ESG Decoded Podcast

Filmed live at Climate Week NYC 2026, our second annual ESG Decoded x Climate Week NYC video series features candid conversations with chief sustainability officers (CSOs) driving change. See how business strategy, climate innovation, and collaboration come together to create impact—and discover real-world insights you can put into action within your own sphere of influence.

Stay tuned for more episodes from the series. For now, let’s decode ESG together!

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What happens when nutrition, philanthropy, and sustainability stop working in silos and start working together? In this episode, host Emma Cox sits down with Sarah Ludmer, Chief Wellbeing and Sustainable Business Officer at WK Kellogg Co.

Sarah shares how a decade as a clinical dietitian and years in nutrition and regulatory work at Kellogg prepared her for what came next. When Kellogg split into two companies, she pitched a brand-new role that would bring all three areas together under one leader. Emma and Sarah talk through how that role evolved into one with a seat at both the corporate and commercial tables, and the challenges along the way. We also get a look inside the creation of Feeding Happiness, a sustainable business platform built from the ground up when WK Kellogg Co spun off from Kellogg and became its own company.

Learn why Sarah believes this integrated approach makes prioritization easier, and how every initiative ties back to commercial goals while still delivering on the platform’s pillars of making eating well easy, helping kids be their best, and bettering communities.

Don't miss an episode—subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social for the latest updates!

Episode Resources

• WK Kellogg Co’s Impact: https://www.wkkellogg.com/our-impact 

• Making Eating Well Easy: https://www.wkkellogg.com/our-impact/make-eating-well-easy 

• Help Kids Be Their Best: https://www.wkkellogg.com/our-impact/help-kids-be-their-best 

• Better Our Communities: https://www.wkkellogg.com/our-impact/better-our-communities 

• Connect with Sarah Ludmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahludmer/ 

• Connect with Emma Cox: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmagillespiecox/ 

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About ESG Decoded

ESG Decoded, powered by ClimeCo, is a podcast for business leaders navigating sustainability, innovation, and the evolving expectations shaping organizations today.

Hosted by Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum, the show features candid conversations with sustainability leaders and subject-matter experts across industries. Each episode cuts through the noise to explore the ideas, challenges, and actions moving sustainability forward—giving listeners practical insights to turn ambition into meaningful impact.

ESG Decoded Resource Links 

• Site: https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/

• Apple Podcasts: https://go.climeco.com/ApplePodcasts

• Spotify: https://go.climeco.com/Spotify

• YouTube Music: https://go.climeco.com/YouTube-Music

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-decoded/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/esgdecoded/

  *This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio 

About ClimeCo

ClimeCo is an award-winning leader in decarbonization, empowering global organizations with customized sustainability pathways. Our respected scientists and industry experts collaborate with companies, governments, and capital markets to develop tailored ESG and decarbonization solutions. Recognized for creating high-quality, impactful projects, ClimeCo is committed to helping clients achieve their goals, maximize environmental assets, and enhance their brand.

ClimeCo Resource Links

• Site: https://climeco.com/ 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climeco/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/climeco/
  

Filmed live at Climate Week NYC 2026, our second annual ESG Decoded x Climate Week NYC video series features candid conversations with chief sustainability officers (CSOs) driving change. See how business strategy, climate innovation, and collaboration come together to create impact—and discover real-world insights you can put into action within your own sphere of influence.

Stay tuned for more episodes from the series. For now, let’s decode ESG together!

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Some of the most useful perspectives in sustainability come from people who have sat on many different sides of the table. In our first episode of the 2nd annual ESG Decoded x Climate Week NYC video series, host Emma Cox sits down with Stewart Lindsay, SVP & Chief Sustainability Officer at The Campbell's Company.

Stewart shares how a love of history, a childhood in Florida, and a career that began in communications led him to sustainability, and why he believes nature deserves a bigger place in how we value food and farming. Their conversation unpacks what it takes to drive change inside a 150-year-old company, how Campbell's ties sustainability goals to its enterprise scorecard, and how its regenerative agriculture work is guided by the farmers. 

Learn why collaboration between companies, NGOs, and farmers is essential to advancing this work, how consumer awareness of where food comes from is growing, and why Stewart believes sustainability leaders need to be "persistent optimists" during a year of shifting priorities. 

Don't miss an episode—subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social for the latest updates!

Episode Resources

• The Campbell’s Company Impact: https://www.thecampbellscompany.com/our-impact/reports-and-policies/ 

• Campbell’s Grower Grants: Regenerative agriculture in action: https://www.thecampbellscompany.com/newsroom/sustainability/campbells-grower-grants-regenerative-agriculture-in-action/ 

• Connect with Stewart Lindsay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewartlindsay/ 

• Connect with Emma Cox: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmagillespiecox/ 

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About ESG Decoded ESG Decoded, powered by ClimeCo, is a podcast for business leaders navigating sustainability, innovation, and the evolving expectations shaping organizations today.

Hosted by Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum, the show features candid conversations with sustainability leaders and subject-matter experts across industries. Each episode cuts through the noise to explore the ideas, challenges, and actions moving sustainability forward—giving listeners practical insights to turn ambition into meaningful impact.

ESG Decoded Resource Links 

• Site: https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/

• Apple Podcasts: https://go.climeco.com/ApplePodcasts

• Spotify: https://go.climeco.com/Spotify

• YouTube Music: https://go.climeco.com/YouTube-Music

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-decoded/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/esgdecoded/

  *This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio 

About ClimeCo

ClimeCo is an award-winning leader in decarbonization, empowering global organizations with customized sustainability pathways. Our respected scientists and industry experts collaborate with companies, governments, and capital markets to develop tailored ESG and decarbonization solutions. Recognized for creating high-quality, impactful projects, ClimeCo is committed to helping clients achieve their goals, maximize environmental assets, and enhance their brand.

ClimeCo Resource Links

• Site: https://climeco.com/ 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climeco/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/climeco/

In this special live episode of ESG Decoded, recorded before an audience at The Nest Campus during Climate Week NYC 2026, host Emma Cox speaks with two leaders shaping how globally recognized brands communicate sustainability. 

Assile Beydoun, Global Sustainability Director for Communications, Partnerships, and Advocacy at Procter & Gamble, brings more than 16 years of experience working across P&G brands, regions, and functions. Her work connects P&G with NGOs, innovation partners, and industry groups—bringing external perspectives into the business while sharing lessons beyond it.

Chris Gaither, Head of Sustainability Engagement and Storytelling at General Motors, has spent more than two decades leading global programs and advising senior executives at organizations including Apple, Google, and the Los Angeles Times. He also brings experience as a leadership and communications coach.

As companies face rising scrutiny of climate commitments, ESG claims, and sustainability marketing, the question is not simply whether to speak up or stay quiet. It is how to communicate with evidence, relevance, and accountability. 

Emma, Assile, and Chris discuss:

• How to lead sustainability communications with proof

• How to adapt one sustainability narrative for employees, customers, investors, policymakers, and other audiences

• Why transparency about delayed targets and imperfect progress can build trust

• When the strongest sustainability story is not framed as a sustainability story at all

• The sustainability communications phrases that signal credibility, and the ones that should raise red flags

Listen for practical guidance on communicating sustainability efforts without greenwashing, earning stakeholder trust, and turning complex progress into stories people can understand and act on.

Don't miss an episode: subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social for the latest updates!

Episode Resources

• The Rockefeller Foundation: Climate Support Strong Across Leading Democracies, But Words Matter: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/news/new-potential-energy-study-commissioned-by-rockefeller-foundation-climate-support-strong-across-democracies-but-words-matter/ 

• Anthesis Group’s Report - Hugging the Bear: https://www.anthesisgroup.com/insights/hugging-the-bear/ 

• P&G Accelerates Action on Climate Change Toward Net Zero GHG Emissions by 2040: https://us.pg.com/blogs/net-zero-by-2040/ 

• P&G 2026 TCFD Report: https://s204.q4cdn.com/332108499/files/doc_downloads/2026/09/02/PG_TCFD_Report_2026_R2.pdf

• General Motor’s Sustainability: https://www.gm.com/impact/sustainability 

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About ESG Decoded ESG Decoded, powered by ClimeCo, is a podcast for business leaders navigating sustainability, innovation, and the evolving expectations shaping organizations today.

Hosted by Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum, the show features candid conversations with sustainability leaders and subject-matter experts across industries. Each episode cuts through the noise to explore the ideas, challenges, and actions moving sustainability forward—giving listeners practical insights to turn ambition into meaningful impact.

ESG Decoded Resource Links 

• Site:  https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-decoded/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/esgdecoded/

  *This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio 

About ClimeCo

ClimeCo is an award-winning leader in decarbonization, empowering global organizations with customized sustainability pathways. Our respected scientists and industry experts collaborate with companies, governments, and capital markets to develop tailored ESG and decarbonization solutions. Recognized for creating high-quality, impactful projects, ClimeCo is committed to helping clients achieve their goals, maximize environmental assets, and enhance their brand.

That small green leaf next to certain Amazon products may be doing more work than shoppers realize. 

Emma Cox is joined by Dr. Sherry He, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University, to unpack her research on Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly program. Her findings show that sustainability labels were associated with a 13–14% average increase in product demand—but the reason may not be what brands, retailers, or consumers expect. 

The lift did not come from Amazon’s search algorithm or from shoppers actively filtering for more sustainable products. Instead, Dr. He explains what may be happening at the point of purchase, when a credible sustainability signal appears alongside a product.

In this episode, learn:

• Which sustainability labels showed no measurable demand lift—including one of Amazon’s own.

• The two product characteristics associated with a stronger consumer response.

• Why credible third-party certification could become even more important as AI increasingly shapes product discovery and purchasing decisions.

• What brands, sellers, retailers, and certification organizations can take from the findings.

If you buy, make, sell, market, or certify products, this episode offers a practical look at when sustainability claims can influence demand—and when they may not.

Don't miss an episode—subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social for the latest updates!

Episode Resources

• Harvard Business Review - Research: Products Labeled as Sustainable Sell Better: https://hbr.org/2025/06/research-products-labeled-as-sustainable-sell-better 

• Do Judge a Product by Its Sustainability Label: Evidence from the Amazon Marketplace: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5009666# 

• Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly:  https://www.aboutamazon.com/planet/climate-pledge 

• Stand Out on Amazon as ClimeCo Certified™ Product: https://www.climeco.com/stand-out-on-amazon-as-a-climeco-certified-product/ 

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded in May 2026. It references the Harvard Business Review article, “Research: Products Labeled as Sustainable Sell Better,” published in June 2025, and the paper “Do Judge a Product by Its Sustainability Label: Evidence from the Amazon Marketplace,” originally published in November 2024. Please note that findings, market conditions, and related developments may have changed since those publication dates. 

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About ESG Decoded

ESG Decoded, powered by ClimeCo, is a podcast for business leaders navigating sustainability, innovation, and the evolving expectations shaping organizations today.

Hosted by Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum, the show features candid conversations with sustainability leaders and subject-matter experts across industries. Each episode cuts through the noise to explore the ideas, challenges, and actions moving sustainability forward—giving listeners practical insights to turn ambition into meaningful impact.

ESG Decoded Resource Links 

• Site:  https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/

• Apple Podcasts: https://go.climeco.com/ApplePodcasts

• Spotify: https://go.climeco.com/Spotify

• YouTube Music: https://go.climeco.com/YouTube-Music

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-decoded/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/esgdecoded/

  *This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio 

About ClimeCoClimeCo is an award-winning leader in decarbonization, empowering global organizations with customized sustainability pathways. Our respected scientists and industry experts collaborate with companies, governments, and capital markets to develop tailored ESG and decarbonization solutions. Recognized for creating high-quality, impactful projects, ClimeCo is committed to helping clients achieve their goals, maximize environmental assets, and enhance their brand.

ClimeCo Resource Links

• Site: https://climeco.com/ 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climeco/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/climeco/

Ahead of Climate Week NYC and the UN General Assembly, we look at how the world's largest multilateral climate fund is deploying capital in a moment when government commitment to climate finance is wavering.

Host Anna Stablum is joined by Amer Baig, Chief Investment Officer of the Green Climate Fund —  a key financing mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Over ten years, the fund has invested just over $20 billion across 135 developing countries, and Amer explains how this money unlocks private capital and opens doors to various financing mechanisms. He walks through how the fund uses flexible, patient capital to stretch that $20 billion into roughly $80 billion in total project value. 

Anna and Amer also get into the distance between what institutions say publicly and what they're doing privately, why "climate" may be the most misleading shorthand in the sector, and what perceived versus real risk means for capital flowing into developing markets.

Don't miss an episode—subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social for the latest updates!

Episode Resources

• Green Climate Fund: https://www.greenclimate.fund/ 

• GCF project database: https://www.greenclimate.fund/projects

• GAIA blended finance platform: https://www.findevcanada.ca/en/what-we-do/our-portfolio/gaia

• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: https://unfccc.int/

• New York Climate Week: https://www.climateweeknyc.org/
  

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About ESG Decoded ESG Decoded, powered by ClimeCo, is a podcast for business leaders navigating sustainability, innovation, and the evolving expectations shaping organizations today.

Hosted by Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum, the show features candid conversations with sustainability leaders and subject-matter experts across industries. Each episode cuts through the noise to explore the ideas, challenges, and actions moving sustainability forward—giving listeners practical insights to turn ambition into meaningful impact.

ESG Decoded Resource Links 

• Site:  https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/

• Apple Podcasts: https://go.climeco.com/ApplePodcasts

• Spotify: https://go.climeco.com/Spotify

• YouTube Music: https://go.climeco.com/YouTube-Music

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-decoded/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/esgdecoded/*This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio 

About ClimeCo

ClimeCo is an award-winning leader in decarbonization, empowering global organizations with customized sustainability pathways. Our respected scientists and industry experts collaborate with companies, governments, and capital markets to develop tailored ESG and decarbonization solutions. Recognized for creating high-quality, impactful projects, ClimeCo is committed to helping clients achieve their goals, maximize environmental assets, and enhance their brand.

ClimeCo Resource Links

• Site: https://climeco.com/ 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climeco/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/climeco/

What if sustainability isn't a job title, but a skill set you already have? 

Emma Cox speaks with Kelsey Kates, founder of Playfully Works,about what it means to care deeply about the planet while working in a role not traditionally tied to sustainability. 

At the time of this recording, Kelsey led learning and development at Google. While sustainability was never part of her formal job description, she became a keynote speaker on the company's sustainability efforts by volunteering her time, sharing her expertise, and consistently showing up. 

Bringing a learning-science lens to a question many of us have asked—how much can one person actually do? Kelsey explores how individual conviction can become meaningful to organizational impact. 

In this conversation, she shares insights on: 

• Finding your own entry point into climate work through the expertise, influence, and passions you already have.

• How small operational shifts, implemented at scale, can quietly change behaviors and norms.

• Why explaining the why behind a change can matter just as much as the change itself.

• Whether sustainability is best understood as a competitive advantage—or a competitive imperative.

Disclaimer: Since this conversation, Kelsey has concluded her decade-long tenure at Google and launched her own company, Playfully Works. It’s founding idea is one she shares in this episode, you don't have to be serious to do serious work.

Episode Resources

• Google Sustainability: https://sustainability.google/

• Google’s 2026 Environmental Report: https://sustainability.google/google-2026-environmental-report/

• Climate Action Venn Diagram by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: https://www.ayanaelizabeth.com/climatevenn 

• Playfully Works: https://kelseykates.com/ 
  

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About ESG Decoded ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. Join Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum for thoughtful, nuanced conversations with industry leaders and subject matter experts that explore the complexities about the risks and opportunities connected to (E)nvironmental, (S)ocial and (G)overnance. We like to say that “ESG is everything that’s not on your balance sheet.” This leaves room for misunderstanding and oversimplification – two things that we’ll bust on this podcast.

ESG Decoded Resource Links 

• Site:  https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/

• Apple Podcasts: https://go.climeco.com/ApplePodcasts

• Spotify: https://go.climeco.com/Spotify

• YouTube Music: https://go.climeco.com/YouTube-Music

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-decoded/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/esgdecoded/

  *This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio 

About ClimeCo

ClimeCo is an award-winning leader in decarbonization, empowering global organizations with customized sustainability pathways. Our respected scientists and industry experts collaborate with companies, governments, and capital markets to develop tailored ESG and decarbonization solutions. Recognized for creating high-quality, impactful projects, ClimeCo is committed to helping clients achieve their goals, maximize environmental assets, and enhance their brand.

ClimeCo Resource Links

• Site: https://climeco.com/ 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climeco/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/climeco/
  

Coastal Louisiana is losing a football field of land every hour. Restore the Earth Foundation (REF) is betting a million acres of restored forest can turn that around — and they're nearly halfway there. 

In this episode, host Erika Schiller is joined by Taylor Marshall, REF's Executive Director and a project manager for Ecometrics – a platform that quantifies the environmental, social, and economic impact of restoration projects. Together they talk about how native bald cypress reforestation delivers far more than carbon, from flood protection and cleaner water to the return of cultural practices that faded when the forests did. 

The conversation traces Restore the Earth's path from small post-Katrina tracts to full landscape-scale restoration, and the collaboration model that made that growth possible across federal agencies, state partners, local parishes, and corporate funders. Marshall shares what two decades of hard-won lessons have taught her about designing projects that endure, and the valuation work that finally gave funders a business case they could act on. 

Don’t miss an episode—subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social for the latest updates!

Episode Resources

• Restore the Earth Foundation - https://restoretheearth.org/

• Climate-driven depopulation and adaptation realities in America's coastal ground zero (Nature Sustainability) - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-026-01820-z

• EcoMetrics: Measuring and Valuing the Impact of Nature-Based Solutions - https://www.ecos.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/EcoMetrics_WhitePaper_Jan2026.pdf

• Restore the Earth Foundation Awarded Louisiana's First Water Quality Credits - https://restoretheearth.org/2025/05/06/restore-the-earth-foundation-awarded-louisianas-first-water-quality-credits/

• Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan - https://coastal.la.gov/our-plan/
  

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About ESG Decoded ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. Join Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum for thoughtful, nuanced conversations with industry leaders and subject matter experts that explore the complexities about the risks and opportunities connected to (E)nvironmental, (S)ocial and (G)overnance. We like to say that “ESG is everything that’s not on your balance sheet.” This leaves room for misunderstanding and oversimplification – two things that we’ll bust on this podcast.

ESG Decoded Resource Links 

• Site:  https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/

• Apple Podcasts: https://go.climeco.com/ApplePodcasts

• Spotify: https://go.climeco.com/Spotify

• YouTube Music: https://go.climeco.com/YouTube-Music

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-decoded/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/esgdecoded/

  *This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio 

About ClimeCoClimeCo is an award-winning leader in decarbonization, empowering global organizations with customized sustainability pathways. Our respected scientists and industry experts collaborate with companies, governments, and capital markets to develop tailored ESG and decarbonization solutions. Recognized for creating high-quality, impactful projects, ClimeCo is committed to helping clients achieve their goals, maximize environmental assets, and enhance their brand.

ClimeCo Resource Links

• Site: https://climeco.com/ 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climeco/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/climeco/

In our new exclusive – ESG Decoded x Superpollutant Sessions, we’re shifting the climate conversation toward something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention, but has the potential to drive some of the fastest, most meaningful climate impact available right now: superpollutants.

You’ve likely heard a lot about carbon dioxide, and for good reason. But gases like methane, nitrous oxide, and refrigerants are significantly more potent (hence the name superpollutants), and yet they remain underrepresented in mainstream climate discussions, business strategies, and public awareness.

So, the question is: why? And more importantly: what can we do about it?

In this multi-voice video episode, we’re bringing together a range of perspectives—from scientists and climate experts to industry leaders, corporate decision-makers, and policy experts, to connect the dots and challenge how we think.

You’ll hear a series of focused conversations, each offering a different lens on the same challenge: how do we accelerate practical, scalable solutions that already exist, and what it will take to move from conversation to action.

Meet the experts driving this conversation with our lovely host, Erika Schiller: 

• Segment 1: Dr. Gabrielle Dreyfus (Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development) & Dr. Ilissa Ocko (Spark Climate Solutions)

• Segment 2: Derek Six & Alison Tyndall (ClimeCo)

• Segment 3: Michelle Jolly (Amazon)

• Segment 4: Kristen Gorguinpour (Climate Action Reserve)

Don’t miss an episode—subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social for the latest updates!

Episode Resources

• UN Secretary-General's Call to Action on Methane - https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/methane 

• IPCC Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) - https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar7/ 

• Montreal Protocol & Kigali Amendment - https://ozone.unep.org/treaties/montreal-protocol 

• Climate Action Reserve - https://climateactionreserve.org/ 

• ICVCM Core Carbon Principles - https://icvcm.org/ 

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About ESG Decoded ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. Join Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum for thoughtful, nuanced conversations with industry leaders and subject matter experts that explore the complexities about the risks and opportunities connected to (E)nvironmental, (S)ocial and (G)overnance. We like to say that “ESG is everything that’s not on your balance sheet.” This leaves room for misunderstanding and oversimplification – two things that we’ll bust on this podcast.

ESG Decoded Resource Links 

• Site:  https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/

• Apple Podcasts: https://go.climeco.com/ApplePodcasts

• Spotify: https://go.climeco.com/Spotify

• YouTube Music: https://go.climeco.com/YouTube-Music

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-decoded/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/esgdecoded/

  *This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio 

About ClimeCoClimeCo is an award-winning leader in decarbonization, empowering global organizations with customized sustainability pathways. Our respected scientists and industry experts collaborate with companies, governments, and capital markets to develop tailored ESG and decarbonization solutions. Recognized for creating high-quality, impactful projects, ClimeCo is committed to helping clients achieve their goals, maximize environmental assets, and enhance their brand.

ClimeCo Resource Links

• Site: https://climeco.com/ 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climeco/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/climeco/

The future (and current state) of ESG has been debated from every angle, but what is actually happening inside companies?

In this episode, Emma Cox is joined by Andrew Jones, Principal Researcher at The Conference Board, to discuss new research on how organizations are responding to today's evolving ESG landscape. Together, they separate headlines from reality, examining how businesses are adapting their strategies, navigating shifting political and regulatory pressures, and integrating sustainability more deeply into core business decisions.

The conversation highlights why many companies are rethinking how they communicate about ESG, what this means for climate commitments and long-term resilience, and how business leaders can stay focused on creating measurable value amid ongoing uncertainty.

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded in August 2025. Some data and trends discussed may have evolved since the time of recording. 

Thank you to our sponsor, Amazon Sustainability, for supporting this episode. 

Amazon is known for speed and scale. That same approach drives their sustainability efforts. Guided by data and science, and powered by invention, Amazon works backward from ambitious targets to drive measurable progress. Every package delivered, every data center powered, every product designed is an opportunity to make tomorrow better.

Learn more about Amazon Sustainability

• Amazon’s Energy spotlight: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/stories/spotlight-on-energy
• Amazon’s Homepage: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/

Episode Resources

• Did US Companies Pull Back from Sustainability Reporting in 2025? - https://www.conference-board.org/publications/did-US-companies-pull-back-from-sustainability-reporting-in-2025 

• Emission Impossible: Corporate Climate Goals Moving from Adoption to Execution - https://www.conference-board.org/publications/Emission-impossible-corporate-climate-goals-moving-from-adoption-to-execution
  

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About ESG Decoded ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. Join Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum for thoughtful, nuanced conversations with industry leaders and subject matter experts that explore the complexities about the risks and opportunities connected to (E)nvironmental, (S)ocial and (G)overnance. We like to say that “ESG is everything that’s not on your balance sheet.” This leaves room for misunderstanding and oversimplification – two things that we’ll bust on this podcast.

ESG Decoded Resource Links 

• Site:  https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/

• Apple Podcasts: https://go.climeco.com/ApplePodcasts

• Spotify: https://go.climeco.com/Spotify

• YouTube Music: https://go.climeco.com/YouTube-Music

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esg-decoded/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/esgdecoded/

  *This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio 

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Sponsored Episode Disclaimer: This episode of ESG Decoded is sponsored by Amazon. The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and guest(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ESG Decoded, ClimeCo LLC, the Sponsor, or the guest’s organization. Sponsorship provides financial support only and does not give the Sponsor any right to direct, review, or approve the editorial content of this episode, including topics discussed, questions asked, or opinions expressed by the host or guest(s). 

Views Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the host and guest(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of ESG Decoded, ClimeCo LLC, any Sponsor, or any organization with which a guest is affiliated. Participation by a guest or Sponsor does not constitute an endorsement of any product, service, or organization. This conversation is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice.

Tourism has the power to educate, connect people, and support local communities—but it also carries environmental responsibilities.

In this episode, Erika Schiller is joined by Meghan Flynn, Associate Vice President of Program Strategy, and Bryn Geddes, Sustainability Manager at Road Scholar, to discuss how Road Scholar is making educational travel more sustainable. They share lessons learned from measuring Scope 3 emissions, collaborating with suppliers, reducing plastic and food waste, and building sustainability into hundreds of travel itineraries across the globe. The conversation also highlights why progress matters more than perfection, demonstrating how practical actions, thoughtful partnerships, and continuous improvement can help shape a more sustainable future for tourism.

Thank you to our sponsor, Amazon Sustainability, for supporting this episode. 

Amazon is known for speed and scale. That same approach drives their sustainability efforts. Guided by data and science, and powered by invention, Amazon works backward from ambitious targets to drive measurable progress. Every package delivered, every data center powered, every product designed is an opportunity to make tomorrow better.

Learn more about Amazon Sustainability

• Amazon’s Energy spotlight: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/stories/spotlight-on-energy

• Amazon’s Water spotlight: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/stories/spotlight-on-water

• Amazon’s Homepage: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/

  Episode Resources

• Road Scholar: https://www.roadscholar.org/ 

• Sustainability Travel: https://www.roadscholar.org/why-go-with-us/sustainability/

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About ESG Decoded ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. Join Emma Cox, Erika Schiller, and Anna Stablum for thoughtful, nuanced conversations with industry leaders and subject matter experts that explore the complexities about the risks and opportunities connected to (E)nvironmental, (S)ocial and (G)overnance. We like to say that “ESG is everything that’s not on your balance sheet.” This leaves room for misunderstanding and oversimplification – two things that we’ll bust on this podcast.

ESG Decoded Resource Links 

• Site:  https://www.climeco.com/podcast-series/

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  *This episode was produced by Singing Land Studio 

ClimeCo Resource Links

• Site: https://climeco.com/ 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climeco/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/climeco/

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Sponsored Episode Disclaimer: This episode of ESG Decoded is sponsored by Amazon. The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and guest(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ESG Decoded, ClimeCo LLC, the Sponsor, or the guest’s organization. Sponsorship provides financial support only and does not give the Sponsor any right to direct, review, or approve the editorial content of this episode, including topics discussed, questions asked, or opinions expressed by the host or guest(s). 

Views Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the host and guest(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of ESG Decoded, ClimeCo LLC, any Sponsor, or any organization with which a guest is affiliated. Participation by a guest or Sponsor does not constitute an endorsement of any product, service, or organization. This conversation is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice.