All Things Sustainable

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we’re covering key takeaways from COP16, the UN’s major biodiversity conference that just wrapped up in Cali, Colombia.   The conference convened countries from around the world, and we hear about key outcomes of government negotiations in an interview with Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.   We also hear about the large private sector presence at COP16, which reflects companies’ growing understanding of the links between nature loss and climate change. We also hear about rising private sector recognition of the importance of including Indigenous peoples and local communities in decisions about nature. To learn more, we discuss the outlook for nature disclosure and standards with Andrea Pradilla, who is Latin America Director of the sustainability standards organization Global Reporting Initiative, or GRI. We learn about the landscape for financing for nature — including through biodiversity credits — in a conversation with Sébastien Soleille, Global Head of Energy Transition and Environment at big French bank BNP Paribas. To understand the data challenges companies face when measuring and managing their nature risks and dependencies, we talk to Divya Mankikar, Global Head of Strategy for the Corporate Ecosystem at S&P Global Sustainable1. And we look ahead to another big UN gathering taking place in Latin America — the climate-focused COP30 that Brazil will host in 2025. We talk to Eron Bloomgarden, Founder and CEO of Emergent, a nonprofit involved in a recently announced $180 million deal the Brazilian state of Pará signed to support its efforts to combat deforestation.  Read research from S&P Global Sustainable1, Corporate nature commitments remain rare, here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/ahead-of-cop16-corporate-nature-commitments-remain-rare   Listen to our previous podcast episode, ISSB Vice Chair Sue Lloyd talks aligning sustainability standards across jurisdictions, here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/issb-vice-chair-sue-lloyd-talks-aligning-sustainability-standards-across-jurisdictions   Listen to our previous podcast episode, CDP CEO talks climate, nature and the future of sustainability disclosure, here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/cdp-ceo-talks-climate-nature-and-the-future-of-sustainability-disclosure   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.      Copyright ©2024 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. 

Hussein Shel, Chief Technologist and Head of Upstream Digital Transformation at Amazon Web Services, dives into the role of AI in promoting sustainability. He discusses how AWS is leveraging AI and machine learning to optimize energy usage and integrate renewables into the grid. Hussein highlights the balance between generative AI's energy demands and the innovations aimed at enhancing efficiency. He also addresses the importance of responsible AI practices in tackling sustainability challenges and minimizing carbon footprints.

Today marks the end of COP16, the UN’s biodiversity-focused Conference of the Parties in Cali, Colombia. The UN’s climate change conference, COP29, is slated to begin Nov. 11 in Baku, Azerbaijan.  One common thread in these events is the challenge of addressing the big financing gaps for a range of sustainability issues — including climate, nature, and social equity.  In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we explore how the fixed income market is evolving to help fill in some of those sustainable finance gaps. We talk with Stephen Liberatore, Head of ESG and Impact for Global Fixed Income at Nuveen. Nuveen is a global asset manager with about $1.2 dollars trillion in total assets under management.  “One of the things that is really important to our investors is that we look for issuers and issues that have environmental benefit or environmental stewardship," Stephen says. "The issues that they're trying to identify and invest in are longer-term issues. They're not things that are going to be resolved overnight." We talked with Stephen on the sidelines of The Nest Climate Campus, where ESG Insider was an official podcast during Climate Week NYC.  This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.      Copyright ©2024 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. 

The UN's big climate change conference, COP29, starts Nov. 11 in Baku, Azerbaijan. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we're exploring technology solutions for the low-carbon transition, including in developing countries.  We talk with Vaishali Sinha, Co-founder and Chairperson of Sustainability at ReNew, a decarbonization solutions company deploying renewables and other low-carbon technologies in India.   "A global mindset is what is required in some of these very new and emerging technologies — and we must work together to be able to solve for it," Vaishali tells us.  We also talk with Holly Paeper, President of the Commercial HVAC Americas business at Trane Technologies, a building technology and energy solutions company. Holly says tackling Scope 3 indirect supply chain emissions is the "next frontier" for Trane Technologies and other companies working in the built environment.   "The challenge is huge in the built environment," she says. "The good news is there's technology that exists today to change that, and we're really starting to see more and more customer demand for those solutions."  We also sit down with Garrett Quinn, Chief Sustainability Officer at Smurfit Westrock, a sustainable paper and packaging company with operations in dozens of countries. Garrett describes some of the ways the company is looking to lower its emissions.  We talked with today’s guests on the sidelines of The Nest Climate Campus, where ESG Insider was an official podcast during Climate Week NYC.  Listen to last week's episode "Talking climate finance ahead of COP29" here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/talking-climate-finance-ahead-of-cop29   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.     Copyright ©2024 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 ESG Insider podcast, we’re talking climate finance ahead of COP29, the UN climate change conference taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024.  Scaling climate and clean energy financing will be a major focus at COP29, which many are calling the “finance COP.” Both the public and private sector will play a role in addressing the massive climate financing gap for developing countries, including through blended finance.   To learn more, we speak to Vijay Bains, Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of Environmental, Social and Governance at Emirates NBD, the largest bank in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. COP28 took place in Dubai in 2023, and Vijay explains how the event acted as a “lightning bolt” to bring global attention to sustainability in the region.  We also speak to Marina Severinovsky, Head of Sustainability North America at asset manager Schroders, about the role that policy and regulations can play in helping financial institutions unlock private investment in climate and other sustainability issues.   And we hear about the importance of a just transition that deploys capital to the regions that need it most in an interview with Prerna Divecha, Head of Climate and ESG Credit Risk Solutions at S&P Global Market Intelligence.   We conducted these interviews at The Nest Climate Campus, where ESG Insider was an official podcast during Climate Week NYC.      Listen to last week’s episode, Breaking down barriers to find climate solutions: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/breaking-down-barriers-to-find-climate-solutions   Read S&P Global’s Climate Week key takeaways here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/5-big-ideas-we-re-taking-from-climate-week-nyc-to-cop16-and-cop29   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.    Copyright ©2024 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.  

Throughout Climate Week NYC, we heard about the importance of collaborating across silos to find solutions to climate change, the energy transition and nature loss. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast we hear concrete examples of what that looks like in practice.   We speak with two climate scientists about how their organizations are working to communicate across disciplines and build partnerships that can inform areas like policy and urban planning:   -Terry Thompson is Chief Science Officer at the S&P Global Climate Center of Excellence  -Kevin Reed is Chief Climate Scientist at the New York Climate Exchange and a Professor at Stony Brook University.   We also speak to Marina Severinovsky, Head of Sustainability North America at asset manager Schroders, who says the role of policy in enabling solutions was one key Climate Week takeaway. “The biggest thing that's blown me away entirely is the amount of discussion about policy advocacy and engagement of policymakers,” she tells us.   And to understand how the private sector is partnering with government, we sit down with Shannon Thomas Carroll, Assistant Vice President of Global Environmental Sustainability at AT&T. Shannon explains how the telecommunications giant teamed up with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory to launch a climate risk and resilience portal for US communities.    We conducted these interviews at The Nest Climate Campus, where ESG Insider was an official podcast during Climate Week.    Read S&P Global’s Climate Week key takeaways here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/5-big-ideas-we-re-taking-from-climate-week-nyc-to-cop16-and-cop29   Listen to our previous interview with Terry Thompson here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-the-canadian-wildfires-impact-business-net-zero-health   Learn more about the S&P Global Climate Center of Excellence here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/climate-center-excellence   Learn about S&P Global Sustainable1 Physical Climate Risk data here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/solutions/physical-climate-risk-solutions   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.    Copyright ©2024 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. 

Kathleen Rogers, President of EarthDay.org, and Frank Niepold from NOAA highlight the critical need for climate literacy to empower future generations. AY Young, a UN Young Leader, shares how music can drive sustainability awareness. Gayle Schueller from 3M discusses the technological innovations creating green jobs. The conversation emphasizes the link between climate education and workforce development, pushing for better communication of career paths in sustainable sectors and underscoring the urgency for systemic educational reforms.

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast we sit down with California State Senator Henry Stern at Climate Week NYC.  Sen. Stern introduced one of two climate laws that California enacted in 2023, Senate Bill 261, which requires certain companies to prepare reports on climate change risks. The other, Senate Bill 253, requires certain companies to estimate and publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions.  The senator discusses the California laws and the future of climate disclosure in an interview on the sidelines of The Nest Climate Campus, where ESG Insider was an official podcast during Climate Week.  “We're facing a gauntlet of climate risk, and so we have the authority to get ahead of that and know what's coming,” Sen. Stern says.  Listen to all our Climate Week NYC 2024 coverage:    SBTi interim CEO on what’s next for net-zero standards  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sbti-interim-ceo-on-whats-next-for-net-zero-standards/id1475521006?i=1000670844563   Audubon CEO on why bird loss indicates a planet in crisis  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/audubon-ceo-on-why-bird-loss-indicates-a-planet-in-crisis/id1475521006?i=1000670718846   CDP CEO talks climate, nature and the future of sustainability disclosure:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cdp-ceo-talks-climate-nature-and-the/id1475521006?i=1000670602329  Kicking off Climate Week NYC with an urgent to-do list:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kicking-off-climate-week-nyc-with-an-urgent-to-do-list/id1475521006?i=1000670460020    SBTi interim CEO on what’s next for net-zero standards  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sbti-interim-ceo-on-whats-next-for-net-zero-standards/id1475521006?i=1000670844563   And listen to the episode we released about the SEC’s climate disclosure rule here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/unpacking-the-sec-s-climate-disclosure-rule  This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.   Copyright ©2024 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. 

Sue Jenny Ehr, the interim CEO of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), discusses the organization’s evolution and its mission to help companies set actionable net-zero targets. She shares insights on transitioning towards independence while ensuring the climate community's needs are met. The conversation highlights the crucial role of sector-specific guidelines and corporate governance during leadership changes. Ehr emphasizes an optimistic future for climate goals as SBTi works to refine its standards amid a rapidly changing environmental landscape.

One theme emerging from Climate Week NYC 2024 is the link between nature loss and climate change. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, National Audubon Society CEO Dr. Elizabeth Gray explains how nature can provide solutions to climate change.  Audubon is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. The North American bird population has declined by about 3 billion since 1970 and climate change is putting the remaining bird population at risk, Elizabeth tells us on the sidelines of Climate Week NYC.    "Birds are the proverbial canary in the coal mine. They are basically telling us about the health of the planet,” Elizabeth says. "Audubon has been listening to birds for over a century and what the birds are telling us right now is that the planet is really in crisis."  Listen to all our Climate Week NYC 2024 coverage:  CDP CEO talks climate, nature and the future of sustainability disclosure: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cdp-ceo-talks-climate-nature-and-the/id1475521006?i=1000670602329   Kicking off Climate Week NYC with an urgent to-do list: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kicking-off-climate-week-nyc-with-an-urgent-to-do-list/id1475521006?i=1000670460020   Learn more about our podcast presence at Climate Week NYC: https://spgi-mkto.spglobal.com/ESG-Insider-at-Climate-Week.html    Read the latest thought leadership from S&P Global Sustainable1 here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/sustainability-journal/fall-2024-special-edition  This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.    Copyright ©2024 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.