More than 170 countries will gather in Ottawa, Canada between April 23 and April 29 to negotiate a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution with a view to agreeing on a global treaty by the end of 2024. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we’ll hear from stakeholders who will be present at the negotiations about key issues being debated and the potential implications.  Willemijn Peeters discusses policies and actions to increase recycling and reuse of plastics and reduce...

Ahead of Earth Day on April 22, we’re launching a miniseries of the ESG Insider podcast looking at plastic. We’ll explore how plastic impacts human health and the environment, how companies and investors are approaching the topic, and what to expect from international plastic treaty negotiations starting April 23. In today's episode, we hear about the health and environmental impacts of plastics from Dr. Philip Landrigan, Director of the Program for Global Public Health and the Common...

This week the ESG Insider podcast is covering key themes from one of the world’s largest energy conferences — the annual CERAWeek gathering hosted by S&P Global in Houston, Texas.   The event convenes stakeholders from across sectors to discuss solutions to the biggest challenges facing the future of energy, the environment and climate — and the messaging from many speakers differed from what we hear about the pace of the energy transition at the climate or sustainability-focused...

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we’re looking at the role that technological innovation will play in finding solutions for the low-carbon energy transition.   This was a big topic at S&P Global’s annual CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas, and we sat down on the sidelines of the event with two CEOs running emerging technology companies that seek to facilitate the transition.   We talk with Dr. Jennifer Holmgren about the outlook for innovation. Jennifer is CEO of...

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we’ve relaunched our ‘Women in Leadership’ series of the ESG Insider podcast. Over the coming months, we’ll speak with women CEOs and leaders from across industries and around the world.    In today’s episode, we talk with Martine Ferland, CEO of global consulting firm Mercer, which is a business of professional services firm Marsh McLennan.   Martine retires from her role at the end of March 2024, and in the episode she discusses her decision to...

Today is World Water Day, and we’re talking with Gary White in the latest episode of the ESG Insider podcast. Gary is CEO of the nonprofit Water.org, which he co-founded with actor Matt Damon. Gary is also CEO and Co-Founder of impact investment manager WaterEquity.   In the interview, he talks about the intersection of water challenges and climate change; the role of infrastructure in addressing water needs; and how finance can offer solutions to the water problems facing many...

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we sit down on the sidelines of CERAWeek with Ana Carolina Oliveira, Head of Sustainable Finance in the Americas for ING, a global banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Amsterdam.  Ana explains how ING is working with companies across sectors to facilitate the low-carbon transition — including by financing emerging low-carbon technologies.   “If you think about the $5 trillion that needs to be put every year to...

In this special episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we sit down on the sidelines of CERAWeek with Sinead Kaufman, Chief Executive of Minerals at Rio Tinto, one of the world’s largest mining companies.  Rio Tinto was founded more than 150 years ago, and Sinead says the company is taking a long-term view in its approach to the energy transition, its engagement with local communities and its rising focus on nature.   "When we look forward, we want to be part of the solution for the...

In this special episode of the ESG Insider podcast we sit down on the sidelines of CERAWeek with Phil Nevels, Director of Corporate Strategy for AES Corporation, a Fortune 500 energy company with operations in multiple regions including the US, Latin America and Asia.   S&P Global's CERAWeek conference is one of the biggest events in the energy industry, convening global leaders to talk about energy and transition strategies. In the interview, Phil outlines steps AES is taking to...

The US Securities and Exchange Commission on March 6 finalized a long-awaited rule requiring thousands of publicly traded companies to disclose certain climate-related information. The final rule takes a narrower approach than what the SEC proposed in 2022; it also marks a significant change in the level of climate-related information that publicly listed companies must disclose in the US. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we explore key components of the SEC rule and its...

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re relaunching our ‘Women in Leadership’ series of the ESG Insider podcast. Over the coming months, we’ll speak with women CEOs and leaders from across industries and around the world.   In today’s episode, we talk to Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO and Founder of Competent Boards, an organization that trains board directors and executives around the world in sustainability best practices.  Helle discusses hurdles that contribute to a lack of...

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast we’re exploring solutions to sustainability challenges in food systems and agriculture.  Climate change poses risks to global food supply chains and agricultural production. At the same time, the world's growing population means food needs are increasing.  We discuss sustainable agriculture trends with Michelle French, Director of Global Sustainability Programs at global commodities agriculture company ADM. Speaking on the sidelines of the...

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we explore how companies are moving from setting sustainability-related targets to figuring out how to reach those goals. A common refrain we heard at the annual GreenBiz conference in Phoenix, Arizona last week was: "What will it take?"  For example, what will it take for companies to achieve net-zero goals and decarbonize supply chains — including those involved in transporting materials and products?  We explore this topic with guests...

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we sit down with Debbie Lizt on the sidelines of the GreenBiz conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Debbie is Head of Global Sustainability at Intuit, one of the world’s largest software companies.    She describes how Intuit is engaging with suppliers on decarbonization, its approach to generative AI, and how the company is working to ensure a just low-carbon transition in communities.   As part of its net-zero strategy, Intuit is working with...

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we sit down with Mars, one of the largest food and confectionary companies in the world, on the sidelines of the GreenBiz conference in Phoenix.    Kevin Rabinovitch, Global Vice President of Sustainability & Chief Climate Officer at Mars, explains how the company is rethinking its supply chains as part of its decarbonization strategy and to address climate change and nature-related risks.  "We have supply chains that weren't designed...

A key theme emerging from interviews for the ESG Insider podcast is that solutions to big sustainability challenges require collaboration across silos. Today in Part III of our 'Breaking down silos' miniseries, we’re talking to a major global philanthropic foundation about how it partners with stakeholders around the world to finance solutions to issues like climate change and food systems transformation.  We sit down with Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programs at the...

At the ESG Insider podcast, we’ve been hearing a key theme on repeat: Solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss require collaboration across silos. In this 'Breaking down silos' miniseries of the podcast, we’re bringing you examples of how collaboration across different groups of stakeholders happens in practice.  Today in Part II, we hear the perspective of one of the world’s largest software companies in our interview with Stephen Jamieson, Global Head of Circular Economy...

At the ESG Insider podcast, we’ve been hearing one key theme on repeat: Solutions to big sustainability challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss require collaboration across silos. This idea is coming across loud and clear at the global events we cover, from Climate Week NYC to COP28 in Dubai to the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland.  In this 'Breaking down silos' miniseries of the podcast, we’ll bring you examples of how collaboration across...

Many companies have crafted climate-related strategies and taken steps to measure and manage their climate-related risks. Many companies are only in the early stages of understanding how nature relates to climate, but this topic has been steadily climbing the sustainability agenda.  In today’s episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we zoom in on how the insurance industry is managing the joint challenge of climate change and biodiversity loss — and what solutions it is bringing to the...

Last week, the World Economic Forum convened leaders from business, government and academia to discuss solutions to society’s biggest challenges. The annual Davos meeting provides insight into some of the key ideas that will shape the year ahead, and in today’s episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we bring you on-the-ground interviews about one of the biggest topics on the agenda — nature.   WEF’s Global Risks Report, released right before Davos, found that biodiversity loss, ecosystem...

This week the ESG Insider podcast is bringing you on-the-ground coverage from Davos, Switzerland, where the annual World Economic Forum meeting just ended.   This gathering convenes leaders from business, government and civil society to discuss solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the world. And there is growing overlap between the Davos agenda and sustainability topics.   In today's episode, we’re focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), which became the buzzword at...

We’re kicking off the New Year at the ESG Insider podcast with a look forward to the big trends driving the sustainability space for 2024. In the episode we speak to two sustainability leaders about the topics they’re watching in the year ahead.   Marina Severinovsky, Head of Sustainability North America at UK-based asset management firm Schroders, explains how investors are moving from climate transition commitments to solutions and implementation.   "You've made the commitment, but...

The US government recently published its Fifth National Climate Assessment, warning that climate change poses big risks to the nation's economy, human health, agriculture and food supply chains. This congressionally-mandated interagency analysis is released every four years and is the government’s preeminent report on climate change impacts, risks, and responses.   In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we're talking with four authors behind the report. To understand the impacts of...

In our final ESG Insider episode of 2023, we’re revisiting some of our most popular episodes, top interviews and key sustainability themes from the past year, which pushed the podcast over 1.5 million downloads.   In the episode we hear from guests including:   Val Smith, Chief Sustainability Officer at Citigroup; full interview here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/big-bank-citi-talks-net-zero-goals-scope-3-emissions-climate-disclosure   Sue Lloyd, Vice Chair of the...