How will the energy transition impact future investment opportunities? In this episode, Helen Lees-Jones, EMEA Head of Corporate Strategy and Co-Head of Sustainable and Transition Solutions at BlackRock defines transition investing, delves into the different transition strategies that BlackRock’s clients are applying and explains some of the roadblocks that transition investing is currently facing. Helen also reveals the mega forces she believes will shape the future and in turn the economy.

In this episode, Richard Scobey, Executive Director of TRAFFIC talks to us about the shocking scale of illegal wildlife markets, why the practice is so difficult to stop and what TRAFFIC and other organisations are doing to tackle this troubling issue.

This is our last episode before we break for the summer! This week on the LSEG Sustainable Growth podcast we speak to John Willis, Director of Research, Planet Tracker. We get into all sorts, including the difference between nature and biodiversity, the importance it plays for financial institutions and how is it being tracked. Can companies be doing more to look at their nature footprint and not just their carbon footprint?

Do we have carbon tunnel vision? In this episode, we talk to Musidora Jorgensen, Chief Sustainability Officer at Microsoft UK, about the role psychology and AI play in sustainability, the importance of a company’s sustainability strategy and Microsoft’s own sustainability goals, including becoming carbon negative by 2030. Musidora also explains why their focus is not just on carbon and delves deep into how Microsoft is supporting sustainability efforts through technology, from building a planetary computer to gather data about the impact of the rising temperature on nature to creating ecological digital twins of rivers in collaboration with the UK water sector.

How can we bridge the gap in financial inclusion around the world and ensure women are financially independent? In this episode, we chat to Mary Ellen Iskenderian, president and CEO of Women's World Banking, about what exactly we mean by financial inclusion, why women are a large focus for their financial inclusion efforts, and steps they are taking to achieve security and prosperity for women as well as inclusive economic growth for all. 

How have sustainable investment approaches evolved with the growing popularity of passive investing? In this episode, we talk to Aled Jones, Head of Sustainable Investment Solutions at FTSE Russell, about the range of sustainability metrics seen in different indexes and how they are evolving to meet ever-changing investor needs. From assessing company alignment to the Paris Agreement to a broader ESG approach aiming to reduce ESG risk exposure, Aled explains how these different approaches meet different investor priorities and why these priorities have shifted over the years.

We’re switching things up today with an episode from one of our other podcasts, Hedge Fund Huddle.

Are we scared of emotions? Or can they be harnessed for good in stressful trading situations? In this episode we speak to two long-time experts in the field of psychology who work with traders to help them optimize performance on the desk and off. Dr. Richard Peterson is a psychiatrist and the CEO of MarketPsych and Dr. Alden Cass is a licensed clinical psychologist and trading performance coach. Listen in as we learn how to achieve better performance during stressful times.

How can we improve efficiency and upscale carbon offsetting to meet sustainability goals? In this episode, we chat to Sheri Hickok, the CEO of Climate Impact Partners, about how they connect companies with carbon offset projects and climate solutions. Sheri explains the process and scale of carbon offsetting and talks about how diverse these projects can be. She also discusses the hurdles we need to overcome to halve carbon emissions and for Climate Impact Partners to meet their goal to reduce a billion tonnes of CO2 by 2030.

Why is climate change a systematic risk, and how could it impact investors? In this episode, we speak to Stephanie Pfeifer, CEO of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) about IIGCC’s current role, mission and journey, as well as how Climate Action 100+ has catalysed the shift from target setting to implementation by engaging with companies. Stephanie also explains how IIGCC enables investors to address and manage climate risks, how much progress has been made in the past two decades, and the importance of detecting and combatting policy barriers that are stopping progress.

As the first of its kind, what does the future hold for London Stock Exchange’s new Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) framework, and how does it work? In this episode, we are joined by Richard Kelly, Co-founder of the Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company, and Claire Dorrian, Head of Sustainable Finance for the Capital Markets and Post-Trade Divisions of LSEG. Richard and Claire define what voluntary carbon market designations are, its main objectives, how the credibility of these carbon credits is verified, and what feedback the VCM designation has received. Claire also tells us how funds getting this designation may change in the future, and Richard explains how afforestation portfolios can create these credits and enhance biodiversity in the process.