In this special wrap-up episode, Ben McAlary joins Season 3 hosts Elena Lambros and Lorraine Johnston to reflect on the recurring themes that shaped nine thought-provoking conversations across the last 10 episodes of Game Changes.

 

Across sectors and geographies, one message came through clearly: ESG challenges are systemic. Whether discussing climate risk with Dariel De Sousa, sustainable investing with Rebecca Ogg, or transition planning with Pauline Martin, guests urged us to look beyond isolated issues and examine the architecture of the systems shaping finance, infrastructure and regulation.

 

Another powerful thread was impact over optics. Australia’s Anti-Slavery Commissioner Chris Evans reminded us that ESG is not about glossy reporting but about real-world outcomes. Similarly, Nishikant Gupta of Conrad Energy highlighted the importance of curiosity, collaboration and practical action in turning strategy into measurable change.

 

Collaboration and capital allocation also emerged as decisive levers. From Oliver Kade’s call for cross-sector partnerships to scale waste management solutions, to Claire Reid’s explanation of how innovative financing models can unlock community energy infrastructure, the season explored how funding structures and collective action shape results.

Listen to all episodes in the Game Changers mini-series by subscribing to ESG Matters @ Ashurst on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Ashurst’s Lorraine Johnston  speaks with Claire Reid, Director of Strategic Partnerships at SNRG, about how smarter grid connections and shared renewable infrastructure can reshape the UK’s energy future.

Claire explains how SNRG’s microgrid model works in practice, pooling solar generation across entire developments and storing excess power in communal batteries so that energy is shared fairly and efficiently. The result is lower bills for residents, reduced strain on the national grid and new opportunities for stalled housing and commercial projects to move forward.

They discuss how this approach aligns with the UK’s clean energy ambitions, from residential garden towns to industrial sites cutting carbon and costs without waiting years for grid reinforcements. The conversation also tackles the persistent myth that renewables are more expensive, and why long-term energy independence and resilience demand a shift in mindset.

Listen to more episodes in the Game Changers mini-series – featuring an array of talented guests by subscribing to ESG Matters @ Ashurst on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Ashurst’s Elena Lambros sits down with Australia’s inaugural Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Chris Evans, for a grounded, practical conversation about why modern slavery is no longer just a compliance topic but a core business risk that belongs in every boardroom.

Drawing on his work with major corporates, regulators and cross-sector groups, Chris explains why finding modern slavery in a supply chain should be seen as a system working, not failing. He highlights the shift businesses need to make, from producing reports to tackling real risk, and walks through the areas where exploitation most often hides, including labour hire, subcontracting and high-risk global supply chains.

Elena and Chris also explore how the ACCC’s recent guidance is clearing the way for companies to collaborate more confidently on remediation and due diligence.

Listen to more episodes in the Game Changers mini-series by subscribing to ESG Matters @ Ashurst on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Ashurst’s Elena Lambros welcomes special guest Natalie Kyriacou OAM for a wide-ranging chat that encompasses financial innovation, supply chains, and crucially, how Australia’s legal system can be a powerful force for climate action.

Having worked with corporates, government and charities, Natalie has seen what drives change from inside and outside the business world. In our podcast, she argues that governments and companies should be subject to a legal duty of care for young people and nature (similar to directors’ fiduciary duties). She also questions the logic of established economic frameworks and explains how these could be rewired to benefit people, planet and profit.

Natalie shares her pragmatic take on how corporates can regain trust in the wake of greenwashing scandals. She and Elena also discuss why supply chains are a two-way street when it comes to environmental accountability. And they shine a spotlight on overseas examples of nations taking bold steps to prioritise nature, economic progress, and social good.

Listen to more episodes in the Game Changers mini-series – featuring an array of talented guests – by subscribing to ESG Matters @ Ashurst on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode, Ashurst Head of First Nations Strategy Trent Wallace is joined by colleagues Natsuko Ogawa and Lea Constantine to reflect on their recent visit to Japan. As well as several productive meetings with clients in Tokyo, the trio also attended World Expo 2025 in Osaka where Trent spoke about engagement with First Nations people in Australia.

Natsuko reflects on her work over the past three decades, which has helped strengthen relationships between Ashurst’s Japanese clients and Australian businesses in the mining, resources, real estate and energy sectors. Lea explains why businesses seeking to invest in Australia are increasingly focusing on First Nations engagement. And Trent recalls the respectful, polite – and very frank – conversations he enjoyed with clients in Japan.

Natsuko describes the “revelation” that there are so many “clear links between First Nations and Japanese culture” and explains how progressive Japanese businesses are seeking more opportunities to connect with and employ First Nations people in Australia. Lea reflects, “One thing that dawned on me in Japan was that Australia is well known for safety, security and stability. And Japan really values those things as well.” While Trent adds: “It was a joy to recognise our similarities and find synergies.”

Packed with optimism, inspiration and insight, this episode provides plenty of food for thought for business leaders in Australia and Japan alike.

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Ashurst’s Elena Lambros welcomes special guest Dr Dariel De Sousa, a former Director of Compliance and Enforcement at the Australian Energy Regulator, who is now a leading voice in climate risk, regulation and governance.

Dariel draws on her deep professional and academic expertise to reveal the urgent need for regulatory reform in the face of systemic risks caused by climate change. The discussion traverses from the fragmented regulatory frameworks that have been inadequate to effectively respond to past natural disasters (e.g. Queensland’s 2011 floods and Victoria’s 2009 Black Saturday bushfires), to more promising regulatory progress in the US and in Victoria that reflect a system-wide approach to managing climate risks. Dariel argues that we cannot afford to wait for natural disasters to occur before we reform regulatory frameworks.  Instead, regulation should embed a proactive risk governance approach so that climate risks can be pre-empted and managed in a similar way to how large corporations manage the spectrum of risks they face across their diverse operations through their enterprise risk management frameworks.

This episode is a powerful call to action for governments to codify climate resilience into law, to adapt society’s critical systems to the shocks stemming from our warming world.

Listen to more episodes in the Game Changers mini-series – featuring an array of thought-provoking guests – by subscribing to ESG Matters @ Ashurst on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Oliver Kade, Chief Technology Officer and UK Country Manager at Seven Clean Seas, joins Ashurst’s Lorraine Johnston to share how the organisation is addressing plastic pollution through a powerful mix of innovation, systems change, and strategic partnerships. 

Oliver breaks down the core pillars of Seven Clean Seas’ work, from removing plastic waste from rivers and coastlines across Southeast Asia, to advancing national-level policy, to improving lives in vulnerable communities. Together, Lorraine and Oliver explore how corporate sponsorships (such as with Howden), technological tools (including AI tracking and chemical recycling), and Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks are helping to bridge the funding gap that has long undermined waste management. 

Essential to the discussion is understanding why local socioeconomic dynamics is essential for effective sustainability solutions, and how Seven Clean Seas’ “lives improved” methodology guides their community empowerment work spanning education, health, infrastructure, and income generation. 

Listen to more episodes in the Game Changers mini-series – featuring an array of thought-provoking guests – by subscribing to ESG Matters @ Ashurst on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode Elena Lambros, Partner in Ashurst’s Risk Advisory practice, speaks with Pauline Martin, Associate Director at Oxford Properties, and Becky Clissmann, Sustainability Counsel at Ashurst, about how Oxford Properties is embedding ESG into decision-making across its global real estate portfolio.

Pauline shares Oxford Properties’ pragmatic, data-first approach to decarbonisation, guided by OMERS’ net zero target and supported by a robust data foundation. She explains how standardised toolkits, green leasing strategies, and templatized scope of works are enabling consistent decision-making across jurisdictions, asset classes, and investment models.

The conversation also touches on stakeholder expectations, from planning authorities to tenants and investors, and how these are accelerating the adoption of net-zero pathways. Becky adds a regulatory lens, providing a timely overview of the UK government’s consultation on transition plans and the frameworks helping businesses stay ahead, such as the TPT disclosure framework and GFANZ recommendations.

For more on the UK’s proposed adoption of the ISSB sustainability reporting standards, Ashurst has published a detailed summary available here.

To explore Oxford’s approach in greater detail, listeners are encouraged to read the Oxford Properties 2025 Global Sustainability Report.

Listen to more episodes in the Game Changers mini-series – featuring an array of thought-provoking guests – by subscribing to ESG Matters @ Ashurst on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Sarah Lalor, General Manager ESG and Sustainable Finance at Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA) explains the bank’s multi-pronged approach to supporting businesses at every stage of their sustainability journeys. It’s a wonderful case study of how one organisation can multiply its ESG impact by influencing the organisations it supports.

In conversation with Ashurst’s Elena Lambros, Sarah takes us on a whistle-stop tour of CBA’s strategy to assist businesses of all sizes. They discuss how SMEs and mid-market businesses are shifting from what Sarah describes as a “curiosity mindset” to an “action mindset”. This is being driven through a combination of:

• Savings including lower energy bills
• Enablers such as CBA’s asset finance for energy-efficient equipment, solar and EVs for businesses of all sizes, Green Loans and Sustainability-Linked Loans for larger businesses
• Expectations from investors, and procurement requirements from larger businesses that are subject to new mandatory climate-related disclosures.

While acknowledging the challenge for small businesses to devote time to ESG strategy, Sarah emphasises the proven commercial rewards of doing so. She also explains how Sustainability-Linked Loans work and she illustrates the value of the ‘S’ in ESG (e.g. social outcomes such as employee wellbeing).

Sarah and Elena highlight some industries that are embracing sustainable finance, such as hospitality, retirement living and aged care, and commercial property. And they welcome the sustainable finance taxonomy which promises to bring greater consistency and confidence in the market.

They also emphasise the commercial benefits for small businesses that don’t wait, but instead seize the initiative. As Sarah points out, SMEs that go beyond compliance and really embrace ESG now can access new markets, win more contracts and tenders, and be more attractive propositions for customers and potential employees alike.

Listen to more episodes in the Game Changers mini-series – featuring an array of thought-provoking guests – by subscribing to ESG Matters @ Ashurst on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

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Sustainable procurement. Water and waste management. Regulatory compliance. Annual reports and climate action policies. Biodiversity programs. A community fund. It’s all in a day’s work for Conrad Energy’s Head of ESG, Nishikant Gupta!

In the latest episode of our Game Changers mini-series, Nish takes Ashurst’s Lorraine Johnston behind the scenes to reveal how he puts his ESG strategy into action. It’s a remarkable story that spans third-party and supplier collaborations, biodiversity innovations, cutting-edge technology, meticulous measurement, and much more.

Nish also shares some words of advice for up-and-coming ESG specialists, including: “Be bold in your vision, but grounded in practical action. Ask: What's the impact of your work?” Also: “Collaboration is key…working across disciplines—whether it's within your office or within sectors—often sparks the most impactful solutions.” And finally, “Act. Even small steps matter.”

Listen to more episodes in the Game Changers mini-series – featuring an array of thought-provoking guests – by subscribing to ESG Matters @ Ashurst on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.