ESG Currents

Epizode

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  PwC on Whether Climate Ambition Peaked 23.09.2026 26min

  A recent analysis by PwC of more than 3,500 companies finds that eight in 10 held steady or accelerated the timeline for their climate targets, and more companies increased their decarbonization ambition than lowered it. On this week’s episode of the Sustainability Currents podcast, David Linich, a PwC partner who leads the firm’s Decarbonization and Sustainable Operations offering, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence director of Sustainable Finance research, to discuss key findings from PwC’s third annual State of Decarbonization report, which challenges the perception that sustainability and climate ambition have peaked. They also explore the near-term outlook for sustainability at large, whether there’s a disconnect between stated climate targets and the carbon-intensive AI build-out, and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Forecasting El Niño’s Ferocity 16.09.2026 35min

  El Niño is already affecting weather around the world, with droughts in India, floods in Hawaii and a sinkhole in front of Nicolas Cage’s house in Malibu. Join Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Climate Analyst Andrew Stevenson and his guest, Hansi Singh, PhD and CEO of Planette AI to discuss what to expect from Niño over the coming months from the perspective of a long-term weather forecaster.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  NYC’s Comptroller and Key Investment 09.09.2026 37min

  New York City faces competing demands for capital as artificial intelligence reshapes the labor market, electricity needs rise, housing remains scarce and physical climate risks intensify. NYC Comptroller Mark Levine joins Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Sustainable Finance Analyst Chris Ratti to discuss how the city should weigh those pressures, from AI’s implications for jobs and tax revenue to grid investment, housing finance and climate resilience. They also examine the role the city’s pension funds can play and where New York may be dangerously underinvested.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Gary Gensler on the Role of the SEC 02.09.2026 34min

  Gary Gensler, 33rd Chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (2021-25), professor of the Practice of Global Economics and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and co-host of the Power and Consequences podcast, joins a special crossover episode of Sustainability Currents and Votes and Verdicts to examine how the SEC can balance its three key mandates: investor protection, capital formation and fair, orderly and efficient markets. How should the commission weigh investor demands for climate disclosures against the cost to public filers? Do quarterly earnings reports drive market efficiency, or trading volatility? How do recent Supreme Court rulings (Slaughter, Loper Bright, West Virginia v. EPA) affect SEC rulemaking? BI analyst Nathan Dean and sustainable finance product manager Rob Du Boff discuss these topics and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Topsoe’s Clean-Energy Catalytic Edge 26.08.2026 31min

  The chemical industry is a critical energy-transition industry, with hydrogen, jet fuel and ammonia being produced with a wide variety of inputs, from coal to renewable feedstocks like cooking oil and animal fats. On this episode of Sustainable Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence senior climate analyst Andrew Stevenson is joined by Elena Scaltritti, CEO of Topsoe, to discuss the importance of catalysts in optimizing energy consumption in the chemical sector and the firm’s green hydrogen project in Herning, Denmark.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Future of Sustainable-Investment in EMs 19.08.2026 31min

  Emerging markets are expected to account for much of the world’s future economic growth, but meeting their infrastructure, climate and development needs will require trillions of dollars in new investment. As governments, development banks and private investors work to close that financing gap, sustainable investment strategies are evolving beyond traditional ESG approaches. Blended finance structures are becoming more sophisticated, capital allocators are shifting toward higher-impact sectors and advances in artificial intelligence, digital finance and other technologies are creating new opportunities to identify, scale up and monitor investments. On this episode of the Sustainability Currents podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chris Ratti speaks with Ron Margalit, managing director at Lonomics, about the future of sustainable investing in EMs. They discuss the evolution of blended finance, where institutional investors are deploying capital, how early-stage sustainable businesses are attracting investment and the technologies reshaping both risk assessment and impact measurement. This episode was recorded on July 15.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How NordicNinja Backs Climate Tech 12.08.2026 25min

  As global heat waves become more frequent and severe, climate-technology startups are playing an increasingly important role in innovation needed to accelerate decarbonization and create new economic opportunities. Financing these emerging companies has become a critical task for climate-focused venture capital funds. In this episode of the Sustainability Currents podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Yasutake Homma is joined by Tomosaku Sohara, founder of NordicNinja, a climate-technology venture capital firm. They discuss the growing role of climate-technology investors, how portfolio companies are tackling climate change through innovation, and how government policies are shaping the future of the climate-technology ecosystem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Building Performance, Next Asset Value 05.08.2026 37min

  Rising insurance costs, climate risk and new performance expectations are changing how commercial real estate is valued. In this Sustainability Currents episode, Bloomberg Intelligence Thematic Strategist Melanie Rua speaks with Breana Wheeler, director of operations for BREEAM USA about how independent building assessments are helping investors and owners evaluate resilience, operational efficiency and long-term asset value. They discuss why verified performance data is becoming increasingly important, how retrofits can improve both financial returns and resilience, and how AI and data centers are reshaping energy and water management. This episode was recorded on July 31. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Climate, AI and Other Key Themes for 2H 29.07.2026 58min

  Bloomberg Intelligence’s ESG Currents is now Sustainability Currents, reflecting a broader focus on the investment risks and opportunities emerging from themes including climate change, water scarcity, consumer expectations, and regulatory scrutiny. In this special episode marking the relaunch, BI’s director of Sustainable Finance Research, Eric Kane, brings together the full team for its 2026 midyear outlook. Melanie Rua, Andrew John Stevenson, Rob Du Boff, Gail Glazerman, Grace Osborne, Conrad Tan, Yasutake Homma, Chris Ratti, and Shaheen Contractor discuss key themes ranging from climate adaptation and resilience, sustainable debt, the ESG implications of AI, shareholder activism, water scarcity, sustainable-labeled funds and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Sciens Water on Making Water an Investable Asset 22.07.2026 36min

  Water underpins nearly every sector of the economy, yet institutional investment remains limited. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Alexander Loucopoulos, partner at Sciens Water, joins Bloomberg Intelligence thematic strategist Melanie Rua to discuss how private capital can turn fragmented water markets and long-term infrastructure needs into investable opportunities. They discuss what sets water apart from other real assets, how AI-driven power demand is increasing pressure on water systems, where regulation is creating investment opportunities, and why local expertise matters when investing across utilities, treatment, reuse and infrastructure. Recorded July 21.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Geopolitics and the Changing Energy M&A Landscape 15.07.2026 18min

  Geopolitical tensions, commodity-price volatility and policy uncertainty have made energy dealmaking more complex, but they haven’t brought it to a halt. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Jalal Nadeem, a faculty member at the Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances and an M&A deal-structuring expert, joins Shaheen Contractor, Bloomberg Intelligence senior sustainable finance research analyst, to explore the evolution of energy transactions. They discuss where M&A activity is emerging across the energy transition, why innovative deal structures are becoming more common, how AI is reshaping negotiations and what investors should watch as the landscape continues to shift.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  B Lab on Balancing Fiduciary Duty, People & Planet 08.07.2026 43min

  More than 10,000 companies have been certified as B Corps, which requires them to change their legal structures to ensure their boards consider all stakeholders, not just shareholders; measure and manage impact; and commit to continuous improvement. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Clay Brown, chief standards officer at B Lab, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence director of ESG research, to discuss how companies balance fiduciary responsibilities with commitments to people and the planet. They also explore the biggest risks and opportunities for B Corps today, how the B Corp standards have changed over time, and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Impax Asset on Why Asia’s Climate Risks Matter 01.07.2026 23min

  From technology to food, global supply chains depend on Asia, making climate risks there relevant to investors everywhere. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence sustainable-finance analysts Grace Osborne and Conrad Tan speak with Nana Li, Head of Sustainability and Stewardship for Asia Pacific at Impax Asset Management, about why sustainability in Asia is more than a compliance exercise. From China’s industrial transition and clean-technology leadership to Japan’s governance reforms, they discuss why understanding the region’s diverse investment drivers is essential for building resilience, capturing opportunity and generating alpha.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Standards Uniting Global Sustainable Finance 24.06.2026 38min

  Green-bond rules are spreading across governments, but fragmentation may emerge as a hurdle for sustainable finance. Different legal frameworks across jurisdictions are raising questions about how issuers and investors can move capital across borders without added complexity. On this week’s ESG Currents, Aldo Romani, head of sustainable finance, and Tomomitsu Maruta, sustainable finance officer, both in the Finance Directorate at the European Investment Bank, join Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chris Ratti to discuss how the Green Bond Principles and European Green Bond Standard have helped sustainable-debt markets evolve by improving clarity around labeled-bond structuring. Recorded June 18.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How Climate Data Helps Homeowners Assess Costs 17.06.2026 34min

  As climate change intensifies, physical risks to property are mounting. On this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence sustainable-finance senior analysts Gail Glazerman and Andy Stevenson speak with Daryl Fairweather, chief economist of Redfin, about how homebuyers are responding to physical risks, the challenges for home affordability — especially insurance costs — and how markets are adapting, including signs of climate migration.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Malaysia's EPF on Safeguarding Workers' Retirement 10.06.2026 33min

  How does a sustainability focus support a pension fund's duty to safeguard the retirement future of a country's workers? What does effective engagement with companies look like? In this ESG Currents episode, Shahida Jaffar, Head of Corporate Sustainability at Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund, joins Bloomberg Intelligence ESG analyst Conrad Tan to discuss the key principles guiding EPF's engagement with investee companies and why it sees the defense of biodiversity and natural capital as a critical priority. She also shares why she's optimistic that AI can help sustainability professionals better understand company impacts and dependencies on nature. EPF had 1.44 trillion ringgit ($360 billion) in total investment assets at end-March. This episode was recorded on May 22.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Investing in the $20 Trillion Climate Economy 03.06.2026 27min

  Global costs related to climate events, including damage, insurance premiums, maintenance and repair, have exceeded $20 trillion since the year 2000, according to Bloomberg Intelligence’s Climate Damages Tracker. This massive wealth transfer provides the context for BI’s Climate Economy 2026 Outlook report. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Andy Stevenson, BI senior climate analyst and lead author of the report, joins Eric Kane, BI’s director of ESG research, to discuss how companies engaged in adaptation and resilience are benefiting from increased recovery spending and outperforming their benchmark. They also talk about opportunities in mitigation, the methane problem and what climate damages could look like over the next decade. This episode was recorded on June 2.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Transition Builds Resistance in Emerging Markets 27.05.2026 29min

  Emerging markets are central to the global sustainability transition and increasingly at the forefront of innovation in sustainable finance, from debt-for-food swaps to biodiversity-linked sovereign bonds. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Nicolas Jaquier, a portfolio manager on the emerging markets fixed income team at Ninety One, where he co-manages the Emerging Market Sustainable Blend strategy, joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chris Ratti and Grace Osborne. They discuss the resilience of emerging markets through recent market shocks, the growing evidence that countries investing proactively in the transition are less exposed to oil-price volatility, and why a dynamic approach is increasingly important for investors navigating these markets. This episode was recorded on April 28. Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Burnt Island Ventures on Investing in Water 20.05.2026 45min

  Water demand is set to outpace supply by 40% by 2030, and scarcity is spurring broad changes across the global economy, giving rise to companies that aim to provide solutions for the growing crisis. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Tom Ferguson, founder and managing partner of Burnt Island Ventures, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence’s director of ESG research, to discuss emerging opportunities in desalination, industrial treatment, reuse and more. They explore how AI is powering software solutions and compressing the cycle time for hardware iterations. They also discuss the importance of investing in companies that aren’t dependent on policy and the current path to liquidity for the companies that Burnt Island Ventures invests in. The episode was recorded on May 8.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How Japan’s Governance Code Reshapes the Market 14.05.2026 31min

  Japan’s Corporate Governance Code, first introduced in 2015, has driven significant changes across the market – strengthening shareholder value, enhancing investor engagement, protecting minority rights, promoting gender diversity, and supporting the transition to a decarbonized economy. A further revision expected in 2026 could accelerate progress across these areas. In this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Yasunori Takeuchi, CEO and Representative Director of Corporate Action Japan, joins Bloomberg Intelligence ESG strategist Yasutake Homma to discuss the potential impact of the upcoming revision. They also explore what lies ahead for shareholders as Japan enters the annual general meeting season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.