Jenny Zhang Joins DC Climate Week Earth Day Panel

Jenny Zhang speaking on the Earth Day panel during DC Climate Week. Photo credit: Dan Block

Prime’s Assistant Director of Impact, Jenny Zhang, joined leaders across the climate finance ecosystem in Washington DC for a Climate Week Earth Day panel titled “Climate Capital Has No Off Switch: Measuring Impact in a Shifting Landscape.” The discussion was convened by the Investors for Climate (I4C) DC Chapter and hosted by Foley Hoag, Prime’s legal partner since its inception. 

Moderated by Neal Kemkar of Ceres, the panel brought together leading perspectives from across the impact investing ecosystem, including Javier Monterroso of Capshift and Sean Gilbert of the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN). The conversation focused on how to define, measure, and uphold “impact” across diverse forms of capital in an environment shaped by technological uncertainty, evolving markets, and a shifting policy landscape.

Panelists discussed how investors evaluate forward-looking impact amid these uncertainties, and what it takes to maintain rigor, authenticity, and accountability as conditions change. Audience questions extended the conversation to current climate investment trends, whether early-stage investors should reassess geographic exposure in light of the evolving U.S. policy landscape, and how to interpret and apply the concept of additionality across different types of capital.

Jenny outlined Prime’s catalytic investing approach of deploying capital to fill market gaps and help climate solutions scale. These solutions have the potential to deliver transformational climate impact. She emphasized that for Prime, impact ultimately means enabling systemic change—durable shifts that deliver long-term benefits for both people and planet. Achieving this requires not only investment but also rigorous analysis of system dynamics, identification of leverage points, and coordination across stakeholders to move toward a shared vision for impact.