ESG now

By MSCI ESG Research LLC

Business Investing Social Sciences Business News

What's ESG now about?

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) news and investment research brought to you weekly covering major market trends and new research insights. With topics ranging from climate impact on investment portfolios, corporate actions, trending investment topics, and emerging ESG issues, hosts Mike Disabato and Bentley Kaplan of MSCI ESG Research walk through the latest news and research that is top of mind for the week. 

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ESG now episodes:

05.17.2024
Can Airlines Go Green?
Airlines are part of a hard to abate industry for a reason as there is not one straightforward path to decarbonization. In this episode, we discuss the options that airlines have to reduce their direct emissions in the coming decades...
05.10.2024
Spirits of Change: Alcohol in a Dry World
Alcoholic beverage companies are trying to navigate through a changing world, one where tastes are evolving, and resources are getting scarcer. In this episode, delve into the significant challenges and innovative strategies the alcoholic beverage industry is employing to combat...
04.19.2024
AI is Diagnosing and Texas is Burning
Everyone is talking about AI, but on today’s episode we focus on the technology’s potential to disrupt health care. Then, we switch things up to look at how wildfires are exacerbating physical, legal and financial risks for electric utilities in...
04.12.2024
Pondering Peak Emissions in China
Coal still makes up a big cut of China’s energy mix. But the country’s growth in renewables is undeniable. As climate targets are laid down and climate change accelerates, figuring out China’s emissions trajectory is tricky. And that’s OK –...
04.05.2024
Does Your Board Need a Climate Superstar?
For some investors, having a climate-savvy director on a company’s board may seem like a non-negotiable. But data from some of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters shows that successful climate governance is complex and may require more than pinning...
03.29.2024
Children are still in the Cocoa Field
This week we provide an update to our March 2022 episode titled Children in the Cocoa Field that explored the growing problem of child labor in cocoa harvesting. And the attempt by Nestlé to use money and enhanced mapping technology...
03.22.2024
Unwrapping the Green Claims of Plastic Packaging
Plastic is an inescapable reality of the modern world. But trading off its convenience and versatility for environmental and health impacts is getting harder. Companies that make or rely on plastic are being pushed to improve recyclability and reuse. And...
03.15.2024
The SEC Tests out the Climate
The SEC’s climate disclosure rule is finally here. It’s been a journey, one akin to a film drama full of plot twists, cliff hangers and edge of the seat moments. So in honor of the drama, this week we do...
03.08.2024
Women on Boards and Beyond!
We have been reporting on board’s gender diversity since 2009, and while progress has undoubtedly been made, the road ahead is still long. Linda-Eling Lee from MSCI’s Sustainability Institute tells us why we started compiling this report in the first...
02.23.2024
ExxonMobil's Legal Parry
ExxonMobil filed a legal complaint against two of its own shareholders, who were hoping to put a climate-related proposal to a vote at the company’s upcoming AGM. We discuss why it’s a decision that could have consequences for the wider...
02.16.2024
The Luxury of Love
Valentines day is replete with marketing by luxury brands attempting to capture the eyes of anxious lovers wanting to do right by their partners during the holiday. But what can you know about the product you’re buying from a luxury...
02.09.2024
Cyber Catastrophe Bonds... Wait, What?
The stakes on data protection and privacy are only getting higher. Hacks, breaches and data leaks are becoming bugbears of the modern corporate world. Insurers offer products for cyber-related incidents, but in a complex, evolving risk landscape, there are a...
02.02.2024
The Audit World on Fire
Audit firms have been under scrutiny lately after scandal and concern have led some to worry the vital industry is in trouble. But to understand whether fears around an auditor are credible, one must understand how to assess auditor quality....
01.26.2024
Going on a Boeing?
One door plug blowout, one emergency landing and zero injuries. For Boeing, quality checks and tailored governance structures aren’t adding up to a great safety record. But looking at the underlying ESG data might shed light on where things might...
01.19.2024
Biodiversity 101
Biodiversity is everywhere from food production to pharmaceutical drugs, so the biodiversity crisis puts both society and the global economy at risk. And while it is like the climate crisis in its cause, there are complexities and measurement difficulties that...
01.12.2024
Carbon Credits in 2024
The carbon markets have been a provider of hope and despair in the fight against carbon emissions. In 2023, there were concerns around whether the carbon credits being sold actually abated the amount of carbon they claimed to. Yet the...
12.15.2023
The Sustainability and Climate Trends to Watch for 2024
We think 2024 is going to be a big year! From extreme heat hitting home and work, to the frothy wonderland of AI bumping against data privacy risks and scarce talent, to the role that private capital is going to...
12.08.2023
Utilities Lean into Adaptation Bonds
As extreme weather events become more prevalent, the utilities sector is on the front lines. From investing in microgrids to burying transmission lines, there are ways to help climate-proof infrastructure. But funding is key, and it looks like the green...
12.04.2023
On the Ground at COP 28
We are on the ground at COP 28!! Right now, in the UAE, most of the world’s power brokers are gathered to talk about the climate emergency, the world’s plans for lowering emissions, and everything in between. For this episode,...
11.10.2023
(Bottled) Water, Water Everywhere
We’re thirsty, y’all! In a year, we drink 350 billion liters of bottled water, most of it from plastic. But it’s a product with a hefty environmental footprint, and big climate risks. We take a look at what might lie...
11.03.2023
The Future for Oil and Gas Producers
Some say oil demand is soon to peak. Well, if that is true, why are some oil and gas producers growing their reserves? If there is uncertainty on how oil will perform in the future, how are oil and gas...
10.27.2023
The Retail's Doctor Will See You Now
You trust a retail store to be convenient. You can walk in and get basically anything you need - be it food, clothes, face wash, batteries...whatever. Retail companies have built their brands on that convenience and affordability factor. But would...
10.20.2023
The Five Stories of ESG: A Recap Episode
This week, we are returning to five stories we have already covered to see what progress has been made (if any!): The Adani Group and its attempt to address a short seller report that questioned the group’s governance that led...
10.13.2023
An Homage to Claudia Goldin (Gender Pay Gap)
The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded on Monday to Claudia Goldin, a Harvard professor, for her work to advance the world’s understanding of women in the work force. She made history by being the first woman to...
10.06.2023
California Dreamin’ About Climate Disclosures
With Governor Newsom poised to sign two new climate reporting bills into law, we look at what’s in them, why they matter, and why everyone is suddenly making a fuss about Scope 3 emissions. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Zohir...
09.29.2023
Tilting at Wind Turbines
Despite growing demand for clean energy, price parity with fossil fuels and friendly policies, renewable energy companies are facing some tough headwinds. We take a look at why that's happening and what Orsted's no good, very bad August can tell...
09.22.2023
United Auto Workers of ESG
The demands made by the United Auto Workers (UAW) to the big three auto companies in the US are varied and touch on every part of ESG. But what may loom largest is the ongoing transition to electric vehicles that...
09.15.2023
El Nino Arrives and Debt Thrives
We have likely entered in to an El Nino season as of June 2023. El Nino forms and then eventually dissipates as trade winds that blow to the south of the equator shift and impact the flow of the ocean...
09.08.2023
Textile Waste and Travelling Skirts
With fashion brands now producing 52 “micro seasons” a year, more and more clothing is being unsold or discarded. And recycling clothing is more difficult than you may think. As the EU looks to increase accountability for post-consumer waste, we...
09.01.2023
Is European Sustainable Finance Green?
The EU has set up a number of regulations to define what is and is not environmentally sustainable. Part of those regulations touch investment funds as most assets under management in Europe (~EUR 7 trillion out of EUR 12 trillion)...
08.25.2023
There's AI in My Boardroom
Artificial intelligence is rolling out in a big way across different industries and sectors. With much to lose and much to gain from this new trend, investors will be looking to boards that ask good questions and get good answers...
08.04.2023
The Fight Between Food and Forests
Commodities like palm oil, beef and cocoa are intertwined with deforestation. The EU wants to change this. We talk about the bloc’s latest law and how it’s going to ask food companies to take supply chain due diligence and traceability...
07.31.2023
A Turbulent Plan for Green Aviation
Airlines have been offering customers with the option to purchase carbon credits or to support sustainable aviation fuel as they are buying a plane ticket. The airlines claim in doing so, the customer can lower the emissions of their trip...
07.21.2023
Big Tech is Knock Knock Knockin’ on the GDPR’s Door
User privacy on internet platforms is sliding higher up the “to do” list of the EU’s regulators. Five years after a trailblazing law was passed – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – we’re starting to see its enforcement moving...
07.14.2023
It’s too Damn Hot for Investors
Our planet’s hottest days on record were recorded July 3 to July 5. Global average temperatures rose to a new high of 62.9 Fahrenheit. And even as the days get less sweltering, we all seem to be collectively looking around...
07.07.2023
The EU Wants Companies To Care More About Human Rights
The EU is ironing out the final details of its Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. We look at what it could mean for how companies identify, mitigate and report on their impacts on human rights. It’s a pioneering step that...
06.30.2023
Are Shareholders Turning Against ESG?
Part of proxy season is over, so we take a look at the landscape of shareholder proposals. And it is well known for to those who are closely watching shareholder proposals that ESG proposals have pretty much plummeted this year...
06.23.2023
Semiconductors aren't green?!
Semiconductors are used in ev-er-y-thing. But semiconductor manufacturers have a high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprint. Since they are so ubiquitous in our economy, will they get a free pass and not be pressured to lower their GHG emissions? Or...
06.09.2023
California Gets Harder To Insure and the NZIA Gets Smaller
Under pressure from wildfires and inflation, State Farm has stopped issuing new homeowner policies in California. We get to the bottom of how physical climate hazards may change the future shape of the insurance industry. And then we ask why...
06.02.2023
Green Buildings: Beam Me Up!
There are a number of looming carbon emission regulations set to hit the commercial real estate sector in the coming years. These regulations would require building managers to retrofit their asset’s with emissions reducing technology else face hundreds of millions...
05.19.2023
Tracking our climate goals and next steps
Are you aware of how much progress we are making on addressing climate change? There are all-these-pledges and all-these-plans made by companies, but have those plans been useful? Are they actually making progress on cutting emissions or are they just...
05.12.2023
BNP’s “Duty of Care” and a Lonely Start for Germany’s Female Execs
NGOs have filed a lawsuit against BNP Paribas, arguing that bank has failed in its “Duty of Care”, under French law. As climate-related litigation escalates, we take a closer look at BNP’s financed emissions. And then, lawmakers have mandated the...
05.05.2023
Solar, So Hot Right Now
To meet net-zero ambitions, it looks like we’re going to need a whole lot of solar energy, and fast. And a complex value chain is bracing for soaring demand. In this episode, we work through the risks and opportunities for...
04.28.2023
Blastin’ E[sg]-Cigs and the EPA
There is a considerate environmental cost to e-cigarettes. The critical metals that make up their batteries are more likely to be found in landfills than recycling facilities. Not only does this pose a problem for the environment but regulators are...
04.21.2023
We Should Be Paying More Attention to Air Pollution
This week we discuss why air pollution is a topic that investors may want to take greater interest in. It is not only a macro-economic burden, but also affects every company operating in polluted areas.Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research Guests:...
04.14.2023
The Shrinking Colorado River
The Colorado river is shrinking and the tens of millions of Americans that rely on the water source are having to deal with the possibility of imposed water cuts. The urban sprawls that have peppered the desert are also in...
04.10.2023
Diet ESG
This week we discuss the new anti-obesity drugs that many have claimed could spell an end to the world’s obesity epidemic. But ESG and diseases are not so straight forward. For example, we include diabetes medication but not obesity medication...
03.31.2023
Was SVB All About That ESG?
From being a go-to bank for US tech start-ups, SVB’s collapse was swift and chaotic. As investors and regulators pick through the wreckage, we look at how much of this story was actually about ESG. And we draw a bold...
03.17.2023
Climate Infuses Proxy Strategy and South Korea Ponders 69-Hour Work Week
South Korea’s government has proposed a change to laws governing working hours. We look at why the proposal has not been well received by key stakeholders and what it could mean for how companies manage their workforces in future. And...
03.10.2023
ESG Is Becoming Polarized – It Doesn’t Need To Be
ESG has always been different things to different people. But some of its newest critics suggest that ESG investing is being used to impose liberal ideologies on companies, their investors and their employees. We take a closer look at this...

What's ESG now about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

ESG now episodes:

Can Airlines Go Green?

Spirits of Change: Alcohol in a Dry World

AI is Diagnosing and Texas is Burning

Pondering Peak Emissions in China

Does Your Board Need a Climate Superstar?

Children are still in the Cocoa Field

Unwrapping the Green Claims of Plastic Packaging

The SEC Tests out the Climate

Women on Boards and Beyond!

ExxonMobil's Legal Parry

The Luxury of Love

Cyber Catastrophe Bonds... Wait, What?

The Audit World on Fire

Going on a Boeing?

Biodiversity 101

Carbon Credits in 2024

The Sustainability and Climate Trends to Watch for 2024

Utilities Lean into Adaptation Bonds

On the Ground at COP 28

(Bottled) Water, Water Everywhere

The Future for Oil and Gas Producers

The Retail's Doctor Will See You Now

The Five Stories of ESG: A Recap Episode

An Homage to Claudia Goldin (Gender Pay Gap)

California Dreamin’ About Climate Disclosures

Tilting at Wind Turbines

United Auto Workers of ESG

El Nino Arrives and Debt Thrives

Textile Waste and Travelling Skirts

Is European Sustainable Finance Green?

There's AI in My Boardroom

The Fight Between Food and Forests

A Turbulent Plan for Green Aviation

Big Tech is Knock Knock Knockin’ on the GDPR’s Door

It’s too Damn Hot for Investors

The EU Wants Companies To Care More About Human Rights

Are Shareholders Turning Against ESG?

Semiconductors aren't green?!

California Gets Harder To Insure and the NZIA Gets Smaller

Green Buildings: Beam Me Up!

Tracking our climate goals and next steps

BNP’s “Duty of Care” and a Lonely Start for Germany’s Female Execs

Solar, So Hot Right Now

Blastin’ E[sg]-Cigs and the EPA

We Should Be Paying More Attention to Air Pollution

The Shrinking Colorado River

Diet ESG

Was SVB All About That ESG?

Climate Infuses Proxy Strategy and South Korea Ponders 69-Hour Work Week

ESG Is Becoming Polarized – It Doesn’t Need To Be