All Things Sustainable

In this enlightening discussion, Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, shares his intriguing journey from musician to airport executive. He emphasizes the need for the aviation industry to reduce carbon emissions while managing the soaring demand for travel. Griffiths outlines Dubai's innovative sustainability initiatives, including solar panels and waste management efforts. The conversation also covers the challenges of sustainable aviation fuel and the ambitious plans for a more eco-friendly airport future, showcasing a progressive vision for travel.

Welcome to the latest episode in the Terra Carta Series of the All Things Sustainable podcast, a collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI). Throughout 2025, we’ll be interviewing SMI member CEOs across industries and around the world about how they’re approaching sustainability challenges and opportunities.  In today’s episode, we speak to Caspar Herzberg, CEO of AVEVA, a UK-based software company and SMI member. “It’s not the time to retreat on climate,” Caspar says. “The solutions exist today that can keep us on the path to net-zero, and now we need to focus on scaling these through digitization and adoption.” Caspar outlines the technology solutions that are supporting decarbonization efforts across sectors. He also talks about the role AI can play in driving efficiency and boosting the business case for sustainability. “At the end of the day, sustainability is only going to work when you are profitable,” he says. “Otherwise, businesses won’t do it.” About the Terra Carta Podcast Series: The SMI is a network of over 250 global CEOs across finance and industry. It facilitates private sector diplomacy with the ambition of making sustainability the driving force of global markets and value creation. S&P Global is a proud SMI member. We’re calling this the Terra Carta Series based on the SMI’s Terra Carta mandate. This is the guiding mandate for the SMI and sets out ambitious and practical actions to help the private sector accelerate progress toward a sustainable future. The name Terra Carta is a play on the historic Magna Carta.  Listen to previous episodes in the Terra Carta Series: How the Sustainable Markets Initiative convenes the public and private sectors to drive solutions | S&P Global How climate tech company Patch works to build integrity of carbon markets | S&P Global Learn about energy transition data and services from S&P Global Commodity Insights.   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part 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. 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.

A question we’ve been hearing a lot at the All Things Sustainable podcast is: How do businesses sync their climate strategies with their financial decisions?    In this episode, we bring you highlights from an event that dove into this question in detail: The inaugural S&P Global Sustainable1 Climate Summit hosted by the S&P Global Climate Center of Excellence.   The center is home to world-class scientists dedicated to addressing the frontiers of long-term climate, environmental and nature research and methodology development. The June 5 Climate Summit in New York City convened many of those scientists alongside financial institutions and industry leaders to talk about translating climate science into actionable insights that inform investment and financial decision-making.  In today’s episode we talk to three speakers from the Summit:   -Dr. Terence Thompson, the Chief Science Officer at the S&P Global Climate Center of Excellence; he explains the center’s work and how it seeks to bridge gaps between stakeholders, including climate scientists, economists and financial institutions.   -Sonja Gibbs, Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance at the Institute for International Finance, a global network of financial institutions; she explains how IIF members are thinking about climate risks and opportunities.  -Aniket Shah, Managing Director and Global Head of the Sustainability and Transition Strategy team at Jefferies Group; he tells us why financial decision-makers need “data, not vibes” to drive their sustainability strategies.   Listen to recent podcast interviews referenced in today’s episode:    Why businesses are going ‘back to basics’ in sustainability strategies | S&P Global  How HSBC is financing infrastructure for a low-carbon economy | S&P Global  How EU proposals could change the sustainability reporting landscape | S&P Global  Learn more about the Climate Center of Excellence | S&P Global  This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part 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. 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.

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we’re examining the role insurance plays in helping stakeholders understand and adapt to the physical risks of climate change.   We speak to Rowan Douglas, CEO of Climate Risk & Resilience at global insurance group Howden. He explains how the insurance industry’s approach to climate change has evolved over decades to better understand future risks. He says the insurance sector is front and center in conversations about climate impacts because insurance gives financial institutions and investors an economic guide for risk.  "There's a recognition that insurance is absolutely essential to allow credit and investment to flow with confidence,” he says.  Rowan also addresses the importance of breaking down barriers in climate conversations, including how climate and nature intersect and the need for collaboration between the financial community and scientists, economists and engineers.      “All of us in the world of finance have got something to offer, and we've got something to learn from each other,” he says. "We're getting to the point now where we've got to confront this growing risk.”    This interview took place on the sidelines of the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in London. Listen to more interviews from the event here: Why businesses are going ‘back to basics’ in sustainability strategies | S&P Global  And here: How HSBC is financing infrastructure for a low-carbon economy | S&P Global  Learn more about the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in Singapore June 26, 2025: Sustainable1 Summit 2025 | S&P Global  Read the forecast for the 2025 hurricane season from the S&P Global Climate Center of Excellence: An Elevated 2025 Hurricane Season | S&P Global  Learn more about the Climate Center of Excellence: Climate Center of Excellence | S&P Global  Learn more about Physical Climate Risk Solutions from S&P Global  This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part 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. 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.

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we continue our deep dive into methane emissions. Today we’re exploring the role that private equity can play in eliminating methane emissions, including at abandoned oil and gas wells.  Methane is the second largest contributor to global warming behind carbon dioxide. And the fossil fuel sector is responsible for nearly one-third of methane emissions from human activity today. Record production of oil, gas and coal, combined with limited mitigation efforts, has kept emissions above 120 million metric tons annually, according to the International Energy Agency’s 2025 Global Methane Tracker published in May. The IEA calls methane abatement a “crucial opportunity” to reduce near-term global warming.  To understand how some companies are tackling methane emissions at abandoned facilities, in the episode we talk with Zefiro Methane Corp., an environmental services company that specializes in methane abatement at abandoned oil and gas wells in the US. Zefiro is a portfolio company of private equity firm X Machina Capital Strategies, or XMC, which works to transform oil and gas assets into long-term, sustainable solutions.  We speak with Catherine Flax, Founding Member and President of Private Markets at XMC. On June 5, Catherine was appointed interim CEO of Zefiro Methane Corp., where she also serves on the board.  We also talk with Talal Debs, Founder and Managing Partner of XMC. Talal was CEO of Zefiro Methane Corp. from November 2023 until June 2025.  In the episode, Talal outlines how XMC takes a "full-spectrum energy investment" approach.   "Let's take all the energy that we can get economically, but make it as clean as possible with a mind towards: what are we going to do with the mess afterwards?" he says. "If we can do that ... we're capturing the full spectrum of opportunity without ignoring the full spectrum of risks."  Listen to our previous episode on methane emissions here.  Learn about energy transition data and services from S&P Global Commodity Insights.   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part 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. 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.   

Steven Hamburg, Chief Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, and Georges Tijbosch, CEO of MiQ, discuss the urgent challenge of methane emissions in the energy sector. They highlight innovative technologies like MethaneSAT that provide crucial data for monitoring emissions. With methane being far more potent than CO2, the duo emphasizes a shift towards economic and operational efficiency by reducing leaks. They advocate for radical transparency and collaborative efforts to meet ambitious climate goals, showcasing opportunities for immediate action against climate change.

Welcome to the latest episode in the Terra Carta Series of the All Things Sustainable podcast, a collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative. Throughout 2025, we’ll be interviewing SMI member CEOs across industries and around the world about how they’re approaching sustainability challenges and opportunities.   In this episode, we’re talking with Brennan Spellacy, founder and CEO of Patch, a climate technology company that helps companies manage, sell and buy carbon credits. Brennan says interest in carbon markets is growing as a tool for companies to achieve their climate targets, even amid a challenging current environment.  "Even though the tactics might evolve in the short term, almost every [Chief Sustainability Officer] that I've seen is upping their investments in 2025 and 2026, not cutting them. But how you deploy and how you talk about that deployment is going to obviously evolve," Brennan says.  He outlines how Patch works to drive the integrity of carbon markets by providing companies with a universal framework for evaluating projects across a wide range of technologies on an apples-to-apples basis.  "The core theory of change at Patch is that it's incredibly difficult to understand this market," Brennan says. "And the way we're going to drive scaling within this ecosystem today is to remove the friction to understanding."  About the Terra Carta Podcast Series: The SMI is a network of over 250 global CEOs across finance and industry. It facilitates private sector diplomacy with the ambition of making sustainability the driving force of global markets and value creation. S&P Global is a proud SMI member.  We’re calling this the Terra Carta Series based on the SMI’s Terra Carta mandate. This is the guiding mandate for the SMI and sets out ambitious and practical actions to help the private sector accelerate progress toward a sustainable future. The name Terra Carta is a play on the historic Magna Carta.   Learn more about the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in Singapore June 26, 2025.  Listen to our first episode in the Terra Carta series featuring Sustainable Markets Initiative CEO Jennifer Jordan-Saifi.   Listen to our podcast episode about what’s ahead for carbon markets.   Learn about the S&P Global Sustianable1's Energy Transition data.  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. 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. 

In the current landscape of geopolitical volatility and policy uncertainty, we’re hearing stakeholders use the term “back to basics” to describe their approach to sustainability. In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we bring you interviews with three speakers from the annual S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit who describe how businesses are navigating this environment.   We sit down with Jessica Fries, executive chair of accounting for Sustainability (A4S), a not-for-profit that works with finance leaders to drive resilient business models and achieve a sustainable economy. She explains how financial decisionmakers are balancing near-term financial pressures with longer-term sustainability goals.   “We don't see business leaders and finance leaders backing down from those long-term goals. I think everyone is very clear of the consequences of a failure to act with the kind of scale and speed that we need on climate and nature,” she says.  We talk to Min Guan about how some companies are taking a pragmatic approach to balancing different energy sources and supply chains in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Min is head of systems insights at the Energy Transitions Commission, a global coalition of leaders across business, finance and the NGO space committed to reaching net-zero by 2050. She is also a director at sustainability consultancy and investment firm Systemiq.  And we hear directly from an energy company grappling with this balancing act in an interview with Alex Grant, UK country manager for Norway-based Equinor. The company is the largest supplier of energy to Europe and has a portfolio that includes oil and gas, renewables and low-carbon solutions. Alex calls net-zero by 2050 the company’s “guiding star” but says the path won’t be straightforward.    “The energy transition is going to be bumpy,” he says. “What does that mean in practicalities? It means investing across the energy space.”  Listen to podcast coverage of the 2025 CERAWeek conference hosted by S&P Global here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/energy-transition-discussions-shift-to-pragmatism-amid-policy-uncertainty   Learn more about the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in Singapore June 26, 2025: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/events/sustainable1-summit-2025     Learn more about S&P Global’s Energy Transition data here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/solutions/energy-transition?utm_source=All+Things+Sustainable+podcast&utm_medium=libsyn&utm_campaign=HSBCS1Summit&utm_id=All+Things+Sustainable+podcast   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. 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.

In this engaging conversation, Danny Alexander, Chief Executive of HSBC’s Infrastructure Finance and Sustainability unit, shares his insights on financing a low-carbon economy. He emphasizes the immense investment needed for energy infrastructure, from renewable sources to electric vehicle charging stations. Danny highlights the global investment landscape, noting a projected demand of $6 trillion annually by 2030. He discusses the importance of blending public-private partnerships and aligning economic realities with infrastructure investment to drive the net-zero transition.

In recent episodes of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we've heard how some of the biggest companies across sectors are navigating the changing sustainability landscape. In today’s episode, we sit down with one of the world’s largest chemical and plastic production companies, Dow.  “Sustainability used to be something nice to have, but now it’s a key part of the business strategy,” Han Zhang, Ph.D., Dow’s Global Sustainability Director, Packaging and Specialty Plastics, tells us during S&P Global's CERAWeek energy conference in Houston. This is due to regulations, commitments from brand owners, and consumer demand, he says. “All of this creates a lot of opportunities to companies who can develop those sustainable solutions.”  Dow has sustainability targets related to climate change, transforming waste, and advancing a circular economy where products are reused or recycled. Han says the company sees decarbonization and circularity as interconnected issues that can’t be treated in silos.  "We cannot decarbonize the society without circular plastic, and we cannot achieve a circular economy” with higher carbon emissions, Han says. “At Dow as a company, we’re tackling both in the same lens and I highly encourage the industry to do the same.”  Listen to our episode, What's at stake in UN plastic pollution treaty talks Listen to our episode, What companies are doing to address the plastic pollution problem Learn more about S&P Global's Energy Transition data  This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part 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. 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.