What does the data say about our net zero ambitions? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Vaclav Smil, academic and author of the New York Times bestseller How the World Really Works, what the energy transition by 2050 realistically means; how energy transitions have evolved historically; and what are the real implications when people talk of a climate ‘earthshot’.Vaclav SmilVaclav is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba. Regarded as being among the most important thought leaders of our time, he’s the author of forty-five books and over 500 papers, including the New York Times bestsellers How the World Really Works and Energy and Civilization: A History. One of Bill Gates’ favourite authors, Vaclav has spent his career exploring new ground in the fields of energy, environmental and population change, food production and nutrition, technical innovation, risk assessment and public policy. He’s been named by Foreign Policy as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers.

How is the UK FCA driving the next evolution of sustainability regulation? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Sacha Sadan, FCA Director of ESG, what the FCA’s new SDR framework means for investors; how it aims to provide anti-greenwashing protections; and why we need to work towards greater harmonisation across the multitude of global sustainability standards.Sacha SadanSacha Sadan is the Director of ESG at the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) where he oversees ESG across the wide spectrum of regulatory activities and reports to the CEO. Prior to the FCA, Sacha was Director of Investment Stewardship and on the board at Legal and General Investment Management where he had responsibility for investment stewardship, collaborating with other investors, governments and regulators. Sacha was previously a UK equity manager at Gartmore where he co-managed a range of UK equity hedge, retail and institutional funds.

Can the fashion industry become truly sustainable? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Janice Wang, Alvanon CEO, what sustainability means in a fashion context, how to adapt to shifting demographics and changing body types, and why efficiencies like 3D and digital technologies are already revolutionising the market.Janice Wang, CEOJanice Wang is CEO of Alvanon and Chairwoman of the Board at MOTIF, the online professional development platform for the apparel industry. She is a Member of the Board of The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel Limited, a Member of the Advisory Board for The Mills Fabrica, and Director of the Board, Hong Kong Chapter, for the International Women’s Forum.

What is COP27 set to accomplish? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Quamrul Chowdury, COP27 Lead Climate Negotiator, about what to expect going into COP27, how G-77 and LDC negotiating positions are taking shape, and what’s at stake for the most climate-vulnerable countries.Quamrul Chowdury has been a climate negotiator for over thirty years. He serves as a Lead Climate and Sustainable Development Negotiator of the 48 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and 134 G-77 Developing Countries at UN bodies including UNFCCC and UNCBD. He’s also a part of the Bangladesh climate negotiation team. He served as Chair of UN Kyoto Protocol Joint Implementation Committee and was a member of UN Climate Adaptation Committee as a nominee of the developing countries.

Is the criticism of ESG well-founded or political posturing? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Ioannis Ioannou, London Business School, about what is at stake in the backlash to ESG, how to think about the factors driving its politicisation, and why we need to work harder towards finding ways to turn down the heat in this increasingly partisan debate.Prof. Ioannis IoannouIoannis Ioannou is a professor at London Business School, and strategy scholar whose research focuses on Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility. He consults on and researches how environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) strategies are adopted, embedded and successfully implemented by organizations globally. His work has been published in top academic journals, including the Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science and the Journal of International Business Studies. He is the co-Chair of the Sustainability Advisory Panel of Merck KGaA and a member of the ESG Advisory Board of the DWS Group. Ioannis also recently served on the Stakeholder Working Group of the UK Treasury's Asset Management Taskforce.

How are multilateral institutions like the IMF helping close the gender gap? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Dr. Ratna Sahay, IMF Senior Advisor on Gender, about what’s at stake when we talk about gender disparities, how the IMF’s first Strategy Toward Mainstreaming Gender advances this effort and why it’s vital that we focus on the multiplier effects to drive great, more inclusive economic growth.Dr. Ratna Sahay is Senior Advisor on Gender in the Office of the Managing Director at the International Monetary Fund. She is responsible for mainstreaming gender in the Fund's core activities-surveillance, programs, and capacity development. Prior to this role, she was a Deputy Director in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department. She has worked in several regional departments in the IMF and has previously served as Advisor to Stanley Fischer (First Deputy Managing Director) and Michael Mussa and Kenneth Rogoff (both Economic Counselors at the IMF).

If the carbon offset market is falling short, how do we fix it? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Thomas Hale, Oxford University, about what’s at stake in net zero commitments, how to think about potential policy solutions and why it’s vital that we work towards a more robust regulatory system to oversee carbon offsets markets.Find the full transcript of this episode and the latest responsible investment insights from Man Institute here: https://www.man.com/maninstitute/responsible-investmentBiographyThomas Hale is a professor at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. His research explores how we can manage transnational problems effectively and fairly, and to explain how political institutions evolve to face the challenges raised by globalisation and interdependence, with a particular emphasis on environmental, economic and health issues. He also leads the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker. His books include Beyond Gridlock; Between Interests and Law: The Politics of Transnational Commercial Disputes; Transnational Climate Change Governance; and Gridlock: Why Global Cooperation Is Failing when We Need It Most.

What’s at stake for hedge funds in the path to net zero? Jason Mitchell talks to Keith Guthrie, Deputy Chief Investment Officer at Cardano, about the role of short selling in sustainable investing, how to incorporate hedge funds and derivatives into net zero strategies, and why it’s vital we distinguish economic risk materiality from real world impact.Keith Guthrie is the Deputy Chief Investment Officer at Cardano and a member of its Sustainability Steering Committee and Investment Committee. Keith is also co-lead of the IIGCC Derivatives and Hedge Fund Working Group where he oversaw the Derivatives and Hedge Funds Discussion Paper. Keith’s primary focus at Cardano is on Investment Philosophy and Frameworks, and Sustainable Investing, with oversight of the Manager Research and LDI teams. Prior to joining Cardano, Keith worked at GAM managing a variety of multi-asset and hedge fund portfolios. 

Is market-driven short termism a convenient scapegoat? Jason Mitchell talks to Professor Mark J. Roe, Harvard Law School, about why short-termism may not be the problem it’s purported to be, how the narrative around short-termism has evolved over the past 30 years, and the potential policy solutions.BiographyMark J. Roe is a professor at Harvard Law School, where he teaches corporate law and corporate bankruptcy. He is the author of Missing the Target: Why Stock Market Short-Termism Is Not the Problem (Oxford, 2022), and one of the most prominent voices in the short-termism debate. He’s also author of Strong Managers, Weak Owners: The Political Roots of American Corporate Finance (Princeton, 1994), Political Determinants of Corporate Governance (Oxford, 2003) and Bankruptcy and Corporate Reorganization (Foundation, 2014).

Will the energy transition — now complicated by the drive to diversify energy sources away from Russia — lead to a full-blown energy crisis? Listen to Jason Mitchell talk to Rob West, CEO of Thunder Said Energy, about what’s at stake for the energy complex as we begin this diversification, the first and second order impacts of the conflict, and the trade-offs that we may face between energy security, decarbonisation and price affordability.