The Interview Hour: A Green Finance Leadership Discussion with Peter Fusaro

Our team sat down with Peter Fusaro, founder of the Wall Street Green Summit, to learn about his vision for this year’s summit. Peter is a New York Times bestselling author and global thought leader focused on climate change investment and the Energy Transition since the 1970s. He has been an Advisor to Responsible Alpha since 2022. Our interview covers trends in sustainable finance and looks to the future of financial and market-based climate solutions. 

Why This Matters

• Evolving Energy and Climate Issues: AI and the emergence of hyperscaler data centers are forecasted to consume more energy than expected, from 2% of current total energy demand to 8-10% by 2030. 

• Nuanced Climate Solutions: Collaboration and creativity are imperative to establishing measurable nature solutions.

• Decarbonization Efforts: More human capital is necessary for organizations to achieve efficient decarbonization efforts within the global economy.  

• Incremental Pace of Change: Over the last 50 years, significant energy and nature transitions are made in increments and not all at once – this means we need to continue prioritizing solutions and keeping up the pressure to innovate. 

The Interview

What inspired you to start the Wall Street Green Summit more than 25 years ago?

At the time, a colleague approached me about doing a Negawatt conference, or in other words a conference on energy efficiency and energy savings. I thought that was an opportunity to apply a broad concept more narrowly to discussions on financing renewables and emissions trading.

Of all the different topics this year, if you had to pick, what would be your personal favorite and why?

I don’t have a personal favorite, but I enjoy the passion that all the speakers bring to the room.  It’s very mission-driven. I look at climate solutions as a palette of many different interactions, from greening the built environment, to restoring land, to developing alternatives to meat. Of course, underpinning it all is our final session, where six fund managers will opine on their fund strategies on climate.

What changes have you seen in energy and nature finance since you started the summit?

There has been more engagement on new climate technologies and solutions. Along with that is the growing interest in nature-based solutions and carbon removal. In the past, discussions were more along the lines of measurement and mitigation. As the data and reporting matured over the past decade, we are now at a point where we can really push on technologies and solutions that not only mitigate but also looking forward to adapt to the changing climate.

Is there an energy or nature trend or technology that you are particularly excited about for the next five years?

One thing is clear, energy is caught short on the demand side due to AI and date centers, which consume more energy than estimated. Data centers were 2% of energy demand in 2020 and now expected to be 8 to 10% by 2030.

I’m also excited about the interest in nature that has now gone beyond forestry but also restoring forests. Interest in oceantech as well as more practical applications such as automating oysters seeding and harvesting continues to grow. I think blue carbon will surprise people with its opportunities. As a reflection of that, I have five speakers on nature this year.

What do you think energy and nature finance need more of?

On the nature side, we need to deploy more creative solutions for nature finance. Years ago, I brought in nature banks to speak, as well as environmental easements. We need more funds focused on nature-based solutions to support new biotech and nature-tech. It saddens me when I see forests combust throughout the world.

The market opportunity is huge—BloombergNEF sizes the clean energy market at $215 trillion by 2050. Last year, only $2.2 trillion was deployed, up 5% over prior. The market is just now gaining acceleration.

If you were advising a board of directors of private equity, bank, or asset manager firm today, what are the single most important climate-related and nature-related questions they should be asking management?

Operational efficiencies are their low-hanging fruit that drop immediately to their bottom line. Longer term, it’s how we use energy more efficiently, less carbon-based, and how energy storage plays a more significant role in this equation. I call it the portfolio approach, because it’s not one-size-fits-all.

What capabilities do organizations need to build now to stay competitive in a decarbonizing global economy?

Organizations need more human capital from the next generation. This is not just a technology issue; it’s more of a cultural and operational issue. Sustainability sits in the DNA of the youth, and we need talent to discuss and negotiate new structures and deals. Companies that don’t value human resources will fall behind.

I tell young professionals and university students “I have a call option on them.” That means in the money.

Where should investors be looking for overlooked opportunities — or hidden risks — in 2026 and beyond to 2030?

These markets are not for retail investors. They are for accredited and institutional investors with a higher risk tolerance. Obviously, there are more regulatory and political risks now given the geopolitical instability globally. So, the key is to think long-term. For example, the energy industry which constitutes 73% of GHGs thinks in 40-year cycles. Derisking is a nice adverb, but the reality is that this sector is full of financial risks and will need to address them accordingly to transition appropriately.

You’ve been at the forefront of energy finance and nature finance for over 50 years. What has surprised you most about how the transition has unfolded?

Frankly, how slow change takes. I was at Earth Day 1970 with my solar power t-shirt in Pittsburgh at Carnegie-Mellon. I was eating organic food in 1971 at a food coop. Change is incremental not radical. The outliers become more mainstream after decades of work and effort.

My wife has an expression “Don’t Quit Before the Miracle.”

The disconnect I see is the need to accelerate climate change solutions. Now!

If you could redesign one part of the global financial system to accelerate decarbonization and support nature restoration, what would it be?

The global financial system, as well as almost every corner of society, has continued to externalize the costs while reaping the benefits of nature. If I could redesign parts of the financial system, I would change it to value nature as an asset and not a free resource. Appropriate costs and benefits must be accounted for.

Responsible Alpha is a media partner for the Wall Street Green Summit. Our CEO will be in attendance, giving a lecture titled ‘New Structures in Plastic Abatement.’ Join us on March 10-11^th 2026 to learn more about ESG reporting, sustainable energy, and climate tech. With a wide range of speakers, the WSGS offers invaluable insight on climate and energy related issues today. Register for the Wall Street Green Summit here.