All Things Sustainable

Regulation is transforming the world of environmental, social and governance investing, and in many areas, Europe has been leading the charge on new rules and standards. In June 2022, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a provisional agreement on new sustainability reporting rules for companies, known as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, or CSRD.  In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast we speak to Adrie Heinsbroek, Chief Sustainability Officer at Netherlands-based asset manager NN Investment Partners, to get the investor view on how the changes could impact ESG-focused fund managers — and how the sorting hat from Harry Potter helps explain the trajectory of ESG regulation.  Listen to our previous episode about CSRD here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/csrd-eus-latest-proposed-addition-to-alphabet-soup/id1475521006?i=1000529859763   Read our monthly ESG Regulatory Tracker here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/esg-regulatory-tracker-june-2022  We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).  Photo credit: Getty Images  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. 

The rapid decline of the world's biodiversity poses big financial risks to businesses and the global economy. One of the organizations working to help companies assess, report and act on these risks is the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, or TNFD.    The TNFD has been busy since forming in 2021 — releasing beta disclosure frameworks and launching pilot projects to test out these frameworks. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we speak with one of the experts deeply involved in crafting the frameworks, Emily McKenzie, who is Technical Director of the TNFD Secretariat.    "We're trying to create a framework that's global, aligned with the global sustainability reporting baseline, but also flexible to be applicable in jurisdictions that may be more ambitious than that," Emily tells us.   Listen to our episode featuring an interview with TNFD co-chair Elizabeth Mrema here: https://soundcloud.com/esginsider/the-new-task-force-in-town   We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).  Photo credit: Getty Images  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 ESG Insider we're talking with one of the largest U.S. property and casualty insurers, Liberty Mutual Insurance, about how the company is integrating climate change risk into its investment decisions and underwriting practices.   We interview Rakhi Kumar, Senior Vice President for Sustainability Solutions and Business Integration at Liberty Mutual Insurance, about a recent climate transition scenario analysis by the insurer.  "As much as we may want to go faster, we have to recognize that there are realities that need to happen," says Rakhi.   The analysis found that the lack of a coordinated global policy approach among countries presents the most immediate and greatest source of climate transition risk to companies.  Listen to the ESG Insider episode from the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in New York here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/on-the-ground-in-nyc-how-climate-change-is-forcing-a-new-type-of-financial-literacy     Listen to the episode where we talk with MunichRe about the insurer's approach to natural disasters here: https://soundcloud.com/esginsider/how-one-of-the-worlds-1  Listen to our episode featuring Manulife's Global Chief Sustainability Officer here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/why-esg-experts-say-don-t-let-perfect-be-the-enemy-of-good  We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).  Photo credit: Getty Images  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.

“If there’s an acronym in the disclosure space, I usually was involved,” quipped Curtis Ravenel at the recent GreenFin conference in New York.  Curtis is Senior Advisor for the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, or GFANZ, and Member of the Secretariat for the FSB Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, or TCFD. In an interview for this episode of the ESG Insider podcast following the conference, Curtis discusses the convergence happening among the alphabet soup of sustainability standard setters; the net zero transition; and the path forward during a time of tension in the ESG world.   To hear our previous interview with Curtis: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/esg-experts-are-watching-these-sustainability-trends-in-2022   To read more about GFANZ guidance on credible net zero transition plans: https://www.gfanzero.com/  S&P Global Sustainable1 was a sponsor of GreenFin.  We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).  Photo credit: Getty Images  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 ESG Insider podcast we bring you highlights from the GreenFin conference, which convened stakeholders from across the green finance ecosystem. The evolution of ESG data was a big topic at the event and in our interviews with attendees. We talk with Manulife Global Chief Sustainability Officer Sarah Chapman; Nasdaq Global Head of Sustainability Evan Harvey; and Joel Makower, who is chairman and co-founder of GreenBiz Group, the media and events company that hosted the event. S&P Global Sustainable1 was a sponsor of GreenFin. We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com). Photo credit: Getty Images 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.

Amid rapid growth in ESG investment, regulators around the world are developing sustainability-focused rules. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we explore new rules proposed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that involve sustainable or ESG-labeled funds. To get a better understanding, we talk with Aniket Shah, managing director and global head of environmental, social and governance and sustainability research at Jefferies Group. We also speak with George Raine, a partner in the asset management group at the law firm Ropes & Gray, and Lance Dial, a partner in the ESG & Sustainability group at law firm Morgan Lewis. We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com). Listen to our episode on the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure regulation here: https://soundcloud.com/esginsider/new-eu-sustainable-finance  Read our monthly Regulatory Tracker here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/esg-regulatory-tracker-may-2022 Photo credit: S&P Global Sustainable1

The European Commission in May proposed its ‘REPowerEU’ plan to wean the EU off supplies of Russian fossil fuels and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we talk with experts about the plan and what it means for investment in renewables. We speak with Elisabetta Cornago, senior research fellow at think tank the Centre for European Reform. We talk to Hans Stegeman, chief investment strategist at asset manager Triodos Investment Management. And we hear from Dries Acke, policy director of SolarPower Europe, which represents the solar power industry. We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com). Photo credit: Getty Images

In recent years, we’ve seen an explosion of interest in ESG investing, and private equity firms are part of that growing trend.    In this episode of ESG Insider, we sit down with Lisa Hall, Impact Chair at Apollo Global Management. Apollo is one of the largest investing firms in the U.S. and pursues a number of strategies ranging from investment grade debt to private equity. Lisa talks about how ESG is becoming "table stakes" across industries and investment strategies.    She also explains how Apollo's new private equity impact investing strategy aims to fill ESG financing gaps in education, health, safety, wellness and economic opportunity.    "We very clearly are providing services and products that certain markets have not traditionally had access to," Lisa says. "That additionality and focus on underserved markets is something that we haven't explicitly or intentionally done in the traditional flagship funds that we are doing with a great deal of intention in the impact strategy." We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).   To listen to our episode from the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in New York: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/on-the-ground-in-nyc-how-climate-change-is-forcing-a-new-type-of-financial-literacy    Photo credit: Getty Images

When it comes to tackling climate change, scientists say making transformative changes to the transportation sector will be key. For example, curbing vehicle transportation emissions will require a rapid scaling up of electric vehicle charging infrastructure as well as EV manufacturing. At the same time, companies are grappling with how to ensure the low-carbon transition balances climate goals with social ones.  In this episode of ESG Insider, we talk with Hina Baloch, Executive Director for Data Analytics, Sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and STEM Education Communications at General Motors, one of largest auto manufacturers in the U.S. GM has made several low-carbon pledges and is working on ensuring an equitable and just transition as it pursues those goals. The company is also moving to shore up access to new domestic resources for critical minerals after the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict exposed weaknesses in global supply chains.  "A resilient local supply chain is going to be very important for a sustainable manufacturing future," says Hina. "Ensuring sustainability, ensuring scalability, ensuring security and ensuring cost competitiveness of our supply chain locally is extremely important."  Correction: This episode was updated to remove a reference to the location of where GM's Cadillac LYRIQ is being built. It is being built in Tennessee and not in New York. We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).   To listen to our episode from the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in New York: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/on-the-ground-in-nyc-how-climate-change-is-forcing-a-new-type-of-financial-literacy   To read more about expectations for electric vehicle sales, read this report by S&P Global Commodity Insights: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/energy-transition/042222-surging-ev-sales-hitting-high-lithium-prices-supply-chain-constraints-experts     Photo credit: Getty Images 

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we sit down with Jan-Willem Vosmeer, Global Manager of Sustainable Development and Stakeholder Engagement at The Heineken Company. He talks about how the brewer is working with suppliers to reduce emissions, the challenges of working in a water-intensive industry, and how to make agriculture sustainable.   But he says Heineken is focused on more than just environmental issues. It seeks to embed sustainability throughout its entire business, including through net zero goals, addressing responsible drinking and working to further diversity, equity and inclusion.   "There's a lot of focus on the environmental part, but for me, it's really always a holistic agenda," Jan-Willem says. "So the S of social is as important as the environmental part, and they’re also interlinked." We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).  Register for the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/sp-global-sustainable1-summit?utm_medium=social&utm_source=podcast&utm_content=ESGInsiderAd  To listen to our episode from the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in Paris: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/on-the-ground-in-paris-long-term-net-zero-goals-need-urgent-action   To listen to our episode from the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in New York: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/on-the-ground-in-nyc-how-climate-change-is-forcing-a-new-type-of-financial-literacy  Photo credit: Getty Images