In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we sit down on the sidelines of Climate Week NYC with GE Vernova's Chief Corporate Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer, Roger Martella.

GE Vernova is a global energy company with power, electrification and wind segments that completed a spin-off from General Electric in 2024 with the goal of accelerating the energy transition.

Roger explains why electrification was a big theme at Climate Week NYC in 2026, and how the company is using electrification to support energy access and decarbonization goals around the world — including in underserved communities and the Global South.

"A lot of discussion this week is: How do we electrify the planet so people have more access to affordable, reliable, sustainable electricity," Roger says. "The more we put investments onto the grid, the more we're electrifying the planet, the more we're helping decarbonize."

Keeping up with the pace and scale of the world's electricity demands will require a growing energy workforce and robust public-public partnerships, Roger says. He describes a new level of optimism at Climate Week NYC in 2026 — alongside a focus on policy durability and finding common ground.

"Policy cycles come and go. We've all been through Groundhog Day, where we're in favor of one thing, and then we're against it later," he says. "So, a lot of discussion this week of: How do we protect the core, how do we come to things that everyone agrees on."

We conducted this interview at The Nest Campus in New York City, where the All Things Sustainable is an official media partner.

Further reading: Climate Week NYC takeaways from S&P Global Energy | S&P Global

Listen to other episodes in our CSO Insights podcast series, where we talk to Chief Sustainability Officers across industries and geographies: CSO Insights by All Things Sustainable - YouTube

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