What’s at stake for climate and nature in the current political environment? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Paul Bodnar, Bezos Earth Fund, about the vital role of philanthropic capital; the mission of the Bezos Earth Fund; and how its thinks about funding efforts across mitigation and adaptation as well as the Global North and Global South.   Note: This episode was recorded prior to the recent US election. Paul Bodnar is the Director of Sustainable Finance, Industry, and Diplomacy at...

What grade does the finance industry deserve in terms of pricing climate risk? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chief Scientist Dr. Sarah Kapnick, about the scope of NOAA’s mission; NOAA’s billion-dollar Weather and Climate Disasters dataset and what it means for weather attribution; and why NOAA itself represents a remarkable value to the US people as an argument against dismantling or privatising it. Dr. Sarah Kapnick is Chief...

Is ESG a “hopeless muddle”? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, about free markets and free minds; climate and ESG disclosures; the implications of Loper Bright on the Chevron Doctrine and agency authority; and the merits of financial innovation in crypto versus ESG. Commissioner Hester Peirce was appointed by President Donald Trump to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2018. Before joining the SEC, Commissioner Peirce conducted research on the...

Can human capital drive portfolio returns? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Dan Ariely, Duke University, about what a human capital factor looks like; how incentives and the basic idea of “feeling valued “are fundamental drivers behind employee motivation; and why human capital can represent an overlooked source of alpha. Dan Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of psychology and behavioural economics at Duke University. He is a serial entrepreneur, co-founding several...

What’s the role of an influencer in the effort to address climate change? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Assaad Razzouk, CEO of Gurīn Energy, about what’s at stake in the fight for climate action, how to think about the energy transition in the context of this year’s global electoral cycle, and, of course, why we need more angry clean energy people.

How is the Loan Programs Office providing unprecedented amounts of capital for clean energy innovations? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Jigar Shah, US Department of Energy Loan Programs Office Director, his $215 billion mandate in commercialising clean energy innovations, how these technologies align with US energy security goals and climate commitments, and what the multiplier effect of LPO financing could mean for private sector investment. Jigar Shah is the Director for the Loan...

What does it mean to be an innovator and early adopter in sustainable aviation? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with David Morgan, easyJet COO, about how aviation is undergoing its own energy transition; the factors driving easyJet’s decarbonisation ambitions; and why it’s vital that airlines like easyJet keep pushing the envelope on technological innovation.

Where are the tensions in the climate science community driving research and real-world policy impact? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Adam Sobel, Columbia University, about what the tropics and wet bulb temperature mean in the context of climate change; how to think about the trade-offs between the applied and theoretical sides of science; and why we need to rethink the social responsibility of climate scientists. Adam Sobel is Professor at Columbia University’s...

What will the upcoming EU elections mean for sustainable investors? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Henry Foy, the FT's Brussels Bureau Chief, about June’s EU elections, why the policy agenda will likely pivot towards defence an away from the Green Deal, and how EU policymakers may try to reframe defence and security for sustainable investors. Henry Foy is the FT's Brussels Bureau Chief, leading coverage of EU affairs and managing a team of correspondents that reports on European...

How prevalent are psychological biases like confirmation bias and black-and-white in your thinking? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Alex Edmans, London Business School, about why misinformation is a problem that affects us all; how we can counter it through more critical, rigorous analysis; and what it means for the world of sustainable investing. Alex Edmans is Professor of Finance at London Business School. Alex serves as non-executive director of the Investor Forum, on the...

Why is the world’s largest single waste stream—demolition concrete—one of the secrets to carbon dioxide removal? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Neustark Head of Carbon Dioxide Removal, Lisa Braune, about what the world’s largest waste stream—demolition concrete—means as a carbon sink; how the private sector and governments are working to support and embed CDR technologies; and why CDR certification is so important in the wake of the recent carbon offsets scrutiny.

To what degree can investors control climate outcomes? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Dr. Tom Gosling, London Business School, why investors may need to rethink their net zero commitments; what universal ownership theory represents in the context of climate change; and how engagement at different levels plays a fundamental role in terms of investor influence. Read the full paper here: Universal Owners and Climate Change (February 2024) Dr. Tom Gosling is an Executive Fellow in the...

To what degree can investors control climate outcomes? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Madison Condon, Boston University School of Law, about what universal ownership theory represents in the context of climate change and how this has recently changed. In addition, this far-reaching conversation highlights how private sector ownership of climate models has created a ‘climate intelligence arms race’ that has serious oversight implications. Madison Condon is an Associate...

Why is a multi-disciplinary approach key to addressing biodiversity loss? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Simon Levin, Princeton University, about what’s at stake in the effort to preserve biodiversity loss; how his work has expanded into the sociological, political economy and policy space; and why a common language — a grammar for economic reasoning — is vital for bringing together different disciplines to understand nature. Professor Simon Levin is the James S. McDonnell...

How is the FCA’s SDR framework a powerful example of second mover advantage? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Sara Woodroffe, Manager of the FCA’s ESG Policy & Advisory Team, about what the FCA’s new SDR framework means for investors, how it aims to provide anti-greenwashing protections per its mandate of consumer protection, and why a sustainable finance investment labelling regime could well be the antidote to one purely focused on disclosure.

What is the outlook for UK climate policy in 2024? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Chris Stark, CEO of the Climate Change Committee, about how the implications of COP28 could reshape the UK’s global climate leadership; what the Climate Change Committee is doing to advise the UK government on its climate action and adaptation strategy; and why it’s vital we find more powerful ways to drive the net zero transmission into the real economy into the next carbon budget. Chris Stark is Chief...

Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Andrew Strait, Ada Lovelace Institute, about how to think through the typology of AI harms, what to make of the different national and supranational efforts to regulate AI, and why the development of strong AI governance systems is in everyone’s interest. Andrew Strait is an Associate Director at the Ada Lovelace Institute where he is responsible for Ada’s work addressing emerging technology and industry practice. He’s spent the last decade working at...

How are national policymakers driving transition finance into the real economy? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Dr. Esther Wandel, German Federal Ministry of Finance, how the German Federal Ministry of Finance is evolving its Sustainable Finance Strategy and what ‘harmonisation’ holds for sustainable regulations and standards. Dr. Esther Wandel is head of division for Investment Funds and Sustainable Finance at the German Federal Ministry of Finance. She focuses on the international,...

When can sustainable investing be counterproductive? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Kelly Shue, Yale University School of Management, why brown firms—not green firms—will drive the greatest emissions savings, how the cost of capital can be a powerful lever for behaviour change, and why it’s vital that sustainable investors move more towards energy transition-type strategies. Kelly Shue serves as a Professor of Finance at the Yale University School of Management. Her academic...

In a world of artificially generated content and ideas, where is the comparative advantage for humans? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Anton Korinek, University of Virginia, about how to think through the economic—and specifically labour productivity—implications of generative AI, what AI could potentially mean for the last 40 years of wage inequality, and why it’s critical we rethink traditional forms of learning given the impact that AI could have on education.

What’s at stake in the next general election for UK climate policy? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Rt. Hon. Chris Skidmore MP, former Minister and Chair of the UK Net Zero Review, about why it’s critical that the UK maintain its international climate leadership; what should the UK do about domestic oil and gas production in another energy security crisis; and how the UK can respond to the US and EU clean energy stimulus programmes. The Right Honourable Chris Skidmore is the...

Is AI your co-worker or your job replacement? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Dr. Mike Kollo, CEO of Evolved Reasoning, about how to think through the implications of generative AI, what large language models like ChatGPT mean for the workplace, and why our focus needs to shift towards understanding the new areas of growth, industry and expertise that these systems open up.

Does Europe face a climate protection insurance gap? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Margherita Giuzio, European Central Bank, about what’s at stake from a financial stability and macroeconomic perspective; how the ECB is proposing a ladder of approaches; and why public-private sector solutions like impact underwriting are vital to reducing moral hazard risks. Margherita is a Team Lead in the Market-Based Finance division of the Macroprudential Policy and Financial Stability Directorate...

What does science reveal about a potential collapse of the Earth system? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Tim Lenton, University of Exeter, about what’s at stake when we talk about planetary boundaries, early warning systems and climate tipping points; how the supporting science and empirical evidence have expanded over the last decade; and why GAIA 2.0 represents a powerful framework to reinforce global sustainability.