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, Amanda Hsieh talks with  Denise Vaughn, Vice President of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) for Ferguson, a $28.6B value-added distributor in North America providing expertise, solutions, and products from infrastructure, plumbing and appliances to HVAC, fire, fabrication and more. As a member of Ferguson’s Executive Leadership Team member, Denise is responsible for the company’s overarching ESG strategy, ensuring integration into business strategy and operations. She works cross-functionally to identify opportunities and partnerships to help Ferguson deliver on its short- and long-term ESG goals, maximize impact, and effectively communicate with all stakeholders. Denise holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications and strategic public relations from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is an alumnus of the 2010 Civic Leadership Institute. She has attended executive development programs at Harvard Business School, University of Virginia Darden School of Business, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, and Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech. Denise is a strong advocate of community service and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and the Newport News Educational Foundation.  The African Proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together,” is a perfect adage to describe the community support that organizations provide each other in ESG. work. There is always an openness to share best practices and lessons; this podcast further supports that sentiment. Listen as Amanda and Denise review the leadingb practices asics for creating and implementing an ESG strategy. Whether your organization has a more mature ESG program or is just beginning, critical points in this episode will help get you started or create a pivot to power more measurable results. Subscribe to the ESG Decoded Podcast on your favorite streaming platform, YouTube, and social media so that you’re notified of new episodes. Enjoy tuning in! Episode Resource Links  Ferguson - Environmental, Social and Governance

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 Robin Ferracone, Founder and CEO of Farient Advisors LLC, a leading independent executive compensation, performance, and corporate governance consultancy. Farient Advisors assists clients in designing and delivering executive compensation solutions that support business strategy, talent development, and value creation platforms. Robin has led the strategic development and expansion of the executive compensation, performance, and corporate governance advisory firm. With over 30 years of consulting experience, she advises clients on business and talent strategies, executive compensation, organization, value management, and performance measurement. Robin also authorizes Fair Pay Fair Play: Aligning Executive Performance and Pay (John Wiley & Sons, 2010), has authored numerous articles, is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and Directorship magazine, and is involved in various national publications. She frequently presents for prominent organizations such as the Council of Institutional Investors and the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). While executive compensation can be loaded, this topic is a window into the boardroom and a barometer for an organization's overall approach to corporate governance. Listen as Kaitlyn and Robin explore why executive compensation matters to corporations, boards, and investors. Robin discusses the major trends in corporate governance concerning executive compensation: pay, performance, and strategic alignments. Increasingly, compensation metrics have ties to ESG and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) goals. Robin also highlights a few do's and don'ts regarding executive compensation and encourages organizations to have pilot programs before implementing lasting changes that will affect pay structures. This episode's information will help organizations discover the 'art and science' components that are key to any impactful executive compensation program. Subscribe to the ESG Decoded Podcast on your favorite streaming platform, YouTube, and social media so that you're notified of new episodes. Enjoy tuning in! Episode Resource Links "2023 Global Trends in Stakeholder Incentives: The Staying Power of ESG," the sixth annual report by Farient and its partners in the Global Governance and Executive Compensation Group (GECN): https://farient.com/2022/11/17/esg‐measures‐here‐to‐stayfarient‐ global‐research‐finds/

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, Amanda Hsieh talks with Dean Slocum, Founder & President of Acorn International, Acorn delivers the expertise that global businesses need to thrive in high-risk environments amidst community opposition, environmental liabilities, and shareholder activism. Dean is a leading consultant to international extractive industries for social, environmental, and sustainable development management. He has 30 years of experience in social and environmental assessment and performance improvement programs for industries, investors, and governments worldwide. Among his international recognitions is selection by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) to be editor and committee chair of a 2009 publication on environmental, health, safety, and social management best practices for the international oil and gas industry and a 2010-2011 SPE Distinguished Lecturer on The Next Generation of Stakeholder Engagement. Listen as Amanda and Dean share an Environmental Justice (EJ) 101 lesson with our listeners. The concept of EJ emerged 30 years ago, but it is a new topic to many. Collectively, we are learning how to implement EJ in ways that move corporations forward. Getting the efforts right can help current and future success. Dean discusses why EJ has recently become more prominent, three factors to ensure the energy transition happens, and the relationship between EJ and social license to operate. This work may feel daunting at first, so Dean offers practical tips to companies beginning their EJ efforts.   Subscribe to the ESG Decoded Podcast on your favorite streaming platform, YouTube, and social media so that you're notified of new episodes. Enjoy tuning in!  Episode Resource Links ISSUE 54: WHY THE ENERGY TRANSITION WILL FAIL WITHOUT GOOD SOCIAL SCIENCE EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool | US EPA Explore the map - Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (geoplatform.gov) WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Environmental Justice and Congressional Leaders, Advocates Applaud the New Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool | CEQ | The White House

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 Wil Srubar, Ph.D., Founder & CTO of Minus Materials, Inc., a seed-stage start-up commercializing a carbon-negative cement derived from microalgae. Dr. Srubar holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and BS and MS degrees from Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin, respectively. Along with his role at Minus Materials, he is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and Principal Investigator of the Living Materials Laboratory. He has raised >$15M in funding for his research and commercialization efforts and has authored over 100 technical journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. Dr. Srubar’s work and vision are fueled by his deep-seated passion for leveraging what nature provides, and stem from his upbringing on his family's farm.  Listen as they discuss the new frontier of construction biotech, and what inspired Minus Materials’ microalgae technology. Concrete is the second-most used material on earth after water, so creating a carbon-negative version is a priority. Dr. Srubar challenges us to think beyond the non-renewable resources used in construction and consider the possibilities that renewable materials can offer as high-performing building products. How can we find efficient ways to integrate them into the current supply chain? Subscribe to the ESG Decoded Podcast on your favorite streaming platform, YouTube, and social media so that you're notified of new episodes. Enjoy tuning in! Episode Resource Links https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/green-tech/a40785162/microalgae-carbon-neutral-cement/ https://www.fastcompany.com/90777102/this-starup-is-using-microalgae-to-make-carbon-neutral-cement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LcAlFoepuw

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,  Amanda Hsieh talks with Luke Oliver, Head of Climate Investments for KraneShares, a asset manager building innovative investment products that provide access to unique markets. In addition to curating the firm's climate, carbon, and impact strategies, Luke educates clients on asset class and client implementation strategies. He is a regular industry commentator on TV and in the press and is responsible for digestible climate research. Before joining KraneShares, Luke built and ran theUS XTrackers ETF business at DWS (formerly Deutsche Asset Management), where he pioneered currency hedging, onshore China, and ESG strategies – among the first to recognize the importance of value-aligned portfolios. This diverse experience has allowed Luke to identify the most powerful emerging trends in the investment landscape.  "Pricing carbon emissions and decarbonizing the global economy is the greatest challenge and opportunity we will ever be presented with. I have no doubt this will be our mission for the next 20 years, and it must not fail." Luke is passionate about educating investors on these new market ESG-related investments. He speaks in a way that is clear to investors at all levels, from novice to experienced, providing clarified definitions for terms that may not be fully understood. Listen as Amanda and Luke discuss KraneShares’ three pillars of climate investing, the impact of government-regulated programs, and the different considerations for voluntary and compliance markets. Also, addressing the recent trend towards ESG backlash, they remind us that this is not about being 'woke' but anchored in a structurally bullish investment thesis that offers asset diversification. Subscribe to the ESG Decoded Podcast on your favorite streaming platform, YouTube, and social media so that you're notified of new episodes.  Enjoy tuning in! Episode Resource Links Luke's  article on investing in the carbon markets - The Biggest Short: Carbon Markets & the Energy Transition Luke's Blog – Climate Market Now

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 welcomes back Bill Davis, founder of Stance Capital, which was established in 2016 to bring to market investment portfolios that mitigate material environmental, social, and governance risks and generate excess returns while at the same time allowing investors to align their portfolios with their belief systems. Bill has a BA from Connecticut College and has taught or been a guest lecturer at Columbia University, Harvard College & Harvard Business School, MIT & MIT Sloan, and Vanderbilt University. Bill also serves on the boards of Ceres and the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation. Listen as she and Bill discuss the current controversies and debates related to ESG and the need for practitioners and investors to regroup and revisit the scope and purpose of this work. Bill and Kaitlyn think of ESG as an agnostic risk screening of material issues, a different concept than values-based investing, in which investors seek to align investments with their personal values. This distinction is critical to defusing the poorly informed bluster about ESG, in which critics have incorrectly conflated the concept of ESG screening with values-based investing. Check out  our previous episode (#54), How ESG Investment Products Are Built, also featuring Bill! https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/esg-decoded/id1553348139?i=1000555720018 Additional resource boosts include: Stance’s Investment Performance Summary: https://www.stancecap.com/performance Stance Equity ESG Large Cap Core ETF (stancefunds.com): http://stancefunds.com/ ESG ETFs, Sustainable Investments | Stance Capital: https://www.stancecap.com/ Subscribe to the ESG Decoded Podcast on your favorite streaming platform, YouTube, and social media so that you’re notified of new episodes. Enjoy tuning in!

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,  Amanda Hsieh talks with Jennifer Stojkovic, a General Partner at Joyful Ventures, an early-stage VC fund focused on sustainable protein. She is also the founder of Vegan Women Summit (VWS), a platform of over 50,000 women professionals in the future of food. In 2022, Jennifer published her debut award-winning book, The Future of Food Is Female: Reinventing the Food System to Save the Planet. Before her career in food technology, Jennifer built her career in Silicon Valley and worked with the world’s largest tech companies, including Google, Meta, and Microsoft. The global population continues to increase exponentially. It’s predicted that we will reach 8 billion humans this year. The United Nation’s (UN) projections suggest that the world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. Eliminating food insecurity and ensuring that everyone has consistent access to nutritious meals is sustainable development  priority that intersects with environmental issues (climate, pollution, water, land use, water), ethical concerns (animal welfare, worker safety), and economic development. Listen as Amanda and Jennifer discuss the need for food innovation, including plant-based diets and cultivated meats to meet the demand to feed our world’s population. Jennifer also shares how this industry has a unique opportunity to have a great representation of leaders who are women and people of color, even though they face significant funding challenges. This episode shares exciting perspectives related to the future of food and the related DEI wins that can be garnered from an industry that has the potential to be led by women and minority business owners. And you do not have to be vegan to benefit!  The 2023 Vegan Women Summit® (VWS) will be held May 18 -20, 2023, in New York City and will include topics regarding funding gaps for women and BIPOC, how to diversify venture capital, and exciting trends in the future of food. ESG Decoded listeners will receive 15% off Vegan Women Summit registration with DISCOUNT CODE: ESGDECODED. Make sure to subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite streaming platforms and our new YouTube Channel so that you’re notified of new episodes! Don’t forget to connect with us on our social media channels. Enjoy this episode!    Episode Resource Links The Future of Food Is Female: Reinventing the Food System to Save the Planet: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Food-Female-Reinventing-System/dp/B09WQBJQ74 Highlights from 2022 Industry Report: The State of Women in the Future of Food. https://www.veganwomensummit.com/2022-founder-report

ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner.  In celebration of Earth Month, we’d like to thank Big Pivot Partners, this month’s sponsor. Big Pivot is an award-winning communications design firm with solutions ranging from sustainability and corporate social responsibility projects like ESG, DE&I, and TCFD reports to investor communications. As strategic consultants, they’ve earned a reputation for delivering strategic, creative solutions with hands-on project management that ensures projects deliver on-time and within budget. In this episode, Kaitlyn Allen talks with Mike Smith, CEO and Co-founder of Aclymate, a Denver-based climate-tech startup providing a carbon accounting and offsetting platform to help small and medium businesses manage and report their impact on the climate. Previously, Mike founded RenewWest, where he developed the largest carbon reforestation project in U.S. history, the two million tree Collins-Modoc (Moe-Dock) Project. He is a former U.S. Navy FA-18 pilot with 354 carrier-arrested landings across three deployments, ultimately attaining the rank of Commander. In this week's episode, host @Kaitlyn Allen welcomes @Mike Smith, CEO and Co-founder of @Aclymate. Listen as Kaitlyn and Mike discuss the complex relationship that small to medium-sized companies have with setting climate or ESG goals. They also dive into adequately capturing impact since many existing carbon accounting systems are designed for larger companies. Mike explains how Aclymate addresses the gap in the market. He also reminds us that we don't need to know everything related to climate change to get started, and we should avoid making things more complicated than they need to be. Mike is a Veteran (we thank him for his service) – his experience drives his perspectives on national security impacts related to climate change.  Make sure to subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite streaming platforms and our YouTube Channel so that you’re notified of new episodes! Remember to connect with us on our social media channels. Enjoy this episode! - Episode Resource Links Mike’s LinkedIn Newsletter “The Mike Drop”: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-mike-drop-7046926900216164352 Aclymate Account Creation (30-day free trial): https://dashboard.aclymate.com Aclymate 30-second emissions calculator: https://aclymate.com/carbon-footprint Offset Marketplace: https://aclymate.com/offsets Big Pivot Website: www.bigpivot.net Big Pivot LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelcharron⁠

ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner.  In celebration of Earth Month, we’d like to thank Big Pivot Partners, this month’s sponsor. Big Pivot is an award-winning communications design firm with solutions ranging from sustainability and corporate social responsibility projects like ESG, DE&I, and TCFD reports to investor communications. As strategic consultants, they’ve earned a reputation for delivering strategic, creative solutions with hands-on project management that ensures projects deliver on-time and within budget. In this episode, ⁠Amanda Hsieh⁠ talks with ⁠Rickard Nilsson⁠, Head of Stewardship Success at⁠ Esgaia⁠, which offers ESG engagement tracking software for investors. With years of experience in responsible investing and investment stewardship, Rickard heads up Esgaia's GTM strategy, thought leadership, and positioning. He works closely with investors globally and is an active voice in the industry on topics such as active ownership, the investment value chain, regulatory developments, and the role of technology. In ESG Decoded fashion, Amanda guides an ‘Impact Investing 101’ conversation that can benefit institutional and individual investors. Listen as she and Rickard discuss investment stewardship as a part of impact investing strategies. They also provide historical context for responsible investing in different regions. Amanda tees up the topic of Theories of Impact and tools to measure the effectiveness of investing strategies. Both remind us that information is power. Perspectives related to responsible investing are shifting. We need to eliminate the noise and get clear about the opportunities and the path forward for these investments. Make sure to subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite streaming platforms and our YouTube Channel so that you’re notified of our video podcast episodes! Don’t forget to connect with us on our social media channels. Enjoy this episode!  - Episode Resource Links Responsible Stewardship: Quality, Not Quantity: https://www.esginvestor.net/responsib... Website: https://www.esgaia.com/ Rickard's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickard-nilsson-a3980677/Website: https://www.esgaia.com/ Big Pivot Website: www.bigpivot.net Big Pivot LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelcharron

ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner.  In celebration of Earth Month, we’d like to thank Big Pivot Partners, this month’s sponsor. Big Pivot is an award-winning communications design firm partnering with some of the most experienced sustainability, investor relations, and corporate communications strategists. We collaborate with clients to tell their “story” through smart, engaging solutions in a timely, cost-effective, and service-oriented approach.  Their solutions range from sustainability and corporate social responsibility projects like ESG, DE&I, and TCFD reports to investor communications — annual reports, investor presentations, enhanced proxy materials, and other solutions delivered across various platforms. In this episode, Kaitlyn Allen talks with Josh Hile, Co-Founder and CEO of Citizen Mint, founded and built on accessibility and impact by researching investments for both financial return and positive impact. Previously, Josh was the Director of Investment Strategy & Research at Laird Norton Wealth Management, a $16 billion registered investment advisor (RIA) headquartered in Seattle, WA. Before this, Josh worked at Russell Investments, performing due diligence on fund managers for Russell’s mutual fund and consulting divisions (Russell advised on $2.2 trillion). Josh has a B.A. in Business Administration and an M.B.A. from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. In addition, he is both a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Our loyal ESG Decoded listeners know that Kaitlyn is a massive proponent of impact investing and democratizing access to this related funding. Listen as they take a deep dive into the services Citizen Mint provides investors and beneficiaries and their process to establish metrics. Citizen Mint balances earning positive investor returns and channeling capital to projects addressing some of the more dire needs of our global society, including renewable energy, affordable housing, healthcare, and financial inclusion, to name a few. It is time to shift the way that impact investing is sometimes perceived. Investors can make money while doing good.  Make sure to subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite streaming platforms and our 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!    - Episode Resource Links Josh Hile’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-hile-cfa-cpa-56323213/ Citizen Mint website: https://citizenmint.com/ Main Website: https://www.citizenmint.com White Papers & Blogs: https://www.citizenmint.com/resources/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/citizenmint/ Big Pivot Website: ⁠www.bigpivot.net⁠ Big Pivot LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelcharron