Nature-Based Urban Flood Protection at Battery Park

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we explore why adaptation and resilience are taking center stage in climate conversations ahead of COP30, the UN's upcoming climate change conference.

We talk to Jeff Gitterman, CEO of Gitterman Asset Management and partner at Gitterman Wealth Management. He explains why adaptation was a big focus during Climate Week NYC in 2025, and where he sees future opportunities to invest in resilience and sustainable infrastructure.

"Every room I was in, everywhere I went around the city, there was a focus around adaptation and resilience like I've never seen before," Jeff tells us.

We also sit down with Alan Brookes, the Chairman and CEO of sustainable design, engineering and consulting firm Arcadis. He explains how the firm's projects worldwide build resilience to climate change while also accounting for the needs of communities and incorporating nature-based solutions — for example, building parks that also provide flood and storm protection.

"Cities need to be more innovative in their approaches," Alan says. "Otherwise, you're just going to build walls around every city, which is not what people want to see."

We conducted these interviews during Climate Week NYC at The Nest Climate Campus, where the All Things Sustainable podcast was an official media partner.

Read S&P Global's key takeaways from Climate Week NYC: 5 Climate Week NYC takeaways setting the scene for decision-making in 2026 | S&P Global

Listen to our interview with CDP CEO Sherry Madera: Water, water everywhere in Climate Week NYC conversations | S&P Global

Read a report from S&P Global Commodity Insights about what to expect from COP30: COP30: Climate governance at a crossroads | S&P Global

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global

DISCLAIMER

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk.

Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights).

This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.