The headlines say climate investment is in retreat. Duncan Reid is not convinced.

In this episode of the Climate Solutions News podcast, Dominic Shales sits down with the chief executive of Reset Connect, the green investment event that anchors London Climate Action Week. Reid has spent 25 years in events and now watches climate capital up close, with investors, founders and corporate buyers gathering under one roof each June.

His argument is that the money has changed hands and crossed borders, away from the loudest US funds. Large managers have stepped back as Washington unwinds its climate incentives. Yet pension funds and institutional investors keep allocating, because their obligations stretch across decades. As Reid puts it, "if the UK is all on fire or underwater, people don't need pensions."

The conversation turns to the war in the Gulf and the rise of energy sovereignty, the maturing of the sector since 2022, the long struggle to fix the grid, and why Reid believes the economics of clean power now win whatever the politics.

Read the article here.

Reset Connect London returns to Excel on 23 and 24 June 2026, as the flagship event of London Climate Action Week. Entry is free.

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Climate Solutions News covers the people and ideas driving the climate transition. More at climatesolutions.news

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What if the carbon dioxide coming out of a factory could go straight into growing protein? That is the logic behind Arborea's BioSolar Leaf technology, and it is attracting serious interest from some of the world's largest food companies.

Dominic Shales speaks with Dr Kaly Chatakondu, Global Commercial Director at Arborea, about the London-based startup that has spent a decade industrialising photosynthesis to cultivate microalgae at commercial scale. Kaly brings more than 30 years of senior food industry experience and a chemistry doctorate from the University of Oxford.

He explains how the BioSolar Leaf system works, why its economics and contamination profile solve problems that have held back the microalgae sector for decades, and how Arborea is building its first full commercial factory in Portugal while quietly assembling a portfolio of offtake agreements with major multinationals.

The conversation covers the AB InBev collaboration in Mexico, the regulatory landscape for novel food ingredients, and what a global rollout via joint ventures and technology licensing could look like.

Takeaways

• The food system accounts for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Arborea's BioSolar Leaf technology industrializes photosynthesis.
• Microalgae can be cultivated on non-fertile land.
• The process is carbon negative and environmentally friendly.
• Spirulina is a key product due to its high protein content.
• Arborea collaborates with major food companies for product development.
• The technology can utilize CO2 from various industrial processes.
• Regulatory hurdles exist but are manageable for approved microalgae.
• Arborea's approach overcomes limitations of previous microalgae production methods.
• Global expansion plans include partnerships and licensing opportunities.

Sound Bites

00:00 "What if protein could be grown from CO2?"

03:27 "It's photosynthesis on steroids."

09:49 "Microalgae are superfoods."

15:26 "This is completely unique technology."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Climate Solutions and Protein Production

01:09 Transitioning to Arborea and BioSolar Leaf Technology

03:56 Understanding BioSolar Leaf: The Process of Industrial Photosynthesis

05:30 Environmental Benefits and Carbon Negative Process

06:41 Product Focus: Spirulina and Its Versatility

08:13 Collaborations with Major Food Companies

10:03 Industrial Partnerships and Future Plans

12:07 Navigating Food Regulations in Europe

14:21 The Importance of Regulation in Food Safety

15:04 Arborea's Unique Approach to Microalgae Production

17:13 Global Expansion Plans and Market Strategies

19:06 Funding and Investment Strategies

20:51 Conclusion and Future Outlook

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Ammonia production has barely changed in 100 years. It still relies on the Haber-Bosch process, runs at extreme temperatures and pressures, and accounts for close to 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But with ammonia now emerging as a leading candidate for zero-carbon maritime fuel and a hydrogen carrier for the energy transition, the pressure to decarbonise its production has never been greater.

In this episode, Dominic Shales speaks with Karen Baert, co-founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Ammobia, which is developing what it calls Haber-Bosch 2.0: a modular ammonia production technology that operates at ten times lower pressure and 150 degrees Celsius lower temperature than conventional facilities, cutting capital costs by up to half.

In January 2025, Ammobia closed a $7.5 million seed round backed by Shell Ventures, Air Liquide, Chevron Technology Ventures, and MOL Switch, the venture capital arm of Mitsui OSK Lines.

Karen and Dominic discuss why conventional ammonia has been so difficult to decarbonise, why cost matters more than carbon in today's market, how modular production close to end users changes the economics, and what the rapid growth of ammonia-fuelled shipping means for the industry's future.

Karen also reflects on her journey from Belgium to Stanford, co-founding Ammobia with Tristan Gilbert, and what it takes to commercialise deep industrial technology as a startup.

Karen Baert was named Women Scientist of the Year at the Women in Energy Transition Awards 2025 and won the Women in Cleantech and Sustainability Pitch Competition 2025. Ammobia was named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer 2025, and its co-founders were recognised in Forbes 30 Under 30 Manufacturing and Industry 2024.

🌍 Read the full feature on Climate Solutions News: https://climatesolutions.news 📧

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