Adding Rigor to Climate Finance with Robert Brown, Ep #129

Frequent listeners know we're always eager to learn about how climate investing needs to change to be more effective. With the attacks on ESG and a new political era, we’re clearly in a new chapter for climate investing and being intentional about the ingredients, language and goals of this new chapter is critical for delivering both solid returns and real impact.

Rob Brown argues that its time to step back from overreach and inauthentic impact goals, and fuel this new chapter with rigor. Rob wears a couple of hats as Director of Climate Research at Resolution Investors and Chief Research Officer at Impact Evaluation Lab. In these roles, Rob bring his decades of investment experience using research and analysis to improve long term thinking, risk management and what he calls mission authenticity, or the ability to really deliver on the kind of impact one promises. Tune in for a deeply fascinating conversation about how climate investing is maturing and the work that still needs to be done for this new chapter. Enjoy.

On today’s episode, we cover:

1. 02:41 – Rob’s career journey & love of solving problems
2. 05:17 – From Just Capital to Impact Evaluation Lab & Resolution Investors
3. 09:52 – How to tell serious impact investors from pretenders
4. 14:34 – Is rigor a cost center? Making the ROI case
5. 19:29 – A lightning history of sustainable investing
6. 23:14 – Why sustainable finance is “deeply stressed”
7. 27:08 – Climate investing as long‑term risk‑adjusted returns
8. 29:27 – Two key shifts: longer horizons & real tech expertise
9. 33:02 – Rigor, incentives, and how the field grows up
10. 36:45 – Why sustainable investing is the future of capital markets
11. 39:11 – Closing remarks

Resources Mentioned

1. Resolution Investors
2. Impact Evaluation Lab.
3. Just Capital
4. Atlas Impact Partners
5. Generation Investment Management

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