Perspectives on Sustainable Development

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ESG is a hot button issue for some, but executives see it as a risk mitigation and environmental stewardship question. Cut back all of the noise and fundamental questions remain on how climate change impacts will affect business and its relationship with local communities.

Few are more well-versed in these issues than Matthew Sekol (Microsoft) and Christine Uri (ESG for In-House Counsel). Chris was thrilled to be joined by both experts in this episode. It was a jam-packed hour where we discussed;
- How companies look at ESG and how that has changed over the last 5-10 years,
- Effects of greenwashing,
- Carbon offsets,
- The affects of AI on ESG,
and much more.

Also Matt and Christine had extensive resource ideas to share with our viewers.

Christine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineuri/recent-activity/all/ 

Matt:
 

ESG Insider from S&P Global's Sustainable1: Covers the latest news and interviews ESG and sustainability leaders

PwC Accounting Podcast: covers regulations, deconstructs ESG sectors, very useful

ESG Now from MSCI: Short, covers news and trends against their research

Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith: This is an ESG podcast with a technology slant, but Smith doesn't know it

Environmental Professionals Radio (EPR): Get inspired by hearing from sustainability and climate change practitioners!

ESG Mindset is available wherever books are sold. Listeners can get 20% off “ESG Mindset” if they use code ESGM20 at koganpage.com. 

My newsletter is available at https://esgadvocate.substack.com

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For this episode Chris was joined by Department of Energy expert Kelly Crawford and Dr. Tony Reames (University of Michigan and formerly of DOE). Kelly and Tony are pretty much as good as it gets on energy justice topics, and their decades of experience and passion for the issues shine through in this episode.

We discuss new DOE programs, climate adaptation and mitigation, and energy disparities between EJ areas and non-EJ areas. I love speaking to each of them for their intellect on these topics but also just the sense of hope for being able to provide cleaner more efficient environments for those in need. 

This was an incredibly fun and inspiring episode to tape, and as always, we learned quite a bit. We hope you will as well.

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For this episode Chris was joined by Eugene McGrane (Executive Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield) and John Thomas (President, The Mount Group and the CDRA) to discuss building decarbonization and sustainability in the construction industry. We started there but the discussion took a turn and then focused on how to effectively complete major projects in complex regulatory settings. Between the two of them Eugene and John have about a zillion years of experience, and that comes through clearly as they each discuss what they have been seeing from their parts of the industry. 

As always, I learned a lot from doing this episode, and I think you will too. 

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For this episode Chris was joined by Jeremy Orr (Director of Litigation and Advocacy Partnerships, Earthjustice) and Sean Moriarty (Director of Strategic Regulatory Affairs, Archer Public Affairs).  Both men are leaders in their states on EJ and environmental topics, and helped advance critical legislation that is now shaping the discussion. 

Our discussion touched on a lot of issues, including;

• EJ policy development
• Being a first mover on complex topics
• Water policy
• Lived experience
• The efforts of EJ advocates who have been at this for decades
• Objective ways to reduce public health impacts in EJ areas

I respect the hell out of Jeremy and Sean and thank them both for a great discussion and their continued leadership. Hope you enjoy, and be sure as always to listen to the end for their tips on further educational resources. The video of this episode is available on our YouTube channel. 

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Chris Whitehead sits down with Rebecca Bratspies, a professor at CUNY School of Law where she runs the Center for Urban Environmental Reform, and Thomas Abdallah, the Vice President of Environmental Services at MTA Construction and Development Agency. Their work surrounding sustainable transportation development is crucial to the larger conversation as a large percentage of greenhouse gasses come from the transportation sector. With New York City leading the country with initiatives in climate and sustainability, it is great to listen to their perspectives on congestion pricing, climate impacts, and the NYC Environmental Justice plan.

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For this episode we are joined by Abby Watson (President and Co-Founder of The Groundwire Group) and Professor Raphael Heffron (University of Pau and Adour Countries (France)) to discuss energy justice. Abby and Raphael are well-known for their innovative thought leadership on energy issues. 

Our discussion started around objective realities of cost and reliability always coming first, but then stemmed off to multiple areas of progress around the world in taking on these very challenging topics. Renewables can and should take a much larger chunk of our energy profile over time, and that makeup will vary depending on geography and support structures. 

It was a great discussion and be sure to listen to the end to hear their recommendations for future educational resources on these issues. 

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In our first two episodes we covered climate change and environmental justice issues. I hope they filled you with a sense of wanting to do something about it. The "doing something about it" on a policy end takes time, and having a sound economic model (or models) included is imperative. 

Join us for a fun discussion with Dr. Ken Richards of the University of Indiana and the Gnarly Tree Sustainability Institute. Dr. Richards is the Fullbright Canada Research Chair in Environmental Policy through the University of Ottawa and a world-renowned expert on environmental economics and various tax models. He regularly works with the World Bank, IMF, and countless countries around the world.  Ken is a professor by trade, an engineer and attorney by training, and a great objective but passionate voice on these issues. I always enjoy our chats and walk away learning quite a bit and wanting to learn even more.

Enjoy!

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Environmental justice work has become my passion. After working technically in air quality for over 16 years, and projecting the potential impact of the New Jersey EJ Law, I began to see EJ issues almost everywhere I looked. The data is clear and so is the lived experiences of citizens living in overburdened communities, which act as a clear indicator of potential problems in those areas. 

Join me, Arielle King and Julius Redd as we discuss some of the most pressing current EJ issues and drivers, historical ones like the Flint water crisis, and how EJ has progressed over the last few years.

Further Suggested Educational Resources
Arielle King's EJ Resources List - WORD file available upon request ([email protected]) 
Julius Redd - https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/federal-resources-environmental-justice 

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Chris Whitehead sits down with Andy Bochman, Senior Grid Strategist from Idaho National Labs and Marisol Maddox (Sr Artic Analyst from the Woodrow Wilson Institute.

Topics covered: Climate change tipping points, health impacts, climate justice, national security and supply chain implications, and infrastructure.

Andy and Marisol's tips for other opportunities tp learn more on these topics:

America Adapts: https://www.americaadapts.org/
Adapt: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/adapt-climate-change-and-the-built-9MZVH0Le81P/
Skeptical Scientist: https://skepticalscience.com/
Global Wierdling: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi6RkdaEqgRVKi3AzidF4ow
Elisabeth Kolbert: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/climate-one/id296762605?i=1000651516989 

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Hosted by Chris Whitehead.

Climate change and environmental justice are two of the largest drivers in environmental regulation and sustainable development. This podcast will bring together subject matter experts on major topics to discuss these issues and how we potentially avoid major problems going forward. The first episode will be released on April 15 with further episodes following every two weeks thereafter. The format of each episode will be similar; opening monologue from me, introducing the SMEs then approximately 45 minutes of discussion and challenging each other on the topics. I decided to begin with climate change and EJ to highlight the fact that they affect so many other issues, and must be considered early. 

This podcast is not about me, not about the SMEs on each episode, but about the issues and what can be accomplished by having challenging conversations. 

I hope you join us. 

Upcoming episodes by topic, release date, and SMEs confirmed to participate. 

• April 15, 2024 - Climate – Andy Bochman (Sr Grid Strategist and Infrastructure Defender, Idaho National Laboratory) and Marisol Maddox (Sr Artic Analyst, The Wilson Center)
• EJ – Julius Redd (Principal, Beveridge and Diamond) and Arielle King (EJ educator and Strategist)
• Energy Transition – Tony Reames, PhD (Professor, University of Michigan) and Kelly Crawford (Sr Advisor, Energy and EJ, US DOE)
• Energy Transition/Justice – Raphael Heffron (Distinguished Professor, University of Pau and Adour Countries) and Abby Watson (Founder and President, Groundwire Strategies)
• OSW – Dane Pehrman (Offshore Wind Market Director, Worley Consulting) and Local Union Leadership
• NYC (EJ/planning/sustainability)– Rebecca Bratspies (Professor, CUNY School of Law) and Tom Abdallah (VP and Chief Environmental Engineer, NYC MTA)
• EJ legal – Tanya Nesbitt (Partner, Thompson Hine LLP) and Mike Showalter (Partner, Arent Fox Schiff)
• Economic Development and Urban Planning– Rebecca Karp (CEO and Founding Principal) and Ali-Sutherland Brown (Principal) (Karp Strategies) 
• Ambient Air Monitoring/EJ – Eben Cross (Chief Science Officer, QuantAq) and Marc Hudock (Sr VP, Air Logics)
• State EJ programs and special issues: Sean Moriarty (Director of Public Affairs, Archer Public Affairs) and Jeremy Orr (Director of Litigation and Advocacy Partnerships, Earthjustice)
• Sustainable Building Practices - Eugene McGrane (Executive Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield) and John Thomas (President, Mount Materials and the Construction and Demolition Recycling Association) 

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