ESG Currents

Carbon markets can be an important component of the CO2-reduction tool kit as emissions goals and regulations continue to evolve. KraneShares Head of Climate Investments Luke Olivier joins Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Shaheen Contractor and Eric Kane on this episode of ESG Currents to discuss ways of investing in climate, along with a deep dive into the workings of carbon markets. This episode was recorded on Oct. 23rd.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2023 saw a record number of shareholder proposals pushing companies to bring environmental and social issues more into focus, and one of the most active in the space has been As You Sow. Founded in 1992, the group bills itself as the nation’s non-profit leader in shareholder advocacy. They have an extensive track record of putting forward resolutions on issues such as energy & climate, social justice, and the circular economy. On this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, BI analyst Rob Du Boff sits down with Danielle Fugere, As You Sow's President & Chief Counsel. This episode was recorded on Oct. 10.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ISSB board members Verity Chegar and Jeff Hales discuss materiality in sustainability reporting, evaluating disclosure vs. performance, and ISSB's priorities. They emphasize the importance of strategy and risk reporting, the significance of talking about sustainability as a core business value, and the relationship between materiality and impact in ESG scores. They also highlight the need for specific measures in different industries and express enthusiasm for sustainability disclosure and global competition.

Sustainable fixed-income markets continue to develop with new products, regulations and uses of financing. Bruce Ronbeck, who focuses on sustainable finance in debt capital at Natixis CIB Americas, joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior ESG credit analyst Chris Ratti on this episode of the ESG Currents podcast to discuss recent trends, the evolution of the greenium and uses of financing along with challenges facing sustainable fixed income.  This episode was recorded on Sept. 14.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Financed emissions and the role banks play in financing carbon-intensive industries have become a focal point of climate discussions. Citigroup has emerged as a leader in this conversation with its approach to transition planning and transparency. On this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Val Smith, Citi’s chief sustainability officer, joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s director of ESG research, Eric Kane, to discuss how the company approaches its transition plan, emerging ESG topics and the evolving global regulatory framework.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The podcast discusses the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative(RGGI), a successful carbon market that aims to eliminate 66% of CO2 emissions from utilities in Northeastern states. They explore the market structure of RGGI, potential expansion into other industries like transportation, and the distinction between allowances and offsets in decarbonization. Additionally, they highlight the importance of long-term decarbonization targets and provide a summary of key points.

Nikita Singhal, Co-head of sustainable investment & ESG at Lazard Asset Management, discusses key skills and career paths in ESG and sustainability. They explore the importance of finding the intersection between functional expertise and sustainability, share personal journeys into the field, and highlight the benefits of unconventional career paths. They also recommend resources and certifications for pursuing a career in ESG and sustainability, along with book recommendations in the space.

Corporate America has increasingly leaned in on ESG issues, but not everyone thinks business should get involved, including several prominent presidential candidates and our guest this week, Scott Shepard, director of the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project, which bills itself as the “original and premier opponent of the woke takeover of America.” Shepard joins BI analyst Rob Du Boff on this ESG Currents podcast episode to discuss his concerns over ESG, the risk of political bias at the SEC, and how he's is taking his fight to other shareholders. This episode was recorded on Aug. 16. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A portfolio manager of an ESG and sustainable fund is an increasingly complex job, given the wide swath of data and themes. On this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Bruce Kahn joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Shaheen Contractor to discuss how he uses ESG data and metrics to analyze company performance and drive selection in his portfolio. The conversation focuses on the metrics that impact company value and the challenges in ESG analysis. This was recorded on Sept. 28. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many companies approach ESG as a box-checking exercise, but Tensie Whelan, director of NYU’s Center for Sustainable Business believes managements that do this could be missing out. Her work has found that companies that fail to track returns on their sustainable investments can make poor decisions and allocate capital suboptimally. On this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Whelan joins Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Gail Glazerman and Rob Du Boff to discuss Return on Sustainable Investment (ROSI), a tool she developed to help quantify these contributions. This was recorded as of Oct. 2.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.