are waiting four or more years to connect to the grid. Rising congestion costs are driving up retail electricity prices while hurting generator revenues. And the process of approving projects for interconnection is so complicated and expensive that it's forcing developers to abandon the projects they were planning to build.  We need much more transmission capacity and a better process for connecting projects. And we need it now more than ever. Demand for power will skyrocket as we connect EVs, heat pumps and other new loads to the grid. But Rob Gramlich, our guest today, comes with good news: We did it before. We can do it again.  Rob is the founder and president of Grid Strategies. In this episode, Shayle and Rob talk through the three major challenges of transmission – congestion, interconnection, and buildout. And Rob explains how we've built out transmission in the past with efforts like ERCOT's Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) and MISO's Multi-Value Projects (MVPs). They also cover topics like: The history of transmission in the U.S. The three P's of transmission challenges: planning, permitting, and paying How congestion costs might shoot up over the next few years as grid capacity lags behind generation, causing new generation to slow and retail electricity prices to go up Reforming the slow, complex, and expensive approval process for interconnection at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Where local opposition fits into transmission's larger problems Recommended Resources: Grid Strategies: Transmission Congestion Costs in the U.S. RTOs Grid Strategies: Fewer New Miles: The U.S. Transmission Grid in the 2010s Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

We're bringing you a special crossover episode this week from Catalyst's sister podcast, The Carbon Copy. It's about a rogue startup that was trying to do something we've talked about on this show: solar geoengineering.  Last year, Time staff writer Alejandro de la Garza found himself on the floor of a hotel room in Nevada with two guys trying to cook sulfur dioxide out of a tin can.  Luke Iseman and Andrew Song are the co-founders of Make Sunsets, a startup claiming to be implementing solar geoengineering by launching weather balloons filled with SO2 into the stratosphere. Their first experimental launch in the Mexican state of Baja California resulted in a swift regulatory response from the Mexican government. But when they ran another test launch a few weeks ago just outside of Reno, Nevada, Luke invited Alejandro to join them.  This week, we speak with Alejandro about his Time profile of the controversial startup. Plus, we talk with geoengineering experts Holly Buck and Kevin Surprise. “Any single person you talk to in solar geoengineering research, whether they're bullish or against it, they all think that what Make Sunsets is doing is a bad idea,” explains Alejandro. Make Sunsets represents a turning point for the field of geoengineering, with rogue actors pushing the field from academic debate into the real world. Is the company's recent balloon launch an act of performance art — or an open door to an uncontrolled climate experiment? Recommended Resources: Time: Exclusive: Inside a Controversial Startup's Risky Attempt to Control Our Climate The Guardian: Solar geoengineering could be ‘remarkably inexpensive' – report MIT Technology Review: This technology could alter the entire planet. These groups want every nation to have a say. US Geological Survey: The Atmospheric Impact of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo Eruption Catalyst: Solar geoengineering: Is it worth the risk? Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

Hydropower is the world's largest source of renewable electricity today, according to the IEA. Like gas peaker plants, it's highly dispatchable, meaning it can complement intermittent renewables like wind and solar.  And we could get a lot more of it. The IEA estimates that we could double the amount of energy produced globally. One peer-reviewed study found that global economic potential for hydropower was 21,000 terawatt hours per year, more than five times the current generation today.  So how could we deploy more hydropower? In this episode, guest host Lara Pierpoint talks to Gia Schneider, co-founder and CEO of Natel Energy, a hydropower technology company. One key argument Gia makes is that if we can build smaller projects with lower ecosystem impacts, we can tap into more zero-carbon power.  Gia and Lara talk through:  How quickly we need to build more hydropower to meet 2050 net-zero targets The benefits of traditional hydro as a full-stack grid resource Different types of hydro technology like run of river, hydrokinetic, and traditional large-scale dams Why smaller, more distributed systems are key to unlocking hydropower potential Different technologies to manage fish and debris like bypass channels, screens and fish-safe turbines The co-benefits of improving riverine landscapes, including making ecosystems and hydroelectric infrastructure more resilient to climate change How hydrology and forecasting can help us better manage dams in a changing climate Recommended Resources: Energy & Environmental Science: A comprehensive view of global potential for hydro-generated electricity Bloomberg: The World's Biggest Source of Clean Energy Is Evaporating Fast Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

What does it mean to be a climate-positive company? Is it easy to become one?Aiming for a goal that seems unclear — or even detrimental — is hard. Many business owners tend to focus on profit. They keep their company running, create a great product, and have excellent sales. Why focus on the environment when it eats into profits?But as companies, we can do more. And what's more: being an environmental solution doesn't cut into your profits — it increases them.In this episode, Tesh Randall of Raglan Food Co. is here to inspire you to take action and dream big. She talks about how her company became New Zealand's first Carbon-Zero-certified yogurt company and is set to become Carbon Positive in the near future. She shares tips on how to start a carbon-zero company and what to take into consideration. She also shares how you can impact your people, community, and environment, while still making a profit.If you want to learn more about how you can make an impact with your business, tune in to this episode now!3 reasons why you should listen to the full episode:Learn how your business can become a Carbon-Zero Certified company, just like Raglan Food Co. Realize the importance of finance and profits when creating an impactful business.Discover the journey of Tesh and Raglan Food Co. and learn from their insights and challenges. Episode Highlights[02:17] Tesh's Journey to Raglan Food Co.  [0:555] Businesses' Responsibility to the Environment [07:39] What a Carbon-Zero Certified Business Looks Like[11:53] What's Next for Raglan Food Co.?  [14:17] Raglan Food Co.'s Challenges [15:54] How the Finances Work [19:10] How Investors Affect the Business  [23:56] What Tesh Learned  ResourcesLearn more about Raglan Food Co.: Website I Instagram I Facebook   Connect with Tesh: LinkedIn    Connect with Christina Sjahli: LinkedIn Find out about Profit Reimagined: LinkedIn | Website Enjoyed This Podcast?Write a review and share this with your friends.Connect With the Profit ReimaginedReady to transform your purpose into an impactful business financial story, profit, and joy? Schedule a chat with the team at any time.

The battery manufacturing announcements have been coming one after another—a VW cathode facility in Canada; a Tesla factory in Mexico; a Ford battery plant in Michigan. These companies hope to take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act's lucrative EV tax credits: Up to $3,750 for strategic minerals mined in the U.S. or its many free trade partner countries Up to $3,750 for battery components produced only in the U.S., Mexico, or Canada. But there's a catch. A whole bunch of intermediate battery products don't fit neatly into either bucket. For example, lithium gets processed into precursor cathode active material before it becomes cathode active material, the powder that actually makes it onto the factory floor of a battery manufacturer. Battery electrolytes go through multiple processing steps, too. Until last week, suppliers of these products were left wondering: Where should we manufacture to qualify? And for which credit? Congress had left these details up to the Treasury Department, and on Friday regulators released guidance for these intermediate products, or “constituent materials.” The new rules pleased some and angered others. So what do the changes mean for EV supply chains?  In this episode, Shayle talks to Sam Jaffe, our resident EV-supply-chain whisperer. He's the vice president of Battery Storage Solutions at E Source. He's come on the show before to talk about the holy grail of batteries and the basics of the IRA's EV tax credits.  This time, Sam explains the new Treasury guidance.They cover topics like: Incentivizing domestic manufacturing while also giving auto companies the flexibility to qualify for credits Why Joe Manchin and European countries are upset about the new rules Japan's last-minute free trade agreement before the rules came out How hard it will be for EV manufacturers to get qualifying constituent materials anytime soon, especially as they launch new mass market models What we still don't know about how the Treasury will implement the IRA, including which countries or companies will qualify as “foreign entities of concern” Recommended Resources: U.S. Treasury: Anticipated Direction of Forthcoming Proposed Guidance on Critical Mineral and Battery Component Value Calculations for the New Clean Vehicle Credit The New York Times: New Rules Will Make Many Electric Cars Ineligible for Tax Credits Politico: Bitter friends: Inside the summit aiming to heal EU-US trade rift Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Support for Catalyst comes from Climate Positive, a podcast by HASI, that features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable economy. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com.

In this episode, Gil Jenkins speaks with Peter Krull, Partner & Director of Sustainable Investing at Earth Equity Advisors, A Prime Capital Investment Advisors Company. Peter focuses on creating and managing Earth Equity's sustainable, responsible, and impact investment portfolios as well as writing thought leadership pieces and elevating the responsible investing story.Gil talks with Peter about his background and journey into the industry, how sustainable investing has evolved from socially responsible investing (SRI), which focused on exclusion, and the differences between impact investing, ESG investing, and sustainable investing from his point of view.  Peter also shares his thoughts on a few of the energy and environmental sectors that excite him most. Links:WebsitePeter Krull TwitterPeter Krull LinkedInFull Bio: Pete is a well-known leader in the green business community and a long-time advocate for fossil-fuel-free and sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investing.He began his investment career at Merrill Lynch in 1998 where he earned the firm's Certified Financial Manager designation. He honed his investment management skills as he guided his clients through the dot-com bubble and recovery.In 2004, he hung up his shingle as Krull & Company and began the journey as a conscious entrepreneur. From the beginning, he knew that his firm would focus on responsible investing and trademarked the phrase, helping you align your investments with your values®. In 2017, Krull & Company became Earth Equity Advisors.Over the years, he has provided leadership to clients, colleagues, and communities. From chairing the Asheville-based environmental non-profit MountainTrue through a pivotal expansion to guiding Earth Equity Advisors' rapid growth and rise to prominence as a six-time Best for the World™ honoree, Pete's impact on the responsible investing movement is clear.He was named one of the 100 most influential financial advisors in America by Investopedia in 2018 and became one of the first individuals to earn the Chartered SRI Counselor™ designation from the College for Financial Planning. In 2021, Pete was featured by The Collider among the Faces of Climate City, which highlights Asheville, NC residents who are providing leadership in the Climate industry. He was also recognized on Real Leaders' list of 70 Environmental Leaders You Should Know alongside Sir David Attenborough, Jane Goodall, and Greta Thunberg, and was selected for the LUMINARIES Class of 2021 by ThinkAdvisor in the category of Thought Leadership & Education. Recognition continued in 2022 with Pete being announced as a finalist for the RIA Intel Awards' ESG Advocate of the Year, appearing on AdvisorHub's list of Fastest Growing Advisors to Watch in 2022, and receiving the 2022 Sustainable Champion Award from the North Carolina Business Council.Pete's expert opinion is sought after by The New York Times, Bloomberg, Money Magazine, CNBC, The Washington Post, Investors Business Daily, US News & World Report, MarketWatch, Investment News, Wealth Management, RIA Intel, Barron's, and other notable national publications, podcasts, and channels. He is also a contributing writer to top business publications, Forbes and Kiplinger. As Partner and Director of Sustainable Investments, he is responsible for leading the firm's SRI initiatives, including thought leadership, education, and managing the sustainable investment portfolios.A native of Western New York, he lives in Asheville, NC with his wife, Dr. Melissa Booth, a microbiologist, author, and the founder of The Science Communicator. He is a serious amateur photographer, a lover of world travel, and a huge fan of the Buffalo Sabres. As you would expect, their house is solar-powered and their cars are electric.Episode recorded February 3, 2023 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at climatepositive@hasi.comor tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod.

After 160 episodes and four years of interviews, debates and friendly bipartisan banter, Political Climate will be taking a break starting in 2023. This will be the final episode (for now). This podcast was launched to create a forum for respectful, informative dialogue across the political divide on the policy and politics of climate and energy. Host Julia Pyper, Republican co-host Shane Skelton and Democratic co-host Brandon Hurlbut have never debated the science of climate change, but have had in-depth discussions on how to craft climate policy that's not only effective but politically feasible. The show has spanned the most pivotal four years for climate action, culminating in the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest national investment in clean energy in history. In this final episode, the hosts dig into the archives to hear from some of the show's most notable guests including Political Climate supporter Arnold Schwarzenegger, activist Greta Thunberg, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and many more. They also reflect on the rocky journey that led to this point, changes in public opinion on climate change, and the widening Overton window for climate action. Thank you to everyone for listening and for your support over the years. ***Political Climate is brought to you by MCE. Today, MCE offers nearly 40 Bay Area communities almost twice as much renewable energy as the state average. The power of MCE is about more than clean energy — it's the power of people over profit. Learn more at mceCleanEnergy.org.Support for Political Climate also comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.