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Permitting reform has become one of the most consequential—and controversial—topics in U.S. climate and energy policy. As electricity demand rises due to AI, data centers, electrification, and economic growth, many argue that the country’s permitting, transmission, and interconnection processes are too slow to support the clean energy transition. In this special crossover episode jointly produced by the Climate Rising and CleanLaw podcasts, Mike Toffel and Harvard Law School Professor Jody Freeman speak with Nat Keohane, President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). They discuss why permitting reform has emerged as a rare area of bipartisan interest, the challenges of modernizing America’s electric grid, and the tradeoffs between accelerating infrastructure development and maintaining environmental safeguards. The conversation examines how permitting, transmission planning, utility incentives, AI-driven electricity demand, and federal-state governance intersect—and why solving these challenges may be essential to both climate progress and American competitiveness.

How can companies make sustainability information useful to consumers at the moment they make a purchase? Justine Mahler and Cameron Westfall of Amazon join Climate Rising to discuss Climate Pledge Friendly, Amazon’s sustainable shopping program. They explain how Amazon uses third-party certifications to identify products with sustainability attributes, how the company evaluates which certifications qualify, and how it translates complex standards into information consumers can quickly understand. The conversation also explores what Amazon has learned about consumer behavior since launching the program in 2020. Cameron shares research showing a sales lift for products after joining Climate Pledge Friendly, while Justine explains why the environmental impacts that matter most differ across product categories. They also discuss how customer feedback, experimentation, and evolving sustainability science continue to shape the program.

Climate action requires more than technology, policy, and capital. It also requires communication. In this special curated episode of Climate Rising, we revisit three past conversations to explore how companies communicate about climate change to different audiences. The episode features excerpts from Mike Toffel’s conversations with leaders of New Belgium Brewing, Allbirds, and Microsoft that illustrate distinct approaches to climate storytelling. New Belgium used products and campaigns to engage consumers directly. Allbirds embedded sustainability into product design and customer experience. Microsoft focused internally, translating climate ambition into governance structures and decision-making processes. Taken together, these leaders highlight how climate communication can influence customers, employees, policymakers, and business leaders—and why storytelling remains an essential part of accelerating climate action.

Carbon labeling has become one of the most visible ways climate actions enter everyday consumer decisions. In this episode of Climate Rising, Julia Nicoara, Marketing and Communications Director at the Carbon Trust, explains how carbon labeling systems, certification standards, and corporate partnerships are helping organizations measure, reduce, and communicate their climate impact. The conversation explores how carbon labels evolved from early experimental initiatives into widely adopted transparency tools, how companies balance credibility and communication in sustainability claims, and how regulation is shaping the future of green marketing

Addressing climate change isn’t just a technology or policy challenge - it’s a communication challenge. John Marshall, founder of Potential Energy Coalition, joins Climate Rising to discuss how marketing techniques can accelerate climate action. Drawing on decades of experience advising major corporations, John explains how his team uses behavioral science, focus groups, large-scale experimentation, and data-driven messaging to shift public perception on climate and energy. The conversation explores why traditional climate messaging often fails, how concepts like “net zero” and “climate crisis” can backfire, and why trust, identity, and local relevance matter more than abstract global narratives. John also discusses the role of AI in reshaping marketing and the risks and opportunities it presents for climate communication

Transforming the energy system isn’t just a technical challenge - it’s a communication challenge. Leah Qusba, CEO of Good Power, joins Climate Rising to discuss how public perception, political engagement, and storytelling are shaping the pace of the clean energy transition. Good Power operates at the intersection of behavioral science, data, and campaigning, working to accelerate renewable energy adoption and counter misinformation. The conversation explores how permitting bottlenecks, disinformation campaigns, and community resistance are slowing renewable energy deployment—and how targeted communication strategies can overcome these barriers. Leah also discusses the role of peer-to-peer storytelling, the importance of trusted messengers, and how digital media ecosystems influence climate outcomes. The episode also examines Good Power’s expansion into regenerative agriculture, the role of demand creation in scaling sustainable food systems, and how emerging technologies like AI are reshaping climate communication.

Climate adaptation is emerging as one of the most critical—and least understood—challenges in the climate transition. Mekala Krishnan, Partner at the McKinsey Global Institute, joins Climate Rising to discuss McKinsey’s new research assessing adaptation needs, costs, and gaps around the world. The conversation explores why the world is already underinvesting in resilience, and how climate risks are distributed unevenly across geographies and income levels. Mekala explains the concept of the “resiliency gap,” highlighting that billions of people remain under-protected despite the existence of cost-effective solutions. The episode also examines how climate risks will evolve in the coming decades, why adaptation spending needs could rise to over $1 trillion annually, and what barriers—beyond finance—are preventing action. The discussion concludes with insights into how businesses, governments, and financial institutions are beginning to respond, and what it will take to scale adaptation globally.

Wildfires are becoming larger, more destructive, and more expensive every year. But what if the most effective intervention happens not after a fire grows, but within the first few minutes after ignition? Max Brodie, co-founder and CEO of Rain, joins Climate Rising to discuss how autonomous aircraft could transform wildfire response. Rain is developing AI-powered wildfire suppression systems that upgrade helicopters with autonomous capabilities, enabling faster response times and more effective intervention during the critical first minutes of a fire. The conversation explores the economics of wildfire prevention, the role of autonomy in aerial firefighting, the challenges of balancing suppression with ecological fire management, and the growing relationship between wildfire risk and climate change. Max also discusses the broader implications of autonomy, public-private partnerships, and how emerging technologies can accelerate climate adaptation and mitigation.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses operate — but it is also reshaping how companies think about sustainability. Christina Shim, Chief Sustainability Officer at IBM, joins Climate Rising to discuss how AI, cloud infrastructure, and emerging technologies like quantum computing are transforming corporate sustainability strategies. Drawing on her background across consulting, government, investing, startups, and technology, Christina explains how IBM is redefining sustainability from a compliance function into a core business capability. The conversation explores the “efficiency stack” of AI — from chips and data centers to software models and enterprise applications — and how improvements in efficiency can reduce costs, emissions, and operational waste. Christina also shares examples of how IBM and its partners are applying AI to urban heat islands, sustainable materials discovery, infrastructure maintenance, and enterprise sustainability management. The episode also examines the tension between AI’s growing energy demand and its efficiency gains, the role of “fit-for-purpose” models, and why Christina believes the social and governance implications of AI deserve even more attention than the environmental ones.

Geothermal energy has long been seen as a promising, but challenging, clean energy resource. Unlike wind or solar, geothermal requires finding heat hidden deep underground, often with little surface indication of where to look. Joel Edwards, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Zanskar, joins Climate Rising to explain how advances in geoscience, data science, and machine learning are transforming geothermal exploration. By combining publicly available geologic data with modern modeling techniques, Zanskar is working to reduce the risk and cost of finding new geothermal resources. The conversation explores how geothermal systems work, why exploration has historically been challenging, and how Zanskar’s approach is enabling “blind discoveries”—finding viable geothermal resources that lack surface expressions such as hot springs or geysers. Joel also discusses the economics of geothermal, the role of data centers as a potential catalyst for growth, and what it will take to scale the industry.

AI and geospatial technologies are transforming how industries understand and respond to climate challenges. David Potere, Managing Director and Partner at BCG X, joins Climate Rising to describe how sensing, decision-making, and automation are reshaping and decarbonizing sectors like agriculture and energy. The conversation examines how satellite data, AI models, and real-time sensing systems are enabling new levels of transparency—from methane emissions in energy systems to crop yields and wildfire risks. David discusses the concept of “Industry 4.0” in outdoor environments, where deploying technology is significantly more complex than in controlled factory settings. The episode also highlights emerging applications in agriculture, energy infrastructure, and climate resilience, and explores how advances in AI and data systems are lowering barriers to innovation. David reflects on the future of consulting, the democratization of technology, and the growing role of builders in solving climate challenges.

As climate risks intensify, understanding their financial implications is becoming critical for businesses, investors, and homeowners alike. Ed Kearns, Chief Science Officer at First Street, joins Climate Rising to explain how climate data is being translated into actionable financial risk insights. The conversation explores how First Street models physical climate risks—including flooding, wildfire, and extreme weather—and translates them into property-level financial impacts. Ed discusses why traditional tools like FEMA flood maps fall short in a changing climate, and how new approaches combine physics-based modeling with high-resolution data. The episode also examines how climate risk is reshaping real estate markets, insurance systems, and investment decisions, and why transparency is driving a fundamental shift in how risk is priced. Ed reflects on the growing demand for climate risk intelligence and the role of both private markets and public policy in adapting to a warming world.

Patagonia Provisions General Manager Paul Lightfoot joins Climate Rising to discuss why Patagonia expanded beyond apparel into food, and how regenerative organic agriculture is central to its mission of addressing climate change. Patagonia’s food business was built on the belief that agriculture is one of the largest drivers of environmental degradation—and therefore one of the most important opportunities and levers for change. The conversation explores how Patagonia’s early transition to organic cotton shaped its approach and evolution into regenerative organic agriculture. Paul that Patagonia’s focus seeks to encourage regenerative practices that improve soil health, nutrition, and environmental performance. Paul also describes some challenges of building regenerative supply chains, including working directly with farmers, creating demand signals, and managing supply constraints in a fast-growing business. He discusses the role of the Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) standard in addressing greenwashing and scaling adoption, as well as Patagonia’s broader strategy to influence industry practices—not just gain market share. The episode closes with a discussion of the future of regenerative agriculture, the limitations of policy-driven change, and Patagonia’s belief that market demand and consumer awareness will ultimately drive transformation in the food system.

Alyse Russel, Senior Manager of Global Sustainability Programs at VF Corporation, joins Climate Rising to discuss how one of the world’s largest apparel companies is embedding sustainability across a complex, multi-brand supply chain. VF owns major global brands including Vans, The North Face, and Timberland, and is working to reduce product-related emissions by transforming how key materials are sourced and produced. The conversation explores why raw materials—such as cotton, leather, rubber, and wool—account for the majority of VF’s emissions footprint, and how the company is prioritizing regenerative agriculture to address this challenge. Alyse explains how VF is scaling regenerative cotton, rubber, and wool programs across different geographies, while navigating trade-offs related to cost, verification, and supply chain complexity. The episode also examines how VF collaborates with farmers, NGOs, and researchers to implement regenerative practices, the challenges of measuring outcomes like soil carbon and biodiversity, and the evolving role of traceability and certification in validating sustainability claims. Alyse also reflects on the future of regenerative agriculture in the apparel sector, including the need for better standards, broader environmental metrics beyond carbon, and stronger industry-wide coordination.

Simon Haldrup, founder and CEO of Agreena, joins Climate Rising to discuss how regenerative agriculture can scale beyond early adopters by focusing on farmer economics, data-driven decision-making, and flexible practice “toolboxes” rather than rigid labels. Based on Copenhagen, Agreena combines agriculture, finance and technology to work with 10,000 farmers across 20 countries. The conversation explores why adoption remains challenging despite long-term benefits, including thin margins, short planning horizons, and the risk of yield dips in the initial transition years. Simon also explains how Agreena uses satellite imagery, machine learning, and outcome-based verification to support both carbon credits and carbon insets, and how its two-sided platform aligns farmer incentives with corporate climate commitments. The episode closes with Simon’s perspective on the role of policy, finance, and technology in making regenerative agriculture the “new normal,” and advice for those interested in careers at the intersection of agriculture, climate, and systems thinking.