Eugene Kirpichov is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Work on Climate, a global community helping professionals take action on climate across industries and disciplines. Originally created to help people transition into climate-related careers, the organization is now evolving toward a deeper goal: empowering individuals to become climate leaders—people who transform their companies, sectors, and communities from within.

In this episode of Inevitable, Kirpichov shares why the “get a climate job” model is no longer enough, and why systemic change depends on how professionals use their power. The conversation explores the concept of regenerative economics, the breakdown of siloed climate thinking, and the need for new economic architectures that support resilience, not extraction. We also dive into what it means to build bottom-up leadership, how Work on Climate is shifting its model, and why now is a critical moment to invest in alternatives that go beyond federal policy.

Episode recorded on Jan 22, 2026 (Published on Feb 3, 2026)

In this episode, we cover:

(0:00) Intro
(2:40) Climate as one piece of a larger systemic crisis
(7:19) An overview of Work on Climate
(11:28) Why the climate job market isn’t enough
(17:08) The shift from jobs to leadership and power
(24:49) What a regenerative economy actually means
(32:00) Building new economic operating systems
(37:00) The Work on Climate member experience
(46:49) Final thoughts on reclaiming power

Links:

Eugene Kirpichov on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenekirpichov
Work on Climate: https://workonclimate.org/

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Why Climate Jobs Aren't Enough Anymore

Inevitable