All Things Sustainable

The United Nations convenes its Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Belém, Brazil Nov. 10-21, and in this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast we're covering what to expect from COP30. This annual UN summit convenes world leaders to work together on solutions to tackle climate change, and COP30 is known as the "Implementation COP," which means a focus on turning climate commitments into action. To learn more, we sit down on the sidelines of the PRI in Person conference in São Paulo, Brazil, this week with Marcos Neto. Marcos is Assistant Secretary General at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Director of UNDP's Bureau of Policy and Programme Support. Marcos explains the big themes he's watching heading into COP30 — including the rising focus on adaptation and resilience; the evolving role of insurance in climate conversations; financing needs; and the climate-nature nexus. He also discusses UNDP's work to help countries develop their Nationally Determined Contributions, which are countries' plans for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement that are updated every five years. Marcos grew up in Belém, and he says his hometown exemplifies the need to strike a balance between climate goals and economic development. "Belém is a great symbol of that — because there is poverty, because there are Indigenous peoples, because there are forests ... agriculture, cattle ranchers," he says. "We need to figure out a way to live with all those aspects." Listen to our podcast interview with Marcos during last year's COP29 conference here: UN official says credibility of climate COPs at stake heading into 2025 | S&P Global Read more from S&P Global about what to expect from COP30: COP30: Climate governance at a crossroads | S&P Global Read our latest Road to COP report on the Platts Connect platform (requires log-in): https://plattsconnect.spglobal.com/#platts/previewDocument?id=478c7957-99a9-45de-9382-4c964aa1c023 Learn about the Global Carbon Markets Conference from S&P Global Commodity Insights taking place in Barcelona shortly after COP30. 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. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). 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.

Jeff Gitterman, CEO of Gitterman Asset Management, emphasizes the growing investment opportunities in climate adaptation and sustainable infrastructure. He discusses the heightened focus on resilience observed during Climate Week NYC and highlights sectors ripe for investment, such as water and engineering. Alan Brookes, CEO of Arcadis, shares insights on nature-based solutions for urban resilience, including innovative park designs that protect against flooding while serving communities. Both guests stress the need for sustainable, community-centric approaches amidst climate challenges.

This episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast explores the rapidly changing global landscape for the energy transition and how factors like geopolitical tensions, AI and government policies are driving change ahead of COP30, the UN's upcoming Climate Change Conference of the parties. We examine these dynamics through the lens of the world's two most populous countries: India and China. We talk with Carlos Pascual, Senior Vice President and Head of Geopolitics and International Affairs at S&P Global Commodity Insights and a former US Ambassador to Mexico and Ukraine. He outlines the complexities of US-China relations, including the competition for technological dominance and energy resources. "In many ways, China has developed a degree of technology expertise that is having an impact on this relationship in ways that have not been expected," Carlos says. To understand how India is navigating these dynamics, we talk with Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Co-Founder and Chairperson of Sustainability at ReNew, a decarbonization solutions company deploying renewables and other low-carbon technologies in India. She highlights the importance of international collaboration for accessing technology, critical minerals and financing for renewable projects. "This clean energy transition is not about individual countries," Vaishali says. "It's about what all of us can do together." Vaishali also emphasizes the importance of engaging local communities in the energy transition to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to participate. We sat down with Carlos and Vaishali on the sidelines of The Nest Climate Campus, where the All Things Sustainable podcast was an official media partner during Climate Week NYC. Listen to our interview with the CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, or WBCSD: Kicking off Climate Week NYC in a fragmented global landscape Read S&P Global's key takeaways from Climate Week NYC: 5 Climate Week NYC takeaways setting the scene for decision-making in 2026 | S&P Global Read the latest energy and climate scenarios from S&P Global Commodity Insights: Beyond the Energy Transition | S&P Global 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. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). 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.

One of our key takeaways from Climate Week NYC in 2025 was that the insurance industry is taking a more central role in conversations about climate risk. As climate change causes more frequent and severe extreme weather events, some insurers are increasing premiums or pulling out of certain regions, with implications for policy and the financial markets. To learn more about the changing landscape for insurance, we sat down on the sidelines of Climate Week NYC with Martin Powell, Group Sustainability Director at global insurance and asset management group AXA. "A 2-degree world is still insurable, but it's going to be unaffordable for many, many people," Martin says. "As we head towards that sort of temperature increase, our job is to try and predict and assess what that's going to mean for society in five years' time and do what we can today to reduce those impacts." The urgency is growing to adopt new strategies and practices to assess these climate-related risks, and we heard at Climate Week NYC why this is particularly true in the US homeowners insurance market. Heather Zichal, the Global Head of Sustainability at JPMorganChase, says the future of homeowners insurance is "very much front and center" for the largest bank in the US. "Whether you're worried in the state of Florida about sea-level rise, or you are in California and you're worried about wildfires, there's a very healthy recognition that we are going to collectively need new products, services, and policies to help meet that moment," Heather says. We also speak to Kingsley Greenland, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Corporate Development at Verisk, a company that works with the global insurance industry to provide data and analytics. He points to the difference between big banks and their smaller peers when it comes to assessing climate risk. "The largest banks...in a way, they also have the least risk because they're globally diversified and can take the hit," he says. "It seems to me like it's these really small banks, your credit unions, your small community bankers that retain a lot of this risk and don't have now — nor can we expect them to — really have this full suite of climate risk analytics in their portfolio that would trickle down to their investment decisions." Read S&P Global's key takeaways from Climate Week NYC: 5 Climate Week NYC takeaways setting the scene for decision-making in 2026 | S&P Global Read an S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis of US insurance rate and rule product filings: At London Climate Week, a bold call for insurers to tackle climate risks | S&P Global Listen to the full interview with Heather Zichal: How the biggest bank in the US is approaching climate risk | S&P Global Learn more about S&P Global Sustainable1's Physical Climate Risk 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. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). 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.

Theresa Condor, Co-founder and CEO of Spire Global, leads the charge on sustainability in space with her innovative satellite technology. She discusses how these wine-bottle-sized satellites provide critical data for climate, weather, and security, revolutionizing multiple industries. Theresa highlights the rapid advancements in satellite capabilities and the growing need for governance to support sustainable exploration. She also emphasizes cross-sector collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative to ensure responsible practices in the evolving space landscape.

Heather Zichal, the Global Head of Sustainability at JPMorgan Chase, discusses her insights from Climate Week NYC. She emphasizes the growing importance of adaptation and resilience in climate finance, and how AI is transforming energy transition strategies. Heather also highlights the bank's commitment to balancing sustainability goals with affordability and energy security. She shares JPMorgan's approach to insurance in climate discussions and the bank's active role in voluntary carbon markets and multilateral engagements.

At Climate Week NYC, we sit down on the sidelines with Daniela Raik, the newly appointed Interim CEO at Conservation International. Conservation International is a nonprofit that partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. In our conversation, Daniela explains why nature was a big focus at Climate Week NYC in 2025, which coincided with the ratification of a historic UN treaty to safeguard marine biodiversity on the high seas. Daniela said Climate Week NYC brought to the fore the importance of financing conservation and mainstreaming the business value of nature. "I'm really sensing that this week: New ideas about how do we finance conservation, how do we mainstream the value that nature brings into business," Daniela tells us. "I'm hearing that not only from business leaders, but from government leaders as well." Daniela says this focus on nature will carry through to the UN's COP30 Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, this November. "This is the Amazonian COP. Belém is a city in the heart of the Amazon, and so Brazil is really prioritizing the role that nature, and forests in particular, can and must play as a climate solution," she says. Listen to all our coverage from Climate Week NYC 2025: Kicking off Climate Week NYC in a fragmented global landscape | S&P Global Climate Week, meet Fashion Week Water, water everywhere in Climate Week NYC conversations Climate Group CEO talks momentum in the face of obstacles As part of a multi-year philanthropic grants program launched in 2024 by the S&P Global Foundation, Conservation International is a Signature Grant Partner in the focus area of creating environmental resilience and will receive $2.5 million over five years. 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. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). 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.

In today's special episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we sit down on the sidelines of Climate Week NYC for an interview with Climate Group CEO Helen Clarkson. Climate Group is the nonprofit that organizes Climate Week NYC in coordination with the UN General Assembly and the City of New York. Helen points to momentum at Climate Week in 2025, with more than 1,000 events taking place across the city compared to 900 the previous year. "We're seeing companies continuing to move forward," Helen says. "A lot of these are global businesses ... so what's happening in the US is a part of that, but it's not the whole story." Helen says that Climate Week discussions this year are focusing more on practical solutions and the "nitty-gritty" of implementation. And she highlights the need for collective action and collaboration to effectively address climate change. "For the systemic shift we need in order to solve this, we need to start to see sectors coming together," Helen tells us. Listen to our coverage from Climate Week NYC 2025: Kicking off Climate Week NYC in a fragmented global landscape | S&P Global Climate Week, meet Fashion Week Water, water everywhere in Climate Week NYC conversations We'll be back with podcast interviews from Climate Week NYC throughout the week — including our coverage from The Nest Climate Campus, where the All Things Sustainable podcast is an official media partner. 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. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). 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 today's special episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we sit down on the sidelines of Climate Week NYC for an interview with CDP CEO Sherry Madera. CDP is a global nonprofit that runs an independent environmental disclosure system for companies, capital markets, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Sherry says that at Climate Week NYC this year, water is front and center in many conversations, especially as companies build water-intensive data centers to address growing AI demand. "There has been a 100% increase in the interest and demand and the requests for data on biodiversity and on water in particular," she says. Listen to our coverage from Climate Week NYC 2025 here: Kicking off Climate Week NYC in a fragmented global landscape | S&P Global And here: Climate Week, meet Fashion Week Listen to our 2024 interview with Sherry here: CDP CEO talks climate, nature and the future of sustainability disclosure | S&P Global Learn more about S&P Global Sustainable1's Nature & Biodiversity dataset here. We'll be back with podcast interviews from Climate Week NYC throughout the week — including our coverage from The Nest Climate Campus, where the All Things Sustainable podcast is an official media partner. You can register free to attend here. 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. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). 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.

Climate Week NYC kicked off just days after New York Fashion Week wrapped. In today's special Climate Week NYC episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're exploring the intersection of sustainability and fashion in an interview with Peter Majeranowski, CEO and Co-Founder of circular fashion startup Circ. Circ's investors include big brands like Patagonia and the parent company of Zara, as well as Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the investment firm founded by Bill Gates. Circ was also a finalist for the Earthshot Prize, which each year awards £1 million to five winners for their environmental solutions. The apparel sector is a significant source of global emissions, and Peter explains how Circ promotes circularity by recycling clothing. He says that a lot of the technical challenges around recycling have been solved, and unlocking financing is the challenge that keeps him awake at night. "For the bankers to get involved, they want to see long-term commitments from the brands, and that's a muscle that just does not exist in this industry," he says. "That's the biggest challenge." Listen to our coverage from Climate Week NYC here: Kicking off Climate Week NYC in a fragmented global landscape | S&P Global We'll be back with podcast interviews from Climate Week NYC throughout the week — including our coverage from The Nest Climate Campus, where the All Things Sustainable podcast is an official media partner. You can register free to attend here. And you can learn more about the event S&P Global is hosting at Climate Week NYC here: Climate Week NYC | S&P Global Learn more about S&P Global Sustainable1's physical climate risk dataset here. 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.