Where Finance Drives Climate Impact

Can a tethered drone flying 400 feet in the air really replace traditional wind turbines? Marissa Brydle, Sustainability Director at KeyBank, did not study sustainability in school. After 13 years at sustainability consultancy Brown Flynn and a stint at steel producer Cleveland Cliffs, she landed at one of America's oldest banks. KeyBank remains the renewables financier and affordable housing financier in the U.S., deploying $20 billion toward their $38 billion sustainable finance goal. "It doesn't make good business sense to not do these things," Marissa explains. How does a 200-year-old institution navigate political headwinds while maintaining unwavering climate commitments? And what's next for engaging 17,000 employees across 15 states? Marissa Brydle is Sustainability Director at KeyBank, where she leads climate strategy, disclosure, and sustainable finance initiatives for the 200-year-old institution. She began her career at sustainability consultancy Brown Flynn, spending 13 years building expertise across industries before moving to Cleveland Cliffs, a major North American steel producer. There, she discovered steel's critical role in the low-carbon transition. At KeyBank, Marissa oversees the bank's $38 billion sustainable finance commitment, carbon neutrality goals, and climate risk management. She's passionate about engaging KeyBank's 17,000 employees across 15 states to integrate sustainability into daily operations and decision-making. In This Episode: (00:00) Marissa's unconventional path from communications to sustainability consulting (07:30) Transitioning from Cleveland Cliffs steel to KeyBank sustainability role (13:40) KeyBank's 200-year history and resilience through market shifts (15:41) Sustainable finance commitments despite political headwinds and climate disclosure (23:28) Employee engagement and walking the talk on sustainability Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and

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Where Finance Drives Climate Impact is an episode from Raising Your Antenna by Keith Zakheim.

This episode is 00:25:57 long.

This episode was published on Feb 17, 2026.

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