The Decarbonization Race

In 2016, Peninsula Clean Energy made an ambitious move to supply its customers with 100% renewable energy. As of 2021, it met its goal with a mix of renewable and carbon-free energy, including large hydropower and nuclear power at a lower price than customers were paying for power through Pacific Gas & Electric. In this Energy Minute, Dana and Steven jump into how Peninsula Clean Energy then decid...

The Decarbonization Race is back! 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...

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 ener...

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 decarboniz...

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...

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...

Technological innovation around energy efficiency and sourcing renewable energy are enabling significant sustainability gains in the real estate sector. At the same time, consumer demand and new local regulations are putting more stringent requirements on the sector to reduce emissions and waste--causing asset owners with billions on the line to set and meet increasingly higher goals in concert wi...

There are 2 core approaches when it comes to counting carbon emissions from procured electricity: market-based and location-based carbon accounting. Is one better than the other? How can you use each (or both) to your benefit when working toward your clean energy goals? In this Energy Minute, Dana and Steve discuss the pros and cons of both methods, and how granular carbon accounting data fits in,...

As the the United Nations' 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) climate summit gets underway in Egypt - where all parties are focused on implementation, how is the world working together to tackle the climate emergency? In this special episode, Martin Wainstein, Founder and Executive Director at the Open Earth Foundation, provides a glimpse into what a global framework united on sustainability n...

Why do are forward-leaning companies centering their decarbonization strategy around 24/7 carbon-free energy? How is it different from a 100% renewable energy target? This episode revisits fundamental concepts on renewable energy (including RECs), looks at the difference in these two models, and explains why hourly data is critical to meeting 100% decarbonization goals.

Institutional investors and investment managers need reliable and certified data to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities. Fortunately, efforts to provide high-quality ESG data on real estate and infrastructure-focused funds are rapidly moving forward. In this informative episode, Dan Winters, Senior Director at GRESB, explains how the framework and theoretical basis to gather both high-quality...

How can companies better work towards meeting their clean energy adoption goals? This episode is about obtaining the best available data to inform your energy decisions. Tracking energy and by extension, carbon data by the hour provides granular-level insights you can't get from a monthly utility bill. By switching from monthly to hourly emissions reporting, energy procurement and ESG/sustainabili...

Suzanne Shelton , founder and CEO of the Shelton Group , helps clean businesses speak sustainability. In her words, Shelton Group "translates the good you do for people and the planet into business success." As a leading sustainability marketer, she helps businesses grow by making ESG initiatives understandable and attracting loyal, environmentally conscious consumers. In this lively interview wit...

What is load matching and how does it help companies address climate change? Companies including Amazon, Apple, Iron Mountain, Microsoft, and Google are pioneering this innovative practice with bold goals of going 24/7 carbon-free. But…what does it take for both these companies and the non-tech giants of the world to start decarbonizing their operations? This Energy Minute episode should shed ligh...

Iron Mountain Data Centers are in the vanguard of the clean energy transition: they not only run their facilities on 100% renewable energy, they are working towards a more ambitious goal, powering them with carbon-free energy 24/7. In this episode, host Lincoln Payton dives deep into decarbonization with Chris Pennington , Director of Energy and Sustainability at Iron Mountain Data Centers, to und...

How can businesses and individuals offset their carbon footprint and support clean energy? Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) have been the key—and are the topic of the first Energy Minute brought to you by  Cleartrace . RECs commoditize renewable energy and encourage investment in green energy projects. But problems arise when too much of the clean energy companies are buying isn't coming from where...

It's not enough to think about what it takes to be more sustainable. Now is the time to act. The question is, who will lead the pack in saving our planet, and what do they need to stay on track and honest with their goals? The Decarbonization Race is a show for ESG and sustainability leaders ready to go beyond 100% renewable, beyond the bare minimum, and truly make an impact. Join host Lincoln Pay...