Beyond the Buzz

Paul Munday and Corinne Bendersky kick off the first in our two-part series on the physical impacts of climate change by providing the 101 on climate resilience. Extreme climate events are increasingly grabbing headlines. But what exactly are the physical impacts of climate change and how are they defined, which sectors and regions face the greatest risks, and how are companies and countries are adapting and building resilience?

In the second of our two-part series on the physical impacts of climate change, Mike Wilkins asks Paul Munday to delve deeper into the role of climate data and models in evaluating future climate-related risks and opportunities. There's a lot of data out there and the potential for unintended misuse or interpretation of outcomes, so what are some of the potential solutions given the uncertainties?

Corinne Bendersky and Mike Ferguson return to discuss highlights from April's Leaders Summit on Climate, hosted by the U.S. Several large economies reiterated their commitments to reducing emissions and other climate pledges—one of the most newsworthy being the U.S.'s goal to reduce emissions 50%-52% by 2030. But who will actually implement all of these lofty goals?

Notice fewer insects hitting your windshield while driving, or birds chirping? The biodiversity crisis is all around us, not just in places like the Amazon. Guest host Michael Wilkins speaks to sustainable finance analyst Maurice Bryson about how companies and governments can address this crisis, including the challenges of pricing and reporting for something considered a public good. But there is hope, especially post-COVID, that as people value nature more, they maybe be able to encourage policymakers to take action.

Corinne Bendersky chats with S&P Global Ratings Senior Research Fellow Mike Wilkins about transition finance, a newer development in the sustainable debt markets aimed at helping companies—especially those in "hard-to-abate" sectors—improve processes and invest in technologies to help reduce their carbon footprints. They delve into what transition bonds are and how they work, especially in relation to the new sustainability-linked asset class. Plus, how will transition finance evolve to meet global climate challenges?

Corinne and Mike delve into the five of the hottest ESG-related topics set to permeate 2021, sourced from S&P Global Ratings' sustainable finance team around the globe. As the pandemic persists, questions about equitable vaccine distribution continue to highlight the social divide and show that the fight for equality is far from over. Climate action, which had been on the back burner in 2020, will come back to forefront as countries and companies double-down on net-zero goals and start to address the biodiversity crisis. The sustainable debt market and transition finance will expand to enable these shifts in the "race to resilience."

COVID-19 has turned from "the great leveler" to the "great divider," widening existing inequities around the world and leading to calls for greater social justice. Host Corinne Bendersky speaks with ESG analyst Lori Shapiro about the increasing importance of social risks amid the pandemic, shining a light on what "social risk" actually means and how it's quantified amid the rapidly growing social bond market, which could exceed $100 billion this year.

With COVID-19 cases rising again worldwide and pandemic fatigue setting in, all eyes are on the pharma industry in the pursuit of a COVID vaccine. Mike Ferguson talks to pharma credit analyst Tulip Lim about how pharma companies are ensuring affordability and access, how they're responding to pressure, and how prepared the industry is to face the pandemic. After, Mike and Corinne catch up on the dynamics between the many stakeholders watching vaccine development closely--including the public and governments.

In this episode of Beyond the Buzz, Corinne Bendersky talks with Christiana Figueres about the diplomatic history of climate change negotiations and how COVID-19 may affect climate action going forward. Ms. Figueres was the executive secretary for the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2010-2016, during which the historic Paris Agreement was signed. She reveals how collaborative--not confrontational--diplomacy was used to find common ground among stakeholders and help advance a shared agenda among 197 countries. Afterward, Corinne and Mike Ferguson discuss how the climate and COVID-19 crises intertwine--are there opportunities in the massive COVID recovery spending packages to not only accelerate the economy, but make progress toward climate goals?

In the second episode of Beyond the Buzz, we delve into the topic of water – often referred to as "blue gold." With water disputes on the rise, the World Economic Forum ranks water scarcity as more impactful than even infectious diseases in its 2020 Global Risks Report. S&P Global Ratings' resident water risk expert, Beth Burks, joins Corinne Bendersky and Mike Ferguson in the episode to explore the myriad risks related to water and how they may be exacerbated by climate change going forward. The trio also unpack the corporate perspective on water risk, how businesses and governments are addressing this growing threat, and the key indicators to monitor to mitigate long-term risk exposure.