Duke Summit to Explore Options for Multiplying Climate Investments ‘from Billions to Trillions’

Business leaders and Biden administration officials will convene with Duke University faculty at a one-day summit next week to create a shared vision for unleashing private capital for climate solutions.

Speakers at “From Billions to Trillions” on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Fuqua School of Business will offer insights on how recent legislation will impact and stimulate private green investment. The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS Act and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act have provided an influx of federal funding to advance the transition to clean energy and help communities adapt to climate impacts.

The summit is organized by the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, the Fuqua School of Business, Fuqua's Center for Energy, Development and the Global Environment and Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

“While Congress has made record commitments to climate solutions since the start of the Biden administration, the United States will need trillions of dollars in private investment to achieve its goals,” said Ronnie Chatterji, Mark Burgess & Lisa Benson-Burgess Distinguished Professor at the Fuqua School of Business. “This summit will take a step in that direction by identifying effective pathways to amplify government commitments, create profitable businesses and meaningfully scale climate mitigation and adaptation.”

The summit will feature a conversation with John Podesta, senior advisor to President Biden for clean energy and innovation implementation. Podesta, who was recently tapped to also serve as U.S. special climate envoy, will talk with Chatterji about how the Inflation Reduction Act can serve as a catalyst for private investment.

Panel discussions and conversations throughout the day will address topics such as the enablers and barriers to increased private sector investment in climate solutions, whether government investments have “changed the game” and the return on investment for climate solutions to investors, businesses, and society. High-profile speakers include Jigar Shah, director of the Loans Program Office at the U.S. Department of Energy; Gregg Lowe, chief executive officer of Wolfspeed; Charlie Gailliot, partner and co-head at KKR Climate; Antha Williams, leader of the Global Climate & Environment Programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies; and Mark Florian, manager and head of BlackRock Global Infrastructure Funds.

The event is aligned with the Duke Climate Commitment, which unites the university’s education, research, operations and public service missions to address the climate crisis.