Untangling Climate Finance

Tuesday, September 9, 2025Sliced: Financing Community-Led Early Warning SystemsThis edition of Sliced dives into early warning systems (EWS) — one of the smartest, most cost-effective tools for climate adaptation. From saving lives to safeguarding supply chains, EWS are powerful, but financing still lags. Can scaling them close the gap between climate risk and resilience?--Sliced is a weekly short-form dispatch released every Tuesday that features original thought pieces from our team members with the goal of slicing apart the various complex aspects of climate finance. If you want to check out the written version of Sliced, click here. And if you want to receive Sliced to your inbox, click ⁠here⁠. Sliced is produced by ⁠Gordian Knot Strategies⁠. It is written, narrated, and edited by ⁠Jay Tipton⁠. Visit us at www.gordianknotstrategies.com. Music is by ⁠Coma-Media.

Tuesday, September 2, 2025Sliced: Inside the Minds of Impact Investors – Surprising Secrets to Screening Climate DealsThis edition of Sliced dives into a hidden bottleneck in climate finance – screening. From gut-instinct deal reviews to weeks-long internal debates, investors admit their biggest challenge isn’t deal flow, it’s filtering what matters. Enter Traro, a new platform built by Gordian Knot Strategies to bring clarity, consistency, and speed to the messy middle of climate impact investing. Can smarter screening unlock billions for climate solutions?Resources:Guide: Smarter Climate Investing: 7 Strategic Filters Before Your First Impact DollarEmail us at: traro@gordianknotstrategies.com--Sliced is a weekly short-form dispatch released every Tuesday that features original thought pieces from our team members with the goal of slicing apart the various complex aspects of climate finance. If you want to check out the written version of Sliced, click here. And if you want to receive Sliced to your inbox, click ⁠here⁠. Sliced is produced by ⁠Gordian Knot Strategies⁠. It is written, narrated, and edited by ⁠Jay Tipton⁠. Visit us at www.gordianknotstrategies.com. Music is by ⁠Coma-Media.

In this episode, Jay speaks with Jodi Manning, CEO of Cool Effect, to explore how transparency, integrity, and hands-on project diligence are reshaping the voluntary carbon market. They dive into what it takes to build trust in carbon finance, from rigorous vetting to field visits, and why individual action still matters in the fight against climate change.Jodi shares how Cool Effect has reviewed over 10,000 carbon projects but selected just 64, emphasizing scientific credibility, financial additionality, and real community impact. She also explains where demand is rising, including carbon removals and blue carbon to methane and HFC reductions, and how Cool Effect’s radical price transparency is setting a new bar for accountability.Tune in to learn why climate finance needs more than good intentions, how individuals can make a measurable difference, and what the next 10 years of carbon markets could look like if integrity leads the way.Resources:If you have a project, message Cool Effect at: business@cooleffect.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cool-effect-carbon-offset Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cooleffect2/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cooleffect_/X: https://x.com/cool_effect --About:⁠Untangling Climate Finance⁠ explores the dynamic field of climate change finance through conversations with industry experts about topics including climate solutions, global carbon markets, carbon projects, novel technologies such as AI and distributed ledger, and much more.If you have any questions, comments, a future guest recommendation, or are interested in joining Jay for an episode, please shoot him a message at: ⁠jtipton@gordianknotstrategies.com⁠--Credits:The podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Gordian Knot Strategies⁠⁠.It is written, narrated, and edited by ⁠⁠Jay Tipton⁠⁠.Music is by ⁠⁠Diamond_Tunes⁠. 

Tuesday, August 12, 2025Sliced: The Potential Role of Football in Climate FinanceThis edition of Sliced explores an unexpected climate finance player - football ⚽. From Qatar 2022’s carbon neutrality claims to the massive footprint of World Cup 2026, football’s role in climate finance is growing, and complex. Can the world’s most beloved sport become a force for climate action?--Sliced is a weekly short-form dispatch released every Tuesday that features original thought pieces from our team members with the goal of slicing apart the various complex aspects of climate finance. If you want to check out the written version of Sliced, click here. And if you want to receive Sliced to your inbox, click ⁠here⁠. Sliced is produced by ⁠Gordian Knot Strategies⁠. It is written, narrated, and edited by ⁠Jay Tipton⁠. Visit us at www.gordianknotstrategies.com. Music is by ⁠Coma-Media.

In this episode of the The Future of Finance podcast, host Georges Dyer sits down with Sean Penrith, founder and CEO of Gordian Knot Strategies, to explore how capital can be more effectively deployed to combat climate change. With two decades of experience in climate finance, Sean shares insights into the firm’s mission to mobilize $1 billion annually by 2030 through innovative climate investment strategies. They dive into the power and pitfalls of voluntary and compliance carbon markets, the potential of nature-based solutions like reforestation, grassland restoration, and peatlands, and the challenge of aligning returns with impact. Sean also reflects on systemic barriers, the importance of systems thinking, and the role of policy in scaling climate solutions. It’s a deep and candid conversation about connecting capital to climate action—and doing it with integrity.Keywords: Climate finance, carbon markets, nature-based solutions, impact investing, gordian knot strategies, systems thinking, philanthropic capital, reforestation, voluntary versus compliance markets, credit enhancement mechanisms--About: The Future of Finance PodcastJoin us as we dive into the transformative power of finance and its potential to create a sustainable, equitable future. Hosted by Georges Dyer, Executive Director of the Intentional Endowments Network, this podcast brings together trailblazing experts, visionary investors, passionate students, and innovative thinkers across finance, academia, sustainability, policy, and civil society. Through engaging conversations, we explore big ideas like sustainable investing, impact-driven strategies, reimagining capitalism, tackling climate change, reducing inequality, and reshaping economic systems to better serve people and the planet. Whether you’re a student aspiring to shape the future of finance or an investor seeking meaningful impact, this podcast is your gateway to understanding how the financial system can evolve to meet today’s challenges and restore the natural systems we all depend on. Subscribe now and be part of the conversation shaping the future!Learn more here: https://thefutureoffinance.podbean.com/

In this episode, Jay speaks with Maria Filmanovic, Co-Founder and Director of Abatable, to explore how risk, transparency, and trust are helping reshape the voluntary carbon market. They dive into why carbon market integrity must go beyond quality, and how a more rigorous approach to risk is key to scaling credible climate finance.Maria explains how Abatable is helping organizations navigate carbon procurement with better data, stronger due diligence, and tools like the VCM Investment Attractiveness Index. She also shares insights into how political, operational, and methodological risks shape project viability, and what it takes to build investor confidence in a complex and fast-evolving landscape.Tune in to learn why risk is the missing piece in many climate finance conversations, and how Abatable is working to turn carbon markets into engines of real, lasting impact.--About:⁠Untangling Climate Finance⁠ explores the dynamic field of climate change finance through conversations with industry experts about topics including climate solutions, global carbon markets, carbon projects, novel technologies such as AI and distributed ledger, and much more.If you have any questions, comments, a future guest recommendation, or are interested in joining Jay for an episode, please shoot him a message at: ⁠jtipton@gordianknotstrategies.com⁠Credits:The podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Gordian Knot Strategies⁠⁠.It is written, narrated, and edited by ⁠⁠Jay Tipton⁠⁠.Music is by ⁠⁠Diamond_Tunes⁠. 

Tuesday, July 15, 2025Sliced: Grants in Climate FinanceThis edition of Sliced dives into an unsung hero of climate finance - grants. From supporting frontline communities to unlocking innovation, grants are powering some of the most importat, but often overlooked, climate solutions.--Sliced is a weekly short-form dispatch released every Tuesday that features original thought pieces from our team members with the goal of slicing apart the various complex aspects of climate finance. If you want to check out the written version of Sliced, click here. And if you want to receive Sliced to your inbox, click ⁠here⁠. Sliced is produced by ⁠Gordian Knot Strategies⁠. It is written, narrated, and edited by ⁠Jay Tipton⁠. Visit us at www.gordianknotstrategies.com. Music is by ⁠Coma-Media.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025Sliced: Climate Finance and Extreme HeatThis edition of Sliced dives into how climate finance can help cities adapt to extreme heat - with insights from Europe’s record-breaking summer and innovative solutions like Seville’s ancient-inspired cooling project.--Sliced is a weekly short-form dispatch released every Tuesday that features original thought pieces from our team members with the goal of slicing apart the various complex aspects of climate finance. If you want to check out the written version of Sliced, click here. And if you want to receive Sliced to your inbox, click ⁠here⁠. Sliced is produced by ⁠Gordian Knot Strategies⁠. It is written, narrated, and edited by ⁠Jay Tipton⁠. Visit us at www.gordianknotstrategies.com. Music is by ⁠Coma-Media.

In this episode, Jay speaks with Eric Wei, Carbon Credit Program Director at the Global Water Center, to explore how carbon finance is being used to scale safe water access in some of the world’s most underserved regions. They dive into how water-based carbon credits are emerging as a powerful, if underutilized, tool in the climate finance toolkit.Eric explains how Global Water Center (GWC) is helping small and mid-sized water project developers access the voluntary carbon market, generate long-term operational funding, and build resilient, community-owned infrastructure. He also shares details about GWC’s new Carbon Aggregation Platform (CAP), designed to lower the barriers for smaller developers and accelerate project deployment.Give it a listen to learn why water is more than a co-benefit in climate finance - and how carbon credits can help turn a global crisis into a scalable solution.Resources:Eric Wei - ewei@GlobalWaterCenter.org Global Water Center - https://globalwatercenter.org/--About:⁠Untangling Climate Finance⁠ explores the dynamic field of climate change finance through conversations with industry experts about topics including climate solutions, global carbon markets, carbon projects, novel technologies such as AI and distributed ledger, and much more.If you have any questions, comments, a future guest recommendation, or are interested in joining Jay for an episode, please shoot him a message at: ⁠jtipton@gordianknotstrategies.com⁠Credits:The podcast is produced by ⁠⁠Gordian Knot Strategies⁠⁠.It is written, narrated, and edited by ⁠⁠Jay Tipton⁠⁠.Music is by ⁠⁠Diamond_Tunes⁠. 

Tuesday, June 17, 2025Sliced: How to Volunteer for the Planet and CommunitiesThis edition of Sliced explores how to volunteer for the planet and your community - from local cleanups to virtual organizing. Wherever you are, there's a role for you in the climate movement.--Sliced is a weekly short-form dispatch released every Tuesday that features original thought pieces from our team members with the goal of slicing apart the various complex aspects of climate finance. If you want to check out the written version of Sliced, click here. And if you want to receive Sliced to your inbox, click ⁠here⁠. Sliced is produced by ⁠Gordian Knot Strategies⁠. It is written, narrated, and edited by ⁠Jay Tipton⁠. Visit us at www.gordianknotstrategies.com. Music is by ⁠Coma-Media.