Climate Positive

For several years, well-intentioned companies seeking to reduce their emissions from electricity consumption – a primary component of their Scope 2 emissions – have bought Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) or signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Known as energy or megawatt hour matching, this approach, which forms the backbone of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Scope 2 Market-Based Method accounting system, does not distinguish the time, location or emissions profile of a company’s electricity consumption from that of its REC and PPA interventions to offset this consumption.But as different grids have decarbonized at different rates over the years, the emissions impact of a REC purchased or PPA signed in one location at a particular time no longer necessarily has a similar impact to RECs purchased or PPAs signed in different locations covering different periods of time. In essence, at least as it pertains to carbon impact, not every megawatt hour is created equal. In this episode, recorded at the GreenFin 23 Conference in Boston, Chad leads a panel of industry experts – including Katherine Collins of Putnam Investments; Hank He of Tabors Caramanis Rudkevich; Lee Taylor of REsurety; and Rob Threlkeld of General Motors – on the deficiencies of energy matching, the benefits of a new approach known as carbon matching and the resulting implications for ongoing efforts to reform Scope 2 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Links: Tabors Caramanis Rudkevich White Paper: A Comparison of Strategies for Tackling Corporate Scope 2 Carbon EmissionsREsurety White Paper: Emissions Implications for Clean Hydrogen Accounting MethodsGeneral Motors 2022 Sustainability ReportEpisode recorded June 26, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Nanobubbles provide an effective solution to many of the challenges of climate change. These nanoscopic bubbles are 2500 times smaller than a single grain of salt and can be formed with any gas. Unlike larger bubbles, they remain suspended in liquid longer and remain stable until they interact with surfaces or contaminants. Their size allows them to achieve dissolved oxygen levels many times greater than those achieved using traditional aeration technologies. With applications from industries including agriculture, aquaculture, oil and gas, mining, and municipal and surface water treatment, nanobubbles can improve energy efficiency, save water, and reduce chemical use. In this episode Hilary Langer talks with Moleaer’s CEO Nick Dyner. Moleaer provides nanobubbles-as-a-service, nanobubble equipment, and water quality improvement around the world. Links: MoleaerArticle: Capitalism Vs. Climate Change: Moleaer’s Innovative Nanobubbles (forbes.com)Article: Moleaer Deploys Nanobubble Generators to Eliminate Foul Odour (h2oglobalnews.com)NOAA: Nanobubble Ozone Technology Shown to Eliminate Invasive Species in Ballast WaterArticle: A breath of fresh air: how nanobubbles can make aquaculture more sustainableArticle: Nanobubbles as an Emerging Sanitation TechnologyEpisode recorded: May 25, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

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

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

Seafood provides nearly 20% of the animal protein humans consume globally. This growing source of protein is also rather healthy with many of our nutrient-rich foods coming from aquatic creatures. But already, the supply of our wild capture seafood has flattened, meaning that the vast majority of our global fisheries today are being overfished in an unsustainable manner. Fortunately, Finless Foods and other sustainable seafood startups are working to bring sustainability-driven innovation to the seafood space. With both plant-based and cell-cultured options, consumers are finally beginning to experience the taste and value of seafood alternatives that are better for our oceans and their inhabitants as well as our climate. In this episode, Chad Reed talks with Finless Foods’ chief strategy officer Shannon Consentino-Roush about the past, present and future of the sustainable seafood movement and industry. Links: Finless FoodsArticle: World Tuna Day: How sustainable are tuna fisheries?Article: Wild seafood has a lower carbon footprint than red meat, cheese, and chicken, according to latest dataEpisode recorded: April 21, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this week's episode, Gil Jenkins and Hilary Langer speak with Jason Horowitz and Emma Bubola of The New York Times about their recent cover story on Venice's battle against the relentless forces of rising seas. They discuss the unlikely early success of the MOSE sea walls in protecting the city during high water events that have become increasingly commonplace due to climate change.Links: As Sea Levels Rise, the Savior of Venice May Also Be Its Curse, (The New York Times, April 2, 2023)MOSE Venezia ProjectAll Emma Bubola StoriesAll Jason Horowitz StoriesJason on TwitterEmma on TwitterRecorded: April 21, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

With extreme weather events proliferating, insurance companies are already on the front lines of climate change. In this episode, Chad Reed speaks with Sarah Chapman, Chief Sustainability Officer for Manulife – one of the world’s largest insurance providers and investment managers. Sarah discusses how Manulife incorporates ESG risks and opportunities, including emissions accounting and biodiversity issues, into its operations and investment decisions, the three pillars of Manulife’s ambitious impact agenda, and the role of industry associations and policy in supporting financial material ESG initiatives. Links:Manulife’s Environmental, Social and Governance Report (2021)Manulife’s Impact AgendaTaskforce on Nature-related Financial DisclosuresEpisode recorded: April 12, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

More than 90% of Fortune 500 companies report their emissions using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP), which supplies the world’s most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards. But despite significant advances in data analytics around emissions measurement, it’s been nearly a decade since the GHGP was last updated. Thankfully, the NGOs that manage the GHGP recently kicked off the update process, soliciting feedback from stakeholders across the spectrum. In this episode, Chad Reed and HASI Strategic Advisor Brendan Herron speak with Faraz Ahmad, Head of Net Zero Grid for Amazon. Faraz dives deep into the efforts of the Emissions First Partnership, a consortium of companies working together to reduce their emissions with the most impactful clean energy projects and to move away from megawatt hour matching and toward integration of an emissions-based framework into the GHGP. Faraz also discusses how underserved regions – both across the globe and within the U.S. itself – could economically benefit from an emissions first approach to the energy transition.Links: Greehouse Gas ProtocolEmissions First PartnershipCarbonCountEpisode recorded: March 28, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Expanding access to clean energy like solar is essential to global climate goals, and it is especially impactful for the residents on island nations in the Caribbean that face high energy costs and are exposed to increasingly violent storms. As the director of projects for the Rocky Mountain Institute (now known as RMI), Chris Burgess navigates the decarbonization and decentralization of energy in markets that have previously been left out of the energy transition. Hilary Langer and Chris Burgess (Director of Projects for RMI) discuss why decentralized power is especially important to quality of life in underserved communities, how to establish alignment among disparate stakeholders, and how urgent action can be scaled. Links: RMI on 60 MinutesRMI (Rocky Mountain Institute)RMI’s “Solar Under Storm” ReportChristopher Burgess on LinkedInAmory Lovins, Soft Energy PathsMia Mottley UN Profile: Champions of the Earth Episode recorded: March 23, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

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

Over the last few years, there has been an influx of venture capital seeking out profitable climate tech startups. At the same time, asset-backed financing has become generally more available and cheaper – all else equal – for renewable energy and other sustainable infrastructure projects. But there has been a missing middle – investors willing to underwrite both technology and project-level risk to drive systemic climate positive change. This is why Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP) was created – to reimagine infrastructure investing for the 21st century. By integrating technological expertise, infrastructure experience, creative capital, and multistakeholder engagement, the firm has been making significant platform investments in the technology-enabled infrastructure of the future. Chad Reed and Jonathan Winer (SIP Co-Founder and Co-CEO) dive deep into many of the spaces SIP is investing in – from autonomous vehicle roadways, to shared broadband solutions, to waste-free recycling, to truly resilient electric grids. Links: Sidewalk Infrastructure PartnersAccelerator for AmericaOhmConnect Episode recorded: February 3, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Way back in early 2020, Microsoft made some of the most ambitious climate pledges of any corporation on the planet. It pledged to be carbon negative by 2030 and by 2050 to remove from the atmosphere all the carbon the company has emitted either directly or by way of electricity consumption since its founding nearly 50 years ago. It also launched a $1 billion Climate Innovation Fund to accelerate the global development of technologies required to achieve these pledges.In this episode, Chad Reed chats with Brandon Middaugh – Senior Director of Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund. From direct air capture to sustainable aviation fuels to urban green buildings, the discussion spans several of the verticals into which Microsoft has invested a portion of the $500 million it has already deployed through its fund. In addition, Brandon touches on the value of industry coalitions, the role of climate philanthropy, and the importance of centering people at the heart of the climate movement. Links: Microsoft Climate Innovation FundThe Carbon CallThe Big BurnEpisode recorded: January 18, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Kim Kovacs is the Chief Executive Officer of element6 Dynamics. She is spearheading a transformation in the hemp industry to bring industrial hemp production to scale. By replacing tree-based pulp in paper and in packaging, hemp can reduce the pressure to harvest forests while also sequestering carbon and replenishing soils. In this episode, Hilary Langer and Kim Kovacs discuss how hemp works as a carbon sink, why both farmers and corporations are eager to get involved in hemp production, and why now is the time to grow in the volume needed to reverse the carbon impact of the paper and packaging industry. Links Element6 DynamicsKim Kovacs on LinkedInNew York Times: Where Does All the Cardboard Come From?NRDC: The Issue With TissueEpisode Recorded: January 13, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Dr. Brian von Herzen is the founder and executive director of the Climate Foundation, and a champion of marine permaculture – a process that the Climate Foundation is bringing to scale to reduce carbon, improve food security and regenerate marine ecosystems.In this episode, Hilary Langer and Brian von Herzen discuss the importance of restoring balance to the ocean, how marine permaculture engages populations that depend on the ocean for food, and how his team plans to expand marine permaculture in Asia and around the world. Links Climate FoundationBrian von Herzen, PhD LinkedIn Profile2040 FilmGreenwave Regenerative Ocean Farming on Climate PositiveEpisode Recorded: January 10, 2023Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Every day, the alphabet soup of climate and ESG-related NGOs seems to thicken. But their respective raisons d’etre can seem like a mystery for all but the closet of insiders. To help unravel the role of each of these organizations in the broader social movement and policy push for urgent climate action, Chad Reed speaks with Ivan Frishberg, the chief sustainability officer of Amalgamated Bank and a pioneer of climate collaboration for big banks and corporates. Given his historically central and successful role in driving industry collaboration on climate action, Ivan provides key insights into the current state of this evolving landscape, delves into the hot topic of divestment versus engagement, and discusses the merits and significance—or lack thereof—of the so-called ESG backlash. Links:Amalgamated Bank 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility ReportScience Based TargetsIvan Frishberg on TwitterEpisode recorded: December 19, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Corals are the gems of the oceans, creating beautiful colors and shapes that form our reefs while serving many vital functions for life on this planet. With 25-40% already lost, the worldwide coral population faces incredible danger from climate change and other threats. But there is hope. On this week’s episode, Hilary and I talk with Dr. David E. Vaughan, an esteemed marine biologist and author of the new book The Secret Life of Corals: Sex, War, and Rocks that Don’t Roll.Dr. Vaughan has held aquaculture research and development positions for over 45 years. He is best known for developing the innovative restoration technique of “micro-fragmentation, which can speed up coral growth by 25 times by breaking them into tiny little pieces. He is focused on making this innovative process a scalable tool for reef restoration as the Founder of Plant a Million Corals. As you’ll hear in this conversation, David brings great clarity and joy when talking about corals and why they are so important.Links:Book: The Secret Life of Corals: Sex, War and Rocks That Don't RollWebsite: Plant A Million CoralsDr. David E. Vaughn TedX TalkNOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem OverviewEpisode recorded: December 7, 2022 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, Hilary Langer speaks with Michelle Moore, CEO of the nonprofit Groundswell and author of the recently published book, “Rural Renaissance. Revitalizing America’s Hometowns Through Clean Power.” Michelle has spent her career advocating for equitable power. Her accomplishments range from delivering programs that cut energy use by $11 billion and led to the deployment of 3.2 Gigawatts of new renewable energy production while leading sustainability for the Obama Administration; to developing LEED into a globally recognized brand as Senior Vice President of USGBC. Hilary and Michelle discuss the values that motivate her, why Groundswell is revitalizing rural areas, and how the Inflation Reduction Act will change America. Links:Order “Rural Renaissance”Michelle Moore BioGroundswellMichelle Moore on TwitterInflation Reduction Act and DOE Loan ProgramInterfaceNational Rural Electric Cooperative AssociationUS Green Building CouncilEpisode recorded: November 9, 2022 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, Gil Jenkins speaks with Justin Gillis and Hal Harvey, authors of the recently published book “The Big Fix: 7 Practical Steps to Save Our Planet.” The book offers an everyday citizen's guide to the seven essential changes our communities must enact to bring our greenhouse gas emissions down to zero. Justin Gillis spent a decade as an award-winning reporter for The New York Times covering climate change, where he is a contributing opinion writer for the newspaper now and currently a fellow at the Harvard University Center for the Environment. Hal Harvey is an acclaimed energy policy advisor and the CEO of San Francisco-based Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan energy and climate policy firm delivering research and analysis to help policymakers make informed choices.Gil, Hal, and Justin discuss the themes, industries, policies, and issues from The Big Fix and highlight the stories of people who are making those changes a reality.Links:Order “The Big Fix”Justin Gillis BioHal Harvey BioJustin Gillis on TwitterHal Harvey on TwitterEnergy Innovation WebsiteEpisode recorded: October 12, 2022 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

If you’re listening to this podcast, you have probably heard of Shayle Kann. Shayle has been at the frontier of climatetech research, media, and investing for over 15 years. Now a partner with the venture capital firm Energy Impact Partners (EIP), Shayle leads EIP’s Frontier Fund, which invests in revolutionary technologies to enable deep decarbonization. Of course, he’s also the host of the popular climate tech podcast from Canary Media, Catalyst with Shayle Kann.In this episode, Chad Reed and Gil Jenkins walk through Shayle’s diverse and impactful career path and dive deep into several of the Frontier Fund’s portfolio companies along with other emerging issues, including rebuilding trust in carbon markets; climatetech vs. cleantech 1.0; and the promise of the Inflation Reduction Act. Links: Shayle on TwitterShayle on LinkedInEnergy Impact Partners WebsiteEnergy Impact Partners Frontier FundCatalyst PodcastPodcast Ep: What the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 would mean for climatetech (Canary Media, August 5, 2022)TV: Alone (Netflix) Episode recorded: September 29, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

As more and more leading companies, governments, and other large buyers of electricity pledge to procure 100% carbon-free energy (CFE), markets are in need of better, more granular information on the time, location, and emissionality of every megawatt-hour that is produced and consumed. To this end, EnergyTag – an independent, non-profit, industry-led initiative – is developing the standards and markets for Granular Certificates (GCs) that enable energy consumers to verify the source of their electricity and carbon emissions in real time. In this episode, Chad Reed sits down with Toby Ferenczi and Killian Daly, the Founder and General Manager, respectively, of EnergyTag. They discuss the cruel irony at the center of deploying more and more renewable energy on local grids, the nuances differentiating 24/7 carbon-free electricity claims from emissionality considerations, and how Granular Certificates can both drive the next generation of carbon accounting (or Carbon Accounting 2.0) as well as accelerate the growth of new markets such as green hydrogen and battery storage. Links:EnergyTagGreenhouse Gas ProtocolWattTime: Avoided Emissions / Emissionality Episode recorded: September 8, 2022 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Deia Bayoumi is the Vice President of Global Product Management at Bloom Energy, a San Jose-based company whose mission is to make clean, reliable, and affordable energy for everyone globally. In this episode, Deia, a global innovation executive with more than three decades of experience, discusses Bloom’s unique fuel cell and clean hydrogen solutions and the role these technologies play in addressing climate change. Bloom is changing the future of energy with its leading solid oxide platform for distributed generation of electricity and hydrogen. Its customers include many Fortune 100 companies and leaders in manufacturing, data centers, healthcare, retail, higher education, utilities, and other industries.Links:Deia Bayoumi TwitterDeia Bayoumi LinkedInBloom Energy WebsiteBloom Energy Hydrogen Fuel Cells OverviewBloom Energy Electrolyzer Overview Bloom Energy TwitterBloom Energy LinkedInPress Release: Bloom Energy Unveils Electrolyzer to Supercharge the Path to Low-Cost, Net-Zero Hydrogen (July 14, 2021)Article: Bloom Energy officially launches clean energy Fremont factory (San Jose Mercury News, July 20, 2022)Video: The Bloom Box: An Energy Breakthrough? (CBS 60 Minutes, February 2010)Episode recorded August 23, 2022 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court in West Virginia v. EPA ruled that the Clean Air Act does not authorize the EPA to require a systematic shift to cleaner sources of electricity generation. Many fear this decision will be devastating to the agency’s and the executive branch’s ability to move the U.S. away from carbon-intensive energy sources and toward cleaner resources to address climate change in the accelerated timeline necessary to avoid its worst impacts. So, in this episode, Chad Reed sits down with Max Rodriguez, an attorney with Pollock Cohen and the primary author of an amicus curiae brief on behalf of 192 Members of Congress supporting the EPA’s authority to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. Max discusses in depth the history and justiciability of the case, the major questions doctrine underpinning it, the potentially far-reaching implications of the decision and the related non-delegation doctrine for federal environmental regulations going forward, and much more.Importantly, the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed after this episode was recorded, amends the Clean Air Act to add several specific new programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide funding to the states to develop their own plans. Taken together, these provisions go a long way towards addressing the view of the 6-3 majority in West Virginia v. EPA that Congress has not been clear enough regarding the EPA’s authority to tackle climate change. However, the new law may still fall short of granting EPA the authority to revive the generation-shifting approach struck down by the Court in this case. Links:West Virginia v. Environmental Protection AgencyBrief of 192 Members of Congress as Amici Curiae in Support of RespondentsArticle: The Inflation Reduction Act doesn’t get around the Supreme Court’s climate ruling in West Virginia v. EPA, but it does strengthen EPA’s future abilities (The Conversation, August 24, 2022)Episode recorded: August 8, 2022 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

For decades, many have called nuclear fusion the “holy grail” of energy sources. The undying hope is that fusion will someday provide very cheap, abundant, zero-carbon electricity to all – thereby both decisively addressing the climate crisis and powering economic growth across the globe. But despite decades of well-funded research and even recent technological breakthroughs, we still seem to be years away from a commercially viable fusion reactor. In this episode, Chad Reed speaks with Jim McNiel, Chief Marketing Officer of TAE Technologies, which just raised $250 million in venture financing to support the development of Copernicus – its next-generation hydrogen-boron fusion research reactor. Chad and Jim get into the weeds on the tradeoffs of competing fusion fuels, the longstanding challenge fusion must overcome to reach commercial viability, the role of fusion in our energy future, Star Trek versus Star Wars, and much more.Links:Article: TAE Technologies Exceeds Fusion Reactor Performance Goals By 250% As Company Closes $250 Million Financing Round, Totaling $1.2 Billion To Date (July 2022)Article: Nuclear-fusion reactor smashes energy record (Nature, February 2, 2022)Article: ITER fusion project preparing to outline revised timetable (World Nuclear News, July 11, 2022)Episode recorded: July 28, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, Gil Jenkins speaks with internationally renowned economist, author, and activist John Perkins. John Perkins was formerly chief economist at a major consulting firm, where he advised the World Bank, United Nations, Fortune 500 corporations, and the U.S. and other governments—though much of this was a part of his previous work as an economic hit man he later denounced and became a whistleblower on, as he detailed in his New York Times Bestselling memoir, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. John talks about his earlier life as an economic hitman — including his profound awakening around the evils of this work and his journey to becoming a crusader for transforming our failing Death Economy that destroys its own resources and nature itself into a flourishing Life Economy that renews itself. In the conversation, he shares a simple exercise in the form of five key questions we can all ask ourselves to shift our perceptions and move toward this Life Economy as he describes it.John also discusses his involvement with the Living Earth Movement—a collection of leaders in theology, business, science, activism, and academia passionate about combating climate change and preserving life as we know it. The Living Earth Movement was started around a righteous call for the U.S. and China to work together on climate. John’s next book, out in February 2023, focuses on the U.S.-China relationship. John and Gil also discussed Russia’s war on Ukraine and how that has dramatically changed geopolitical dynamics, focusing on energy and climate.Links:John Perkins WebsiteJohn Perkins on FacebookJohn Perkins on TwitterThe Living Earth Movement WebsiteDr. John Cobb's (of the Living Earth Movement) Letter to Presidents Biden and Xi (October 2021)Episode recorded: July 22, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

This week we’re presenting a special bonus episode where Gil Jenkins joined fellow podcasters for the most recent edition of the Cleantech Podcasters Quarterly Roundtable, hosted by Tigercomm & SunCast Media.We covered topics such as the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on EPA power plant regulations, the implications for energy markets due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the escalating attacks by pro-fossil fuel pundits, and a whole lot more. Please note that we recorded this conversation before Senator Manchin’s surprise and welcome support for climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. In the show notes, we’ve linked to all the terrific podcasters included in this roundtable. Please give them a follow when you have a chance. We hope you enjoy this rich, one-hour discussion on the top clean energy trends, developments, challenges, and opportunities ahead of us. Other podcasters included in this roundtable (you can find them wherever you listen to podcasts): Mike Casey – Scaling Clean Podcast Emily Chasan – The Energy Gang Nico Johnson – SunCast PodcastTim Montague – Clean Power HourBill Nussey – The Freeing Energy PodcastJoshua Porter – The Solar Coaster PodcastEpisode recorded: July 21, 2022 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

As CEO of GridPoint, Mark Danzenbaker believes that energy efficiency can be harnessed to make the power grid more sustainable and resilient. GridPoint does this by installing energy optimization hardware in mid-sized commercial buildings that are often overlooked by efficiency programs. GridPoint works with corporations that have many sites across the country and provides real time data on savings and energy consumption for a client’s portfolio of buildings. As their reach has expanded, the network of buildings GridPoint serves has become an important way to partner with utilities to manage energy demand during heat waves and other periods of high energy use. In this episode, Hilary Langer talks with Mark about how GridPoint engages clients both in front of and behind the meter to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable grid. Links:GridPointMark Danzenbaker LinkedInCanary Media: “Goldman Sacs and Shell bet $75M that chain stores can boost grid resiliency” Episode recorded: July 6, 2022 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

With the meteoric rise in net-zero commitments and “green” capital raises by corporations and financial institutions, investors and consumers are wondering if these statements are credible. Do “green” labels actually accelerate the flow of capital to companies and projects seeking to improve our climate future? In this episode, Chad Reed sits down with Desiree Fixler (former chief sustainability officer at DWS), Tim Mohin (chief sustainability officer at Persefoni), and Erik Becker (senior vice president of corporate development at Arcadia) at the GreenFin22 Conference in New York City to discuss why “green” financial products and labels are ineffective and why actually counting carbon levels the playing field for investors and consumers alike. Links:GreenFin: The Premier ESG Event Aligning Sustainability and Capital MarketsArticle: Deutsche Bank, DWS Raided Over Allegations of Greenwashing (Bloomberg, May 31, 2022)Article: The ESG Mirage (Bloomberg, December 10, 2021)Article: The Secret Diary of a ‘Sustainable Investor’ – Part 4 (Epilogue) (Tariq Fancy, June 2022)Article: Supreme Court Strips Federal Government of Crucial Tool to Control Pollution (The New York Times, June 30, 2022)Article: Re: File No. S7-10-22: The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors (Jeffrey W. Eckel, June 17, 2022)Episode recorded: June 28, 2022 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Climate change solutions typically center on carbon, and addressing carbon is essential for a safer climate future. But we sometimes forget that carbon isn’t the only culprit. Fluorinated gases such as old HVAC refrigerants can have more than 10,000 times the climate-changing potential of carbon. The climate research nonprofit Project Drawdown determined that refrigerant management is one of the most impactful ways to mitigate climate change. As CEO of Tradewater, Tim Brown is racing to aggregate potent gases from around the world and destroy them before they leak into the atmosphere and wreak havoc on our climate. In this episode, host Hilary Langer speaks with Tim Brown, CEO and Founder of Tradewater – a Chicago-based company that finds and destroys the world’s most potent climate-changing gases. Tim shares how his eBay purchase of a common refrigerant inspired him to build a company that produces some of the highest quality carbon offsets. He explains how the Tradewater team leverages partnerships to scale their impact, why they expanded internationally, and how they plan to accelerate their work before potent GHGs are released into the atmosphere. Links:Tradewater WebsiteTradewater on TwitterTradewater on LinkedInTim Brown on LinkedInProject Drawdown: Overview of Refrigerant ManagementOne overlooked way to fight climate change? Dispose of old CFCs. (National Geographic) Episode recorded: May 5, 2022 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Sheldon Kimber has built from scratch multiple successful enterprises over his two decades in the energy industry. Now the CEO and Co-Founder of Intersect Power, a developer and owner of some of the world’s largest clean energy resources, Sheldon is working to bring innovative and scalable low-carbon solutions to customers across North America. Earlier this year, Sheldon published an article entitled, “The Nexus of Deep Decarbonization,” in which he discusses the five inevitable industries that have the potential for exponential growth as we work to decarbonize the global economy by leveraging increasingly affordable and available clean energy. These five industries include; Green Hydrogen and E-Fuels, Direct Air Capture, Electrification of Industrial Thermal Loads, Mass Electric Vehicle Charging, and Desalination and Water Transportation.In this episode, Chad Reed and Jeff Eckel dive deep into Sheldon’s unique background and discuss the five inevitable industries, and the related decarbonization policy challenges and opportunities given the current macroenvironment. To get the most out of this episode, we encourage you to read Sheldon’s aforementioned article, available in the show notes. Links:Sheldon Kimber TwitterArticle: The Nexus of Deep Decarbonization (Sheldon Kimber, February 11, 2022)Article: Proposed US tax credit 'would instantly make green and blue hydrogen competitive with grey' (ReCharge News, February 9, 2022) Episode recorded: May 11, 2022 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Joe Britton is the Executive Director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA), a federal coalition focused on advocating for 100% electric vehicle (EV) sales by 2030. ZETA is committed to enacting policies that drive EV adoption, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, securing American global EV manufacturing dominance, dramatically improve public health, and significantly reducing carbon pollution. In this episode, Gil Jenkins speaks with Joe about his experience working on climate policy on Capitol Hill, how the politics around the environment and energy have changed, and what that might mean for passing a massive clean energy incentives package that deals with emissions. Joe also talks about the future of transportation (hint: it’s electric), the top policy priorities at ZETA, the key consumer selling points for EVs and charging, and how to overcome common misperceptions in the marketplace.Links:ZETA WebsiteZETA TwitterJoe Britton TwitterHouse Oversight Hearing USPS Electrification Written Testimony, It’s Electric: Developing the Postal Service Fleet of the Future, Joe Britton, April 5, 2022Note: Joe Britton (via Pioneer Public Affairs) is a registered climate policy lobbyist for Hannon Armstrong.Episode recorded May 3, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, host Gil Jenkins speaks with Tim Hade, Co-Founder & COO of Scale Microgrid Solutions – a New Jersey-based company that designs, builds, finances, and operates distributed energy assets that are cheaper, cleaner, and more resilient. Tim talks about his journey since founding the company in 2015, how customer demand for resilient energy solutions is evolving, the intersection of EV fleets and microgrids, the merits of cogeneration technology, his perspective on energy security as a U.S. Air Force veteran, the prospects for federal climate legislation, and much more. Links:WebsiteTim Hade on LinkedInTim Hade on TwitterScale Microgrid Solutions on TwitterScale Microgrid Solutions on LinkedIn Episode recorded: April 8, 022 Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

The impacts of climate change are front and center. Rising temperatures, volatile weather events, and poor air quality affect our physical and mental health in dangerous new ways. From increasing the risk of infectious disease to amplifying emotional stress and anxiety—even the healthiest among us are at risk. Bonnie Schneider has tracked environmentally linked physiological impacts throughout her career as a Peabody Award-winning TV journalist, meteorologist, and founder of Weather & Wellness©—a platform that explores the connection between weather, climate change, and health.In this episode, host Gil Jenkins speaks with Bonnie about her most recent book, Taking the Heat, How Climate Change Is Affecting Your Mind, Body, and Spirit and What You Can Do About It. In Taking the Heat, Bonnie provides crucial and practice advice from a broad range of science experts and medical professionals. Links:Bonnie Schneider WebsiteWeather and Wellness® WebsiteBonnie Schneider LinkedInBonnie Schneider TwitterTaking the Heat: How Climate Change Is Affecting Your Mind, Body, and Spirit and What You Can Do About ItArticle: I'm A Meteorologist & This Is How Climate Change Is Affecting Your Health, By Bonnie Schneider, Mind Body Green, April 4, 2022)Article: ‘OK Doomer’ and the Climate Advocates Who Say It’s Not Too Late, The New York Times, March 22, 2022)Episode recorded: April 7, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] or tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

People want performance. As sustainability focused as a new product can be, if it is truly attempting to dominate the market, the new product has to be as good as or better than the less sustainable incumbent it is looking to replace. This is especially true with sustainable food. To this end, many of us have searched – often in vain – for plant-based dairy products, such as ice cream and cheese, that are both delicious and environmentally sustainable. In this episode, Chad Reed sits down with Tim Wildin, CEO of Vertage. Using a chef-driven, science-backed, and consumer-focused approach, Vertage develops and sells delicious plant-based cheeses to restaurants across the spectrum in select U.S. cities. Tim talks about his career journey through the sustainable food space, how he teamed up with Chef Margaux Riccio to found Vertage, the secret sauce behind Vertage’s plant-based cheeses, and much more. LinksVertageFlexitarian DietSalt, Fat, Acid, HeatEpisode recorded March 22, 2022 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Are there unavoidable tradeoffs between human economic development and environmental conservation? Long before there were carbon offsets to help address climate change, there were environmental offsets – or projects undertaken to counterbalance significant but unavoidable negative impacts to wetlands, streams, and other important natural resources caused by infrastructure, commercial, industrial, or residential development. In the U.S., these sorts of projects are actually mandated by various state and federal environmental permitting regulations. But many of us – including many environmentalists – are completely unaware of the environmental offset market and how it works. In this episode, Chad Reed sits down with Nick Dilks, Managing Partner at Ecosystem Investment Partners (or EIP). EIP acquires, restores, and permanently protects conservation properties and sells the mitigation credits generated by the projects to a diverse group of customers who must offset their unavoidable environmental impacts. Nick discusses EIP’s role in the environmental offset and mitigation banking markets in support of environmental restoration at scale. Note that EIP is a client of Hannon Armstrong.We also note and celebrate today the one year anniversary of the launch of the Climate Positive Podcast. With support from Hannon Armstrong, Chad, Hilary, and Gil started this podcast to delve into both the personal stories of the leaders, innovators, and changemakers driving our climate positive future and the sometimes wonky details of the wide array of climate positive topics and initiatives these leaders are engaged with. We encourage you to check out each of our first year’s 20 episodes, and we thank you for listening. LinksEcosystem Investment PartnersThe Conservation FundCopperas Stream Mitigation BankEpisode recorded March 10, 2022 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, host Gil Jenkins speaks with Paula Glover, president of the Alliance to Save Energy – a bipartisan, nonprofit coalition of business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders advocating to advance federal energy efficiency policy. Since its founding 45 years ago, the Alliance has played an integral role in nearly every major energy efficiency policy achievement on the national stage. Paula and the Alliance team believe that a nation that uses energy more productively can achieve economic growth, a cleaner environment, and greater energy security, affordability, and reliability. It was wonderful to sit down with Paula roughly one year into her tenure as president of the Alliance. We are lucky to have such a wise, passionate, joyful, and dedicated person leading the charge for energy efficiency in America!Links:BioPaula on TwitterPaula on LinkedInAlways Bet on Black: Conversations with African American energy thought leaders covering a variety of topics hosted by Paula GloverAlliance to Save EnergyAlliance to Save Energy TwitterActive Efficiency CollaborativeOp-Ed: Want Environmental Justice? Look to Energy Efficiency (Politico, Paula Glover, February 1, 2021)Op-Ed: The clean energy economy has a diversity problem. Let’s change that as we build back.(Canary Media, Paula Glover, July 22, 2021)Article: 21 Wins For Energy Efficiency In 2021 (Ellie Long, December 30, 2021)Robert’s Rules of Order Episode recorded: February 23, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, Chad Reed and Jeff Eckel sit down with Jeff Hooke, senior finance lecturer at the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business and acclaimed author, to discuss his new book, The Myth of Private Equity, An inside Look at Wall Street’s Transformative Investments.Jeff dives deep into his thesis that certain private equity funds aren’t nearly as successful as they claim to be and that, as a result, many of their investors, including the pension funds of public employees, are subject to more risk than they think—with taxpayers potentially and ultimately on the hook for unexpected underperformance. Jeff also explores a similar dynamic plaguing the ESG investment space.While more financially focused than many other Climate Positive episodes, we chose to focus on this topic as we believe it is of increasing importance to both taxpayers and investors—including anyone with retirement savings—as we all look to put our dollars into investments that are both profitable and climate positive. LinksThe Myth of Private Equity: An Inside Look at Wall Street’s Transformative InvestmentsWashington Post: Maryland is wasting its pensioners’ moneyJeff Hooke BioEpisode recorded: February 7, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, and Hilary at [email protected] tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, Chad Reed sits down with Amanda Simpson, Vice President for Research and Technology and Head of Sustainability for Airbus in the Americas, to discuss her trailblazing career as the first openly trans woman appointed to an executive branch position by a U.S. president. Amanda shares the challenges she has faced and the opportunities she has seized throughout her career as an aerospace corporate executive and senior official at the U.S. Department of Defense. She also deep dives into the future of sustainable aviation—from Sustainable Aviation Fuels or SAF to ZEROe, Airbus’s hydrogen-powered concept aircraft, to the role of policy and consumers in decarbonizing the aviation sector. LinksSustainable Aviation FuelsZEROeSustainability at AirbusThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleAtomic HabitsEpisode recorded: January 20, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil and Hilary at [email protected] tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, Hilary Langer speaks with Kiran Bhatraju, CEO and founder of Arcadia—a tech company that allows consumers to opt-in to clean energy. Kiran and the Arcadia team believe data will catalyze the decarbonization of the grid and community solar will help to tackle climate change and racial injustice while spurring economic growth. Links:ArcadiaKiran on TwitterArcadia on TwitterArcadia on LinkedInKiran Essay on Community Solar in Fast CompanyArcadia’s Acquisition of iSolarEpisode recorded: January 14, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil and Hilary at [email protected] tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, hosts Gil Jenkins and Chad Reed speak with Ravi Mikkelsen, co-founder of ATMOS Financial -- an exciting new climate fintech startup that offers ethical banking and savings accounts for a fee-free and climate positive future.Ravi and the ATMOS team are on a mission to develop the best technology solutions and banking experience available so that you never again have to give up convenience or yield for doing the right thing. Links:ATMOS FinancialRavi on LinkedInRavi on TwitterATMOS on TwitterATMOS on LinkedInATMOS Nonprofit PartnersHow ATMOS Calculates Carbon ImpactBros for Decarbonization Report: Banking on Climate Chaos 2021, Rainforest Action NetworkEpisode recorded: January 12, 2022Email your feedback to Chad, Gil and Hilary at [email protected] tweet them to @ClimatePosiPod. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Profits should come not from creating the world’s problems but from solving them. Companies must ask themselves: Is the world better off because your business is in it? These are just a few of the urgent and inspiring lessons offered by the globally renowned sustainable business author and advisor Andrew Winston in his recent book, “Net Positive: Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take,” co-authored with Paul Polman, the visionary former CEO of Unilever.In this episode, host Gil Jenkins speaks with Andrew about the principles and practices of net positive companies that are outlined elegantly and colorfully in his seminal new book. Gil and Andrew talked at length about the growth of clean energy and sustainable businesses, what ultimately convinced Andrew to write his fourth book on the subject, and what makes his co-author’s journey so compelling and instructive for others. They also discussed the Golden Rule, why corporate climate advocacy is so important, the failure of shareholder primacy, and a whole lot more. We hope you enjoy this spirited conversation on how businesses can prosper while also helping to confront the massive dual challenges of climate change and rampant inequality. Links:Andrew’s Website Book: Net Positive Andrew on TwitterAndrew on LinkedInArticle: Sustainable Business Went Mainstream in 2021 (Andrew Winston, December 27, 2021)Article: Companies Must Find the Courage to Back Up Statements on Climate Action (Andrew Winston and Paul Polman, September 7, 2021)Episode recorded: December 15, 2021 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

U.S. power markets are evolving. Three factors—(1) the increasing penetration of generation from more intermittent renewable resources; (2) an increasing number of extreme weather events; (3) and the influx of new, especially corporate, buyers and sellers into the market—together are driving the development and adoption of new contracted revenue structures, risk management strategies, and products to measure emissions at a granular level. Born and bred to be an environmentalist, Lee Taylor founded REsurety nine years ago to develop new critical data analytics and risk management products to address the challenges faced by buyers and sellers in these evolving power markets. In this episode, host Chad Reed dives deep with Lee into the shift of focus from commodity price risk faced by fossil generation to volumetric risk faced by renewable generation. Chad also speaks with Lee about REsurety’s innovative Locational Marginal Emissions (LME) Product, which, by measuring emissions at a localized level, seeks to drive investment to clean energy projects with the highest impact on reducing carbon. Links:REsuretyLocational Marginal Emissions (LME)Proxy Revenue SwapLee Taylor on LinkedInNote: Hannon Armstrong is a both client of and investor in Resurety.Episode recorded November 30, 2021 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Leading analysts estimate that more than 7% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are generated by small-to-medium buildings. Too often, these buildings are terribly inefficient—wasting as much as 50% of the energy they consume, which significantly drives up energy bills—and unhealthy—with deadly viruses and other toxins circulating freely. What’s more, many of these buildings primarily serve low-to-moderate income Americans, who often lack the upfront capital needed for proven upgrades. In part driven by his childhood experience with energy poverty and the related localized pollution, Donnel Baird founded BlocPower seven years ago to ensure that everyone, especially those with lower incomes and/or from other disadvantaged backgrounds, has access to greener, healthier, smarter, and more cost-effective homes and buildings. To date, BlocPower has helped to identify, finance, and upgrade more than 1,200 buildings—many in communities that had previously been left behind in our transition to a greener economy. In this episode, host Chad Reed dives deep with Donnel into how his professional experiences in community organizing and with the Obama Administration led him to his entrepreneurial efforts to decarbonize buildings in disadvantaged communities. Chad also speaks with Donnel about how best to ensure all communities—whether in neglected urban areas or deindustrialized rural areas—share in the economic benefits of a cleaner, greener economy. We hope you find this discussion as inspiring and entertaining as we did.Links:BlocPowerWashington Post: This US city just voted to decarbonize every single buildingDonnel Baird on LinkedInEpisode recorded: October 6, 2021 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

The recent meteoric rise of ESG or sustainable investing is both compelling and undeniable. Today, more than 3,500 asset managers and related organizations representing more than $120 trillion in assets under management subscribe to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which are a set of voluntary and aspirational principles that encourage the incorporation of ESG factors into investment decisions.But as more and more professional investors publicly proclaim their ESG and sustainability bona fides, real questions persist as to both their sincerity and their actual impact on the pressing social and environmental challenges of our day—most notably, climate change. Tariq Fancy served as the first Chief Investment Officer for Sustainable Investing at BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. But since leaving the firm, he has become a prominent critic of the efficacy of ESG investing and the greenwashing efforts of many investment firms and a strong proponent of policy solutions to address climate change.In this episode, Chad Reed and Jeff Eckel dive deep with Tariq into the heart of ESG investing and the sustainable capitalism movement. We also speak with Tariq about the mission and initiatives of the education technology nonprofit he now leads—Rumie. LinksThe Secret Diary of a Sustainable InvestorSEC Chair Gary Gensler: Prepared Remarks Before the Principles for Responsible Investment “Climate and Global Financial Markets” Webinar (07.28.21)United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)RumieTariq Fancy on LinkedIn Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, we talk with Bren Smith, a former commercial fisherman who is now the co-founder and co-executive director of Greenwave, a nonprofit dedicated to creating jobs and protecting the oceans through regenerative ocean farming. The oceans are taking a beating from climate change. It’s estimated that they have absorbed nearly a third of the carbon released by humans. This creates a whole host of problems as the carbon dissolves in saltwater, making it more acidic while making it harder for calcifying organisms like oysters and coral to grow. Fishermen like Bren are on the front lines of the changing climate, but Bren shares how the oceans can be a source of renewal. Bren discusses how his inexpensive system for regenerative ocean farming avoids the vices of land-based agriculture: it requires no inputs of pesticides, fresh water, or even land. But, it produces nutrient dense foods while absorbing carbon and nitrogen, creating habitat, reducing local ocean acidification, and mitigating the impact of storm surges. Bren shares what motivated him to provide open access to his farming designs, why he started a nonprofit, and how he evaluates new market opportunities that can support ocean farmers. Talking with Bren left us more optimistic about the future of the planet and we hope his story will inspire you as well. Links:Greenwave (includes visuals of the Renerative Ocean Farm)Patagonia Provisions Short Film on Kelp Farming and GreenwaveBren Smith’s book, “Eat Like a Fish” Episode recorded: September 16, 2021 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, we speak with Suzanne Singer, Founder and Executive Director of Native Renewables, an Indigenous-led nonprofit organization that empowers Indigenous families to achieve energy independence by expanding renewable energy capacity and affordable access to off-grid power.It may be surprising to learn that by some estimates, up to one third of U.S. households suffer from some form of energy poverty, meaning that they find it difficult to afford the energy they need to heat and cool their homes and provide basic lighting, cooking, device charging, and entertainment. Energy poverty is a particular challenge for Indigenous communities, many of which are rural in nature and continue to rely on expensive and carbon-intensive diesel, kerosene, and other fossil resources for the limited electricity access they do enjoy. So, in this episode, we take a deep dive into this issue with Suzanne Singer, the Founder and Executive Director of Native Renewables.Growing up, Suzanne’s grandparents, members of the Navajo Nation, lacked access to electricity and running water. This, in part, inspired her to establish her organization, which is specifically focused on installing off-grid solar PV systems and batteries for community members of the Navajo and Hopi Nations. In addition to the origins, mission, and operations of her nonprofit, we also discuss Suzanne’s career transition from the prestigious National Research Laboratories to mission-driven entrepreneurship and the particular challenges faced by Indigenous women leaders. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did. Note: The Hannon Armstrong Foundation provided a grant to support the efforts of Native Renewables. Links:Native RenewablesSuzanne Singer BioTó Nizhóní Ání Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Webb, Founder and CEO of AppHarvest.AppHarvest, which went public in 2021, is building some of the largest indoor farms in the world, combining conventional agricultural techniques with today’s technology to grow non-GMO, chemical-free produce to be sold to the top 25 U.S. grocers. The company’s first controlled-environment agriculture facility, opened in 2020 in Morehead, Ky., spans 60 acres. It uses 90% less water than a typical farm because of a sophisticated circular irrigation system and 10-acre rainwater retention pond.In conversation with Gil and Chad, Jonathan talked about the unique aspects of AppHarvest’s business, his personal journey in starting the company, the parallels of ag-tech with the solar revolution, the specific advantages of Controlled Environment Agriculture, what it’s like to experience rapid growth while maintaining a culture of excellence, how ESG drives their business, and much more. We hope you enjoy this spirited conversation with a passionate climate solutions entrepreneur as much as we did.BioJonathan Webb LinkedInJonathan Webb TwitterAppHarvest TwitterAppHarvest WebsiteAppHarvest 2020 ESG ReportArticle: Is This Giant Greenhouse in Kentucky the Future of Farming? (Rolling Stone, August 22, 2021)Article: Martha Stewart’s recipes using AppHarvest tomatoes Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, we speak with Michael Eckhart, former Global Head of Environmental Finance at Citigroup, founding chairman and former president of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), and co-author of the Green Bond Principles. Michael now serves as a board member for Hannon Armstrong and as an adjunct and visiting professor at Columbia University and the University of Maryland, respectively. Michael discusses the history of the global clean energy financing space, the benefits of financing—rather than funding—renewable energy, what the Green Bond Principles offer the market, how today’s clean energy financing models evolved, and more. Links:Michael Eckhart BioAmerican Council on Renewable EnergyACORE Finance ForumInternational Capital Market Association Green Bond PrinciplesInternational Solar Energy SocietyEpisode recorded August 25, 2021 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

Sara Kane is the co-leader of the Power and Renewables Practice at CAC Specialty, an integrated specialty insurance brokerage business. She has focused on assessing, pricing, and insuring against climate risk for more than a decade. In this episode, Sara and Chad Reed discuss the impact of the increasing number and severity of catastrophic weather events on renewable energy projects as well as the sobering findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recent Sixth Assessment Report, the promise of professional career growth from crisis situations, the difference gender diversity makes in the workplace, and much more.Links:Sara Kane LinkedInCAC Specialty Natural Resources Practice GroupIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (August 2021)NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2021)Insurance Insider: Maturing renewable energy market balances growth with sustainable pricing (August 2021)Episode recorded August 17, 2021 Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, we speak with Alice Hill, senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations, and author of the upcoming book, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19. As a former federal prosecutor, judge, special assistant to President Barack Obama, and senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council, Alice has a unique and powerful perspective on the risks, consequences, and responses associated with climate change. In conversation with Gil and Hilary, she discusses her journey in becoming an expert on catastrophic risk and climate resilience, which countries are doing well on climate adaptation, and where the U.S. government is falling short. Additionally, Alice talks about what the pandemic can teach us about fighting climate change, how the democratization of data could improve climate security for the world’s most vulnerable populations, how she finds joy in her work, and more. Episode recorded July 13, 2021 Links: Alice Hill on TwitterOpEd: Climate adaptation: The gaping hole in American environmental policy (Alice Hill and Chris Field, The Hill, April 15, 2021)Article: COVID’s lesson for climate research: go local (Alice C. Hill, Nature, June 29, 2021)Book: The Fight for Climate after COVID-19” (Alice C. Hill, released August 4, 2021)Book: Building a Resilient Tomorrow (Alice C. Hill and Leonardo Martinez-Diaz, 2019) Show contributors: Gil Jenkins, Hilary Langer, Alice Hill Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].

In this episode, we speak with Nancy Floyd, the founder and managing director of the venture capital firm Nth Power and a new member of Hannon Armstrong’s Board of Directors. Throughout the conversation, Nancy offers several insights on the past, present, and future of the clean energy venture space. She also provides plainspoken advice on effective board service, what makes a good pitch, and a good business plan from the perspective of someone who reads thousands a year. Additionally, Nancy talked with Gil about her time in the political spotlight, how the traits she developed in competitive ski racing and tennis help her in the venture world, and much more. We hope you enjoy this conversation with one of the true pioneers of climate tech investing.Links: Nancy Floyd on LinkedIn2008 Democratic National Convention speech by Nancy Floyd Hannon Armstrong Appoints Clarence D. Armbrister and Nancy C. Floyd to Board of Directors What Do Venture Capitalists Need to Hear from Scientists? A Conversation with Nancy Floyd, the Founder of Nth Power Episode recorded June 2, 2021. Email your feedback to Gil, Guy, Hilary, and Kenny at [email protected].