Carbon Counts: Investing on the Right Side of Climate

Is carbon counting the smartest investment strategy in a changing energy landscape? In this episode of Energy Matters, Claire and Dan sit down with Jeff Eckel, former CEO and current Chair of Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure, to explore what it really takes to finance decarbonization over the long term. Jeff shares his unconventional path from startup setbacks to building one of the largest climate-focused investment platforms in the country. He reflects on the early days of energy efficiency finance, the evolution of renewable energy markets, and why decarbonization was always going to be a long and difficult fight. At the center of the conversation is a simple but powerful idea: if carbon truly counts, then capital should flow toward the most impactful investments — not just the most photogenic ones. The discussion ranges from multi-asset securitization and government-backed efficiency projects to renewable natural gas and the risks of greenwashing in ESG investing. Jeff explains why clean energy will ultimately win not because of politics or virtue, but because of physics and economics. In a world shaped increasingly by climate risk, this conversation asks a fundamental question: if capital is scarce and carbon matters, how should we invest?