LSEG Sustainable Growth

How do ESG factors influence financial value?

Jane Goodland sits down with Michel Driessen, author of 'Green Gold', to unpack the findings of his book. Drawing on his experience in private equity, transactions and restructuring, Michel explains the concept of the ESG Value Bridge, how sustainability is assessed in M&A and due diligence processes and why investors are increasingly looking beyond compliance to identify value creation opportunities.

Seven of nine planetary boundaries are already breached – what does that mean for business decisions today? Jane Goodland speaks with Jean Oelwang, founding CEO of Virgin Unite who shared her view on the role business can play in tackling planetary limits. The conversation explored how Virgin Unite incubates impact-focused initiatives, and why understanding planetary boundaries is important for business, and growth opportunities.

What does financing a sustainable economy look like in reality? In this episode, Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, CEO of the Green Finance Institute (GFI), joins Jane Goodland to share examples of GFI’s first-of-a-kind-transactions and explore how to bridge the “transactions to transitions” gap. Rhian-Mari sets out GFI’s view of the need for granular sector-transition policy frameworks, and how more coordination across government, finance and industry can turn single transactions into sectoral transition at scale.

Water is becoming one of the most contested resources on the planet, with far‑reaching implications for economies, businesses and investors. Jane Goodland speaks with Franck Gbaguidi from Eurasia Group about the rise of the “water weapon”, how weak water governance is intensifying competition, and what companies and governments can do to manage growing water‑related risk.

What does responsible leadership look like in practice? Sir Mark Moody‑Stuart is a distinguished business leader and former geologist who has held senior leadership and board roles at some of the world's largest organisations including Shell, Anglo American, Saudi Aramco and HSBC. Sitting down with Jane Goodland, he reflects on how his experience serving on boards and engaging with governments has shaped his views on ethical leadership, the role of multilateral frameworks in today’s changing geopolitical landscape, and how open conversations between business, civil society and governments can create long‑term value.

How are investors integrating sustainability considerations to manage risk and create value? Richard Manley, Chief Sustainability Officer at CPP Investments, discusses how sustainability integration has evolved into a core driver of long‑term value creation. The conversation covers the role of climate scenario analysis, company governance, physical risk and why informed decision‑making remains central to resilient, long‑term investment outcomes.

With traditional aid budgets declining, how can NGOs unlock new sources of capital to drive sustainable development? Paul Ronalds, CEO of Save the Children Global Ventures, explains how the charity is reinventing its funding model through impact investing and nature‑based solutions that deliver measurable outcomes for children. Paul unpacks the philosophy behind child‑lens investing and how innovative finance can create sustainable, long‑term benefits for children and their communities.

Richard Edelman, CEO of global communications firm Edelman breaks down the key findings of the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer, exploring how insularity—the theme of this year’s report—is impacting workplaces, consumer behaviour and economic sentiment. He shares why trust has become the "ultimate currency" for institutions, the risks posed by declining confidence in institutions, and how trust brokering can help leaders bridge divides and strengthen organisational resilience.

The LSEG Sustainable Growth podcast is back — and this season, we’re on camera. Join Jane and leading voices across sustainability, business and finance — now available to watch as well as listen. Follow to catch the first episode wherever you listen to your podcasts.

The LSEG Sustainable Growth Podcast tackles important topics which intersect sustainability and finance, hosted by Jane Goodland, LSEG’s Group Head of Sustainability. We hear from leading experts about some of today's biggest topics  – including climate transition, green infrastructure, carbon markets, financial inclusion and much more.

Mining is vital to sustainable growth but how can it be safer and more sustainable? From the hard lessons of Brazil’s Brumadinho disaster to bold investor-led initiatives, Adam Matthews, Chief Responsible Investment Officer at the Church of England Pensions Board and Chair of the Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030 shares what it takes to align finance, industry, and governments for long-term value creation.