The Decarbonization Race
A show for ESG and sustainability leaders ready to go beyond 100% renewable, beyond the bare minimum, and truly make an impact
For more resources to help you lead the pack in the most important race of our lifetime, subscribe to our newsletter.
Latest Episodes
Decarbonizing a Manhattan Skyscraper with Brookfield Properties’ Michael Daschle
On our season premiere, Michael Daschle, SVP of Sustainability at Brookfield Properties, joins Lincoln to share how the company’s push to decarbonize its commercial real estate portfolio led to powering Brookfield’s flagship New York City property, One Manhattan West, with 24/7 carbon-free energy. Michael dives into Brookfield’s vision and approach to ESG, how to get the tenants on board with Brookfield’s investments in sustainability, sourcing 100% renewable electricity, and Brookfield’s plans for the future.
Fluence’s Kumaraswamy on Energy Storage: The “Flex” Making The Grid Smarter, Cleaner & Faster-Responding
Energy storage is playing a critical role in managing and reducing corporations’ and communities’ carbon footprint. And no one knows this better than Fluence, the technology company whose team pioneered the use of grid-scale batteries as energy storage 15 years ago. Kiran Kumaraswamy, VP of Growth & Head of Commercial at Fluence, joins our host Lincoln to share the history and importance of energy storage in transforming how countries and companies source, store and deliver electricity. They cover questions such as: How has public perception of energy storage evolved? And what roles are digitalization, companies’ pursuit of 24/7 carbon-free energy, and materials sourcing playing in progress towards net zero?
Energy Minute: The IEA on Advancing Decarbonization Through Clean Energy Procurement
One key publication that was highlighted during the UN COP27 summit was the International Energy Agency's (IEA) report on advancing decarbonization through corporate clean energy procurement. In this Energy Minute, Dana and Steven dive into the report and its key takeaways—in particular looking at the options available to corporations for sourcing clean energy, some differences in how decarbonization efforts would likely differ in the example countries of India and Indonesia, and how even setting lower targets than 100% on time-matched carbon-free energy can yield better carbon reductions than those obtained through a simple solar or wind power purchase agreement by itself.
Bonus Episode: Lincoln Payton Talks Tracking Carbon & Power by the Hour on the Entrepreneurs for Impact Podcast
Turning the microphone around for an episode, our host Lincoln Payton joined Dr. Chris Wedding on his podcast, Entrepreneurs for Impact. Dr. Wedding interviews CEOs and investors on his podcast who are tackling climate change—an initiative we at The Decarbonization Race can certainly get behind. Listen in to hear the interview, including Lincoln’s “origin story,” - his career in investment banking prior to joining Cleartrace - the energy transition that led him to join the climate tech sector as Cleartrace’s CEO, as well as delving into the company’s mission and growth.
Energy Minute: Quick Hits From COP27
As the UN COP27 meeting was winding down, Dana and Steven sat down to recap and discuss some of the highlights from the first half of the climate summit. The COP negotiation continues to be a key mechanism in trying to move the needle forward and keep countries accountable and collaborative as they work against climate change. On this Energy Minute, Dana and Steven touch on some of the pledges the United States has made, an exciting announcement out of Brazil, an update on the 1.5-degree target, and more. Stay tuned until the end for a preview of more exciting climate news that came out of the last half of the conference—in particular, a report that they’ll discuss in the next Energy Minute segment.
Driving Sustainability Progress in Real Estate with Cortland’s Cass McFadden
Technological innovation around energy efficiency and sourcing renewable energy are enabling significant sustainability gains in the real estate sector. In this episode of The Decarbonization Race podcast, Cass McFadden, Global Head of Sustainability at Cortland, discusses the spectrum of real estate sustainability challenges - notably those arising when a company doesn't own the properties it manages - and shares accomplishments and experiences from her previous role at Bozzuto Group, where she was working at the time of this conversation.