Sustainability Now

Avsnitt

• 
  BYO Umbrella: The Trillion-Dollar Adaptation Opportunity 02.10.2026 21min

  Climate adaptation is already a trillion-dollar market, and it's set to keep growing — but most companies aren't labelling it as one. We map where the real opportunity sits, how to tell durable demand from a good story, and why backing adaptation doesn't mean giving up on the energy transition. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI R&D Guest: Mathew Lee, MSCI R&D
• 
  The Gap Between Climate Shock and Recognition 17.09.2026 17min

  AT&T filed many weather-related 8-Ks before it finally named hurricanes as a business risk in its annual report. It isn't an outlier: more than 80% of companies acknowledge physical climate risk is material, but fewer than a third lay out the details of what that means for their business. With a record-breaking El Niño set to peak in December, host Mike Disabato talks with MSCI's Jasmina Buresch about why it takes a second or third hit before companies disclose anything specific, how to t...
• 
  Riding Shotgun: Mega IPOs and Founder Control 11.09.2026 14min

  Founders are increasingly keeping outsized voting control when companies like SpaceX go public. In this episode, we explore how this growing trend, known as control skew, has lined up with performance across a decade of major US IPOs. Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI R&D Guest: Jonathan Ponder, MSCI R&D
• 
  Can AI Really Extract Emissions Data? 21.08.2026 22min

  An AI agent can pull emissions data in seconds. But can it tell you whether two companies’ numbers actually mean the same thing? We look at the risks hiding behind AI’s speed and precision. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI R&D Guest: Tanguy Sene, MSCI R&D
• 
  Sustainable Finance Summit, Part 4: Rheia Khalaf and Harlan Tufford 29.07.2026 30min

  This is the episode four of four we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panelists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. And, fittingly, this last one is on AI. In this episode, Rheia Khalaf, who leads financial sector collaborations at Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, discusses what she sees when a large, traditional company - the kind that turns like a tanker - decides to bring AI into its systems. She explains why the gap is rarely the technology itself but th...
• 
  Sustainable Finance Summit, Part 3: Matthew Lawton and Rik Logtenberg 14.07.2026 31min

  This is the third of four episodes we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panelists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. In this episode, Matthew Lawton, Head of Impact Fixed Income at T. Rowe Price, discusses what makes a blue economy bond credible and impactful, from the alignment of the issuer to the credibility of the proceeds. He explores why emerging markets are leading the global north on blue finance, where the biggest growth is likely to come from - desalination, sust...
• 
  Sustainable Finance Summit Pt. 2: Eric Usher and Brian Kernohan 26.06.2026 30min

  This is the second of four episodes we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panelists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. In this episode, Eric Usher, head of the UN Environmental Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), discusses why banks and insurers continue to make progress on their climate commitments despite recent headlines. He explores the global pace of the electric-vehicle transition, the business case for sustainable finance and why leading banks can benefit from lo...
• 
  Sustainable Finance Summit Pt.1: Sarah Kapnick and John E. Morton 19.06.2026 34min

  This is the first of four episodes we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panellists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. Today you'll hear from Dr. Sarah Kapnick, the ex-chief scientist of NOAA and how global head of climate advisory at JPMorgan, talking about the weirdening of our natural world is impact all our resources - from drought and the Colorado River to the soil health and how fertilizer shocks are hitting your food supply. And John E. Morton Head of Nature Fi...
• 
  Hormuz and the Fertilizer Fault Line 22.05.2026 14min

  When conflict disrupted gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year, attention focused on gas prices and shipping lanes. But the shock travelled further — quietly rippling through fertilizer markets, where some producers were hit far harder than others, revealing how location-based risk can emerge deep within a supply chain. Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Cole Martin, MSCI Sustainability & Climate
• 
  BP’s AGM Was Contentious: This Proxy Season Could Be Too 08.05.2026 21min

  After the SEC stepped back from shareholder proposal oversight, courts stepped in. We take a look at early signals from this year’s proxy season and whether we're seeing a structural shift in shareholder rights. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Jonathan Ponder, MSCI Sustainability & Climate
• 
  Is This How Oil Ends? 23.04.2026 16min

  On February 28, the Strait of Hormuz shut down, stranding 20% of the world's crude exports and 20% of global LNG capacity. Energy crises usually send the world running back to coal; but this time, coal generation outside China actually fell, while wind, solar, and batteries picked up the slack. Host Mike Disabato talks with MSCI's Chris Cote about whether a war in the Middle East just accelerated the end of fossil fuels, which industries can pivot now, and why countries burned twice by ...
• 
  Are Investors Missing Biodiversity Risk? 10.04.2026 14min

  For years, biodiversity risk has been a blind spot for investors — difficult to measure and even harder to link to financial performance. But that’s starting to change. In this episode, we explore how more granular, location-based data is helping investors see where companies are truly exposed to nature-related risks. Host: Gabriela da la Serna, MSCI Research & Development Guest: Bettina Meyer, MSCI Research & Development
• 
  Pricing the Unpredictable 27.03.2026 16min

  As climate risk accelerates, insurers face a core challenge — pricing a future that no longer resembles the past. While some are adopting forward-looking models, much of the industry still reacts after losses occur, raising questions about resilience across the financial system. Guests: David Carlin, D.A. Carlin & Company; Pam Palena, MSCI Research & Development Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & Development
• 
  Transition Risk vs. Temperature Alignment: What Really Drives Fund Outcomes? 12.03.2026 15min

  Carbon footprints tell you where a fund has been. But do they tell you how it’s positioned for the road ahead? In this episode, we unpack new research from Positioning Portfolios for the Energy Transition (link to paper) analyzing more than 37,000 funds representing USD 50 trillion in assets. The research finds that funds with stronger energy transition positioning were associated with higher historical returns — and stronger links to decarbonization outcomes. We explore the distinction ...
• 
  From Cloud to Kill Chain 27.02.2026 14min

  Sustainable investors are redrawing their red lines. As defense spending rises, the definition of “controversial weapons” is being reexamined — from nuclear value chains to AI-enabled systems in the kill chain. Where those lines fall could reshape portfolios. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & Development Guest: Mike Disabato, MSCI Research & Development
• 
  Don’t Build a Stadium There! 19.02.2026 15min

  The 2026 World Cup is bringing the world to North America this summer. But the stadiums hosting the biggest sporting event on the planet face a problem no amount of ticket revenue can solve: the climate they were built for isn't the climate they're operating in. We look at which venues are most exposed to heat waves, flooding, and even the ground sinking beneath them, why this problem goes beyond the beautiful game, and why the insurance and bond markets haven't caught up to what the data alr...
• 
  Sustainability: From Narrative to Fundamentals 12.02.2026 23min

  Laura Nishikawa, Head of Emerging Risks R&D at MSCI sits down with Jenn-Hui Tan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Fidelity International, as part of the MSCI Prospectives Podcast to discuss the next phase of sustainable investing. As the public narrative grows noisier and more politicized, they look past the headlines to the economic fundamentals shaping the transition and portfolio management. The conversation explores where momentum in the energy transition is really coming from, why mar...
• 
  Cyberattack in Aisle Three 30.01.2026 12min

  As food retailers work to digitize and enhance their logistics and supply networks, they’re becoming more exposed to cybersecurity risks. In this episode, we discuss how a wave of recent cyberattacks has exposed vulnerabilities across the sector — how prepared companies really are, and why investors may want to sit up and take notice. Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI Research & Development Guest: Cole Martin, MSCI Research & Development
• 
  Carbon Markets Seem Static. Prices Don't. 23.01.2026 15min

  Flat prices, steady volumes — carbon markets in 2025 might seem uneventful. But dig a little deeper, and a clearer picture emerges: buyers are paying more for quality. We explore how media scrutiny, new rating systems, and evolving buyer expectations are reshaping how carbon credits are valued. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & Development Guests: Nicholas Baldwin & Utkarsh Akhouri, MSCI Research & Development
• 
  How to Manage Human Rights Risks 15.01.2026 18min

  For years, institutional investors treated human rights as a checkbox exercise, something to monitor after the fact. But a new wave of regulation and stakeholder pressure is forcing a fundamental shift from passive oversight to active due diligence. In this episode, we explore how forward-thinking investors are moving beyond retroactive screening to implement proactive human rights risk management across their portfolios. Episode Reading: Human-Rights Risks in Portfolios: From Oversight...