Who we are
The mission of the Climate Zeitgeist is to catalyse and facilitate investment in business solutions that address climate change.
Driven by the demand for companies and countries to decarbonise and meet net zero goals, a whole new global climate solutions industry is rapidly evolving.Climate Zeitgeist is at the forefront of this global movement.
We work with investors, funds and financiers, companies with decarbonisation solutions looking to scale and corporates seeking to integrate technologies, products and services to deliver their net zero strategies.
Our Team
Peter Castellas
Founder & CEO
Throughout Peter’s career he has worked at the leading edge of the climate change and sustainable development agenda and have advised, influenced, and guided key decision makers at the highest levels of business, finance and government. Peter is CEO of Climate Zeitgeist, a company he founded to work with key partners in finance and investment to accelerate meaningful action on change at scale. He is the Founder of the Climate Investor Forum - APAC’s premier climate finance and investment gathering.
Peter was previously CEO of Tasman Environmental Markets where he led the company to become one of the largest voluntary integrated carbon offset providers in the Asia Pacific. Previous roles include CEO of the Carbon Market Institute, where he led the organisation to be the peak business association for companies operating in the climate change and business interface. He was also a Director at Deloitte in Corporate Finance and Sustainability, Managing Director of Cleantech Australasia and the first Sustainability Advisor for the Commonwealth Bank. Peter graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Environmental Studies and the first class he taught over 30 years ago was on the Greenhouse Effect.
Project Director
Michele Hartz
Michele Hartz is a strategist, entrepreneur and convenor working at the intersection of climate solutions and direct pathways for long term sustaianble outcomes.
With close to two decades of experience in sustainability, market development and strategic advisory, Michele has worked with investors, governments, corporates and emerging climate technology companies - supporting organisations ranging from clean-tech startups to state governments, corporates and leading universities.
Michele, working alongside the vision and mission of Peter, supports the driving force behind the Climate Investor Forum, which convenes investors, corporates, policymakers and innovators to connect capital with climate solutions across the Asia-Pacific region.
Michele has also contributed to a range of boards and committees supporting community development, sustainability and international collaboration, including the Victorian Cleantech Cluster, Women’s Association of South East Melbourne, Community of Practice through EIANZ, the Victorian Multicultural Commission, and Greening The Desert.
Jai Felinski
Climate Solutions and Partnerships
Jai Felinski is a climate founder, advisor, and investor now based in Paris. Focused on helping ambitious climate and impact ventures turn big ideas into real world traction. Jai has worn many hats, always driving bold and meaningful change.
Over the past decade, he has built, backed, and helped scale businesses across sustainability, health, food systems, and climate. That includes bootstrapping and exiting an eco conscious coffee startup, securing an on screen Shark Tank deal with Naomi Simson, helping scale one of Australia’s largest medicinal cannabis companies, and supporting founders working on globally relevant solutions, including opening doors with the UN around alternative protein and food systems innovation.
What ties it all together is the role he plays. Helping founders and teams turn complexity into clarity, ambition into execution, and momentum into the right partnerships, capital, and commercial opportunities. His work sits at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, ecosystem building, project delivery, and connecting the right people at the right time.
Today, he is spending time on the ground in Europe to deepen his understanding of the climate ecosystem and build relationships with exceptional founders, funds, and platforms, and explore opportunities to support high potential climate businesses through strategy, partnerships, capital readiness, and growth.
He is currently speaking with selected climate solutions businesses, fund managers, and ecosystem leaders as part of Climate Investor Forum in Australia as we pave the way for more impact in 2027, connecting major Australian capital allocators with high quality investment opportunities and partners.