ESG Quick Takes

In April 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission paused the implementation of its recently released climate disclosure rules requiring companies to report on climate-related risks and emissions, as it awaits a court review of the new rules following a series of legal challenges by several states and business groups. In this ESG Quick Takes episode, host Isabel Verkes speaks to Pamela L. Marcogliese, Partner and Head of US Corporate Advisory and Governance at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, on what happens next with the SEC Climate Disclosure Rule, and the implications of the pause for US corporations and investors.

In this new ESG Quick Takes episode, host Isabel Verkes speaks to NYU Stern Professor Alison Taylor, author of the new book ‘Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World’. Discussing the themes of the book, Professor Taylor argues that amid stakeholder demands and transparency pressures, we can no longer treat ethics as a legal and reputational defence mechanism. Offering vivid stories and examples, Professor Taylor brings this complex, risky environment alive to provide a blueprint for how leaders should rethink and reshape their practices. How can CEOs cut through the noise to set robust environmental and social priorities? When should they speak out on contentious social and political issues - and how? What does it really take to build a healthy organisational culture? And how are we to approach corporate values when society is so divided? Tune in to as Professor Taylor explains how business can navigate this paradigm shift, build trust, and achieve long-term strategic advantage in a turbulent world.

In this new ESG Quick Takes episode, host Isabel Verkes speaks to Yale University's Todd Cort on the links between sustainability metrics and financial performance. Despite various studies over the past decade showing a correlation between financial returns and ESG performance, do we have sufficient data showing the causal links explaining that relationship? Dr. Cort discusses some of the challenges around ESG and financial materiality, and how the debate is continuing to evolve.Faculty Director of Yale University’s sustainability program, Dr. Cort works at the intersection of sustainability and investor value. Over the course of 20 years, in consulting and academia, he has applied a scientific and economic lens to corporate social and environmental responsibility (or sustainability) in order to identify the tools, mechanisms, metrics and indicators that create the greatest value for investors, businesses and society.

In this ESG Quick Takes episode, host Isabel Verkes speaks to Ioannis Ioannou, Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School, and a world-leading expert in sustainability leadership and corporate responsibility.During the episode, Ioannis explains the evolution of the corporate sustainability movement over the past two decades, how it continues to be shaped by a series of major global trends, and why there is no such thing as a ‘sustainable’ company.Tune in to hear Isabel and Ioannis discuss sustainability disruption, the recent ESG backlash and culture wars, and how we should view the purpose of the modern-day company.

Energy access and clean energy development in emerging markets will be at the forefront of COP28 this year. In this episode, ESG Book's Isabel Verkes speaks to Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (UN SRSG) for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. Ahead of COP, listen to Damilola's expert take on why there is a lot to win on clean energy access in emerging markets, and why we have many reasons to be hopeful.For more info on Sustainable Energy for All, click here.

What interests and incentives can distinguish greenwashing from “ESG as a sidebar to the main business”, from real progress? Tom is an expert in practice and theory, having been a senior partner with PwC, and currently an executive fellow at London Business School. Isabel speaks with Tom about the behavioral economics behind implementing sustainability by corporates and investors. Tom covers a broad range of topics: from aligning fiduciary duty with climate action, to sustainability-linked executive pay practices, the role of the government, as well as how pollution can be internalized. Listen to the podcast to get his refreshing take on sustainability in finance.See more of Tom’s work here.

Navin Rauniar, sustainability leader at Tata Consultancy Service and the Tata Group, discusses how multi-sector and emerging market companies approach ESG differently. He shares observations on standardization of sustainability data, challenges of ESG data collection and reporting, effectiveness of AI and regulators in standardizing data, and aligning ESG data with national priorities.

In this latest ESG Quick Takes podcast episode, ESG Book’s Isabel Verkes speaks to WWF’s Tanya Steele on the role of nature in the corporate climate transition. In the podcast, Tanya discusses the work of WWF UK, and how companies can integrate nature in their net-zero planning.

In this latest ESG Quick Takes podcast episode, ESG Book’s Isabel Verkes speaks to Georg Kell, Founding Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact. In this episode, Georg tells the story of the creation of the Global Compact, which he established as the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative, and discusses the evolution of ESG as well as the trends that will shape the future of the sustainability and net-zero transition. https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgkell/2023/04/06/the-role-of-voluntary-business-initiatives-in-an-era-of-political-fragmentation/

As the ESG debate has been heating up in the US, Dow Jones’ Angela Pavlos gives us the perspective of a global media firm with US headquarters. Angela is a product manager and leads the development of ESG data products aiming to help CSOs and investors. Where will the ESG data market go? What role does the media have in this? Tune in to learn more.