Climate Rising

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.