Podcasts about climatetech

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Best podcasts about climatetech

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Latest podcast episodes about climatetech

Energy Policy Now
From the Archive: The Cost of Pulling Back from China in the EV Transition

Energy Policy Now

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2026 56:27


For the month of August, we’re highlighting episodes from the 2025-2026 season of Energy Policy Now. We’ll be back with new content, and a new season, on September the 8th. John Helveston of George Washington University discusses why a U.S. pullback from China on EVs is risky, and why engagement could strengthen America’s auto industry. --- China has rapidly become the center of global EV innovation, producing cars that are cheaper, faster to develop, and increasingly competitive in international markets. The United States, by contrast, is pulling back, eliminating incentives and pursuing policies that distance the country from China just as the global EV transition accelerates. George Washington University’s John Helveston, whose work focuses on global EV markets and China’s manufacturing system, argues that this course risks sidelining the U.S. from the technologies and supply chains shaping the automotive future. On the podcast, he explains why a more pragmatic approach that protects national security and workers while engaging with China’s central role in the EV ecosystem may be essential for America’s long-term position in the global auto industry. John Helveston is an associate professor in the department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering at George Washington University. Related Content Electric Vehicle Penetration and Urban Spatial Restructuring: A Case Study of Beijing with Geospatial Machine Learning https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/electric-vehicle-penetration-and-urban-spatial-restructuring-a-case-study-of-beijing-with-geospatial-machine-learning/ Battling for Batteries: Li-Ion Policy and Supply Chain Dynamics in the U.S. and China https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/battling-for-batteries-li-ion-policy-and-supply-chain-dynamics-in-the-u-s-and-china/ Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate 21
Soil Is Becoming Infrastructure, and Finance Is Starting to Notice

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2026 39:43 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageSoil health is starting to look less like an environmental side issue and more like infrastructure. The real question is whether regenerative agriculture can improve resilience and economics without asking farmers to absorb years of financial pain.My guest is Tim Weaver of Holganix, working at the intersection of soil health, regenerative agriculture and measurable environmental outcomes. We look at the pressures farmers and companies already recognise: volatile fertiliser costs, water scarcity, supply-chain risk, and the growing demand for credible soil carbon claims rather than estimates and greenwash.We examine what changes when soil outcomes can be measured using cores, probes, farm equipment data and satellite imagery; why AI still depends on having enough reliable data underneath it; and whether water may ultimately matter more than carbon. We also challenge the assumption that regenerative agriculture necessarily means lower profitability before the benefits arrive.Listen now to understand why soil is moving from the sustainability conversation into the risk, finance and infrastructure conversation, and what that could mean for farmers, companies and investors.Sign up to Climate Confident+ for deep dive analysis of the major climate and energy stories of the day.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.

ESG Currents
How NordicNinja Backs Climate Tech

ESG Currents

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2026 25:07 Transcription Available


As global heat waves become more frequent and severe, climate-technology startups are playing an increasingly important role in innovation needed to accelerate decarbonization and create new economic opportunities. Financing these emerging companies has become a critical task for climate-focused venture capital funds. In this episode of the Sustainability Currents podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Yasutake Homma is joined by Tomosaku Sohara, founder of NordicNinja, a climate-technology venture capital firm. They discuss the growing role of climate-technology investors, how portfolio companies are tackling climate change through innovation, and how government policies are shaping the future of the climate-technology ecosystem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

C.O.B. Tuesday
"Stop Talking, Start Working" – Leif Johan Sevland, Offshore Northern Seas Foundation

C.O.B. Tuesday

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2026 45:43


This week we had the privilege of hosting Leif Johan Sevland, President and CEO of the Offshore Northern Seas Foundation (ONS), for a Special Edition. Leif is a Norwegian business leader and former politician with a distinguished career spanning public service and the energy sector. Prior to joining ONS, Leif served as the Mayor of Stavanger from 2005 to 2011. The ONS 2026 Conference is fast approaching, taking place from August 24–27 in Stavanger, Norway. The conference is held biennially and attracts 70,000+ global industry leaders representing over 1,100 companies and 35+ countries. We were honored to host Leif to preview this year's conference, its major themes, and the trends shaping Norway's, Europe's and the world's energy landscape. In our conversation, Leif shared a preview of what attendees can expect at ONS 2026 and how this year's conference theme, Courage, is intended to challenge industry leaders to move beyond discussion and embrace decisive action in addressing the world's evolving energy needs. We explore Norway's unique position as both a leading oil and gas producer and an energy innovator, discussing how energy security, affordability, technological innovation, and shifting geopolitical dynamics are reshaping energy markets, investment priorities, and policy around the world. We examine Europe's evolving innovation ecosystem, the accelerating adoption of AI and its growing impact on power demand, renewed interest in nuclear energy, and the convergence of energy, defense, and industrial technologies. Leif emphasizes the importance of open dialogue, global collaboration, and developing the next generation of industry leaders, and shares how ONS brings together policymakers, operators, investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators to exchange ideas and help shape the future of energy. The Veriten team will be at ONS, participating in a few panels, and connecting with good friends and with some of our partner and portfolio companies that will also be in attendance. Mike Bradley started off the discussion by noting that two key market themes remained in place: lower oil prices and stronger equity markets. The 10-year Treasury yield remained range-bound, showing little directional movement. On the equity market front, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up ~500 to 600 points on the day, with gains driven primarily by Amgen, Caterpillar, and Goldman Sachs. On the oil market front, downward pressure on crude prices continued, with WTI falling by approximately $1/bbl to around $75/bbl. The decline was driven largely by market optimism that the temporary pause in U.S. military strikes on Iran would remain in place. He noted, however, that oil prices appear increasingly oversold from a technical perspective, having declined roughly $10 to $15/bbl over the past one to two weeks. As a result, crude prices could rebound sharply should the current military pause end or geopolitical tensions re-escalate. He concluded by highlighting key takeaways from Saudi Aramco's 2Q earnings call, noting that management delivered a decidedly bullish message on the outlook for global oil markets. According to Aramco, oil markets are far tighter than many indicators/prices suggest. Aramco noted that global markets lost ~11mmbpd of supply because of the conflict and shipping disruptions; strategic reserve releases and inventory drawdowns have masked the true extent of the shortage; inventory data understates physical market tightness; global inventories have been heavily depleted and must now be rebuilt over several years; and it would take around 18 months and roughly 2.1mmbpd of incremental demand just to restore inventories to pre-conflict levels if conditions normalize immediately. We were fortunate to also have Veriten Venture Partner Karl Liapunov join and share his insights throughout the discussion. Karl is the founder of Starting Cold and is the U.S. Ecosystem Partner at Startuplab, where he previously served as Head of Energy & Climate Tech in Oslo.

Climate 21
Cheap Solar, Batteries and EVs Are Breaking Fossil Fuel Economics

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2026 44:11 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageCheap solar, batteries and EVs are no longer merely cleaner alternatives. Their falling costs are undermining fossil-fuel economics, and leaders may be misjudging the speed of that shift.My guest is Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University and a long-time IPCC contributor whose work has focused on cities, transport and automobile dependence. We examine how China's manufacturing scale is turning clean technology from a policy ambition into mass-market competition, while tariffs and legacy planning risk slowing adoption elsewhere.We look at why cities are the decisive arena: where renewable power, transit, density and affordable housing either reinforce one another or remain disconnected. We also challenge the assumption that EV charging will remain the infrastructure problem, and ask when petrol and diesel networks themselves become the constraint.Listen now to understand how clean-technology economics is changing fossil-fuel risk, and what cities, businesses and policymakers need to get right before the shift accelerates. Sign up to Climate Confident+ for deep dive analysis of the major climate and energy stories of the day.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.

Climate 21
Measure First: Stop Spending on the Wrong Carbon Fixes

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2026 55:05 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageCarbon accounting can send companies straight at the wrong problem. A visible sustainability initiative may feel productive while the real emissions hotspot sits in raw materials, product design or the supply chain.My guest is John Beath, CEO and Chief Technical Director of John Beath Environmental, whose work in lifecycle assessment helps companies test assumptions before they commit money, engineering effort or supplier changes. The stakes are practical: get the system boundary wrong, and a product carbon footprint can misdirect investment rather than improve it.We examine why Scope 3 emissions so often dwarf what happens inside the factory, why bio-based or recycled materials are not automatically the lower-carbon choice, and what leaders miss when durability, reverse logistics or avoided emissions are left out. We also unpack the solar-panel case where the presumed hotspot was silicon—but the decisive intervention was elsewhere.Listen now to understand how better lifecycle assessment can expose the carbon decisions that matter most—and stop your organisation spending heavily on fixes that barely move the needle.Sign up to Climate Confident+ for deep dive analysis of the major climate and energy stories of the day.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.

My Climate Journey
Faster, Safer, Cheaper: How TerraFirma Is Rebuilding Construction

My Climate Journey

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2026 44:13


Noah Schochet is the co-founder and CEO of TerraFirma, a construction technology company rethinking how infrastructure gets built. Founded by two former SpaceX engineers, TerraFirma combines robotics, remote operations, and software into a construction business that performs projects directly rather than selling technology. By vertically integrating its tools with field operations, the company aims to make construction dramatically faster, safer, and more affordable while addressing labor shortages and enabling the next generation of infrastructure. In this episode, Noah shares how his experience building Starship at SpaceX inspired TerraFirma, why he believes construction—not autonomy—is the real bottleneck to civilization-scale progress, and why robotics companies should focus more on delivering outcomes instead of products. He also explains TerraFirma's remote-operated construction model, its approach to rapid iteration, and why the future of construction still depends on people empowered by better technology. Episode recorded on June 25, 2026 (Published on July 28, 2026). In this episode, we cover:  (0:00) An overview of TerraFirma (1:04) How SpaceX inspired the creation of TerraFirma (4:47) Why construction has fallen behind other industries (9:33) The structural reasons construction is slow to modernize (12:33) Why the goal isn't autonomy—it's better construction (14:25) TerraFirma's construction-first business model (17:11) Why customers buy outcomes, not robots (20:54) How TerraFirma's retrofit robotics and software platform works (25:53) Operating multiple construction machines from a mission control center (29:01) How robotics could reshape construction jobs instead of replacing them (32:02) Early customer adoption across data centers, housing, and hazardous environments (34:20) Winning projects by building faster, cheaper, and safer (36:13) The biggest challenge to transforming construction (38:32) Hiring builders with extreme ownership and mission alignment (42:55) TerraFirma's $100 million Series A and plans to scale Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

The Angel Next Door
Christa Downey on Angel Investing, Money Mindset, and Building Mission-Driven Wealth

The Angel Next Door

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2026 24:23


Have you ever wondered what truly drives someone to leap from curiosity about startups into the realm of angel investing—and what mindset shifts are crucial along the way? This episode of The Angel Next Door Podcast opens with that very question, as we explore the often untold personal and financial journeys that lie behind the checks investors write, and the ambitions founders chase. Our guest, Christa Downey, brings a unique lens as both an active angel investor and a leadership coach grounded in the vibrant startup ecosystem of Ithaca, New York. Christa Downey shares her path from engaging with the Cornell entrepreneurship community to backing mission-driven companies, investing alongside platforms like Chloe Capital and The Fourth Effect, and leveraging alternative vehicles such as self-directed IRAs to build wealth with purpose. Her commitment to fostering both financial returns and meaningful impact defines her approach and investments. In this conversation, Christa Downey dives into practical strategies for diversification, the pivotal role of money mindset for both founders and investors, and the often-overlooked emotional aspects of entrepreneurship—including navigating hard money conversations, founder agreements, and the difficult transition from founder to CEO. Listeners will gain concrete insights on angel investing, alternative wealth-building tools, and how intentional financial choices shape both companies and their leaders. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in reimagining their relationship with money, understanding the nuts and bolts of early-stage investing, and supporting the creation of a more inclusive, impactful startup culture.   To get the latest from Christa Downey, you can follow her below! https://www.linkedin.com/in/christabdowney/   Sign up for Marcia's newsletter to receive tips and the latest on Angel Investing! Website: www.marciadawood.com Learn more about the documentary Show Her the Money: www.showherthemoneymovie.com And don't forget to follow us wherever you are! Apple Podcasts: https://pod.link/1586445642.apple Spotify: https://pod.link/1586445642.spotify LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/angel-next-door-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theangelnextdoorpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marciadawood

Climate 21
Battery Storage's Biggest Risk Is Inaccurate Data

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2026 44:56 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageBattery storage is getting cheaper, but the data used to trade and operate it may be badly wrong. When forecasts miss, penalties stack, warranties get messy, and returns can quietly unravel.My guest is Ash Vats of 3E, who works on battery intelligence for utility-scale assets. We look at the gap between what a battery management system reports and what the hardware can actually deliver - a gap with direct consequences for grid reliability, revenue and asset life.We examine why some battery sites show faults before day one, how state-of-charge estimates can be materially wrong, and why operators - not traders alone - need to shape commercial decisions. We also unpack what changes when owners, asset managers and traders stop working from three different versions of the same asset.Listen now to understand what is really limiting battery storage returns, and how better operational intelligence can recover capacity, reduce commercial risk and improve long-term performance.Sign up to Climate Confident+ for deep dive analysis of the major climate and energy stories of the day.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.

My Climate Journey
Prefabricated Nuclear Power Plants with Blue Energy

My Climate Journey

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2026 50:31


Jake Jurewicz is the Co-founder and CEO of Blue Energy, a nuclear power plant developer. Blue Energy starts with proven, light water reactors and builds everything around them — prefabricating standardized nuclear plants as massive modules in shipyards and fab yards, then barging them to site. It pairs that with a patented gas-to-nuclear approach that energizes the plant on gas turbines first and converts to nuclear later. The goal is to make nuclear cheap enough and fast enough to build that private lenders will finance it, rather than the taxpayers and ratepayers who've carried almost every plant built so far. The company recently announced a collaboration with GE Vernova on a 2.5-gigawatt gas-plus-nuclear project in Texas, built around GE Vernova Hitachi's BWRX-300 reactor, with backing from VXI Capital, At One Ventures, and Engine Ventures. The why now is straightforward: AI data centers are pulling on the grid harder than anything in a generation, firm clean power is scarce, and the cost and speed of building nuclear have been the thing holding it back. Jake's bet is that the fix lives in how you build and finance the plant, rather than in the reactor itself. Episode recorded on June 10, 2026 (Published July 21, 2026)  In this episode, we cover: (0:00) Overview of Blue Energy (2:20) Why construction, not reactor tech, is the focus (5:32) Two innovations: modular construction and gas-to-nuclear (6:56) Why proven light water reactors beat new designs (9:39) Building nuclear like LNG terminals (11:57) The history of shipyard-built nuclear power (14:17) Lessons from Venture Global's LNG buildout (16:44) Why megamodules cut construction costs (20:43) What Blue Energy builds versus buys (22:14) Why civil construction, not the reactor, drives cost (25:14) Navigating NRC approval for gas-to-nuclear (28:21) Why customers still want nuclear after gas (32:56) The first project: Victoria, Texas (36:00) Financial innovation to unlock private capital (39:19) Blue Energy's biggest execution risks (43:32) Where nuclear heads next (46:59) Commercial criticality beyond the chain reaction (48:20) Nuclear's role in energy security and geopolitics Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Conversations on Careers and Professional Life
PNW Climate Week: State of Climate Tech VC in the PNW Round Table

Conversations on Careers and Professional Life

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2026 77:52


Episode summary: Five Pacific Northwest climate tech investors — recorded live at Pacific Northwest Climate Week 2026 — break down where climate tech venture capital is actually flowing this year, why Seattle still trails Silicon Valley on VC dollars, and what they're really evaluating when a founder walks into the room. The conversation applies directly to anyone raising capital, building a company, or job searching in a market where AI has made it easy to look good on paper and harder to stand out. Guest bios: ​Gabriel Scheer is Senior Director, Investments and Innovation, at Elemental Impact. Gabriel leads the transportation, energy, built environment and water portfolios - supporting 76 companies across those verticals. In addition to pipeline development and due diligence, he has directly overseen over 40 new and follow-on investments, deploying more than $30M in catalytic capital. He serves as a board observer for Artyc PBC, Mythos AI, Dimensional Energy, and Found Energy and has helped to co-design and manage more than 30 first-of-a-kind and early commercial projects in communities in Africa, Europe, and North America. Previously, Gabriel was on the founding team of Lime, where he led global data policy and transit partnerships and developed go-to-market strategies in North America. As the founder of two companies, he also contributed to the book "Smart Cities, Smart Mobility." ​Ben Shwab Eidelson is a co-founder and partner at Stepchange Ventures, an early-stage venture fund backing companies building software to accelerate energy abundance and upgrade critical infrastructure. Ben also co-hosts the Stepchange Show, a long-form podcast that tells the stories of human progress through the lens of transformative technologies, systems, and infrastructure. The Stepchange Show recently covered the history of data centers and the power grid, and has had over 250,000 downloads. Prior to Stepchange, Ben was a product leader and repeat founder, building two software companies—one acquired by Google and the second by Stripe. When not nerding out on infrastructure, Ben can be found with his wife chasing their 3 kids around local Seattle playgrounds. ​Susan Su is a climate tech investor and capital formation advisor to companies and funds across the energy transition. She built Toba Capital's climate investment practice from the ground up, spanning direct deals, fund-of-funds commitments, and co-investments, and currently serves as an advisor to the fund. She is a founding board member of the Carbon Business Council and serves on the Mission Alignment Committee at Prime Coalition, where she reviews catalytic capital investments for mission integrity. Susan is also the founder of Climate Money, a newsletter and podcast covering the business of decarbonization. ​Jonathan Azoff spent 20 years in silicon valley building rapid growth startups, including multiple exits to the likes of Zillow and Disney. He served as a fractional CTO to public companies (TNY.AX), and formerly led engineering teams at growth stage fintechs like Carta, Cardless and Pomelo. In his second act, he transitioned to the investor side of the table, joining the board of climate tech incubator Sweet Farm, and starting the deep tech venture firm SNØCAP with his two founding partners. He is one of the main individual investors behind The 9Zero Climate Innovation Hub, and is responsible for bringing the club to Seattle, where he lives now. He's an uncompromising advocate of great storytelling, having fun while doing good, and not taking himself seriously. ​Dr. Christine E. Boyle is General Partner at Burnt Island Ventures, a water-specialist venture capital fund, where she works with innovators to bring the next generation of water technologies to market. She was the CEO and founder of Valor Water, which sold to Xylem in 2018. At Xylem she served as VP of Digital Product Development following the acquisition. She serves on the boards of Aclarity Water, Subeca, Previsico, EPOCH Blue, and Waterly.  Dr. Boyle is also a member of the Cal-Nevada American Water Works Association Board and a trustee of the American Water Works Association Management and Leadership Division. In Dr. Boyle's free time she plays league tennis, boats, and travels to post-socialist nations. What you'll learn: How the 2026 climate tech VC numbers break down nationally — and why concentration in a handful of mega-deals is squeezing the middle of the funding stack Why Seattle ranks #6 nationally in VC dollars despite sitting on some of the country's deepest personal wealth What investors are actually screening for beyond the pitch deck, from response time to how a founder treats their own team How the hyperscaler-driven data center and energy boom is reshaping where capital flows, and what history (the 1970s WPPSS nuclear default) suggests about the risk Why human referral has become the deciding factor in both fundraising and hiring now that AI has made outreach nearly free What's missing from the Pacific Northwest climate tech ecosystem, according to the people funding it Key moments: The panel debates whether nuclear, batteries, and data centers are "sucking up" regional capital or building a foundation the rest of the ecosystem can draw from Susan Su asks the other panelists to describe how their investment committees actually make decisions, not what they tell founders in a rejection email Christine Boyle and Ben Eidelson describe the informal signals — professionalism, stress response, pace of learning — that shape a funding decision The group discusses AI-generated pitch decks and why differentiation now matters more than polish Resources mentioned: CTVC/Currence H1 2026 funding report Silicon Valley Bank, 2025 climate tech report PNW Battery Collaborative E8 Angels 9Zero (Seattle climate tech community hub) and its "Give, Get, Get" investor-list program Elemental Impact's Data Center Innovation Initiative (with Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft) Climate Surge, an initiative from Climate Solutions "Climate Money" podcast (Susan Su) The Stepchange Show podcast (Ben Eidelson)

The Daily Crunch – Spoken Edition
Why the first GPU financiers are turning to inference chips in a $400 million deal; plus BP done with climate tech and X cracking down thieving creators

The Daily Crunch – Spoken Edition

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2026 9:00


A $400 million chip-backed loan points to the next wave of AI infrastructure deals. Also, BP Ventures is shutting down, ending a nearly 20 year run that was marked by reportedly lackluster returns. And X will use Grok AI to better detect stolen content, redirect payouts to original creators, and crack down on engagement bait. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Entrepreneurs for Impact
The Climate Tech Leadership Trap: Staying In Founder Mode Too Long

Entrepreneurs for Impact

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2026 5:52


The skills that help climate tech founders survive the early years can become liabilities as companies scale.This minisode explores the tension between founder mode and manager mode, and how CEOs can know when to optimize for speed versus systems.Founder mode creates momentum — Fast decisions, direct involvement, and relentless problem-solving are often essential in the earliest stages of a company.Manager mode creates scale — As teams grow, CEOs must shift from personally solving problems to building systems that solve problems repeatedly.The risk of staying in founder mode too long — Teams become dependent on the CEO, decision-making bottlenecks emerge, and organizational learning slows.The risk of switching too early — Excessive process, bureaucracy, and meetings can suffocate innovation before product-market fit is secure.A practical leadership question — Is this situation best served by speed and direct intervention, or by creating a repeatable system that works without you?

Climate 21
The Battery Isn't the Bottleneck: Why Hydraulics Are Blocking Heavy Equipment Electrification

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2026 37:53 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageHeavy machinery can waste three quarters of the energy fed into it. The battery may not be the real electrification bottleneck.In this episode, I speak with Hiten Sonpal, CEO of Rise Robotics, about a neglected part of the energy transition: the hydraulic systems inside construction, mining, and port machinery.You'll hear why conventional hydraulics are only around 25% efficient, how that forces manufacturers to install larger batteries, and why electric heavy equipment can become commercially unviable before it reaches the market.We dig into how Rise Robotics' beltdraulic systems replace oil and pressure with belts and pulleys - cutting battery size, charging demand, downtime, maintenance, and hydraulic leaks. Hiten also explains how drive-by-wire creates the data needed for teleoperation, digital twins, and autonomous machinery.You might be shocked to learn that better efficiency can matter more than better batteries. That shift could reduce costs across the machine, charging network, and grid, while accelerating decarbonisation, emissions reduction, and progress towards net zero.We also examine where adoption may happen first, from mining and ports to marine and food production, and why policy alone cannot solve this industrial transition.

ESG Insider: A podcast from S&P Global
How private capital is advancing the next wave of sustainable and climate tech

ESG Insider: A podcast from S&P Global

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2026 48:45


In today's episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're exploring the landscape for private investment into sustainability and climate solutions.    We talk with Christina Leijonhufvud, CEO and Co-Founder of BlueMark, a company that tracks trends in the sustainable and impact investing market. Christina describes an increasing focus on climate solutions and climate tech investing in the market. She says that while investing in climate risk adaptation and resilience has increased, there is still greater need for private capital.   "It's an underfunded part of the market, which means there is a ton of opportunity," Christina says. S&P Global is an outside investor in BlueMark.  We also talk with Matthew Nordan, Co-Founder and General Partner at Azolla Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage climate technology companies in hard-to-decarbonize areas like industrial processes and agriculture.   Matthew explains the firm's focus on solving big problems: "We are just not going to make a difference if the things we fund are incremental," he tells us.  And we speak with Nelson Switzer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Climate Innovation Capital, a mid-stage venture fund that invests in technology businesses across energy, agriculture and industry to build a low-carbon, resilient economy.  Nelson says the world has entered the "fifth economic revolution" that involves the decarbonization of everything. "We have to reimagine, reengineer and redeploy almost everything we do," he tells us.  We sat down with Matthew and Nelson during DC Climate Week in Washington, where All Things Sustainable was the official podcast. Listen to our podcast coverage of DC Climate Week here.   Further listening:  Here's what you missed at London Climate Action Week  Live in London: How sustainability is evolving into a broader conversation about resilience  What planetary health means for the private sector  Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global  DISCLAIMER       By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk.    Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights).    This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.    S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. 

Climate 21
AI Is Infrastructure: Its Water, Power, and Governance Costs Can't Be Deferred

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2026 42:36 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageAI isn't weightless. Every model, token, and workflow sits on land, water, power, heat, and governance choices.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Sophia Mendelsohn, who leads SAP's Global Sustainability Platform. We look at AI not as abstract software, but as physical infrastructure with real consequences for climate tech, decarbonisation, the energy transition, policy, and the businesses racing to use it.You'll hear why data centres now sit at the centre of the sustainability conversation. Treat AI as “just software” and you defer the hard questions: where the power comes from, how water is used, how communities respond, and who is accountable when emissions reduction promises meet infrastructure reality.We dig into how sustainability teams can move beyond PDFs and carbon accounting, and into procurement, supplier data, financial planning, and board-level AI decisions. Scope 3 comes up too - including the awkward truth that asking suppliers for data does not mean you'll get usable answers.You might be shocked by how AI could shift the balance of power: from waiting for disclosures to calculating baselines, testing assumptions, and making better net zero decisions before systems lock in.

My Climate Journey
How Mainspring Energy Turns Fuel Into Power Without Combustion

My Climate Journey

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2026 30:05


Shannon Miller is Co-founder and President of Mainspring Energy, a company developing a new category of power generation technology called the linear generator. Mainspring's systems generate electricity through a low-temperature, flameless chemical reaction that converts fuel directly into electrical power. Shannon has been at this for about 15 years. She started the company on technology she developed while earning her PhD in mechanical engineering at Stanford, and took it from a lab experiment through commercial deployment to hundreds of megawatts in development and running in the field. Mainspring closed a $258 million Series F in 2025, led by General Catalyst and has raised more than $800 million to date. In this episode of Inevitable, Shannon explains how Mainspring's technology differs from traditional gas turbines and fuel cells, why modular and fuel-flexible generation is becoming increasingly valuable, and how the growth of data centers is reshaping energy infrastructure. The conversation explores the urgent demand for faster power deployment, the advantages of dispatchable generation, the role of hydrogen and other future fuels, and why flexibility may become one of the most important characteristics of the future electric grid.  Episode recorded on June 2, 2026 (Published on July 7, 2026).  In this episode, we cover:  (0:00) An overview of Mainspring Energy  (1:47) What a linear generator is and how it differs from traditional ones (3:57) Behind-the-meter power and the race for faster time-to-power  (5:47) How Mainspring converts fuel into electricity  (8:18) The benefits of modular power generation  (10:34) Comparing linear generators to fuel cells  (12:32) Where Mainspring fits into modern data center energy stacks  (13:48) Transitioning from prime power to dispatchable grid support  (14:42) Why fuel flexibility matters  (15:27) Use cases for propane and hydrogen switching  (18:57) The economics of power generation and cost competitiveness  (20:44) Scaling from laboratory technology to commercial deployment  (22:49) How utilities evaluate new generation technologies  (25:00) Shannon's vision for the future power mix Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Climate 21
Australia's Diesel Risk Is Turning Electrification Into Energy Security

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2026 42:44 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageWhat if electrification is no longer just a climate solution — but an energy security strategy?In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Gavin Mooney, an independent energy transition advisor working across utilities, electrification, and energy markets. We look at Australia as a live test case for the energy transition: a country rich in coal, gas, sunshine, and wind, yet still exposed through imported diesel, freight, mining, agriculture, and long-distance transport. That contradiction matters. For climate tech, decarbonisation, net zero, emissions reduction, and policy, it changes the frame from “cleaner energy” to “who controls the energy system?”You'll hear why rooftop solar has become normal in Australia, with more than one in three homes now generating power from the roof, and why home batteries are scaling faster than many expected. We dig into how storage is changing the economics of solar, why virtual power plants are running into a trust problem rather than a technology problem, and why smart tariffs may prove more effective than utilities trying to take control of assets people bought themselves.You might be shocked to learn how quickly diesel vulnerability can reshape thinking on EVs, electric trucking, and resilience. We also touch on India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Nepal, and Vietnam — places where the energy transition is moving in ways that rarely make the headlines, but absolutely should.

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins
Why Meta's Longtime CTO Is Investing in Climate Tech

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2026 54:04


It has been a hard few years for climate tech. But we recently got a bright spot: Earlier this month, Gigascale Capital announced it had raised $250 million to build the physical infrastructure driving decarbonization. That was notable in part because Gigscale's founder is Mike Schroepfer, Meta's former chief technology officer, who has gone deep on climate tech since leaving the company in 2022.On this episode of Shift Key, Mike joins Rob to discuss why Gigascale chose this moment to raise $250 million, what's greenwashing (and what's not) in AI, what the American manufacturing industry does better than China's, and why Gigascale has not engaged in “climate hushing.”Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap News.You can find a full transcript of the episode here.Mentioned:Previously on Shift Key: What J.P. Morgan's Chief Climate Advisor Is Telling Energy Startups--This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by ...Heatmap Pro brings all of our research, reporting, and insights down to the local level. The software platform tracks all local opposition to clean energy and data centers, forecasts community sentiment, and guides data-driven engagement campaigns. Book a demo today to see the premier intelligence platform for project permitting and community engagement.Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Climate 21
AI's Energy Paradox: More Compute Could Cut Industrial Emissions

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2026 41:44 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageWhat if AI's biggest climate impact isn't chatbots, but cutting real energy waste in buildings, grids, and factories?In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Philippe Rambach, Chief AI Officer at Schneider Electric, to unpack one of the sharpest tensions in climate tech today: AI is increasing electricity demand, but used well, it may also be one of the tools we need for decarbonisation, emissions reduction, and a faster energy transition.You'll hear why Philippe argues that the real opportunity is not in chasing every shiny new model, but in applying AI to physical systems: reducing peak demand, optimising building energy use, supporting grid operators, and helping companies move from pilots to production. We dig into Schneider Electric's work on using AI to cut energy waste, including the striking claim that in some energy-saving applications, the carbon emitted to run the model can be dwarfed by the energy saved.We also get into the hard bits people love to ignore because apparently spreadsheets and wishful thinking are still considered strategy in some quarters. Why do so many AI pilots fail to scale? Why does domain knowledge matter as much as technical skill? How should businesses think about responsible AI, privacy, policy, net zero, and the operational realities of electrification?This is a practical conversation about AI for energy, not AI theatre.

My Climate Journey
The Electric Motorcycle That's Actually a Utility Company with Zeno

My Climate Journey

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2026 42:29


Michael Spencer is the Founder and CEO of Zeno, an electric mobility company building electric motorcycles, battery-swapping infrastructure, and distributed energy systems across East Africa. Drawing on experience from nearly a decade building businesses in East Africa and four years at Tesla during its hypergrowth era, Spencer is applying lessons from EV charging infrastructure to one of the world's largest transportation markets: two- and three-wheel vehicles. In this episode of Inevitable, Spencer explains why electrifying motorcycles in emerging markets may be one of the most efficient ways to reduce transportation costs and emissions. He discusses how Zeno combines hardware, software, and energy infrastructure to create a business that looks like an electric vehicle company on the surface but increasingly operates like a distributed utility. The conversation explores lessons from Tesla's Supercharger network, why Kenya became Zeno's launch market, how battery swapping and AI-powered infrastructure management drive capital efficiency, and why building hard-tech businesses may become even more valuable in an AI-driven world. Spencer also shares his vision for turning Zeno's charging network into a distributed renewable energy platform capable of serving both mobility and grid customers. Note: Zeno is an MCJ portfolio company  Episode recorded on June 8, 2026 (Published on June 23, 2026)  In this episode, we cover:  [00:00] The Trojan horse: what Zeno actually is [03:00] From East Africa to Tesla: Michael's path [04:36] Inside the supercharger rollout — and what it really taught him [08:02] Why two-wheelers are paradoxically easier to electrify [10:17] The Kenya opportunity: spending half your income on fuel [16:19] 200 charge points, $8M spent — how they did it [20:27] The AI matching algorithm behind 75% network utilization [23:20] Building a world-class team across four continents [28:17] Supply chain, oil prices, and the double-edged sword [32:03] Why hardware can't be vibe-coded [36:41] The five-year vision: from motorcycle company to distributed utility Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Entrepreneurs for Impact
Cradle to Cradle, AI, and the Future of Climate Tech | William McDonough

Entrepreneurs for Impact

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2026 55:39


William McDonough is one of the world's most influential sustainable design thinkers. His book, Cradle to Cradle, kickstarter my career path. And I've enjoyed working with him in environmental private equity for many years.Bill has advised companies, governments, and cities on regenerative design for decades and has won awards such as the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development, the National Design Award, the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, and the title of "Hero for the Planet" from Time magazine.Climate tech often focuses on reducing harm. Bill McDonough argues that's the wrong starting point. In this episode, we explore how design, economics, nature, and human intention can create systems that are not merely less bad but genuinely beneficial.

The Carbon Copy
Why the climate tech ‘missing middle' is a massive opportunity

The Carbon Copy

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2026 45:31


If you're building a consumer software startup, your investors may expect you to project hockey stick-style growth. But if you're building the physical infrastructure of the clean energy transition, you're likely in a very different position. Frank O'Sullivan, Managing Director at S2G Investments, argues that the climate finance ecosystem is suffering from a structural mismatch. While there is plenty of capital for early-stage innovation and mature infrastructure projects, there is a "missing middle" — a gap where hard tech startups are generating revenue but aren't yet bankable enough for infrastructure investors. In this episode, host Lara Pierpoint talks with Frank about why we've been trying to finance infrastructure companies like they're software startups, the concentration risks in venture capital, and why large infrastructure allocators should be stepping into this growth-stage gap to seed their own pipeline. Credits: Hosted by Lara Pierpoint. Produced and edited by Ross Kenyon and Anne Bailey. Technical direction by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor. The Green Blueprint is a co-production of Latitude Media and Trellis Climate. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts. For more reporting on the companies featured in this show, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter.

Climate 21
Animal Agriculture's Stranded Asset Risk, and Why ESG Keeps Missing It

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2026 41:18 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageWhat if one of the biggest climate risks in your portfolio is hiding in plain sight — in food, land, methane, and animal-dependent industries?In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Claire Smith, founder and CEO of Beyond Investing, to unpack why climate finance cannot stop at fossil fuels. Claire has spent years building investment products that screen for animal use, climate impact, weapons, defence, human rights issues, and risks mainstream ESG too often waves through with a clean conscience and a spreadsheet.You'll hear why Claire believes animal agriculture is a broken business model, propped up by subsidies and exposed to stranded asset risk in ways that echo the fossil fuel sector. We dig into how food systems connect to methane, water use, land use, biodiversity loss, emissions reduction, and supply chain fragility — and why treating food as a side issue in the energy transition is a mistake.You might be shocked to learn that animal agriculture uses around 75% of agricultural land while producing only 18% of calories. We also explore where climate tech, policy, and capital could help scale animal-free alternatives and resilient food systems that support decarbonisation, net zero, and real-world climate action.

Becker Group C-Suite Reports Business of Private Equity
Lessons from Innovation and ClimateTech with Luke Oberlander 6-10-26

Becker Group C-Suite Reports Business of Private Equity

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 12:28


In this episode, Luke Oberlander, shares insights from his journey through health technology and climate innovation, discussing the challenges of scaling new solutions, driving adoption, and creating long-term impact through operational excellence and cross-functional leadership.

Climate 21
No One Wants to Ship Water: The Energy Security Case for Flow Batteries

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 37:00 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageNo one wants to ship water around the world. That one line says a lot about the next phase of energy storage.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Min Tang, Director of International Business at Rongke Power, one of the world's leading vanadium flow battery companies. We get into why long-duration storage is moving from climate tech side-story to core grid infrastructure, and why that matters for decarbonisation, energy transition planning, net zero delivery, emissions reduction, and policy.You'll hear why vanadium flow batteries are not trying to replace lithium-ion batteries, and why that matters. Different problem. Different tool. Min explains how flow batteries can run for more than 20,000 cycles, retain capacity over decades, and support grid-scale black start, the kind of resilience that becomes rather important when grids are asked to absorb more renewables, power more electrification, and stay upright while demand from industry and AI data centres grows.We dig into the economics too: why storage duration changes cost, how electrolyte leasing can cut upfront CapEx, and why local supply chains could become a major strategic advantage. You might be shocked to learn that localisation is baked into this technology because the electrolyte is mostly water. Glamorous? No. Important? Absolutely.

Becker Group Business Strategy 15 Minute Podcast
Lessons from Innovation and ClimateTech with Luke Oberlander 6-10-26

Becker Group Business Strategy 15 Minute Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 12:28


In this episode, Luke Oberlander, shares insights from his journey through health technology and climate innovation, discussing the challenges of scaling new solutions, driving adoption, and creating long-term impact through operational excellence and cross-functional leadership.

Raising Your Antenna
From Commitments to Measurable Action

Raising Your Antenna

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2026 21:47


The data says we're making real progress on climate. So why does the conversation still feel like we're losing, and what does it mean to finally separate the signal from the noise? Joe Speicher didn't arrive at Autodesk's Chief Sustainability Officer role through a conventional channel. Deutsche Bank, the Peace Corps in the Philippines, impact investing — each stop informed how he thinks about deploying capital and measuring what actually changes. That background matters now more than ever, because the sustainability conversation, he argues, has too often been happening at the wrong altitude. Organizations set targets, publish disclosures, and track compliance. Meanwhile, the real decisions — how a building gets designed, which materials get specified, how early-stage procurement choices lock in carbon for decades — happen elsewhere, mostly without sustainability in the room. Autodesk's software sits upstream in that process, shaping choices before ground is ever broken in industries responsible for roughly 40% of global emissions. "Sustainability cannot be a sidecar," Speicher says. It has to be embedded in the tools people use every day, making it everyone's job rather than one team's report. He also makes the case for reading the data honestly: 40% of global electricity now comes from renewables and nuclear, 43 countries have peak emissions behind them, and $2.3 trillion was invested in the energy transition in 2025. Are you building your strategy around the signals — or the noise?Joe Speicher is Chief Sustainability Officer at Autodesk, where he leads global ESG strategy and works to embed carbon intelligence across the tools used by architects, engineers, contractors, and asset operators — industries collectively responsible for roughly 40% of global emissions. His path to the role was anything but direct: he began his career in finance at Deutsche Bank, served in the Peace Corps in the Philippines, and spent years working at the intersection of impact investing and corporate philanthropy before becoming Autodesk's CSO. That cross-sector background — finance, development, technology — shapes how he approaches sustainability as a strategic business function rather than a compliance obligation, focused on translating climate risk into decisions that drive measurable resilience and performance. In This Episode:  (00:00) Joe Speicher's unconventional path to climate leadership (03:26) From Deutsche Bank and Peace Corps to leading Autodesk's sustainability strategy (06:41) Why a finance and development background sharpens climate decision-making (09:20) Reading the real signals: global emissions progress and the economics driving change (12:05) Moving from commitments to action: embedding carbon intelligence into daily workflows (14:11) Climate adaptation, wildfire recovery, and the CSO as strategic operator Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes, send us your comments and guest suggestions! About the show:  The Age of Adoption podcast explores the monumental transition from a period of social, economic, and environmental research and exploration – an Age of Innovation – to today's world in which companies across the economy are furiously deploying sustainable solutions – the Age of Adoption. Listen as our host, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, talks with experts from across the climate, energy, health, and real estate sectors to discuss what the transition means for business and society, and how corporates and startups can rise above competitors to lead in this new age.  This podcast is brought to you by Antenna Group, a global marketing and communications agency that partners with Fully Conscious brands — those with the courage to lead transformative change across Climate & Energy, Real Estate, Health, and beyond. Our clients include visionary corporations, startups, investors, and nonprofits who recognize that meaningful impact requires more than awareness; it demands bold action. In today's Age of Adoption, where every sector must incorporate sustainable solutions into foundational systems, we amplify brands standing at the forefront of change, shaping a better future for our planet and its people. To learn more, visit antennagroup.com. Resources: Joe Speicher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joespeicher/Antenna GroupKeith Zakheim LinkedIn

Climate 21
Why Traditional Marketing Creates Greenwashing Risk in Sustainability

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 40:57 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageWhat if the biggest greenwashing risk isn't bad intent, but business-as-usual marketing?In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Helen Neal, founder of HN Communications, to dig into one of the most under-discussed risks in decarbonisation: how companies talk about sustainability when regulation is tightening, public trust is fragile, and every net zero claim is being scrutinised. This matters because the energy transition will not be carried by technology alone. Climate tech, policy, capital, supply chains, and public confidence all depend on credible communication.You'll hear why traditional corporate messaging can push companies into unintentional greenwashing, why greenhushing is not a safe escape route, and why sustainability claims increasingly need the discipline of financial reporting: clear evidence, third-party verification, and language that can survive scrutiny.We dig into how AI can help check sustainability language, but also why human judgement still has to own the beginning and end of the process. Helen also explains why supply chain data, board accountability, regulation, and executive incentives are becoming central to credible climate leadership. A vague 2050 net zero pledge without a roadmap? That is not strategy. That is a red flag wearing a nice suit.If you care about emissions reduction, business resilience, decarbonisation, and the real-world mechanics of the energy transition, this one is worth your time.

Resilience Unravelled
Ryan Vet on the Generational Pendulum, AI Acceleration, and Putting Friction Back into Childhood

Resilience Unravelled

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 39:21


Dr Russell Thackeray interviews futurist and former venture capitalist Ryan Vet, who recounts his family name's changes after immigrating to the US and his career path from a childhood lemonade stand to a multinational marketing company and 20 years in venture capital, exiting in 2021 to research, write, and speak about the future. Vet outlines his “generational pendulum” framework across seven societal levers—religion, education, sex and gender, politics, economics, communication, and technology—moving through four phases: experience, challenge, overcorrect, and recalibrate, arguing cycles repeat but now accelerate as multiple levers shift at once. They discuss AI's rapid adoption, friction removal, the “velocity gap” between tech and morality, Gen Z's climate concerns versus AI's resource costs, risks to critical thinking and resilience, misinformation “AI slop,” space and drone warfare, and hopes including trades, mentorship, and regulation. Vet shares his show, newsletter, and books.00:00 Welcome and Introductions00:30 Name Story and Origins01:26 From Lemonade to Venture Capital02:43 Can We Predict the Future03:32 Generational Pendulum Framework04:45 Why Change Is Accelerating06:16 When Levers Collide07:19 Polarisation and Pendulum Phases08:27 Climate Tech and Velocity Gap09:08 Gen Z Paradox and AI Footprint12:31 Critical Thinking at Risk16:09 Mentorship Friction and Starlink19:06 Cycles of Consumption and War20:31 War and Mind Battles21:38 Tech Acceleration Era23:12 Can AI Create New24:00 AI Slop Feedback Loop25:28 Hope Through Friction27:45 Regulation and Antitrust28:52 Raising Adults With Grit30:51 Love Dating and LLMs31:32 Gender Power and Tech34:55 Democracy and Control36:23 Where to Find RyanYou can contact us at info@qedod.comResources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com#resilience, #burnout, #intuition

My Climate Journey
Collapsing 30 Feet of Power Infrastructure Into Four with DG Matrix

My Climate Journey

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 50:19


Haroon Inam is Co-founder and CEO of DG Matrix, a company that makes the world's most compact Power Router, aggregating distributed energy for GenAI datacenters, microgrids, fleet electrification, and associated systems. As AI workloads drive unprecedented electricity demand and legacy grid infrastructure struggles to keep pace, DG Matrix has commercialized the world's first multi-port solid-state transformer to meet the energy needs. In this episode, Inam explains why transformer bottlenecks, distributed generation, and 800V DC architectures are reshaping the future of power delivery for AI infrastructure. He discusses DG Matrix's product strategy, manufacturing scale-up plans, and the role of software-defined power systems in next-generation data centers. Finally, Inam shares his take on the future of distributed microgrids and “cellular power” and how to scale power electronics manufacturing. DG Matrix recently closed a $60 million Series A led by Engine Ventures that MCJ is proud to have participated in.  Episode recorded on May 13, 2026 (Published on May 26, 2026) In this episode, we cover:  (00:00) Overview of DG Matrix  (01:41) Introducing the Founders: Haroon Inam and Dr. Bhattacharya (05:25) How traditional grid architecture became constrained for AI workloads (09:57) Solid-state transformers (SST), multi-port systems and voltage classes (12:18) Why early SST efforts struggled economically (13:13) How DG Matrix's multi-port architecture works (16:48) Comparing DG Matrix hardware footprint to legacy power systems (20:08) Transformer shortages and data center infrastructure bottlenecks (24:27) DG Matrix's medium-voltage and low-voltage product strategies (27:55) Product rebranding and current commercial deployments (30:45) Partnerships with EPC firms, battery providers, and turbine manufacturers (34:27) Manufacturing scale-up plan and hyperscaling production (36:36) Supply chain strategy to avoid rare earth dependencies (38:16) Reliability engineering and software-defined power systems (43:47) DG Matrix's go-to-market and hybrid hardware/software business model (46:36) The vision for distributed “cellular power” (48:14) Utilities, microgrids, and the future of interconnected distributed infrastructure Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Climate 21
Fake People, Real Projects Killed: AI Disinformation and the New Clean Energy Bottleneck

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 40:18 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageFake people. Fake comments. Real clean energy projects killed.This is what climate delay looks like in the AI era.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Leah Qusba, CEO of GoodPower, an organisation working at the intersection of climate tech, culture, policy, and decarbonisation. We explore a hard truth about the energy transition: solar, wind, batteries, and electrification may be ready, but public trust, local permission, and disinformation are now decisive barriers to getting projects built.You'll hear why Leah believes fossil fuel dependence is becoming harder to defend as “secure energy”, especially when oil and gas volatility keeps spilling into bills, food prices, business costs, and household budgets. We dig into why clean energy should be framed less as sacrifice and more as protection: protection from price shocks, geopolitical risk, climate impacts, and the charming little habit fossil fuels have of making everything more expensive.We also get into GoodPower's research on what actually changes minds. Their storytelling work has reached tens of millions of people and, in tested campaigns, shifted audiences from NIMBY to YIMBY by 11%. Leah explains why the right messenger can matter more than the perfect message, why rural voices can unlock rural support, and why creators in food, fashion, gaming, cars, comedy, and culture may be more effective climate communicators than traditional climate voices.And yes, we talk about AI-generated disinformation in permitting decisions, fake public pressure, and why pre-bunking false claims before they spread may become essential for emissions reduction, net zero delivery, and climate policy that survives contact with reality.

SunCast
934: What Makes Companies Investable Now | David Kirkpatrick

SunCast

Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 20:16


Climatetech is entering a different phase.The era of easy capital, oversized narratives, and growth-at-all-costs expectations is giving way to something more demanding: disciplined execution, durable business models, strong commercialization pathways, and teams that can scale proven solutions in real markets.In this live conversation, Nico Johnson sits down with longtime investor David Kirkpatrick, Managing Director at SJF Ventures, to unpack what experienced investors are actually paying attention to now and why the companies attracting long-term conviction may not be the ones making the loudest headlines.David has spent decades investing across renewable energy, efficiency, industrial innovation, resilience, and sustainability. He has watched the industry evolve from early-stage optimism into a global market measured in gigawatts, infrastructure, and real deployment. That long view makes this conversation especially timely for founders, operators, developers, policymakers, and anyone trying to understand how the market is maturing.This episode is less about chasing the next shiny technology and more about what it takes to build companies that can survive, scale, and create lasting value.Expect to learn:

Climate 21
Carbon Data Is Becoming Permission to Sell, Not Just Something to Report

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2026 35:42 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageCarbon data is no longer just something companies report. Increasingly, it may decide whether products can be sold at all.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Stephen Jamieson, Chief Marketing Officer for SAP Sustainability, to explore why sustainability is moving from the ESG report into the systems businesses use to run supply chains, finance, product compliance, and AI-enabled decisions. We get into what this means for climate tech, decarbonisation, policy, emissions reduction, net zero, and the wider energy transition.You'll hear why product carbon footprints, digital product passports, CBAM, ESPR, and Scope 3 reporting are pushing companies towards far more granular, decision-grade climate data. Stephen explains why relying on averages will not be enough when carbon insights start shaping market access, investor confidence, supply chain resilience, and commercial competitiveness.We also dig into AI's double edge. AI agents could change the economics of sustainability by scaling product-level analysis across thousands of items, but only if carbon, water, recycled content, and other sustainability factors are embedded in core business decisions. Otherwise, AI may simply optimise the wrong things faster. Listen now to hear how Stephen Jamieson and SAP Sustainability are helping move climate data from reporting theatre into real-world business action.Sign up to Climate Confident+ for deep dive analysis of the major climate and energy stories of the day.Support the showPodcast subscribersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing subscribers:Anita KrajncCecilia SkarupaBen GrossJerry SweeneyAndreas WernerStephen CarrollRoger ArnoldAnd remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast  - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.

My Climate Journey
Lessons from Peter Carlsson after the Rise and Fall of Northvolt

My Climate Journey

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2026 37:17


Peter Carlsson is Co-founder and former CEO of Northvolt, the European battery manufacturing company that raised more than $13 billion to build a homegrown battery supply chain for Europe, before filing for bankruptcy at the end of 2024. Before Northvolt, Carlsson spent more than a decade at Ericsson building global supply chains and later served as VP of Supply Chain at Tesla during the launch of the Model S. In this live episode of Inevitable from the AENU Summit in Berlin, Carlsson reflects on the rise and fall of Northvolt, the realities of competing with China's electro-industrial stack, and what Europe still gets right in manufacturing and innovation. Peter breaks down why batteries became strategically essential to Europe, what operational challenges slowed Northvolt's scale-up, and how changing EV markets, policy shifts, and financing pressures compounded those problems. Carlsson also mentions his new ventures: Aris Machina, an agentic operating system for manufacturing and Sonder Labs, a sodium-ion battery company focused on building chemistry and supply chains less dependent on China. He talks about AI-driven manufacturing, industrial automation, battery geopolitics, and where Europe can still compete in the next generation of energy and hardware systems.  Episode recorded on April 28 2026 (Published on May 19, 2026).  In this episode, we cover:  (0:00) What happened at Northvolt (2:33) Takeaways from Ericsson and Tesla on factory operations (5:52) Why Europe needed a battery champion like Northvolt (7:01) Northvolt's strategy (8:47) The fall of Northvolt (12:23) The decision Peter wishes he had made differently (15:46) Was Northvolt's chemistry bet a mistake? (17:29) Sonder Labs: The promise of sodium-ion batteries (21:42) Can Europe still compete with China in batteries? (24:05) Aris Machina: AI agents for manufacturing operations (27:31) How AI changes factory productivity and the labor market (29:05) Data sovereignty, AI infrastructure and software challenge (32:35) Industrial automation, precision manufacturing, and fusion (34:48) Where Europe still wins (36:01) Final thoughts on Europe's industrial future Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Redefining Energy
229. Climate Tech reinvented: from green molecules to green electrons - May26

Redefining Energy

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 32:47 Transcription Available


Where is Climate Tech heading? Certainly not dead — but constantly reinventing itself. So much so that you begin to wonder whether the label itself has outlived its original meaning.  Laurent and Gerard welcome Kim Zou, co-founder and CEO of Sightline Climate, the data and research platform mapping the climate-tech economy, and author of some of the sector's most influential newsletters, including CTVC and the newer Powerstack. Sightline has become essential reading for investors, utilities, corporates, and policymakers trying to understand where capital is flowing and how the energy system is evolving.  Together, they explore how Climate Tech has transformed over the past decade. Decarbonisation alone is no longer the central narrative. Today, AI, energy security, and industrial resilience dominate the conversation — often pushing sustainability itself into the background.  The discussion traces how funding has shifted from venture capital toward infrastructure and large-scale project finance. The spotlight has also moved away from “green molecules” — hydrogen, SAF, and carbon management — toward “green electrons”: virtual power plants, grid-enhancing technologies, and the race to accelerate datacentre construction.  They also examine the contrasting innovation models shaping global competition. In China, much of the breakthrough innovation happens inside corporations themselves, with companies like BYD employing more than 110,000 R&D staff, and CATL relying on a 20,000-engineer workforce. The United States, meanwhile, benefits from unparalleled access to capital and world-class universities and research centres. Europe sits somewhere in between, attempting to combine industrial policy with scientific excellence.  Finally, the conversation turns to one of Sightline's newest areas of focus: tracking data-center construction. The company currently follows 140 sites representing roughly 16 GW of announced capacity. Yet only about 6 GW are actually under construction — a reality check that has sent a chill through Wall Street.And Laurent goes on a rant of epic proportion against certain Hyperscalers!!!Useful links:Sightline website: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/Capital Stack and New Funds report: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/request-report?report-id=Dry-Powder-and-New-Funds-2026 ·        Data Center Q1 outlook report: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/request-report?report-id=data-center-outlook-q126 ·        2025 climate tech investment trends report: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/request-report?report-id=2025_investment_report ·        Article on our tour of China's electrostate: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/research/a-tour-of-chinas-electrostate ·        If people want to stay updated on our latest, they can subscribe to our CTVC climate tech newsletter here or our Powerstack power and data center markets newsletter here  

Entrepreneurs for Impact
Climate Tech Debt Most Founders Ignore

Entrepreneurs for Impact

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2026 8:59


Vendor Financing Isn't Free Money – Extending supplier payment terms can improve runway and reduce dilution, but concentrated climate supply chains create hidden dependency risk when critical vendors effectively become reluctant lenders.Working Capital Can Distort Reality – Better short-term cash metrics may hide structural fragility if supplier leverage, component concentration, or financing assumptions shift during tougher fundraising markets.The Leadership Bias That Damages Teams – Founders often misread underperformance as character failure instead of contextual pressure, creating avoidable trust breakdowns and weaker decision-making cultures.Empathy Still Requires Accountability – Understanding context matters, but repeatedly tolerating poor execution can quietly transfer the cost of one person's struggles onto the broader organization.Why Great Operators Ask Better Questions – The strongest long-term partnerships in climate tech often come from listening well, speaking less, and focusing on genuine curiosity over transactional networking.--Join our confidential communityPrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. See if you're a fit → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletterClimate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comLeave a podcast reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

My Climate Journey
New Mexico's $72B Bet on Clean Energy

My Climate Journey

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2026 55:28


Rob Black is Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, and Bruce Brown is Head of Strategic Climate Initiatives at the New Mexico State Investment Council, the state's $72B sovereign wealth fund. Together, they are driving one of the most ambitious state-level strategies in the U.S. to turn energy wealth into long-term climate innovation and economic growth. The conversation also features MCJ portfolio founders building in the state: Carrie von Muench, Co-founder of Pacific Fusion, developing modular fusion energy systems, and Carl Hoiland, Co-founder and CEO of Zanskar Geothermal, using AI to discover and scale geothermal resources. Together, our guests explore how sovereign capital, policy, and startups intersect—from funding venture managers and attracting hyperscale projects to enabling first-of-a-kind (FOAK) infrastructure. The episode highlights what it actually takes to build (climate) companies in a new geography, and how New Mexico is positioning itself as a hub for advanced energy and climate tech. This episode of Inevitable was recorded in front of a live audience on April 22, 2026 at the SVB Experience Center during SF Climate Week. (Published on May 12, 2026). In this episode, we cover:  (0:00) Overview of New Mexico's development strategy (2:06) Becoming a climate innovation hub (4:31) An overview of the state's sovereign wealth fund: $72B capital (6:27) Investing for returns while hedging energy transition risk (10:34) Economic growth, poverty reduction, and workforce investment (14:20) Why New Mexico is betting on climate and energy (17:32) How the state supports startups: incentives and “white glove” service (20:26) The shift in strategy: from local funds to global venture partners (22:36) Scaling the model: billions into venture and new industries (25:03) Transmission, infrastructure, and enabling energy deployment (27:00) Building data centers, microgrids, and large-load demand (35:11) Pacific Fusion: building modular, scalable fusion systems (35:23) Zanskar Geothermal: AI-driven geothermal discovery and development (40:23) Why New Mexico: resource potential vs. siting strategy (45:29) What founders actually get from the state and what still needs work (50:22) Lessons for builders: permitting, incentives, and scaling fast Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Climate 21
Solar Streetlights Aren't About Cheap Power. They're About Resilience, Uptime, and Infrastructure Cost

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2026 35:14 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageStreetlights sound boring. Until the grid fails and they're the only lights left on.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Liam Ryan, CEO of Streetleaf, a climate tech company rethinking one of the most overlooked pieces of public infrastructure: the streetlight. And yes, I know. Streetlights. Hardly the sexiest corner of the energy transition. But this conversation quickly becomes about something much bigger: resilience, decarbonisation, public safety, emissions reduction, and how we build communities that keep functioning as extreme weather puts more pressure on the grid.You'll hear why the real cost of streetlighting often isn't the electricity at all. It's trenching, wiring, maintenance, utility control, copper theft, repair delays, and infrastructure that can take far too long to fix. Liam explains how solar-plus-battery streetlights can avoid much of that mess while helping cities, developers, and communities move closer to net zero.We dig into how Streetleaf's lights performed during hurricanes, why three to five days of battery backup matters, how monitoring changes maintenance, and why policy can help but won't replace cost and performance. You might be shocked to learn that in some cases, utilities can delay streetlight repairs for months while the customer keeps paying. Delightful system design, if your goal is public frustration.This is a practical episode about climate tech that works in the real world: faster installs, fewer wires, lower emissions, better uptime, and infrastructure that earns its keep when conditions get ugly.

Entrepreneurs for Impact
The Hidden Cost of Chasing Every “Yes” in Climate Tech

Entrepreneurs for Impact

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2026 7:01


Three decisions that determine if climate tech founders scale or stall: Customer focus, sustainable intensity, and information diet all compound into capital efficiency and judgment.Antelope vs mice – Why chasing small, fast customers can accelerate learning but trap you in low-value revenue, while large customers require patience but define the businessGTM timing – Matching customer type to runway and product maturity, not just who says yes firstStagnation vs safety – Why constant urgency degrades judgment and burns teams, especially in capital-intensive climate startupsSustainable intensity – Protecting thinking time as a core CEO function, not a luxury, to avoid reactive decision-makingNews vs history – How overconsuming short-term signals creates bias, while historical pattern recognition sharpens long-term strategy--Join: Confidential CEO communityPrivate CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.comNewsletter: 2-min readClimate tech finance, strategy, leadership. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.comYour help: Leave a podcast reviewIf you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

The Carbon Copy
The $6 trillion threat to climate tech finance

The Carbon Copy

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2026 44:57


The global financial system is undergoing a structural shift into a "volatile new world order," where unpredictability is the norm, and climate tech is uniquely exposed.  Venture investor Susan Su says the war in Iran is complicating the landscape. That's because about 40% of the world's capital comes from just four Gulf states, and those states are exploring whether the war allows them to invoke force majeure to legally exit binding financial commitments to fund billion-dollar projects – including energy projects. It's a move that's creating a chilling effect on large, long-term investments. Susan's warning for founders? "Be default alive by any means necessary." With the next 18 to 24 months predicted to be a brutal filtering environment, she recommends extending financial runways to three years, if at all possible. In this episode, Susan talks with Lara about why founders should act urgently and highlights the increasing availability of pockets of catalytic capital and downside-protected debt products as funding options. Credits: Hosted by Lara Pierpoint. Produced and edited by Ross Kenyon and Anne Bailey. Technical direction by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor. The Green Blueprint is a co-production of Latitude Media and Trellis Climate. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts. For more reporting on the companies featured in this show, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter.

spotify apple iran threats technical gulf venture trillion climatetech stephen lacey anne bailey tech finance susan su
Climate 21
Passive House Isn't Niche Green Design. It's Resilience Infrastructure

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2026 35:58 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageWhat if better buildings are one of the most practical climate resilience tools we already have?In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Darren Macri, Co-CEO of Wythe Windows and rising president of the Passive House Network. We talk about why passive house is not just a building standard, but a practical climate tech pathway for decarbonisation, emissions reduction, energy security, healthier homes, and a more resilient built environment.You'll hear why buildings can cut heating loads by up to 90% through airtightness, better insulation, mechanical ventilation, thermal bridge-free design, and high-performance windows. We dig into how this shifts passive house from a niche green design idea into something far more urgent: infrastructure that helps people stay safe during outages, heatwaves, storms, and fires.You might be interested to learn how leaky buildings can make wildfire damage worse, how poor windows contribute to mould, noise, asthma, and energy poverty, and why retrofitting existing building stock may matter even more than making new builds cleaner. Darren also explains why adoption is often blocked less by technology than by training, policy, codes, business habits, and fragmented construction practices. Imagine that: the physics works, but humans still need meetings.We also cover affordability, net zero, the energy transition, local manufacturing, and why better buildings can reduce bills while improving comfort and health.

(don't) Waste Water!
Your Cup of Coffee Uses 29,600x More Water Than a ChatGPT Prompt (w. Alex Passini) [2/2]

(don't) Waste Water!

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2026 53:55


Everyone says AI is drinking the planet dry, right? Well, the numbers say your morning coffee uses 29,600× more water than a ChatGPT prompt! In this episode, I sit down with Alex Passini to pressure-test the dominant narrative around AI's water footprint - and what we found completely flips the story the media is telling. Here's what most "AI water crisis" headlines miss: → A single ChatGPT prompt uses roughly 16 milliliters of water. One cup of coffee uses ~140 liters when you count the beans. That's a 29,600× gap. → Of the water a hyperscale data center consumes, ~75% isn't used by AI at all — it's used upstream for the energy that powers it. Blame the grid, not the GPU. → One banana = ~6,250 ChatGPT prompts. One almond = ~12 prompts. The water-per-prompt math is rounding-error territory next to your lunch. → Florida already reuses 800 million gallons/day of treated wastewater. Data centers aren't the threat - they're an accelerant for the water reuse capex the sector has been waiting twenty years for. If you're an investor trying to figure out whether AI's water story is a real thesis or a media artifact, this episode gives you the framework (and the numbers) to decide.

Climate 21
The Physics Problem Behind Decarbonising Flight

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2026 45:21 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageJet fuel isn't just dirty. It is astonishingly good at its job. That is what makes aviation decarbonisation so hard.In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Dan Sutton, co-founder and CEO of Syntholene Energy, a climate tech company working on clean, drop-in synthetic aviation fuel, or eSAF. We talk about one of the thorniest challenges in the energy transition: how to cut emissions from aviation without pretending long-haul flight can simply be electrified into submission.You'll hear why synthetic fuel has struggled to scale, why hydrogen cost is often the defining economic bottleneck, and how Syntholene is betting that geothermal heat, solid oxide electrolysis, and captured carbon can shift the maths. We also dig into why cheap, baseload clean energy matters far more than glossy net zero pledges. Funny how physics remains stubbornly unimpressed by marketing decks.Dan also makes the case that fossil fuels carry a supply chain risk we still underprice: political volatility, fragile routes, and exposure to regions that can quickly turn energy security into an economic headache. We explore mandates, project finance, policy, the role of Iceland's geothermal resources, and whether synthetic aviation fuel can become cost-competitive without relying forever on subsidies.This is a practical, challenging conversation about climate tech, emissions reduction, aviation, infrastructure, and what it will really take to make clean fuels commercially credible.

My Climate Journey
The Worst Snow Year in Decades Isn't a Climate Story? — Joel Gratz, OpenSnow

My Climate Journey

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2026 47:19


Joel Gratz is Founding Meteorologist and CEO of OpenSnow, a weather platform used by hundreds of thousands of skiers, snowboarders, and outdoor enthusiasts to track snow conditions and forecast powder days. What started as a text thread among friends has grown into a profitable, bootstrapped business combining expert forecasting, data science, and increasingly AI-driven weather models. In this episode of Inevitable, Gratz breaks down one of the worst Western snowpack seasons on record and why he believes it's not as simple as blaming climate change.  The conversation explores the role of atmospheric variability versus long-term warming trends, why temperature matters more than precipitation for snowpack, and how mountain weather forecasting differs from traditional forecasts.  Finally, Gratz explains why emotional connection, not just accuracy, is what makes niche weather businesses work.  Episode recorded April 9, 2026 (published April 28, 2026) In this episode, we cover:  (0:00) An overview of OpenSnow (1:45) Weather conditions aren't just a climate change story (4:46) How warming temperatures impact snowpack quality (7:20) What OpenSnow is and how it started (12:46) OpenSnow's business model and growth (16:26) Why mountain weather is harder to forecast (21:16) How OpenSnow builds better forecasts from shared data (25:01) Powder quality vs snowfall: what actually matters (30:01) Snowpack as a water “battery” for the West (32:45) How ski resorts are adapting to climate variability (37:46) The reality of cloud seeding and weather modification (42:23) How emotional connection has helped OpenSnow succeed Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Climate 21
As Grids Get Cleaner, Building Materials Become the Real Climate Problem

Climate 21

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2026 34:50 Transcription Available


Get in touch - leave me a messageConcrete alone accounts for around 7-8% of global emissions. So what happens when the real climate problem in buildings is no longer just energy, but the materials themselves?In this episode of Climate Confident, I'm joined by Alexander Sexsmith, architect and founder of Sexsmith Architects, to unpack what regenerative architecture means when stripped of the fluff. We look at the climate challenge hiding in plain sight across the built environment: embodied carbon, toxic materials, weak resilience, and the fact that standard construction often performs badly when fire, water, and heat hit. If we're serious about decarbonisation, net zero, and the energy transition, this matters now.You'll hear why cleaner grids are changing the climate maths for buildings, and why materials like concrete, petrochemical foams, and conventional drywall deserve a lot more scrutiny. We dig into how fast-grown bio-based materials such as hemp, straw, and cork could cut emissions reduction timelines, improve indoor air quality, and strengthen resilience. And you might be shocked to learn that some of the materials people still dismiss as fringe are already proving themselves on fire performance and commercial-scale construction.We also get into the harder bit: scale. Cost, code, skills, supply, consumer awareness, and policy all matter. Because climate tech alone won't fix construction unless markets, standards, and incentives move with it.

Invested In Climate
New Thinking for a New Era with Climate Capital Reset Project, Ep #132

Invested In Climate

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2026 52:21


Whether or not we want to acknowledge it, we're in a new era of climate investing. Unprecedented uncertainty, federal policy upheaval in the United States, repeated energy shocks from wars, inflation, high interest rates, a persisting liquidity crunch, the AI data center boom – much has happened, the game has changed and investors are thinking very differently about climate than they did just a few years ago. Three expert climate finance advisors who have worked in climate finance for decades set out to understand what has changed in climate investing. Dan Firger, Will Coleman, and Bill Tarr are highly respected thought leaders and strategic advisors working with large family offices, foundations and prominent climate investors. They teamed up and interviewed over 150 investors and experts to develop Climate Capital Reset Project, a detailed account of the new thinking defining this new era of climate investing. We spoke about the trends reshaping climate finance today, emerging dynamics, recommendations for capital allocators, considerations for philanthropists, and much more. Dan, Will, and Bill's report will likely be one of the most influential pieces written on climate finance this year. It's already the basis for closed-door consultations and convenings with prominent investors, and our conversation shed incredible light on the new paradigms already driving climate finance today. On today's episode, we cover:03:01 – Guest Introductions & Backgrounds06:04 – Why the Climate Capital Reset Project Now?08:55 – Trend #1: Unprecedented Market Uncertainty11:13 – Trend #2: AI, Data Centers & the Grid13:23 – Trend #3: Liquidity Crunch & the Missing Middle15:42 – Trend #4: Narratives, Labels & Climate Messaging17:24 – How We Talk About Climate & Climate Investing19:37 – Theme: ‘Ruthless Pragmatism' in Climate Capital24:00 – Shaping Winners Through Consolidation26:57 – Domestic vs. International: Who Captures the Upside?27:31 – Blended Finance: Misuse, Scarcity & Focus30:48 – Examples of Effective Blended Finance31:56 – Geographic Arbitrage & Emerging Markets34:37 – Corporates' Role in Climate Tech & Scale38:05 – War in the Middle East, Energy Shocks & Resilience43:24 – New Investment Models & Insurance Innovation46:24 – Long-Duration, Asset-Heavy Climate Businesses48:43 – A Narrow Window for a Climate Capital Reset50:41 – What's Next for the Climate Capital Reset Project51:41 – Closing & Call to ActionResources MentionedClimate Capital Reset ProjectBuilder's VisionIntersect PowerLineage LogisticsDevoted Health Fervo EnergyFrontier Microsoft Carbon RemovalPJM Interconnection ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development)Bloomberg PhilanthropiesReGen VenturesMore Davidow Ventures (MDV)Connect with usDan FirgerWill ColemanBill TarrJason RissmanKeep up with Invested In ClimateSign up for our Newsletter (Other Future)LinkedInInstagramIf you like what you hear, subscribe and rate to support the show! Have feedback or ideas for future episodes, events, or partnerships? Get in touch!Share ideas for our newsletter here!

Returns on Investment
Pulling climate tech to commercial scale with the energy demand from data centers

Returns on Investment

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2026 28:42


Dawn Lippert of Elemental Impact joins David Bank. The nonprofit accelerator and investor has for over 15 years been identifying climate solutions grounded in community benefits. Among the topics covered: the gap in financing first-of-a-kind commercial projects, AI and energy infrastructure, and a new role for the environmental movement now that renewable energy is rolling out at scale.

My Climate Journey
Turning Students into Founders at Stanford Climate Ventures

My Climate Journey

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2026 71:56


Dave McColl is Executive Director of Stanford Climate Ventures (SCV), a program designed to help students build climate companies through rigorous go-to-market strategy and hands-on company building. SCV is a project-based course at Stanford University that has helped launch dozens of startups across energy, infrastructure, and industrial decarbonization. In this episode of Inevitable, Yin Lu, General Partner at MCJ,  sits down with McColl to unpack the SCV playbook—from “earned secrets” to the importance of customer discovery. The conversation also features three founders who came out of the SCV ecosystem: Carla Pinzon, Founder of Expand Power, solid-state transformers for a more flexible grid Raj Tilwa, Founder of Focal, personalized heating systems for commercial spaces Nico Pinkowski, Founder of Nitricity, decentralized fertilizer with air, water, and renewable power Together, they share how SCV shaped their companies, from early pivots and customer insights to product-market fit, and what it takes to build sustainable businesses.  Episode recorded on March 13, 2026 (Published on April 14, 2026). In this episode, we cover:  (0:00) An overview of Stanford Climate Ventures (SCV) (5:12) The origin of SCV and its community-driven model (10:14) How SCV works: discovery, iteration, and “earned secrets” (16:25) The biggest founder mistake: ignoring the customer (18:56) What predicts success: discovery volume and team dynamics (25:51) Carla Pinzon (Expand Power): solid-state transformers for a modern grid (32:21) Finding product-market pull through customer discovery (35:56) Raj Tilwa (Focal): personalized heating vs heating entire spaces (44:21) 100+ interviews to find a real painkiller in hospitality (52:10) Nico Pinkowski (Nitricity): decentralized fertilizer production (58:31) How product-market fit can take years Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Climate Positive
Investing in nature's most powerful ecosystems | Tripp Wall, CEO of Pantheon Regeneration

Climate Positive

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2026 51:06


In this episode of Climate Positive, Guy Van Syckle connects with Tripp Wall, CEO of Pantheon Regeneration, to explore how his team is turning degraded peatland ecosystems into high-impact stores of carbon with a wealth of additional benefits for biodiversity and resiliency. We dive deep into an unsung hero of carbon sequestration—peatlands—which cover just 3% of the earth's surface but store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined. Tripp explains the hydrological engineering and cutting-edge tech helping to restore and monitor these ancient ecosystems. We discuss the evolving Voluntary Carbon Market, the supply-demand mismatch approaching, and how nature-based solutions offer a highly scalable alternative to engineered carbon capture.  Additionally, Guy and Tripp explore how high-quality removal credits with biodiversity co-benefits are attracting major corporate offtakes, and the opportunities for traditional infrastructure investors to invest in natural capital to secure differentiated returns. Links: Pantheon Regeneration Website Tripp Wall LinkedIn Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at climatepositive@hasi.com.