E57: Hot or not with Albert Wenger? Climate & climate tech in 2024

Nick and Albert Wenger, Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures (and a preeminent investor in general), discuss the state of climate, climate and energy work in general, and climate venture capital in 2024 and beyond. Specifically, Nick and Albert dive deep on:

• How our collective response to climate change so far has been a bit ‘meh’
• The ‘low energy’ trap and what we stand to gain if we reverse it
• The prognosis for climate tech venture capital in 2024 and beyond

Don't miss out on this podcast if you’re interested in learning more about the state of climate tech, climate tech venture capital, electrification, and more! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the latest episodes.

Timestamps:

00:02:06 - Reflecting on 2023's Climate Crisis

00:04:52 - Where we’re at: Climate Progress and Challenges

00:05:14 - The Reality of Climate Action Progress

00:08:12 - The Low Energy Trap

00:13:03 - Funding Challenges for Climate Companies

00:17:03 - The Benefits of a War-Like Climate Action Mode

00:23:10 - The Need for Comprehensive Climate Action

00:30:01 - The Climate Venture Capital Landscape in 2024

00:31:10 - The Impact of Interest Rates on Climate Work

00:36:12 - The Importance of Writing for Idea Crystallization

Read Albert and others’ blog posts on USV’s website: https://www.usv.com/writing/

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Thank you so much!

Plus, stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool here: https://keepcool.co/ and follow Albert on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Albertvanosdol and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasvanosdol/