Climate Proofers: Jay Koh On The ‘Unavoidable Opportunity’ Of Adaptation

There are few champions of the adaptation economy with a resume like Jay Koh. The storied investor racked up years in the financial industry before serving as Chief Investment Strategist at what is now the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

Koh now leads The Lightsmith Group, a global investment platform laser-focused on opportunities in the emerging adaptation economy. The private equity firm boasts a range of investments in climate-proofing technologies covering agriculture, wildfire, water, and more.

He sits down with Louie to talk about how the adaptation investment landscape has transformed in recent years, to describe Lightsmith’s investment thesis, and explain why investing in climate adaptation is a far surer bet than wagering on interest rates, inflation — and even Taylor Swift’s next boyfriend!

Listen below, download from the Podcasts page on Climate Proof, or tune in via Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

We talk about:

👉 How investor interest in adaptation has evolved over the course of Jay’s career

👉 The Lightsmith Group’s investment thesis

👉 How ‘climate adaptation’ is resonating with founders as an entrepreneurial theme

👉 Why adaptation is unlikely to suffer from an ‘ESG backlash’

Future guests include Michael Berkowitz of the Climate Resilience Academy, University of Miami and Kathy Baughman McLeod, CEO of Climate Resilience For All.

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Thanks for listening!

Louie Woodall
Editor