Sustainability Now

The US Customs and Border Protection agency released operational guidance for importing companies on how to comply with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which was signed into law on December 23, 2021. The big ask for companies was for more supply chain transparency. We discussed what UFLPA means for the world’s economy and why supply chain transparency is still so difficult. Then we discussed the most recent ruling US Supreme Court ruling that limited the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.Host: Mike Disabato; MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Miranda Carr, Liz Houston, and Mathew Lee; MSCI ESG Research

As biodiversity loss accelerates, companies and investors are under increasing pressure to act. But turning data into decisions is trickier than it seems. And after a bumpy ride for the EV start-up, ELMS files for bankruptcy and rings a cautionary governance bell. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Gillian Mollod and Yu Ishihara, MSCI ESG Research

Every fund manager with an ESG fund seems to be under routine but detailed examination by financial regulators into their use of “ESG” in said fund label or how they incorporate ESG in their investment process. We explore what this means for the industry and why it matters. Then, we discuss the current state of the wind energy industry, exploring the companies that are leading the chart for a cleaner energy world. Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Mathew Lee and Nelson Lee, MSCI ESG Research

REPLAY! This week the voluntary carbon markets integrity initiative or VCMI launched a consultation to assess companies use of carbon offset credits and how they impact progress towards their climate targets. So we decided to replay our carbon markets 101 episode. It is a discussion around companies that use carbon markets and carbon offsets to meet their plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon markets, in the broadest sense, turn the power to pollute into a credit that can be bought and sold. They are marketed as one of the major pillars in combating climate change and are an important tool for investors to understand.Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Maximiliane Heidenblut, MSCI ESG Research

AGL Energy, Australia’s largest electricity generator and polluter, abandoned plans to spin-off its coal assets after tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes bought shares to help block the move. It was a continuation of a trend we are seeing: the offloading or spinning off of pollutive assets away from the parent company. We discuss AGL’s attempt, this offloading trend, and where the company goes from here.Related content:ESG Trends: Private-Company Emissions Under Public ScrutinyMSCI’s Net-Zero HubHost: Mike Disabato; MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Elchin Mammadov, Harlon Tufford; MSCI ESG Research

Abbott Laboratories is having to answer difficult questions after the F.D.A found its Michigan plant to be “egregiously unsanitary.” The plant closed after four infants became ill and two died after consuming Abbott’s baby formula that was made at the plant leading to a national formula shortage. We discussed what happened and why product quality and safety is such a key issue in ESG analysis. Then, we discussed the Australia election results which were heavily influenced by climate change concerns.Host: Mike Disabato; MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Namita Nair, Elchin Mammadov, Antonios Panagiotopoulos; MSCI ESG Research

After a stellar 2021 for mining company Sibanye-Stillwater, its CEO is banking a hefty pay package. But as the company squares off against 25,000 striking mineworkers, we pick apart the arguments for and against bumper executive paydays.Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Zanele Mtshali and Samuel Block; MSCI ESG Research

Carl Icahn, a billionaire investor and storied corporate raider, has mounted a proxy fight at McDonald’s Corp. to change how it sources it’s pork. At the moment, McDonald’s, and all other fast-food companies, source pork from farmers that use what are called gestation crates. These crates have caught the ire of Icahn and the US Humane Society for some time, and they decided to mount a public proxy fight to change the practice. We discuss what this means for McDonald’s and the future of pork producers. Then, we look at the first enforcement action ever made by the relatively new SEC Climate and ESG Task force against Vale over its misleading ESG disclosures on the safety of its tailings dams.Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Jonathan Ponder and Samuel Block; MSCI ESG Research

After a draft opinion leaked from the U.S. Supreme Court showed the possible reversal of the landmark abortion law called Roe v. Wade, a new spotlight has been put on companies that manufacture abortifacients (aka abortion pills). We give you a quick look into what those pills are used for (not just abortions) and the companies that manufacturer them. Then we explore what sovereign bonds can tell us about how climate change is going to affect governments. Host: Mike Disabato; MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Bhaveer Shah and Namita Nair; MSCI ESG Research

For short sellers, ESG data offers new strategic considerations. But when it comes to reporting the ESG-related impacts associated with short positions, you’d be forgiven for scratching your head. We take a look at the differences between financial and double materiality and what key investors had to say about this brave, new world.Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Rumi Mahmood and Miranda Carr; MSCI ESG Research