Welcome to Season Nine of Conversations in Cleantech!

This season, we’re going behind the scenes of transition infrastructure - speaking with the investors shaping how, where and why climate capital flows. From decarbonisation and energy security to technology maturity and policy gaps, we’re unpacking what it really takes to fund the systems that underpin a net-zero future.

In this inaugural episode, our hosts Jenny Gladman and Chloe England are joined by David Giordano, former Global Head of Climate Infrastructure at BlackRock, and one of the most experienced voices in climate infrastructure.

David’s career spans the early days of demand-side management to leading BlackRock’s climate infrastructure platform, scaling it from 19 to over 70 professionals and raising more than $12 billion across six funds. His story tracks the evolution of clean energy investing and the realities of deploying capital at scale in a rapidly changing world.

In this conversation, David shares his views on today’s market headwinds, why policy consistency matters, and how demand-side technologies and data are reshaping the investment landscape. He opens up about the ‘missing middle’ in climate finance, the blurring lines between energy, transport and digital infrastructure, and what truly buildable and bankable projects look like in 2025 and beyond.

This is a conversation about scale, integrity, and the kind of capital partnerships that will define the next decade of climate progress - and a fitting start to our biggest season yet.

02:00 - Introduction to David02:46 - Can you please introduce yourself and share a bit more about your story to date?07:05 - What were your guiding principles when designing the strategy for BlackRock, and how did they evolve?10:10 - What’s your take on the current renewable landscape, and how are investors navigating recent challenges?12:30 - What are the structural gaps in the market, and what kind of investors or vehicles do we need to fill them?14:35 - Are you seeing new types of investments emerging across energy, transport, and digital infrastructure? And how do you assess risk when assets don’t fit into traditional categories?

16:25 - How key are public-private partnerships to scaling transition infrastructure?

20:10 - Where do you think the capital should be going today to maximise the impact that we can have for the planet?24:05 - How do we reframe the policy conversation to support real infrastructure progress?26:40 - What makes a great capital partner in the transition space, and what red flags should operators watch for when choosing investors?30:00 - If you were to start all over again today, what would you focus on learning and doing differently?33:45 - How did your childhood shape your journey and passion for the work you do today?

38:00 - What legacy do you hope to leave in climate and investment, and what would make you proud of your career?

Connect with your hosts, Jenny Gladman and Chloe England, on LinkedIn.

Find your guest, David Giordano, on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening to Conversations in Cleantech brought to you by Brightsmith.

This is a Loaded Hype production.