Invested In Climate

In this week’s episode, we’re focusing on the opportunity to invest in buildings, cities, infrastructure and air conditioning. Why? Well, for one thing, 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the built environment, and according to the Climate Group, those emissions are set to double by 2050 if they’re left unchecked. Why else? Because it's been crazy hot this summer and the record heat waves we’ve experienced are unfortunately just the beginning. 

I was thrilled to talk with Christian Hernandez Gallardo, Co-Founder and Partner of venture firm 2150 that’s investing in making cities more efficient, sustainable and resilient. And also Daniel Betts, founder of Blue Frontier, a startup that is set to positively disrupt the air conditioning market.

As investment in urban infrastructure begins to take off, a real transformation is possible and  companies like Blue Frontier offer a glimpse of what the future can hold. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Let’s dive in. 

• [3:33] What is 2150 and the investment thesis that’s driving their work
• [4:37] Why focus on cities and city infrastructure AKA the built environment
• [7:03] Personal motivations behind investing in climate founders
• [10:36] Finding optimism through climate work
• [11:48] The importance of cooling
• [14:46] What is Blue Frontier and what problem is it aiming to solve
• [17:15] What climate impacts can Blue Frontier’s technology create
• [20:02] Replacing refrigerants in air conditioners with other materials
• [21:20] What will it take for Blue Frontier technology to reach scale
• [27:01] Commercial and municipal challenges in replacing legacy infrastructure
• [31:20] Where is there a lack of built environment innovation and investment
• [35:37] How to support the transition to more climate-positive built environments
• [40:25] Tips on how folks can start investing
• [41:29] Calls to action from 2150 and Blue Frontier

• 2150
• Blue Frontier
• Climate Group

• Connect with Christian on Twitter and LinkedIn
• Connect with Daniel on Twitter and LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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I've noticed that no matter who I talk to, I keep hearing about the importance of government action for addressing climate change. Laws, public programs, and incentives are critical to speeding up decarbonisation, protecting the environment, and ensuring that historically underserved communities aren't left behind. Much of the climate policy we need will happen at the state and local level. And there's perhaps no state more influential than California. And so I was thrilled to talk with California State Senator Josh Becker, and Mary Creasman, CEO of California Envirovoters. They're both working hard to make sure California continues to be a climate action leader and they provide some great insights to what we can all be doing. So let's dive in.

• [3:41] Senator Becker and Mary Creasman - what are their roles in the climate transition
• [6:09] The importance of local, state, and federal policy
• [9:51] The role CA has played in protecting the environment and fighting climate change
• [13:03] Priorities and challenges for climate action in CA
• [20:29] The most important actions and ideas for influencing others
• [27:46] What is the Justice 40 Act and why it matters
• [30:40] Why did Senator Manchin come around and what is the Inflation Reduction Act
• [34:34] Climate as a top electoral issue
• [37:11] Speaking to voters about climate - what works and how to get more involved
• [39:25] The most effective ways for people to accelerate climate policymaking
• [42:56] How voters can reach policymakers and actually have an influence

• California Environmental Voters

• Connect with Senator Becker
• Connect with Mary

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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To address climate change, there's little doubt that we need to replace gas powered cars with electric vehicles. But is owning an EV actually needed? What if rather than buying a car that remains parked most of the time, electric vehicles could just appear when we need them. That's the bold vision of Anand Nandakumar, Founder of the startup Halo.car. The company provides a solution enabled by technology and a team of remote pilots that offers the convenience of Lyft or Uber, combined with the freedom of Zipcar. I had a blast talking to Anand and think you will enjoy his big thinking and great insights to transportation, cities, urban design, the future and more. So buckle up. Here we go. 

• [2:45] What is Halo.car and what problem is it aiming to solve
• [6:36] Anand’s story and what led him to start Halo.car
• [10:30] The innovation behind what makes Halo.car special
• [12:48] Overcoming the technical and regulatory challenges of a new market
• [18:44] The process for selecting and training remote pilots
• [21:29] Halo.car’s launch in Las Vegas and growth plans
• [28:16] The global market opportunity and insights into opportunities in India
• [30:38] A vision for the future of mobility and urban design
• [36:44] Looking forward towards autonomous vehicles
• [43:09] Being a climate entrepreneur in this current moment
• [47:07] Practicing minimalism for climate impact

• Halo.car

• Connect with Anand

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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The thing that's most exciting for us working in climate is that we are witnessing one of the largest societal transformations that we'll probably ever see. And we're right at the start of it. 

Over the next decade, we're going to see an explosion of growth and opportunity in this space. Last year, over $40 billion in venture capital went to over 900 climate tech companies. To put that in context, that's double what it was just the year before. And yet, this is just a fraction of climate entrepreneurship. In addition to these hundreds of venture backed startups, there's hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of small businesses, turning their sights to climate impact. Most are not a fit for or interested in venture capital, but they still have financing needs.

This is the market that Dimitry Gershenson and Erin Davis are serving with their startup, Enduring Planet. They offer non-dilutive funding on founder-friendly terms. While there's a ton of coverage of the venture capital market, Dimitry and Erin bring unique perspectives to the incredibly diverse and expansive field of climate entrepreneurship. Full disclosure: I'm a big fan of Enduring Planet and recently made a small investment in their seed round. I think you'll see why I'm so excited by their potential. Here we go.

• [4:30] What is Enduring Planet and what problem is it aiming to solve
• [6:02] The type of companies that Enduring Planet is looking to invest in
• [8:05] What it means to be founder-friendly and the experience founders can expect
• [10:36] What is non-dilutive funding and why might it be the best option
• [11:08] The market size and exciting areas for non-dilutive climate investments
• [15:06] How many companies Enduring Planet is looking at and the current reach
• [19:24] Serving underrepresented founders through corporate DNA
• [24:12] The breadth of companies emerging and the generational shift
• [27:37] Fixed income intermediaries as a missing piece of the climate innovation puzzle
• [31:18] What is revenue-based financing, how it works, and why it’s the first product
• [35:26] What revenue-based financing means for business and viability
• [39:04] Using technology to improve the process of evaluating investment opportunities
• [41:09] Enduring Planet’s growth goals for the next 3-5 years
• [44:30] Advice for individual investors interested in climate

• Enduring Planet
• AngelList
• Carbon Collective

• Connect with Dimitry
• Connect with Erin

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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Bienvenidos and welcome. Latin America is one of my favorite places in the world to visit and so I was thrilled to get to learn about the state of climate tech investing in Latin America for this episode. Today you’ll get to hear three interesting perspectives – a climate tech investor, a startup founder and a car designer rethinking mobility and urban design. Diego Serebrisky is a climate tech investor based in Mexico City. He’s the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of a firm called Dalus Capital. Jose Manuel Moller is the founder and CEO of a growing circular economy startup called Algramo. And Fernando Ocaña is a car designer and founder of the firm VEU Auto. 

Lots of fascinating insights to the climate tech we’ll need in the future and to building climate solutions in Latin America. Hope you learn as much as I did. Enjoy.

• [2:17] Diego's work at Dalus Capital and his insights into the growth of climate investing
• [7:12] Opportunities within Mexico and Latin America
• [9:57] Deal flows that Dalus Capital is seeing
• [11:44] José's work at Algramo and what problems he's aiming to solve
• [14:17] How technology can enable consumer behavior change
• [15:59] Scaling business in the circular economy space
• [17:58] Fernando's work at VEU Auto and his strategy to address mobility issues
• [23:02] Mexico City as a laboratory for urban design and sustainable design
• [26:37] Learning from Mexico and Latin American markets
• [36:23] The state of climate tech in Mexico
• [38:27] The importance of gaining global visibility
• [40:13] The importance of personal choices and policy change

• Dalus Capital
• Algramo
• VEU Auto
• Latam Climate Innovation Summit

• Connect with Diego
• Connect with Jose
• Connect with Fernando

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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Might it be that the climate crisis requires not just technological change but also culture change. Might it be that as a civilization we need profound shifts in how we think, speak and act. If that’s the case, then art and creative expression will be critical to stretching our imaginations and to creating the new narratives, paradigms and mindsets that underpin our society. 

Planning for this episode I became fascinated with the role and potential of artistic movements in creating culture change. I actually recorded this episode with a live audience of designers and creative people at IDEO, the design firm where I work. And so the pressure was on. 

After extensive research, I was thrilled to find Raquel deAnda and Gan Golan. Raquel is an artist, curator and cultural producer involved in many climate and social justice organizations, and she helps lead the US Department of Arts and Culture. Gan Golan artist, activist, creative strategist, and NY Times bestselling author and he is a co-founder of the Climate Clock. 

Raquel and Gan met while designing and organizing the role of art in the 2014 People’s Climate March. That was one of the largest climate mobilizations in history and so they bring really informed perspectives on the power of creativity in the climate movement. We talked about that experience, the work they’re doing now, how artists continue to impact the climate movement and advice for anyone that wants to use their creativity to address climate change. So whether you’re an artist, creatively curious or just eager for that culture change we need – this episode has a lot you’ll enjoy. Here we go.

• [3:11] How Raquel and Gan met
• [4:04] The role of art and creativity at the People's Climate March
• [7:05] The impacts of the March on the climate justice movement
• [10:59] What is actually happening and what is the pushback
• [14:33] What is Climate Clock and what is it aiming to achieve
• [18:41] How can people get involved and utilize Climate Clock's resources
• [19:56] Examples of art as an organizing strategy
• [21:02] What is the US Department of Arts and Culture and what is it aiming to achieve
• [24:32] Traction for supporting artists through local government
• [26:16] Funding barriers for climate creatives and ways to support
• [30:27] How to elevate the urgency of climate in our public discourse
• [33:54] Advice for creatives interested in climate justice work
• [36:19] How to bring climate action into the house as parents
• [39:34] Finding inspiration and emerging ideas
• [43:14] Other climate resources: Like the Waters, We Rise
• [45:37] Lifting up joy in work and activism

• Climate Clock
• US Department of Arts and Culture
• Climate Justice Alliance
• Like the Waters, We Rise

• Connect with Raquel
• Connect with Gan

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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Climate tech is a $90 trillion opportunity and synthetic biology is projected to be a $30 trillion opportunity. Both sectors are expected to grow by 100x in the next decade, and we know that more than 60% of the dirty inputs to the global economy can be replaced by inputs made by biology which are more efficient, cleaner and cost effective. So we invest in the intersection of these two markets, both of which are at inflection points.

When it comes to a rapidly decarbonizing world, there's many things we take for granted that we shouldn't. For example, it's easy to assume that coffee and chocolate should always come from beans that grow on trees. Maybe that's the case. Or maybe we'll rely on new tech that's enabling us to create synthetic alternatives that are actually better for the planet. Welcome to the world of synthetic biology. I've been fascinated by the possibility of dramatically reducing emissions across many different sectors through biology. So I sat down with Michael Luciani and Jenny Kan, who are investing in synthetic bio as they build a new fund called Exponential Impact. I learned a ton in this conversation and hope you do too.

• [3:21] What led Jenny and Michael to climate investing
• [9:32] What is syndicate investing and how it works
• [12:36] What is a rolling fund and what type of investors are a good fit
• [15:15] The investment thesis behind Exponential Impact 
• [16:56] The market case for climate tech and biotech investing
• [19:47] How synthetic bio is creating an opportunity for addressing climate change
• [21:34] Examples of investment opportunities available 
• [27:27] How do synthetically made products compare
• [29:06] The economical and ethical critiques of the synthetic bio space
• [32:22] Exponential Impact’s advantages as a firm
• [33:49] Exponential Impact’s ideal investor and minimum investment
• [35:31] Principles for supporting climate tech startups
• [37:30] Community and attitude considerations for climate impact

• Exponential Impact
• AngelList
• JoinC3.co

• Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
• Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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The IPCC report that came out recently found that demand side changes, including consumer behavior change, can help reduce 40 to 70% of the emissions that we need to cut by 2050. So we do have power to meet global climate goals, especially where we act together, and when we know which choices to focus on.

I'll be honest here, I don't think carbon offsets are the answer. Companies relying only on offsets to become carbon neutral are pushing off the hard work of reducing their emissions. On the individual level, however, buying offsets actually has a different effect. It gets individuals to become more engaged in managing their carbon footprint, in talking about climate, and getting involved in activism. This is some of what I learned from Sanchli Pal, founder of a venture-backed startup called Joro. 

In this episode of Invested in Climate, we talk to Sanchali about the work she does, how individual decisions can spark systemic change, and what we can all do today to reduce our emissions.

• [2:55] What is Joro and what problem is it aiming to solve
• [4:21] The methodology behind tracking and calculating an individual’s carbon footprint
• [8:03] What is an offset and how it works
• [9:08] The validity of concerns around offsetting
• [11:38] The most impactful lifestyle choices we can make to reduce our footprint
• [14:46] How Sanchali started her journey as a founder
• [17:52] Focusing on individuals for leveraging systems change
• [20:16] The multiplier effect through building community
• [23:20] Consumer demands and the need for Joro
• [24:46] Drawing inspiration for US consumers from international progress
• [28:55] Using metrics to work towards a new way of thinking
• [30:37] Areas where people made the biggest carbon reductions in the last year
• [34:18] Work and learning to address the climate crisis

• Sixth Assessment IPPC Report
• Food, Inc.

• Joro
• Connect on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

There are likely only a few people who know more about impact investing than John Goldstein. His firm—Imprint Capital—helped pioneer the field before getting acquired by Goldman Sachs in 2015. Now, John is the head of Goldman’s Sustainable Finance Group, offering him a truly unique perspective on the trillions of dollars needed to finance decarbonization and conservation globally.

In this episode of Invested in Climate, we talk about the work that John does, how investing in climate has evolved in recent years, and why now is the time to invest. If you’re investing in climate or curious about getting started, don’t miss this episode.

• [2:43] The purpose of the sustainable finance group
• [7:44] The clients they serve and the scale they operate at
• [9:00] What led John to the position he’s in today
• [16:03] Why now is the time to invest in climate 
• [22:07] Quantifying the impact of investments
• [26:49] Why we’re in a new chapter of ESG investing
• [31:31] The investment opportunities available 
• [32:55] Can divestment have an impact?
• [34:08] Think like an analyst—not an advocate
• [42:43] How everyday people make an impact

• Goldman Sachs Sustainable Finance
• Taylor Jordan

• Connect on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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Switching your home energy source to solar is one of the most impactful things you can do to slow climate change—yet going solar is confusing and can be prohibitively expensive. Wildgrid Solar is a startup working to make solar accessible to more people. In this episode of Invested in Climate, I sat down with Wildgrid’s co-founders Krystal Persaud and Parinda Darden to learn how they’re making the world of solar energy easier to navigate. And if you don’t yet power your home with solar, hopefully this episode has you considering making the switch. 

• [3:13] Learn more about Wildgrid Solar and the problem it’s aiming to solve
• [4:17] The impact you can make by switching to solar
• [5:23] How does Wildgrid work? Why should you use them?
• [13:05] How Wildgrid works to offer a unique product
• [18:06] Why Wildgrid is trying to reach a younger demographic
• [20:49] How Wildgrid is building a community of solar advocates
• [23:15] Why solar providers should partner with Wildgrid
• [24:49] How Wildgrid seeks to expand in the future
• [27:40] The new and exciting things happening with Wildgrid
• [28:39] How Parinda and Krystal believe activism is impactful

• Grouphug

• Wildgrid Solar
• Connect with Krystal on LinkedIn
• Connect with Parinda on LinkedIn

• https://InvestedInClimate.com 
• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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