Fireside Chat with Daikin: Building a Sustainable Future

Dave Calabrese, Senior Executive at Daikin, joins Jeff Young, ESG Editor at Newsweek, to discuss how technology, innovation, and corporate responsibility are driving real progress toward decarbonization and sustainable growth. He stressed the importance of consumer awareness, policy incentives, and grid-friendly design to avoid a vicious cycle of energy use and climate impact. “If you combine a heat pump with clean energy from the utility, you have the perfect storm of energy conservation,” Calabrese explained.

Pillars of the Green Transition 2025 Conference Highlights

Newsweek held the Pillars of the Green Transition Conference on September 24th at our headquarters in One World Trade Center, New York, as part of Climate Week NYC 2025. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, a key moment in the fight against climate change. Many climate technologies and policies are reaching maturity and scaling up, while new ESG reporting rules are coming into effect. At the same time, smart technologies are promising new paths to radically streamline established industries.

Expanding Possibilities with Energy Storage

Panelists explored how battery energy storage is transforming the power grid by enabling time-shifting of electricity, enhancing resilience, and supporting the integration of renewables. They emphasized the importance of safety, system architecture, and emerging technologies like electrothermal storage for industrial heat. “We have the largest economy in the world running on a D-plus system that’s skating close to the edge—maybe not a great idea. Batteries to the rescue.”

Growing Climate Solutions in Food Systems

This panel highlighted how regenerative agriculture, sustainable packaging, and data transparency can transform food systems from carbon sources to carbon sinks. Speakers stressed the need for unified policy, consumer education, and financial support for farmers to scale climate-positive practices. “We have a 70% delta between current emissions and sequestration potential—most of the science is known; now it’s about implementation.”

Turning Emissions into Energy Bioenergy at the Core of the Green Transition

Industry leaders discussed the rapid growth of renewable natural gas and biogas, emphasizing its dual benefits of emissions reduction and farm resilience. They called for standardized carbon accounting and stronger corporate demand to scale bioenergy solutions. “If you're buying our product based on dollars per million BTU, you're buying it the wrong way—this is about reducing tons of CO₂ and building synergy with farmers.”