ESG Decoded Podcast

ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. In this episode, Kaitlyn Allen talks with Stephen Brown, Founder and CEO of the Clean Energy Fund of Texas, Inc., (TxCEF), which is focused on making the emerging green economy affordable and just for all Texans. TxCEF believes that an equitable transition to clean energy will help to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, eliminate energy poverty, create green jobs and catalyze economic development opportunities in historically under-resourced communities. Stephen's career spans over 20 years of government relations, public affairs, and energy sustainability experience. He was the 2014 Democratic Nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, making him the youngest African American to win a statewide primary in Texas. Steve is also currently the President of Capital Assets Energy LLC, a successful clean energy development consulting firm specializing in financing retrofits of commercial, non-profit, and multi-family properties with energy-efficient and renewable energy improvements. Listen as Kaitlyn and Stephen discuss the clean energy transition, emphasizing the impact on marginalized communities. Their conversation provides a solid foundation for this topic, including the key stakeholders and financial considerations, including green energy investment opportunities and wholesale lines of credit. This episode highlights the intersection between the ‘E’ and the ‘S’ of ESG. It reminds us of the challenges we face as a global community to ensure that no one is ‘left behind’ as we adjust to meet current energy demands. Many of us may be familiar with situations when this was not the case; the information shared gives us hope that all communities can become winners in pursuing clean, sustainable energy sources. Make sure to subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite streaming platforms and our new YouTube Channel so that you’re notified of our vodcast episodes! Don’t forget to connect with us on our social media channels. Enjoy this episode! Interested in being a guest on the podcast? For consideration and scheduling, please fill out this form. 

ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. In this episode, Kaitlyn Allen talks with Tim Kim, CEO of ibV Energy Partners and its direct affiliated companies. Before founding ibV Energy, Tim led closings on M&A transactions in the US and globally. ibV Energy Partners LLC is a privately held company based in Miami and direct investors and developers of large-scale solar and storage power plants across the US. Their customers include investor-owned utilities, power agencies, corporates, and municipalities engaged in procuring grid-connected clean energy. ibV was founded by a group of US military veterans. Listen as Kaitlyn and Tim explain what Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are, how they work, and why more companies are bypassing utilities to work directly with developers to realize their ESG goals. They also explore the ESG-related risks of solar panels and the sourcing of minerals. Tim is a proud veteran of the US Navy, and his military background and dedication to public service are driving forces for his life’s work. He shares his perspectives on why veterans should consider careers in the renewable energy industry and how their military skillsets are assets to this industry. Drumroll… this is the first video podcast (Vodcast) for ESG Decoded! We are thrilled to offer a visual format to our audience for some of our future episodes moving forward. Make sure to subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite streaming platform, YouTube for our newest Vodcast, and as always, don’t forget to connect with us on our social media channels. Enjoy this episode!

In this episode, Kaitlyn Allen welcomes back Erica Lasdon, Senior Director, Capital Markets for ClimeCo.  Erica joined ClimeCo in 2021 after serving as a Senior Consultant with Global Affairs Associates, LLC. A seasoned ESG professional bringing over 20 years of experience from the investment and non-profit sectors, she specializes in ESG integration, materiality analysis, investment trends, and engagement strategy. Erica has deep expertise in multi-stakeholder engagement, proxy voting, and ESG data analysis and management across a wide range of asset classes. She served on the development team for the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s Level II exam for the inaugural FSA credential, the Steering Committee for the Intentional Endowments Network, and as an Advisory Committee Member for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health for Business framework. Erica earned a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in History from the University of California, San Diego. She loves skiing, exploring new places, and any activity involving excellent food. As a reminder, the ‘G’ in ESG relates to governance. This is a broad term that is particularly important to top-level management and shareholders. Listen as Kaitlyn and Erica take us through some basic ‘blocking and tackling’ of the proxy season (April- June) and closely examine the trends behind the important topics. For example, climate issues have become far more in-depth than GHG footprint disclosures. Learn more about the top issues being addressed in shareholder resolutions as investors are emphasizing greater awareness of environmental and social issues, including DEI, human rights, and health issues in the wake of the pandemic. So, get ready to take notes, as this episode covers a lot of ground: a review of some SEC rules, the threshold for filing resolutions, advisory/non-binding votes, and more. This is excellent information for companies and investors alike and can serve as a reference throughout the year.  Subscribe to ESG Decoded, where you consume your podcasts and connect via social media to share your feedback and topic suggestions. Enjoy this episode!

The ‘S’ in ESG relates to the people elements impacting organizations. This includes employee relations, organizational health, people culture, DEI, and community outreach. In this episode, Yvonne Harris talks with Catherine McLean, Founder and CEO of Dylan Green, a clean energy recruitment agency with extensive experience working with start-ups and corporate businesses operating in the clean energy and technology markets globally. Catherine is an experienced entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of working in the clean energy recruitment industry. She is a serial networker skilled in Sales & Marketing, Management, Negotiation, CSR, and ESG. Catherine is truly passionate about helping companies achieve their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Listen as Yvonne and Catherine candidly discuss why it is essential to have more women, women of color, and people of color in Clean Energy/Tech/ESG careers. These recruitment efforts remain a challenge. They also explore practical tips on what organizations can do to make positive contributions to this effort and how individuals can be a catalyst for change. Catherine shares her inspirational career journey that serves as a reminder to ask for what you want and how you can create a powerful intersection of your expertise and passion. She also speaks to the power of networking and shares practical tips on how to skill up in this space. After hearing this episode, you will understand why Catherine is a master at her craft. Subscribe to ESG Decoded, where you consume your podcasts and connect via social media to share your feedback and topic suggestions. Enjoy this episode!

In this episode, Kaitlyn Allen talks with Meagan Knowlton, Director of Sustainability at Optoro, a returns technology company based in Washington, DC. Meagan leads initiatives that enable retailers and brands to build circular business models and reduce waste and emissions in the reverse supply chain. Prior to Optoro, she managed sustainability programs in the Coca-Cola bottling system, focusing on water, energy, and waste in manufacturing and logistics. Meagan holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Tulane University.  What is a Reverse Supply Chain, you may ask? In the context of this episode, listen as Kaitlyn and Meagan discuss merchandise returns in the retail industry. As consumers, we are often concerned with returns from the perspective of a company’s policy and the number of days we have to return a purchase. Many of us do not consider the environmental concern our returns are causing, to the tune of 760 billion dollars’ worth of returns in the US in 2021. Retailers are still learning the most effective ways to process returns without stretching the limits of human capital and in the hopes of disrupting the new merchandise to landfill pipeline.  Learn measures that companies are taking to process returns with sustainability in mind and discover how consumers can play a significant role in the solutions. The data and information shared in this episode may cause you to take a hard look at your purchasing and gift-giving habits to better align them with your ESG perspectives. Resource Boosts include: Optoro www.optoro.com MendIt www.mendit.app Bulq – www.bulq.com   Subscribe to ESG Decoded, where you consume your podcasts and connect via social media to share your feedback and topic suggestions. Enjoy this episode!

In this episode, Kaitlyn Allen talks with Dave Henderson and Gary Yoder.  Dave is the Vice President of Specialty Products for Asphalt Materials, Inc., a Heritage Group company. He has been in the asphalt industry for 30 years and has commercialized multiple asphalt technologies throughout the United States, China, and Brazil. Dave has an undergraduate degree in Finance and an MBA and lives in Zionsville, IN, with his wife, Dani. Gary is the Vice President of Environmental Services at ClimeCo. He has 30 years of experience primarily providing environmental compliance consulting services to industrial sector clients. Gary has been with ClimeCo for 8 years and currently supports and manages projects within their Sustainability, Policy, and Advisory team. He has a Master's in Meteorology and works out of Raleigh, North Carolina. We invite our listeners to ‘get in the weeds’ on the topic of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to understand what goes into this process and why companies undertake them, all centered around a case study that is a Resource Boost listed below. In short, an LCA is designed to answer the question: How sustainable is a product or process? This differs from a Life Cycle Cost Assessment (LCCA), a project management tool that analyzes the most cost-effective options based on the desired outcomes. Listen as Kaitlyn, Dave, and Gary guide us through the journey of a LCA through the lens of the asphalt industry (the most recycled material in the US by weight), discussing the what, the why, and the how, as it provides a solid foundation for this concept. In typical ESG Decoded fashion, this discussion is chock full of valuable terms and acronyms, including J-band, LCCA, ISO, PCR, and EPD. This serves as a great foundation for the ESG novice and a helpful reminder for the seasoned ESG pro. Check out the Resource Boosts for this episode: ·  J-Band ·  Asphalt Materials, Inc. ·  Yoder & Sidhu (2022) “What is a Life Cycle Assessment?” ClimeCo. ·  EPD – Environmental Product Declarations (The EPD Registry) ·  ISO 14040:2006 - Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework ·  ISO 14044:2006 - Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines Subscribe to ESG Decoded, where you consume your podcasts and connect via social media to share your feedback and topic suggestions. Enjoy this episode!

The ‘S’ in ESG relates to the people elements impacting organizations. This includes employee relations, organizational health, people culture, DEI, and community outreach. In this episode, Yvonne Harris talks with Erin Urban, a certified Executive Leadership Coach who partners with high-achieving leaders and teams to elevate their impact and influence without sacrificing their wellbeing. Erin is an international speaker and a self-proclaimed neuroscience nerd. She is also the author of the bestselling book, Elevate Your Career: More Impact + More Income. Erin is a Forbes Coaches Council Member, certified in Leadership Psychology, and a ‘recovering perfectionist’ with over a decade in mentoring and coaching successful professional transformations through 1:1 coaching and group workshops. Operating during a pandemic did not alleviate the pressure for companies to meet their short-term and long-term business goals. Listen as Yvonne and Erin discuss how organizations drive results in this era of pandemic recovery and address performance expectations at the organization and team levels. There are many factors to consider regarding performance, including how to evolve the acumen of current leaders, the best paths to identify new leaders, and how to leverage hybrid working conditions and DEI considerations to further aid efforts to meet performance targets. In this season, when things are “never normal,” how do leaders need to manage their teams to increase retention, decrease burnout, and foster cultures that thrive even with constant and compounding pressure? Subscribe to ESG Decoded, where you consume your podcasts and connect via social media to share your feedback and topic suggestions. Enjoy this episode!

ESG Decoded is the podcast powered by ClimeCo to share relevant updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. To excel in today’s competitive business environment, a successful ESG Leader needs a balance of compliance, sustainability, and project management skills - backed by robust policy design expertise. In this episode, Kaitlyn Allen talks with Dr. Monique Cunningham, who has over 15 years of experience leading strategic ESG projects for multiple high-profile organizations, including St. Thomas University, the City of Tallahassee, and the Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America, Inc. (OICA). She is the rare professional with experience across the E, S AND G of ESG. In addition to her vast professional experience as a risk management and compliance professional, Dr. Cunningham holds a Doctorate in law and policy from Northeastern, an MBA from Nova Southeastern University, and a Bachelor’s in biology from Barry University. Listen as Kaitlyn and Monique remind us that the ‘G’ in ESG is foundational – you cannot have the ‘E’ and the ‘S’ without Governance. The oversight and implementation of any ESG program or policy cannot occur in isolation; all ESG priorities must be interlaced throughout the organization. This is where governance becomes an elevated component of the process. The approach to governance must be in tandem with an organization’s mission and values while aligning with its approaches to compliance and risk mitigation matters. Monique possesses a wealth of knowledge for all things ESG. In the ESG landscape, she sees the forest and the trees. She has experience across all pillars, and she understands the governance best practices that drive stakeholder value and mitigate risk. Better still, Monique explains concepts in a way that is easy to understand. Take your time with this topic, and reference the resource boosts below: Dr. Cunningham (1)  Monique Cunningham, LP.D, MBA, CSM, CCEP | LinkedIn (2)  Florida and the Clean Power Plan: a state, a federal regulation and a climate situation. (northeastern.edu) – Dissertation by Dr. Monique Cunningham Compliance Professional Resources (1)  CCEP | SCCE Official Site (corporatecompliance.org) (2)  Certified Environmental and Safety Compliance Officer (CESCO) | NREP Isle de Jean Charles Resources (3)  HUD Action Plan for Isle de Jean Charles, LA (4)  Isle De Jean Charles Resettlement Project | IsleDeJeanCharles.la.gov King Tides Resources (1)  King Tides and High Tides | City of Fort Lauderdale, FL (2)  King Tides and Climate Change | US EPA Subscribe to ESG Decoded, where you consume your podcasts and connect via social media to share your feedback and topic suggestions. Enjoy this episode!

In this episode, Kaitlyn Allen talks with Angie Martin, Senior Vice President at Heritage Environmental Services overseeing national emergency response, waste allocation, sustainability, and customer training efforts.  Heritage Environmental is in the business of eliminating industrial waste and establishing improvement measures that make the world a cleaner and safer place. Angie is currently the Vice President of the Spill Control Association of America, the President of The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance, represents Heritage on the Environmental Technology Council, and is a member of the Purdue University Environmental and Ecological Engineering External Advisory Council.  Angie has participated in many national scale emergency response efforts, leads Heritage's rapid response team, and frequently speaks on emerging regulatory trends and challenges including sustainability, PFAS, and various RCRA-related topics. Angie comes from a family of engineers; her passion for this work in her DNA. Kaitlyn and Angie have a shared passion for waste. (You don’t hear that too often!) Listen as they discuss how emergency response and critical incident risk management are critical ESG issues for many industries, often showing up on enterprise risk assessments. It is important to note that most secondary emergency response is privatized and not handled by government agencies in the US. In addition, Angie explains hazardous waste management—another often critical “E” issue—which by law may require incineration, and how this fact complicates decarbonization for the waste management sector. This episode will cause you to view emergency response from a different vantage point. During an incident, the initial focus is on the immediate impact to our families and businesses. The information shared here allows us to better understand the big picture mechanics of responses, corporations’ role in responses, and how environmental protection fits into decision-making. While the work that Angie does is a natural fit for her, she also advocates for STEM education for young women who are at risk of losing interest in science and engineering at a very early age. Resource boosts for this episode are: ·  Heritage® Environmental Services ·  Spill Control Association of America  ·  The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance ·  Environmental Technology Council Subscribe to ESG Decoded where you consume your podcasts and connect via social media to share your feedback and topic suggestions. Enjoy this episode!

ESG Decoded is the podcast powered by Global Affairs Associates, a ClimeCo company, to share relevant updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a manner that is clear and actionable. In this episode, Amanda Hsieh talks with Kyle Lukianuk, Managing Director of UpMetrics, a company that brings technology and humanity together in service of social good. Prior to joining UpMetrics in 2021, Kyle spent nearly a decade in the impact investing and social finance sector and is currently serving as a board member of Good Returns, an impact firm focused on designing, implementing, and managing unique global impact investment portfolios. He has led efforts across all aspects of impact investing - from due diligence to portfolio management to impact measurement and reporting. ​ Amanda and Kyle met previously at an impact investing conference. Listen as they discuss a wide range of developments in this space as support for social entrepreneurs is increasingly viewed through an investment lens, with ESG filters…. particularly the ‘E’ and the ‘S’ areas. There is great fluidity in the movement of capital from corporations to social enterprises, with emphasis on collaboration and risk mitigation. Good Returns has opened up new channels for community development financial institutions to expand access to  low interest lines of credit and interest-free loans for social entrepreneurs. The benefactors for this support run the gamut, from those in need of housing, to women entrepreneurs. Kyle also describes the (positive) role that the pandemic may have played in the evolutions associated with impact investing. As you reflect on this episode, we hope you will be inspired by the new possibilities that are manifesting in impact investing and corporate giving. These advancements are a long time coming. Now ask yourself, what value can you or your organization add to these new solutions that are forming? Explore the following resource boosts: 1)  Good Returns Good Returns 2)  UpMetrics UPMETRICS - UpMetrics: Because data is meaningless without a story. 3)  SJF Ventures case study Subscribe to ESG Decoded where you consume your podcasts and connect via social media to share your feedback and topic suggestions. Enjoy this episode!