How the biggest bank in the US is approaching climate risk

Oct 3, 2025

Heather Zichal, the Global Head of Sustainability at JPMorgan Chase, discusses her insights from Climate Week NYC. She emphasizes the growing importance of adaptation and resilience in climate finance, and how AI is transforming energy transition strategies. Heather also highlights the bank's commitment to balancing sustainability goals with affordability and energy security. She shares JPMorgan's approach to insurance in climate discussions and the bank's active role in voluntary carbon markets and multilateral engagements.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

AI Shapes Energy And Climate Policy

AI is now inseparable from U.S. climate and energy policy discussions because of its large energy demand.
Policymakers and industry must plan power-sector growth with AI-driven demand in mind.

INSIGHT

Resilience Moves To The Forefront

Climate conversations now include a strong focus on resilience and adaptation as extreme weather increases.
Markets and policymakers are shifting from only mitigation to planning for on-the-ground impacts and solutions.

INSIGHT

Pragmatism Tempering Climate Goals

A new pragmatism is shaping climate dialogue, recognizing factors outside any one actor's control.
Firms must be clear about what they can control and communicate concrete actions.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Last week the All Things Sustainable podcast was on the ground in New York City bringing you daily episodes from Climate Week NYC. The week included more than 1,000 events and convened an estimated 100,000 attendees from the private sector, governments, nonprofits and the broader climate community.

To understand how financial institutions are showing up in these climate conversations, we sat down with Heather Zichal. Heather is Global Head of Sustainability at the largest bank in the US, JPMorganChase, and she shares her Climate Week key takeaways. She explains why adaptation and resilience are a growing area of focus, and how this is impacting conversations around insurance. She talks about the rising role of AI in climate and energy transition discussions. And she tells us how the landscape for climate and sustainability is shifting heading into 2026.

"There's a very healthy dose of pragmatism that has been layered into the conversations," Heather tells us.

This conversation took place at The Nest Climate Campus, where the All Things Sustainable podcast was an official media partner during Climate Week NYC. Listen to all our coverage here: All Things Sustainable | S&P Global

Subscribe to The Sustainability Weekly newsletter from S&P Global.

Listen to our interview with Dr. Sarah Kapnick here: How NOAA is working to turn climate science into action | 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.

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.