Making the Business Case for Sustainability

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're talking to Cassandra Garber, Chief Sustainability Officer of General Motors, one of the world's largest car companies.

The interview is the latest installment in our CSO Insights podcast series, where we interview CSOs around the world about how they're navigating the changing sustainability landscape. The sustainability space has been through enormous transformation in recent years and CSOs have a front-row seat to this evolution.

Transportation is considered one of the hard-to-abate sectors because most forms of transportation burn fossil fuels for energy. In the episode, Cassandra outlines GM's commitment to a zero-emissions, all-electric future and how the company is breaking down barriers to electric vehicle adoption — what she calls the "three Cs" of cost, charging infrastructure, and the perception that EVs are complicated.

"Reducing those tailpipe emissions and focusing on EV adoption makes our business strategy and sustainability strategy incredibly aligned," Cassandra says. "That is by far what we're focused on the most: How are we breaking down the barriers to EV adoption because it's good for business and society."

This interview took place on the sidelines of The Nest Climate Campus, where the All Things Sustainable podcast was an official media partner during Climate Week NYC 2025.

Listen to other episodes in the CSO Insights podcast series:

CSO Insights: Singapore's biggest bank on the 'business imperative' of climate action

CSO Insights: How a big Malaysian bank balances climate, nature, human rights and economic inclusion

CSO Insights: How sustainability pullback is playing out in Southeast Asia

Listen to our episode What to expect from COP30

Learn about the Global Carbon Markets Conference from S&P Global Commodity Insights taking place in Barcelona shortly after COP30.

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global

DISCLAIMER

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk.

Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights).

This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.