EPISODE · May 1, 2026 · 58 MIN
John Doerr and Ryan Panchadsaram: Speed & Scale’s Reality Check
from Climate One · host Climate One from The Commonwealth Club
In 2021, legendary investor John Doerr outlined his plan to solve climate change in his bestseller “Speed & Scale.” The plan outlines 10 objectives, each with their own set of key results, to cut emissions to net zero. And in true John Doerr style, the results are to be measurable and trackable. Now, five years later, Doerr and co-author Ryan Panchadsaram unveil their 2026 update, revealing where the world is winning, where it's falling behind, and what it will take to close the gap. Guests: John Doerr, Venture capitalist; Chair, Kleiner Perkins Ryan Panchadsaram, Advisor to the Chairman, Kleiner Perkins Aliya Haq, President, Clean Economy Project (CleanEcon) Robinson Meyer, Founding Executive Editor, Heatmap News Nancy E. Pfund, Founder and Managing Partner, DBL Partners For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/podcasts Highlights: 00:00 – Intro 01:00 – John Doerr on how his plan differs from others 05:30 – Ryan Panchadsaram: updated plan focuses on what needs to be built, rather than cut 08:30 – Bright spot: deployment of solar and wind 10:00 – Big challenges: methane leaks 15:30 – Keeping accountable with shifting deadlines 19:00 – Where government succeeds and fails in addressing climate 21:30 – Where tech industry/VC succeeds and fails in addressing climate 29:00 – Reframing the climate narrative around the good news 33:20 – Aliya Haq: load growth is an incredible opportunity for us to advance clean 37:00 – Coalition uniting to fix the grid and make policy work for clean energy 39:00 – Robinson Meyer on geopolitical energy shocks and reconsideration of fuel sources 44:15 – Race for clean tech is a “frenemy” competition 48:00 – Nancy Pfund: Clean energy remains a very “investable” area 52:00 – Cost curves for EVs, solar are inexorable – we just need to build policy to support it 54:00 – Climate One More Thing ********** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
In 2021, legendary investor John Doerr outlined his plan to solve climate change in his bestseller “Speed & Scale.” The plan outlines 10 objectives, each with their own set of key results, to cut emissions to net zero. And in true John Doerr style, the results are to be measurable and trackable. Now, five years later, Doerr and co-author Ryan Panchadsaram unveil their 2026 update, revealing where the world is winning, where it's falling behind, and what it will take to close the gap. Guests: John Doerr, Venture capitalist; Chair, Kleiner Perkins Ryan Panchadsaram, Advisor to the Chairman, Kleiner Perkins Aliya Haq, President, Clean Economy Project (CleanEcon) Robinson Meyer, Founding Executive Editor, Heatmap News Nancy E. Pfund, Founder and Managing Partner, DBL Partners For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/podcasts Highlights: 00:00 – Intro 01:00 – John Doerr on how his plan differs from others 05:30 – Ryan Panchadsaram: updated plan focuses on what needs to be built, rather than cut 08:30 – Bright spot: deployment of solar and wind 10:00 – Big challenges: methane leaks 15:30 – Keeping accountable with shifting deadlines 19:00 – Where government succeeds and fails in addressing climate 21:30 – Where tech industry/VC succeeds and fails in addressing climate 29:00 – Reframing the climate narrative around the good news 33:20 – Aliya Haq: load growth is an incredible opportunity for us to advance clean 37:00 – Coalition uniting to fix the grid and make policy work for clean energy 39:00 – Robinson Meyer on geopolitical energy shocks and reconsideration of fuel sources 44:15 – Race for clean tech is a “frenemy” competition 48:00 – Nancy Pfund: Clean energy remains a very “investable” area 52:00 – Cost curves for EVs, solar are inexorable – we just need to build policy to support it 54:00 – Climate One More Thing ********** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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John Doerr and Ryan Panchadsaram: Speed & Scale’s Reality Check
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