In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we’re on the ground in Mexico City, Mexico, to explore how companies in Latin America are embedding sustainability into their business strategies amid shifting market dynamics and new regulations.  

We speak with Mauricio Bonilla, Executive Director of UN Global Compact Mexico, on the sidelines of the organization’s annual Business Meeting for Sustainability, which took place in June.  

The UN Global Compact is a voluntary corporate sustainability initiative involving more than 20,000 companies across 160 countries. Participating companies have committed to operate responsibly in line with sustainability principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, and to support the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals.  

UN Global Compact Mexico is a country-level network of the UN Global Compact, and Mauricio explains how the network is working with companies of all sizes to drive sustainable business practices.  

We also sit down with three UN Global Compact Mexico participant companies: 

-Alejandro De Keijser, Director of Energy and Sustainability at Mexico-based Grupo DEACERO, a steel manufacturer with global operations.  

-Alfonso Martínez, CEO of Industrias Marves, a Mexico-based textile recycling company. 

-Tania Rabasa Kovacs, Orbia's Chief Sustainability Officer, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and President of Orbia Mexico. Mexico-based Orbia operates in more than 50 countries and focuses on several business lines. 

Tania outlines challenges companies in Latin America face. This includes balancing the need for positive financial returns in the short term with longer term sustainability objectives; navigating regulatory uncertainty; adapting to the physical impacts of climate change; and ensuring local communities and economies benefit from the company's operations.   

At the same time, she says: "Nobody is really giving up because the cost of inaction is much higher than that of the transformation."  

Read the latest edition of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) adoption tracker from S&P Global Sustainable1 here.   

Learn more about S&P Global Sustainable1's Physical Climate Risk data. 

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.  

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global   

DISCLAIMER   

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk.    

Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party’s unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global’s prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights).    

This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.   

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we’re taking listeners on a whistlestop tour of several big summer events in Europe that will shape sustainability discussions on the road to COP30, the UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil in November 2025. 

We cover key outcomes from the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France — including progress toward a Marine Biodiversity Treaty. 

We talk to Beth Burks, Director on the Sustainable Finance Markets team at S&P Global Ratings, about her takeaways from annual climate meetings in Bonn, Germany.  

“If COP is like the big show every year, then Bonn is the dress rehearsal,” Beth explains.  

Beth also shares highlights from London Climate Action Week, which in 2025 grew significantly to include more than 700 events and more than 45,000 attendees.  

In the episode we also speak to Tom Beloe, Director of the Sustainable Finance Hub at the UN Development Programme, or UNDP. Tom shares big takeaways from the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, or FFD4, in Sevilla Spain. The conference took place for the first time in a decade this summer and centered around financing for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs.  

A unifying theme across all these events is the importance of multilateralism to address sustainability challenges that transcend borders, like climate change, nature loss and ocean conservation. Across these events, we also hear about the rising role the private sector plays in addressing and financing solutions to these challenges.  

“I think we're seeing over the last 10 years a very much increasing trend of private sector participation,” Tom tells us. “Frankly, the discussions of finance that happen in these conferences are a little bit meaningless if we're not also convening with the largest financial institutions in the world.” 

Learn about Climate Transition Assessments from S&P Global here.

Learn about energy transition data and services from S&P Global Commodity Insights here. 

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.  

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global   

DISCLAIMER   

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk.    

Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party’s unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global’s prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights).    

This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.   

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we take the show on the road to Singapore, where S&P Global Sustainable1 hosted its annual summit June 26. We sit down with leaders from the sustainable agriculture, banking and technology sectors to unpack key sustainability challenges and opportunities facing diverse Asia-Pacific markets.

We discuss decarbonization technologies with Manish Pant, Executive Vice President of International Operations at Schneider Electric. Schneider Electric is a French multinational focused on electrification, automation and digitization that was just named the world’s most sustainable company by TIME and data firm Statista.    

Manish explains how the company is working with clients to decarbonize and electrify at scale in a way that also prioritizes energy access, security and affordability. He characterizes the current moment as "the golden period for the Global South.”   

“The demographic momentum, the focus on renewables as well as a lot of infrastructure development is what characterizes this part of the world,” he says. “The challenge and the opportunity that we have is we are going to be building a lot.”   

We also speak with Kavickumar Muruganathan, Microsoft’s ESG Planning Director for Asia Pacific, Cloud Operations and Innovation, to understand how one of the world’s largest technology companies is thinking about developing AI; its use cases for sustainability; and how the company is developing data centers in the region.    

We sit down with Justin Ma, Executive Director of Sustainable Finance at Standard Chartered Bank, to talk about trends in sustainable finance and the continued momentum he sees in Asia-Pacific markets.    

And we explore how the agriculture sector is balancing food security, access and affordability while also improving the sustainability of agricultural practices in an interview with Nikita Asthana. Nikita is Head of Sustainability Finance at global agriculture services firm Olam Agri, and she explains how agricultural practices can impact climate change and nature loss and the role smallholder farmers play in sustainable agriculture.    

“Climate change is the biggest threat to food security,” Nikita says. “The realization has to happen at scale and not just by a few companies that are more directly impacted. It has to happen at the scale of governments and policymakers. It has to happen at the scale of financial institutions.”  

Listen to our podcast episodes from the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in London earlier this year:  

Why businesses are going ‘back to basics’ in sustainability strategies 

Why insurance is becoming central to climate risk conversations 

How HSBC is financing infrastructure for a low-carbon economy 

Learn about energy transition data and services from S&P Global Commodity Insights here. 

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.      

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global  

DISCLAIMER  

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk.   

Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party’s unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global’s prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights).   

This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.  

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.  

As many of our listeners embark on summer vacations and the US heads into a busy travel weekend for the Fourth of July holiday, we’re talking with the chief executive of one of the world’s busiest airports. 

Paul Griffiths is CEO of Dubai Airports, which owns and manages the operation and development of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International (DWC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, Paul shares the path that led him from training as a musician to working with Sir Richard Branson to leading an airport that served more than 92 million travelers in 2024. 

Paul explains the initiatives Dubai Airports has undertaken to become more sustainable and to decarbonize. He talks about how to balance rising demand for travel while also ensuring the sustainability of airport operations. 

“There is a growing realization that the industry has to clean its act up as far as carbon emissions are concerned,” Paul says. 

This episode is the latest in our Terra Carta Series of the All Things Sustainable podcast, a collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI). Throughout 2025, we’ll be interviewing SMI member CEOs like Paul from around the world and across industries about how they’re approaching sustainability challenges and opportunities. 

About the SMI and Terra Carta Podcast Series: The SMI is a network of over 250 global CEOs across finance and industry. It facilitates private sector diplomacy with the ambition of making sustainability the driving force of global markets and value creation. S&P Global is a proud SMI member.  

We’re calling this the Terra Carta Series based on the SMI’s Terra Carta mandate. This is the guiding mandate for the SMI and sets out ambitious and practical actions to help the private sector accelerate progress toward a sustainable future. The name Terra Carta is a play on the historic Magna Carta.   

Listen to previous episodes in the Terra Carta Series:  

How the Sustainable Markets Initiative convenes the public and private sectors to drive solutions: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-the-sustainable-markets-initiative-convenes-the-public-and-private-sectors-to-drive-solutions?utm_source=All+Things+Sustainable+podcast&utm_medium=libsyn&utm_campaign=Patch+CEO&utm_id=All+Things+Sustainable+podcast  

How climate tech company Patch works to build integrity of carbon markets: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-climate-tech-company-patch-works-to-build-integrity-of-carbon-markets 

How tech solutions, AI can drive the business case for sustainability: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-tech-solutions-ai-can-drive-the-business-case-for-sustainability 

Learn about energy transition data and services from S&P Global Commodity Insights: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/solutions/energy-transition?utm_source=All+Things+Sustainable+podcast&utm_medium=libsyn&utm_campaign=methane&utm_id=All+Things+Sustainable+podcast     

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.    

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global

DISCLAIMER

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party’s unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global’s prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). 

This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. 

Welcome to the latest episode in the Terra Carta Series of the All Things Sustainable podcast, a collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI). Throughout 2025, we’ll be interviewing SMI member CEOs across industries and around the world about how they’re approaching sustainability challenges and opportunities. 

In today’s episode, we speak to Caspar Herzberg, CEO of AVEVA, a UK-based software company and SMI member.

“It’s not the time to retreat on climate,” Caspar says. “The solutions exist today that can keep us on the path to net-zero, and now we need to focus on scaling these through digitization and adoption.”

Caspar outlines the technology solutions that are supporting decarbonization efforts across sectors. He also talks about the role AI can play in driving efficiency and boosting the business case for sustainability.

“At the end of the day, sustainability is only going to work when you are profitable,” he says. “Otherwise, businesses won’t do it.”

About the Terra Carta Podcast Series: The SMI is a network of over 250 global CEOs across finance and industry. It facilitates private sector diplomacy with the ambition of making sustainability the driving force of global markets and value creation. S&P Global is a proud SMI member.

We’re calling this the Terra Carta Series based on the SMI’s Terra Carta mandate. This is the guiding mandate for the SMI and sets out ambitious and practical actions to help the private sector accelerate progress toward a sustainable future. The name Terra Carta is a play on the historic Magna Carta. 

Listen to previous episodes in the Terra Carta Series:

How the Sustainable Markets Initiative convenes the public and private sectors to drive solutions | S&P Global

How climate tech company Patch works to build integrity of carbon markets | S&P Global

Learn about energy transition data and services from S&P Global Commodity Insights.  

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.  

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global           

DISCLAIMER   

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.     

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

A question we’ve been hearing a lot at the All Things Sustainable podcast is: How do businesses sync their climate strategies with their financial decisions?   

In this episode, we bring you highlights from an event that dove into this question in detail: The inaugural S&P Global Sustainable1 Climate Summit hosted by the S&P Global Climate Center of Excellence.  

The center is home to world-class scientists dedicated to addressing the frontiers of long-term climate, environmental and nature research and methodology development. The June 5 Climate Summit in New York City convened many of those scientists alongside financial institutions and industry leaders to talk about translating climate science into actionable insights that inform investment and financial decision-making. 

In today’s episode we talk to three speakers from the Summit:  

-Dr. Terence Thompson, the Chief Science Officer at the S&P Global Climate Center of Excellence; he explains the center’s work and how it seeks to bridge gaps between stakeholders, including climate scientists, economists and financial institutions.  

-Sonja Gibbs, Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance at the Institute for International Finance, a global network of financial institutions; she explains how IIF members are thinking about climate risks and opportunities. 

-Aniket Shah, Managing Director and Global Head of the Sustainability and Transition Strategy team at Jefferies Group; he tells us why financial decision-makers need “data, not vibes” to drive their sustainability strategies.  

Listen to recent podcast interviews referenced in today’s episode:   

Why businesses are going ‘back to basics’ in sustainability strategies | S&P Global 

How HSBC is financing infrastructure for a low-carbon economy | S&P Global 

How EU proposals could change the sustainability reporting landscape | S&P Global 

Learn more about the Climate Center of Excellence | S&P Global 

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.   

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global            

DISCLAIMER    

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.      

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we’re examining the role insurance plays in helping stakeholders understand and adapt to the physical risks of climate change.  

We speak to Rowan Douglas, CEO of Climate Risk & Resilience at global insurance group Howden. He explains how the insurance industry’s approach to climate change has evolved over decades to better understand future risks. He says the insurance sector is front and center in conversations about climate impacts because insurance gives financial institutions and investors an economic guide for risk. 

"There's a recognition that insurance is absolutely essential to allow credit and investment to flow with confidence,” he says. 

Rowan also addresses the importance of breaking down barriers in climate conversations, including how climate and nature intersect and the need for collaboration between the financial community and scientists, economists and engineers.     

“All of us in the world of finance have got something to offer, and we've got something to learn from each other,” he says. "We're getting to the point now where we've got to confront this growing risk.”   

This interview took place on the sidelines of the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in London. Listen to more interviews from the event here: Why businesses are going ‘back to basics’ in sustainability strategies | S&P Global 

And here: How HSBC is financing infrastructure for a low-carbon economy | S&P Global 

Learn more about the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in Singapore June 26, 2025: Sustainable1 Summit 2025 | S&P Global 

Read the forecast for the 2025 hurricane season from the S&P Global Climate Center of Excellence: An Elevated 2025 Hurricane Season | S&P Global 

Learn more about the Climate Center of Excellence: Climate Center of Excellence | S&P Global 

Learn more about Physical Climate Risk Solutions from S&P Global 

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.  

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global           

DISCLAIMER   

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.     

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we continue our deep dive into methane emissions. Today we’re exploring the role that private equity can play in eliminating methane emissions, including at abandoned oil and gas wells. 

Methane is the second largest contributor to global warming behind carbon dioxide. And the fossil fuel sector is responsible for nearly one-third of methane emissions from human activity today. Record production of oil, gas and coal, combined with limited mitigation efforts, has kept emissions above 120 million metric tons annually, according to the International Energy Agency’s 2025 Global Methane Tracker published in May. The IEA calls methane abatement a “crucial opportunity” to reduce near-term global warming. 

To understand how some companies are tackling methane emissions at abandoned facilities, in the episode we talk with Zefiro Methane Corp., an environmental services company that specializes in methane abatement at abandoned oil and gas wells in the US. Zefiro is a portfolio company of private equity firm X Machina Capital Strategies, or XMC, which works to transform oil and gas assets into long-term, sustainable solutions. 

We speak with Catherine Flax, Founding Member and President of Private Markets at XMC. On June 5, Catherine was appointed interim CEO of Zefiro Methane Corp., where she also serves on the board. 

We also talk with Talal Debs, Founder and Managing Partner of XMC. Talal was CEO of Zefiro Methane Corp. from November 2023 until June 2025. 

In the episode, Talal outlines how XMC takes a "full-spectrum energy investment" approach.  

"Let's take all the energy that we can get economically, but make it as clean as possible with a mind towards: what are we going to do with the mess afterwards?" he says. "If we can do that ... we're capturing the full spectrum of opportunity without ignoring the full spectrum of risks." 

Listen to our previous episode on methane emissions here. 

Learn about energy transition data and services from S&P Global Commodity Insights.  

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.          

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global          

DISCLAIMER  

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.    

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. 

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we take a deep dive into methane. After carbon dioxide, methane is the greenhouse gas that contributes most to global warming. It is also far more potent than carbon dioxide. The fossil fuel sector is responsible for nearly one-third of global methane emissions from human activity, according to the International Energy Agency. 

In the episode, we explore how recent advancements in monitoring and measuring have unlocked energy companies' ability to understand and address methane emissions. We look at why these emissions matter, and how curbing methane leaks in oil and gas operations is both economically and technically feasible, providing an opportunity for companies to make progress on climate goals in the near term. 

We talk with Steven Hamburg, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a global nonprofit tackling climate change. Steven is also the project lead of MethaneSAT, a satellite that finds and measures global methane emissions. He says he wants to create "radical transparency" by making this data widely available. He points to a "sea change" in the way the energy industry thinks about methane emissions.  

"There's a realization in the industry that good practice shouldn't include these emissions," Steven says. 

We also sit down with Dominic Watson, Senior Manager on the Energy Transition team at EDF+Business, a division of EDF that works with a variety of stakeholders on methane management and disclosures, including oil and gas companies. 

Dominic says that cutting methane emissions from oil and gas operations is largely cost effective and can be achieved over the next few years. He notes that companies are under pressure to curb emissions and have started to view addressing methane as "core to their long-term competitiveness in the energy transition."  

And we speak to Georges Tijbosch, CEO of MiQ, an independent nonprofit that aims to facilitate a rapid reduction in methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. 

Georges says many of the technologies needed to address methane emissions already exist. "Yes, they need to grow. Yes, they need to scale. Yes, they need to get better — but it's all there," he tells us. "That's why I found methane so exciting. This is a problem ... we can solve this decade." 

Listen to our podcast interview with oil major ExxonMobil about its approach to methane emissions and the energy transition here. 

Listen to our podcast interview with natural gas company EQT about how it is tackling methane emissions here. 

Learn about the S&P Global Sustianable1's Energy Transition data. 

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.    

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global           

DISCLAIMER     

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.      

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

Welcome to the latest episode in the Terra Carta Series of the All Things Sustainable podcast, a collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative. Throughout 2025, we’ll be interviewing SMI member CEOs across industries and around the world about how they’re approaching sustainability challenges and opportunities.  

In this episode, we’re talking with Brennan Spellacy, founder and CEO of Patch, a climate technology company that helps companies manage, sell and buy carbon credits. Brennan says interest in carbon markets is growing as a tool for companies to achieve their climate targets, even amid a challenging current environment. 

"Even though the tactics might evolve in the short term, almost every [Chief Sustainability Officer] that I've seen is upping their investments in 2025 and 2026, not cutting them. But how you deploy and how you talk about that deployment is going to obviously evolve," Brennan says. 

He outlines how Patch works to drive the integrity of carbon markets by providing companies with a universal framework for evaluating projects across a wide range of technologies on an apples-to-apples basis. 

"The core theory of change at Patch is that it's incredibly difficult to understand this market," Brennan says. "And the way we're going to drive scaling within this ecosystem today is to remove the friction to understanding." 

About the Terra Carta Podcast Series: The SMI is a network of over 250 global CEOs across finance and industry. It facilitates private sector diplomacy with the ambition of making sustainability the driving force of global markets and value creation. S&P Global is a proud SMI member. 

We’re calling this the Terra Carta Series based on the SMI’s Terra Carta mandate. This is the guiding mandate for the SMI and sets out ambitious and practical actions to help the private sector accelerate progress toward a sustainable future. The name Terra Carta is a play on the historic Magna Carta.  

Learn more about the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in Singapore June 26, 2025. 

Listen to our first episode in the Terra Carta series featuring Sustainable Markets Initiative CEO Jennifer Jordan-Saifi.  

Listen to our podcast episode about what’s ahead for carbon markets.  

Learn about the S&P Global Sustianable1's Energy Transition data. 

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.    

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global           

DISCLAIMER     

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.      

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.