A Sustainable Future

How is the FCA’s SDR framework a powerful example of second moveradvantage? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Sara Woodroffe, Manager of theFCA’s ESG Policy & Advisory Team, about what the FCA’s new SDR frameworkmeans for investors, how it aims to provide anti-greenwashing protections perits mandate of consumer protection, and why a sustainable finance investmentlabelling regime could well be the antidote to one purely focused on disclosure.

Jason Mitchell discusses with Chris Stark, CEO of the Climate Change Committee, about the implications of COP28 on the UK's global climate leadership. They also talk about the role of the Climate Change Committee in advising the UK government on climate action, the challenges in translating climate goals into actions, the economic costs of climate action, and the challenges and solutions in decarbonizing home heating.

Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Andrew Strait, Ada Lovelace Institute, about how to think through the typology of AI harms, what to make of the different national and supranational efforts to regulate AI, and why the development of strong AI governance systems is in everyone’s interest.Andrew Strait is an Associate Director at the Ada Lovelace Institute where he is responsible for Ada’s work addressing emerging technology and industry practice. He’s spent the last decade working at the intersection of technology, law and society. Prior to joining Ada, he was an Ethics & Policy Researcher at DeepMind, where he managed internal AI ethics initiatives and oversaw the company’s network of external partnerships. Previously, Andrew worked as a Legal Operations Specialist at Google where he developed and implemented platform moderation policies on areas such as data protection, hate speech, terrorist content and child safety.

How are national policymakers driving transition finance into the real economy? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Dr. Esther Wandel, German Federal Ministry of Finance, how the German Federal Ministry of Finance is evolving its Sustainable Finance Strategy and what ‘harmonisation’ holds for sustainable regulations and standards.Dr. Esther Wandel is head of division for Investment Funds and Sustainable Finance at the German Federal Ministry of Finance. She focuses on the international, European and national Agenda on sustainable finance and asset management topics. Esther led the financial services team of the Permanent Representation of Germany in Brussels for two years where she led and coordinated work on financial services during the German EU presidency. She worked for the European Commission for seven years as well as Financial Conduct Authority in London for three years.

When can sustainable investing be counterproductive? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Kelly Shue, Yale University School of Management, why brown firms—not green firms—will drive the greatest emissions savings, how the cost of capital can be a powerful lever for behaviour change, and why it’s vital that sustainable investors move more towards energy transition-type strategies.Kelly Shue serves as a Professor of Finance at the Yale University School of Management. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of behavioural economics and empirical corporate finance. Her research has explored the Peter Principle, compensation and promotions, gender and negotiations, the gambler's fallacy, contrast effects and non-proportional thinking in asset pricing, and executive social networks. Her research has been featured in numerous news outlets including CNN, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal, and has been awarded the AQR Insight Award, the Wharton School-WRDS Award for Best Empirical Finance Paper, and the UBS Global Asset Management Award for Research in Investments. She serves as an associate editor at the Journal of Finance and Journal of Financial Economics, and previously served as an editor at the Review of Finance. Her latest paper is Counterproductive Sustainable Investing: The Impact Elasticity of Brown and Green Firms

In a world of artificially generated content and ideas, where is the comparative advantage for humans? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Anton Korinek, University of Virginia, about how to think through the economic—and specifically labour productivity—implications of generative AI, what AI could potentially mean for the last 40 years of wage inequality, and why it’s critical we rethink traditional forms of learning given the impact that AI could have on education.

What’s at stake in the next general election for UK climate policy? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Rt. Hon. Chris Skidmore MP, former Minister and Chair of the UK Net Zero Review, about why it’s critical that the UK maintain its international climate leadership; what should the UK do about domestic oil and gas production in another energy security crisis; and how the UK can respond to the US and EU clean energy stimulus programmes.The Right Honourable Chris Skidmore is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Kingswood. He was the UK’s former Energy and Clean Growth Minister attending cabinet who signed the UK’s net zero commitment into law in June 2019, and also served as Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation twice between 2018 and 2020. In September 2022 he was appointed Chair of the Net Zero Review, an independent review into the delivery of UK net zero climate commitments. The report of the review, Mission Zero, was published in January 2023.

Is AI your co-worker or your job replacement? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Dr. Mike Kollo, CEO of Evolved Reasoning, about how to think through the implications of generative AI, what large language models like ChatGPT mean for the workplace, and why our focus needs to shift towards understanding the new areas of growth, industry and expertise that these systems open up.

Does Europe face a climate protection insurance gap? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Margherita Giuzio, European Central Bank, about what’s at stake from a financial stability and macroeconomic perspective; how the ECB is proposing a ladder of approaches; and why public-private sector solutions like impact underwriting are vital to reducing moral hazard risks.Margherita is a Team Lead in the Market-Based Finance division of the Macroprudential Policy and Financial Stability Directorate at the European Central Bank. Her research interests include non-bank financial intermediation, climate-related risks to financial stability and sustainable finance. She has co-authored a number of papers examining the intersection of sustainability and financial markets including “What to Do About Europe’s Climate Insurance Gap”, “The Low-Carbon Transition, Climate Commitments and Firm Credit Risk”, and “Are Ethical and Green Investment Funds More Resilient?”

What does science reveal about a potential collapse of the Earth system? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Tim Lenton, University of Exeter, about what’s at stake when we talk about planetary boundaries, early warning systems and climate tipping points; how the supporting science and empirical evidence have expanded over the last decade; and why GAIA 2.0 represents a powerful framework to reinforce global sustainability.