Siddhartha Jha, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Arbol, a global climate risk solutions company, appeared on a recent episode of The Burnout Club podcast hosted by Patrice Bonfiglio. In the episode, Jha shared the evolution of Arbol’s mission. The company aims to broaden access to climate adaptation by offering parametric insurance and risk transfer tools grounded in climate data.
During the conversation, Jha explained how Arbol’s products help clients manage unpredictable and rising climate threats. These clients include farmers, energy companies, and real estate developers. Unlike traditional insurance models, Arbol uses objective environmental data to trigger fast payouts. This reduces financial stress in the wake of disasters such as droughts, hurricanes, or wildfires.
“Over half of climate-related financial losses today are uninsured,” said Jha. “We set out to build the infrastructure that enables quick, data-driven protection for those most exposed.” He explained that the company began by consolidating a fragmented global data ecosystem. This allowed Arbol to structure and price risk-transfer contracts with greater accuracy.
Jha also shared how Arbol navigated regulatory challenges in its early years. The company avoided traditional insurance regulations by first launching weather derivatives. These are regulated at the federal level by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As the company grew, it expanded into surplus lines and reinsurance markets to serve clients in areas where coverage is becoming less available.
Although climate change is often politicized, Jha said that climate risk is widely acknowledged across the political spectrum. “Risk doesn’t care about politics,” he said. “When a hurricane hits or insurance becomes unaffordable, the impact is real.”
Jha described Arbol’s vision as a full-spectrum climate risk platform. It is designed to support both smallholder farmers and large financial institutions. “Climate volatility is now part of everyday risk for many businesses,” he said.
The episode closed with a discussion on burnout, a central theme of the podcast. Jha reflected on the determination needed to launch a company with an unconventional model. He shared how removing fallback options helped him focus. “Burnout was far more likely when I had backup plans,” he said. “Once I removed the plan B, everything changed.”
Listeners can learn more about Arbol’s climate risk solutions at arbol.io. The site offers information for businesses and investors interested in parametric offerings that address climate exposure.
The Burnout Club Podcast is a community-driven platform that explores the intersection of professional success and burnout. Hosted by Patrice Bonfiglio, a seasoned hedge fund executive with nearly two decades of experience, the podcast delves into the realities of burnout in high-pressure environments.
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