We need to be ready for and resilient to these, just as much as we need to prevent the increase of climate change. Jay Koh, Managing Director of the Lightsmith Group. Koh told Agri Investor that New York-headquartered Lightsmith began developing its strategy in 2016 and reached a first close for the Climate Resilience Fund in December 2019.

'Demand for climate resilience companies is driven by the rate and speed of climate change, not by the credit cycle or consumer behaviour,' cofounder Jay Koh told me.Įven in an ideal 1.7˚C scenario, our planet will experience increasingly severe natural disasters and extreme weather events: flooding, drought, storms, fire, soil erosion, biodiversity loss. The Lightsmith Group is the first private equity firm to focus on investing in resilience to climate change. The relatively small fund size belies a trend that is increasingly drawing investors' attention - and capital. Lightsmith was launched in December 2019 by Jay Koh and Sanjay Wagle, two Harvard graduates with decades of experience in private equity and sustainable development. Here's a firm you should keep your eye on: The Lightsmith Group have raised $186 million for climate resilience.

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