Invested In Climate

In this Deep Dive series on Climate Philanthropy, I’m exploring the wide range of ways that foundations are stepping up to support climate progress, especially amid federal rollbacks and inconsistent commitments from large companies. Philanthropic capital is tiny in comparison to government and corporate budgets, but it can still be a helpful tool – especially if wielded strategically. 

Let's set some context: In the United States, there are over 30,000 environmental nonprofits. It's a wildly diverse field with organizations of all sizes and countless focus areas. Since the 1970s, they’ve saved millions of lives through environmental protections that have cleaned our air, water, land, buildings, factories, and products. 

Many are struggling with funding cuts and staff shortages, and too often they compete for attention and resources.

Foundations provide funding to these organizations, but they can also play a more fundamental role: building movement infrastructure that bolsters the power and influence of the entire field. 

That, argues Pisces Foundation President David Beckman, is a priority that deserves more attention and support. David is a friend whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years. When it comes to investing in movement infrastructure, I can’t think of anyone else who brings the nuance and insight David has gained through a career-long focus on advancing the environmental movement. We talk about his background as an National Resources Defense Council attorney, his role in helping start the Pisces Foundation, the entreprenuerial nature of his work, what movement infrastructure is, what he’s learned about investing in it, the importance of late night cookies in building relationships, the need for a meta narrative, the work of the Pisces Foundation, super pollutants, what business people and young people should know about the environmental movement, and much more. 

• [03:49] David's Background and Career Path
• [05:37] Founding of Pisces Foundation
• [07:56] State of the Environmental Movement
• [09:41] Strategic Posture and Movement Influence
• [11:44] Collective Work and Movement Infrastructure
• [15:08] Social Entrepreneurship in Philanthropy
• [17:29] Collaborative Field Building Insights
• [19:49] Late Night Cookies and Building Relationships
• [22:31] Meta Narrative in Environmental Movement
• [25:32] Discussion on Environmental Regulations
• [28:25] Pisces Foundation's Strategic Evolution
• [31:33] Super Pollutants Overview
• [33:40] Impact of DC Politics on Philanthropy
• [35:48] Advice for Business Community
• [37:13] Advice for Young People
• [39:04] Current Inspirations

• Pisces Foundation
• National Resources Defense Council
• Sierra Club
• Blue Sky Funders Forum
• Mosaic Funders Collaborative
• Hewlett Foundation
• “Abundance” by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Environmental Grantmakers Association
• “‘Hope is a​n embrace of the unknown​’: Rebecca Solnit on living in dark times”

• David Beckman
• Jason Rissman

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In the second installment of our Deep Dive: Missing Middle in Climate Tech series, created in partnership with Spring Lane Capital, we dive deeper into why the “missing middle” is not just a gap; it's a structural issue. We're joined by two of the sharpest minds in climate investing: Francis O’Sullivan, Managing Director at S2G Investments, and Rob Day, Co-Founder of Spring Lane Capital. Together, they explore how early-stage innovation and late-stage deployment are well funded, while the crucial middle phase of scaling is dangerously underserved.

We discuss why this gap exists, what solutions are emerging, and how investors are shifting their strategies to meet the moment. If you care about accelerating the climate transition, you’re going to want to listen to this.

What You’ll Learn

• Why the "missing middle" persists despite surging climate capital overall
• How venture capital models can distort scale-up potential
• What new capital strategies (like development expense financing) are emerging
• Why climate investing now enters a “third phase” of full-scale deployment
• How Rob and Francis are rethinking returns and risk for the climate transition

In today’s episode, we cover:

• [2:50] Francis' background and journey to S2G
• [4:36] Rob's career path in climate tech investing
• [6:30] Spring Lane Capital's founding and investment thesis
• [9:54] Discussion of the missing middle in climate finance
• [19:04] Structural challenges in climate investment
• [25:46] Organizational challenges for institutional investors
• [33:57] Concrete investment examples
• [41:37] Explanation of structured investment instruments
• [44:26] Historical context of climate investing

Resources Mentioned

• S2G Investments
• Spring Lane Capital
• World Resources Institute
• Invested in Climate - Missing Middle in Climate Tech Series: The Role of Family Offices with Spring Lane Capital & CREO, Ep #114
• S2G: 2023 Report - The Missing Middle: Capital Imbalances in the Energy Transition
• CREO: 2024 Report - Understanding the Climate Finance Gap
• Soluna

Connect with Us

• Jason Rissman
• Rob Day
• Francis O’Sullivan

Spring Lane Capital

• Website: https://springlanecapital.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/springlanecapital/ 

S2G Investment 

• Website: https://www.s2ginvestments.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/s2g-investments/

Invested in Climate

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The climate transition requires not just allocating trillions of dollars to scale new technologies, build new infrastructure, and transform incumbent industries – it requires getting the right mix of capital to develop, grow, and eventually scale innovations. 

In the world of climate, promising technologies too often don’t find the growth-stage capital that’s needed before large institutional investors can finance reaching scale. Addressing this missing middle is a structural challenge that requires more attention, and today’s episode is the first in a series of discussions on the missing middle in climate, developed in partnership with Spring Lane Capital. 

In this conversation, I’m joined by Jason Scott, a long-time climate investor who is Partner in Residence at Spring Lane Capital and also Board Chair of CREO Syndicate, and Régine Clément, CEO at CREO Syndicate. Spring Lane has been investing for years in the missing middle and has unique expertise in the challenges and opportunities it holds. If you haven’t heard of CREO, this is a group you should know. CREO works to help family offices invest more in climate. Families hold over $10 trillion in assets and can bring versatility and resilience that can help improve climate finance. CREO is working to mobilize $1 trillion for climate in the coming years. We talk about insights from their recent report on the missing middle, how climate investing has evolved in recent years, the role of catalytic capital, whether investors are backing away from climate amidst changing policy and macro-factors, and much more.

This was a great kick-off for our Deep Dive: Missing Middle in Climate Tech series, and I hope it piques your interest in the other episodes as well. And, if it piques your interest about partnering on a topical series of your own, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

What You'll Learn

• What the "missing middle" is and why it's crucial for climate progress
• How climate financing has evolved over the past decade and what gaps remain
• The unique role family offices play in addressing climate investment gaps
• Why growth-stage capital is especially scarce despite strong returns in climate investing
• How policy uncertainty and structural market issues impact climate finance
• Strategic approaches to mobilize trillions for climate solutions by 2030

In today’s episode, we cover:

• 03:12 - Régine’s background and CREO Syndicate's work
• 06:08 - Jason’s background and Spring Lane Capital’s work
• 08:22 - Defining the "missing middle" in climate finance
• 13:19 - Analysis of climate investment trends and current market dynamics
• 17:43 - The 6x financing gap needed to reach climate goals by 2030
• 19:57 - Why the missing middle in climate is more complex than in other sectors
• 24:49 - Structural challenges with fund sizes and misaligned investor incentives
• 30:33 - The surprising finding that only 18% of self-proclaimed climate funds invest >50% in climate
• 34:05 - Perspective on progress despite policy uncertainty and market fluctuations
• 37:47 - The economic case for climate investing beyond environmental benefits
• 41:27 - The unique role of family offices in catalyzing climate capital

Resources Mentioned

• CREO Syndicate: Understanding the Climate Finance Gap report
• Forbes: Where To Find The 'Missing Middle' Of Capital For Sustainable Innovations by Rob Day
• CTVC by Sightline Climate: $30bn and 14% fall as market finds new normal in ‘24
• Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance
• Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative
• Net-Zero Banking Alliance
• CREO Syndicate: Understanding the Climate Finance Gap report

Connect with Us

• Jason Rissman
• Jason Scott
• Régine Clément

Spring Lane Capital

• Website: https://springlanecapital.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/springlanecapital/

CREO Syndicate 

• Website: https://www.creosyndicate.org/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meet-creo/

Invested in Climate

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The voluntary carbon markets have been a source of curiosity for me. There’s been a lot of hope that the market would mature and offer a reliable way to offset emissions that otherwise could not be eliminated. Reliability has been the problem, however. Not knowing which carbon reduction projects are additive and truly remove or reduce carbon has held this market back, and I’ve been excited to learn about how new technologies will enable the reliability that’s needed. 

There are many people working on this problem. Dr. Allister Furey, Founder and CEO of Sylvera is one, and I was excited to learn about his company’s approach to removing carbon market bottlenecks and accelerating the investment in carbon projects. As he says it’s a mix of software, data, AI, and analysis that have helped Sylvera work with large clients and unlock enormous investments. Hope you learn as much as I did. Enjoy.

• [03:37] Allister’s background and entrepreneurial journey
• [05:54] Sylvera's founding and initial business concept
• [10:42] Exploration of the desert greening concept
• [11:27] Sylvera's current business offerings
• [17:10] Sylvera’s progress, reach, and client base
• [20:24] Corporate climate commitment trends
• [22:44] Corporate demand for carbon projects
• [26:12] Policy market expectations
• [29:07] Climate investor sentiment
• [30:33] Future outlook for carbon markets

•  Sylvera 

• Allister Furey
• Jason Rissman

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Non-dilutive funding isn’t just about landing the grant; it’s about delivering on it with excellence. In the third episode of our Deep Dive Series with Climate Finance Solutions, we go beyond the application and explore what happens after the award. Our guest host Joel Armin-Hoiland, Founder & CEO of Climate Finance Solutions, is joined by two experts who live and breathe this work: Susan Perri, Director of Grants at Climate Finance Solutions, and Jeff Haydock, CEO of ecoCFO.

Together, they unpack the essential strategies behind post-award grant management from navigating audits to implementing smart financial systems, crafting efficient technical reports, and making strategic choices long before the application is even submitted. The episode offers real-world insights into federal grant reporting, shifting expectations with the new administration, and how startups can build internal or external capacity to manage complexity without losing focus.

If you’re building a climate company and want to stay ahead of the curve on grants, this episode is for you.

• [02:00] Introductions of Jeff and Susan
• [04:00] Susan’s background
• [05:29] Jeff's background
• [09:38] Susan’s role at Climate Finance Solutions
• [11:18] Post-award management best practices
• [14:10] Strategic elements of grant applications
• [16:26] Financial preparation for grant reporting
• [20:31] Insights on grant audits
• [24:14] Overview of technical reporting 
• [27:34] Strategies for making post-award reporting easier
• [34:18] When to hire consultants for grant management
• [39:11] How to ensure smooth collaboration with consultants
• [41:13] Changes in federal grants under the new Administration
• [45:22] Alternative grant funding sources
• [48:24] Closing thoughts and sources of hope

• Climate Finance Solutions
• ecoCFO

• Joel Armin-Hoiland
• Susan Perri
• Jeff Haydock
• Jason Rissman

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It’s not yet clear exactly how devasting the loss of federal funding for climate nonprofits and climate tech companies will be, but we know the toll will be high. Beyond the funding freeze, there have also been rumors of other federal action targeting nonprofits in this space. 

No one knows exactly what will happen, but it’s clear that philanthropy is more important than ever. Philanthropy alone can’t fill the gap left by the government, but it can make a real difference.

This episode is the first in a series of conversations we’ll have this year focused on climate philanthropy. 

We’re starting with not only one of the biggest climate foundations in the U.S., but also one that combines philanthropy with investments designed to catalyze more capital flows to climate. The MacArthur Foundation has long been a leader in using this impact investing approach to improve the ROI for investors seeking market-rate returns. 

In today’s conversation, we’re joined by MacArthur Foundation’s Director of Impact Investments John Balbach and Program Officer Deborah Philbrick. We spoke about the Foundation's holistic, problem-first approach to climate, what that means for both their philanthropic funding and impact investing, how they’re stepping up to what they see as a civil society crisis, and much more. 

Lots to learn and think about in this one. Let me know if you have ideas about other foundations to feature in this series. Here we go.

• [02:36] Introductions of John and Deborah
• [04:21] Overview of MacArthur Foundation's Climate Work
• [05:52] Climate Solutions Big Bet Details
• [07:02] Philanthropic Strategy and Theory of Change
• [08:15] Grantee Examples
• [10:37] Impact of Federal Funding Freeze
• [12:55] Strategic Shifts and Foundation's Role
• [15:57] Climate Philanthropy Landscape
• [17:04] Sub-national Climate Priorities
• [18:19] MacArthur's Impact Investing History
• [20:36] Risk and Return Approach
• [22:45] Impact Assessment Methodology
• [25:11] Catalytic Capital Strategies
• [28:01] Investment Thesis
• [31:20] Administration's Impact on Investments
• [33:30] Systemic Transformation Discussion

• MacArthur Foundation
• MacArthur Fellows Program
• MacArthur Foundation: Climate Solutions Big Bet
• Just Transition Fund
• League of Conservation Voters Education Fund
• Azolla Ventures
• Encourage Solar Finance
• Sunwealth
• MacArthur Foundation: How We Leverage the ‘Full Continuum’ of Capital to Address the Climate Crisis
• MacArthur Foundation: Aligning Our Investments With Our Mission, Values, and Programs

• Jason Rissman
• John Balbach
• Deborah Philbrick

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Non-dilutive funding is a critical part of the capital stack for climate startups. Changes in Washington have made this landscape all the more challenging to navigate. To improve understanding of the opportunities in this space, Invested in Climate is partnering with Climate Finance Solutions on a series of podcast episodes. 

As our first deep dive in this series, Climate Finance Solutions Founder & CEO Joel Armin-Hoiland joined as a guest host and interviewed Tinia Pina, CEO of Re-Nuble and Dimitry Gershenson, CEO of Enduring Planet. They’ve both unlocked millions in non-dilutive capital to accelerate climate progress and share insights that’ll help founders, investors, donors, and anyone else interested in understanding the rapidly changing world of non-dilutive climate funding.

• [1:00] Introducing the series on non-dilutive funding
• [4:30] Tinia Pina introduces Re-Nuble and her background
• [6:20] Dimitry Gershenson introduces Enduring Planet
• [9:30] Discussion on strategic considerations for grant funding
• [17:10] Challenges of grant funding process
• [22:30] Benefits of working with grant consultants
• [25:45] Discussion on values-driven business
• [31:10] Customer-centered service in climate finance
• [37:15] Impact of federal administration on climate grants
• [42:30] Closing thoughts and sources of hope

• Climate Finance Solutions 
• Re-Nuble
• Enduring Planet

• Joel Armin-Hoiland
• Dimitry Gershenson
• Tinia Pina
• Jason Rissman

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I’ll admit that until recently I knew and thought very little about the potential of Earth observation. It turns out, there’s a huge opportunity here. A report by the World Economic Forum recently estimated there’s almost $4 trillion of potential economic benefit from making better use of the increasingly affordable opportunity to collect and analyze data about our planet. And, the benefit is not just unlocking enormous economic value. Earth observation can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than two gigatons annually through tracking forests, managing wetlands, improving agriculture, and much, much more.

To learn about this opportunity, I was pleased to sit down with Dan Hammer. Dan is a truly unique entrepreneur who’s not only able to maintain a systems view of the opportunities around Earth observation but who’s also building a portfolio of organizations to push this ecosystem forward. Between the non-profit Clay, the design and development agency Ode, and Earth observation startup LGND, Dan has his hands full in the quest to use Earth observation to make nature data as ubiquitous and useful as Google Maps. 

Lots to learn and think about in this episode. Enjoy!

• [03:46] Dan's background & commitment to environmental work
• [08:04] An explanation of Earth observation
• [09:15] Scale of Earth observation satellites
• [09:58] Economic potential of Earth observation
• [12:23] Specific use cases for Earth observation
• [14:02] Outcomes and impact of Earth observation
• [17:11] Potential applications of Earth observation
• [19:17] Introduction to Clay 
• [22:28] Cost reduction in Earth observation technology
• [25:31] Discussion of AI energy demands
• [26:55] Introduction to LGND
• [31:20] Go-to-market strategy for LGND
• [32:41] Discussion of ODE design agency
• [35:11] Vision for Earth observation in 5-10 years
• [36:50] What else is needed to advance Earth observation technology

• Clay
• Ode
• LGND
• Global Forest Watch
• Google Earth Engine
• Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award
• World Economic Forum: Earth Observation
• Earth Genome
• The Nature Conservancy
• Moore Foundation
• Center for Global Development
• Schmidt Futures
• Grantham Foundation
• Radiant Earth
• Minderoo Foundation

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I’m fascinated by the question of how we can improve climate and environmental storytelling. There’s research that shows that 45% of young people in the United States experience climate anxiety so bad that it negatively affects their daily functioning. As we learned during a conversation with Nathaniel Stinnett of the Environmental Voter Project last fall, over 5 million Americans list climate and the environment as their #1 top issue, but don’t actually vote. To me, these are indicators that we need new kinds of storytelling and new ways to experience the climate transition.

To learn about the state of environmental and climate storytelling, I sat down with one of the leading funders of environmental films, Jill Tidman, Executive Director of The Redford Center. Jill brings decades of storytelling experience and understands the challenges of not only getting environmental films distributed but also creating impact through them. We spoke about how the film distribution and funding landscapes have changed, the history of the Redford Center, its impact framework, examples of films and impact campaigns they’ve supported, and much more. 

If you’re a film fan, just generally curious about the role of documentaries in creating change, or like me, want to understand how we can improve storytelling for climate, there's a lot to learn from this conversation. Enjoy. 

• [03:37] Importance of storytelling in environmental issues
• [07:26] History of the Redford Center
• [10:33] Evolution of filmmaker support
• [15:23] Approaches to climate storytelling
• [18:35] Changes in film distribution
• [21:05] Criteria for selecting film projects
• [23:20] Redford Center's impact framework
• [26:29] Example of community engagement film
• [30:28] Impact and wins of supported projects
• [34:02] Indigenous voices and conservation efforts
• [39:13] Future plans for the Redford Center
• [42:45] Addressing polarization through storytelling

• The Redford Center
• Fighting Goliath
• New York Community Trust
• Kiss the Ground
• The Acid Rain Movie

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• On LinkedIn

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Alex Wright-Gladstein was one of the first people I interviewed when I launched Invested in Climate nearly 3 years ago. Our conversation has stuck in my mind over the years as her company, Sphere, offers one of the most impactful actions individuals can take to address climate change. 

The action is really simple: Moving our savings out of fossil fuel companies. In the United States, fossil fuels are included by default in retirement savings accounts. If you have a 401(k), IRA, or pension, you are almost certainly supporting the fossil fuel industry. And we’re not talking about chump change: About 20% of the fossil fuel market cap is derived from 401(k)s and IRA investments. 

Sphere makes it easy for people and companies to move retirement savings away from fossil fuels. They’re currently raising money through a WeFunder crowdfunding campaign, so I thought it was a perfect time to catch up with Alex and hear about Sphere’s progress. Full disclosure: I’m a Sphere investor and soon-to-be customer, but I should say clearly - nothing in this episode should be considered investment advice and is just for informational purposes. 

I hope this conversation pushes your thinking in a helpful way. Enjoy.

• [00:58] Introduction to Alex Wright-Gladstein and Sphere
• [02:35] The origin of Sphere and the problem they're solving
• [05:00] Details about the Sphere 500 Climate Fund
• [06:28] Discussion of investment impact and fossil fuel investments
• [09:17] Navigating 401(k) regulations and lawsuits
• [13:44] Impact of political administrations on climate investing
• [19:37] Ways people can invest with Sphere
• [25:23] Strategies for pressuring companies to offer sustainable 401(k)s
• [29:57] Challenges faced by Sphere, including market volatility and ESG backlash
• [33:35] Vision for the future of climate-friendly investing

• Sphere
• Sphere 500 Climate Fund
• InfluenceMap
• The Virtual March to Retire Big Oil
• WeFunder: Invest in Sphere

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