Amy Jaffe on Energy Risk, Climate Justice & What Institutional Investors Need Now

Amy Jaffe, Director of the Energy, Climate Justice & Sustainability Lab at NYU, joins Georges Dyer for a rigorous, wide-ranging conversation on how institutional investors need to be thinking about energy risk, climate justice, and long-term capital allocation right now. As one of the most respected voices at the intersection of energy markets, sustainability, and institutional finance, Jaffe brings analytical precision and on-the-ground perspective to questions that every CIO, endowment leader, and asset manager navigating the energy transition needs to engage with seriously. -- Key themes explored in this episode: - How NYU's Energy, Climate Justice & Sustainability Lab is training the next generation of investors and practitioners to operate across traditional energy systems and sustainability frameworks simultaneously - Why sustainability must function as a genuine risk lens rather than a screening product, and what that distinction means for how institutional portfolios are actually built and managed - The state of the global energy transition in 2026: AI data center demand, LNG supply disruptions, Pakistan's rapid solar buildout, and why natural gas is structurally too slow to manage the new load curve - How adaptation finance and climate justice work are being deployed at the community level and whether capital is actually reaching the populations and geographies that need it most The Future of Finance is produced by the Intentional Endowments Network, supporting institutional investors in aligning capital with long-term value and resilience.   –   General Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Amy Jaffe & NYU's Energy, Climate Justice & Sustainability Lab 03:20 How Amy Jaffe's Career Spans Energy Markets, Policy & Institutional Investment 08:45 What the NYU Lab Does — and Who It Serves 16:10 Student-Corporate Partnerships: Google, National Grid & Fusion Energy Research 22:00 Sustainability as a Risk Lens vs. a Screening Product 28:30 The Opportunity Side: Affordable Housing & Climate Solutions Investing 35:00 The New NYU Sustainability Master's Program: What It Teaches and Why Now 42:15 Climate Justice, Adaptation Finance & Community-Level Work in New York City 49:00 Energy Transition Outlook: Iran, LNG Disruption & Global Renewable Momentum 58:30 AI Data Centers, Battery Storage & the Limits of Natural Gas 1:05:00 Advice for Institutional Investors Navigating the Energy Transition   –   Resources:   Podcasts The Energy Gang: https://www.woodmac.com/podcasts/energy-gang/ Books "Choke Points: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare" by Edward Fishman (2025) "Energy's Digital Future" by Amy Myers Jaffe: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/energys-digital-future/9780231196826/ Organizations: Solar One; https://solar1.org/ East New York Farms: https://www.eastnewyorkfarms.org/ Research Index ND-GAIN Country Index: https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/   --   Disclaimer The information presented in this episode reflects the views and opinions of the guest and does not constitute investment, legal, or regulatory advice. The Intentional Endowments Network does not endorse any specific products, services, or organizations referenced herein.