How Pension Funds Can Save the Planet: Stewardship vs. ESG | Catherine Howarth (ShareAction)

Trillions of dollars in pension funds hold the power to dictate the future of our planet, yet most of that capital remains passive. Why are your retirement savings not being used as a massive lever for climate and social change?

In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with Catherine Howarth, CEO of ShareAction, to discuss the "Radical Truth" about investor stewardship and why fiduciary duty is being redefined to include environmental and social outcomes.

We move beyond simple ESG metrics to explore how ShareAction holds global banks and retailers accountable through systemic advocacy, why passive investing is no longer enough, and which strategies—stewardship or divestment—actually drive corporate change.

What You'll Learn:

• The Power of Your Pension - How pension funds managing trillions can become active forces for climate action and social justice through stewardship
• Stewardship vs. Divestment - Which strategy drives corporate change? Catherine reveals why engagement and active ownership often deliver more impact than selling shares
• The Future of Fiduciary Duty - How fiduciary duty is being redefined to include environmental and social outcomes, protecting long-term value where systemic risks threaten returns
• Grassroots Activism Meets Boardroom Accountability - How ShareAction leverages grassroots activism, shareholder resolutions, and public campaigns to force accountability from global banks and retailers
• Systemic Advocacy for Systemic Change - Why addressing climate crisis requires coordinated investor action across entire sectors, not just individual engagement

Key Timestamps:

• 08:45 – Why passive investing is no longer enough
• 19:20 – Stewardship vs. Divestment: Which drives change?
• 31:10 – The Future of Fiduciary Duty
• 44:00 – Grassroots activism influencing boardrooms

Why This Matters:

Your pension is likely one of your largest financial assets—invested on your behalf, often with zero alignment to your values or the planet's future. Pension funds control trillions, making them among the world's most powerful investors. Yet most remain passive, enabling corporate behavior that accelerates climate crisis and deepens inequality.

Catherine Howarth and ShareAction are changing this by redefining responsible investment and empowering pension fund members to demand stewardship that protects both financial returns and planetary survival.

About Catherine Howarth:CEO of ShareAction, mobilizing pension savers, asset managers, and institutions to use investment power for climate action and social justice. Expert in investor stewardship and fiduciary duty reform.

About ShareAction:ShareAction empowers savers and investors to use money as a force for good. Through campaigns, research, and engagement, ShareAction holds financial institutions accountable.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores how capital can serve humanity and the planet. We challenge conventional investment wisdom and amplify voices driving systemic change.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.com

#TBLIRadicalTruth #PensionFunds #ShareAction #CatherineHowarth #ImpactInvesting #ESG #Stewardship #SustainableFinance #FiduciaryDuty #ClimateAction #InvestorActivism #PensionPower #CorporateAccountability #ResponsibleInvesting #ClimateFinance #ShareholderEngagement #SystemicChange

Why has global climate diplomacy struggled to keep pace with the crisis? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with Yvo de Boer, former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC and lead architect behind the Kyoto Protocol and Copenhagen negotiations.

Yvo strips away diplomatic jargon to reveal why UN climate policy stalls and why the private sector—not just government—is the true engine of the green transition. We explore the shift from valuing only financial capital to accounting for social and natural capital, and how the Gold Standard ensures integrity in carbon markets.

What You'll Learn:

• The UN Reality Check - Why global climate policy is hitting a wall and structural challenges preventing international negotiations from delivering the pace and scale of action the crisis demands
• Green Growth: The Only Viable Economic Model - Why green growth is the only economically viable path forward in 2026, reconciling economic development with climate imperatives
• Natural Capital Accounting - How to move beyond financial-only metrics to account for social and natural capital, integrating environmental and social value into corporate and national systems
• The Future of Carbon Markets - Transitioning from "promises" to "assurance" in carbon markets, and why integrity mechanisms like the Gold Standard are critical for credibility
• Private Sector as Climate Engine - Why business and finance—not just government—are driving the green transition, and how market-led solutions accelerate decarbonization where diplomacy fails

Key Timestamps:

• 10:15 – Why global climate policy is hitting a wall
• 22:40 – Green growth: the only viable economic model
• 33:55 – Natural capital: beyond financial metrics
• 45:10 – Carbon markets: from promises to assurance

Why This Matters:

For three decades, the world relied on UN climate negotiations to solve the crisis. Yet despite Kyoto and Paris, emissions continue rising and implementation lags behind commitments. Yvo de Boer, who led the UNFCCC through critical negotiations, offers an insider's honest assessment of why global climate policy struggles—and where real progress happens.

The answer isn't more diplomatic summits. It's market-led solutions, private sector innovation, and accounting frameworks valuing natural and social capital alongside financial returns. This episode challenges conventional faith in government-led climate action and reveals why business, finance, and carbon markets may deliver what diplomacy cannot.

About Yvo de Boer:Former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC. Lead architect of Kyoto Protocol and Copenhagen negotiations. Senior Advisor on climate and sustainability, championing natural capital accounting and carbon market integrity through the Gold Standard.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast challenges conventional wisdom on climate policy, sustainable finance, and ESG.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comJoin: http://www.tblicircle.com

#TBLIRadicalTruth #ClimatePolicy #YvodeBoer #UNFCCC #CarbonMarkets #GreenGrowth #NaturalCapital #SustainableFinance #ESG #ImpactInvesting #KyotoProtocol #ParisAgreement #GoldStandard #ClimateDiplomacy #MarketSolutions

Is your morning coffee fueled by child labor? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with Fernando Morales-de la Cruz, founder of the Lewis Hine Organization and a relentless watchdog for the global coffee industry.

Fernando exposes the "radical truth" behind the marketing: how global corporations use greenwashing and misleading sustainability labels to mask forced child labor, extreme poverty, and environmental destruction in their supply chains. This is a critical discussion for investors and consumers on the reality of Human Rights Due Diligence and the urgent need for a global pricing system that guarantees a Living Wage for farmers.

What You'll Learn:

• The Sustainability Label Gap - Why sustainability certifications and ESG labels often hide human rights abuses, child labor, and poverty wages in coffee supply chains while enabling corporate greenwashing
• Child Labor in Coffee: The Hidden Statistics - Disturbing data the coffee industry ignores about forced child labor, hazardous working conditions, and the systematic exploitation of farming families in coffee-producing regions
• The Living Wage Solution - How to redesign global coffee pricing systems to guarantee farmers earn a living wage, breaking the cycle of poverty that drives child labor and environmental destruction
• From Check-Box ESG to Radical Transparency - Why investors must move beyond superficial ESG compliance to demand genuine Human Rights Due Diligence and supply chain accountability from coffee corporations
• Greenwashing Exposed - How major coffee brands use sustainability marketing to obscure exploitation, and what responsible investors and consumers can do to demand real change
• Investor Accountability - The fiduciary and moral responsibility of investors to ensure their capital doesn't enable human rights abuses in global supply chains

Key Timestamps:

• 10:45 – The Gap: Why sustainability labels hide human rights abuses
• 22:30 – Child Labor in Coffee: Statistics the industry ignores
• 34:15 – The Living Wage Solution: Redesigning global pricing
• 45:50 – Investor Accountability: Beyond check-box ESG

Why This Matters:

The global coffee industry generates billions in profit while farmers—many working in conditions resembling modern slavery—earn poverty wages that force children into fields instead of schools. Sustainability certifications and ESG frameworks have failed to address this crisis, often serving as greenwashing tools that give consumers and investors false comfort.

Fernando Morales-de la Cruz has spent years documenting the gap between coffee industry marketing and supply chain reality. His work with the Lewis Hine Organization exposes how child labor, forced labor, and environmental destruction persist despite corporate sustainability pledges—and why only systemic pricing reform guaranteeing living wages can break this cycle.

For investors holding shares in coffee corporations, for consumers buying certified "ethical" coffee, and for ESG professionals evaluating supply chain risk, this conversation reveals uncomfortable truths about complicity and accountability.

About Fernando Morales-de la Cruz:Founder of the Lewis Hine Organization, advocating for human rights and living wages in global coffee supply chains. Expert in supply chain transparency, child labor elimination, and exposing corporate greenwashing.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast exposes the gap between ESG marketing and reality, challenging investors and corporations to move beyond greenwashing.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comLewis Hine Organization: [Link]

#TBLIRadicalTruth #CoffeeIndustry #ChildLabor #HumanRights #LivingWage #ESG #Greenwashing #SupplyChainTransparency #EthicalBusiness #SustainableFinance #HumanRightsDueDiligence #CorporateAccountability #FairTrade #LaborRights #SocialJustice

Are carbon credits actually delivering on their promises? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with Thibault Sorret, CEO of Equitable Earth (formerly ERS), to discuss the future of the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM).

Thibault reveals his "radical truth" on how we can move past the current crisis of opacity toward a system of digitized trust. We dive deep into the role of Digital MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification), why the market must look beyond just carbon to include biodiversity and community impact, and how Equitable Earth is setting a new high-integrity standard for ecosystem restoration.

What You'll Learn:

• The Integrity Crisis - Why the Voluntary Carbon Market is at a breaking point, with widespread concerns about greenwashing, phantom credits, and the credibility gap threatening the entire carbon offset ecosystem
• Digital MRV: Technology for Verifiable Climate Impact - How Digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification using satellite data, AI, and blockchain creates real-time, transparent, and verifiable climate impact measurement
• Beyond Carbon: Holistic Impact Measurement - Why measuring success solely through carbon sequestration is insufficient, and how to integrate biodiversity restoration, ecosystem health, and local livelihoods into impact frameworks
• The Equitable Earth Blueprint - How high-integrity standards and digitized verification can unlock massive finance for ecosystem restoration projects while ensuring genuine environmental and social outcomes
• Moving from Opacity to Trust - Practical pathways for transforming voluntary carbon markets from reputation-damaging scandals to credible climate finance mechanisms that investors and corporations can trust
• Community-Centered Restoration - Why ecosystem restoration projects must deliver equitable benefits to local communities and Indigenous peoples, not just carbon credits for corporations

Key Timestamps:

• 09:30 – The Integrity Crisis: Why the VCM is at a breaking point
• 21:15 – Digital MRV: Using technology for verifiable climate impact
• 33:40 – Beyond Carbon: Biodiversity and local livelihoods
• 45:10 – The Equitable Earth Blueprint: Unlocking restoration finance

Why This Matters:

The Voluntary Carbon Market was supposed to channel billions into climate solutions. Instead, it's plagued by scandals: credits that don't represent real emission reductions, projects that harm local communities, and greenwashing on a massive scale. Corporate net-zero pledges relying on these credits are increasingly questioned, and investor confidence is collapsing.

Thibault Sorret is rebuilding trust through Digital MRV—using satellite monitoring, AI analysis, and transparent verification to prove carbon credits represent real, additional, permanent climate impact. But Equitable Earth goes further: demanding that restoration projects deliver biodiversity gains and equitable community benefits alongside carbon sequestration.

For impact investors, ESG professionals, and corporations relying on carbon offsets, this conversation offers a blueprint for separating legitimate climate finance from greenwashing—and understanding what high-integrity carbon markets actually require.

About Thibault Sorret:CEO of Equitable Earth (formerly Ecosystem Restoration Standard). Pioneer in Digital MRV technology for carbon markets. Expert in high-integrity carbon credits, ecosystem restoration finance, and holistic impact measurement.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast exposes the gap between climate promises and reality, challenging the integrity of carbon markets and ESG claims.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.com

#TBLIRadicalTruth #CarbonMarkets #VCM #DigitalMRV #EquitableEarth #ThibaultSorret #ImpactInvesting #SustainableFinance #CarbonCredits #ClimateFinance #ESG #Greenwashing #EcosystemRestoration #Biodiversity #CarbonIntegrity

How did a single financial innovation help end acid rain and create the blueprint for modern climate finance? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with the "Father of Carbon Trading," Dr. Richard L. Sandor.

Dr. Sandor, Chairman and CEO of Environmental Financial Products, reveals the "Radical Truth" behind five decades of market creation. From inventing interest rate futures to founding the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), he discusses how well-regulated emissions trading systems drive massive carbon reduction while creating new asset classes for sustainable investing. We also discuss his new book, "Carbon Hunters: Reflections and Forecasts of Climate Markets in the 21st Century," and why climate capitalism is key to a net-zero future.

What You'll Learn:

• The Invention of Financial Futures - How Dr. Sandor created interest rate futures at the Chicago Board of Trade and what today's climate market architects can learn from pioneering financial innovation
• Cap-and-Trade Success - How the SO2 emissions trading program proved market-based solutions work, reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by 50% while delivering economic benefits exceeding costs by 30 to 1
• Carbon Hunters: The Future - Insights from Dr. Sandor's new book on global environmental policy evolution, carbon pricing mechanisms, and next-generation climate finance innovations
• Creating Capital Infrastructure - Why properly designed carbon pricing and emissions trading systems create economic value far exceeding implementation costs, making climate action profitable
• From CCX to Global Markets - History of the world's first greenhouse gas emissions trading exchange and lessons for scaling voluntary and compliance carbon markets worldwide

Key Timestamps:

• 08:15 – Financial Futures: Lessons for climate markets
• 19:30 – Cap-and-Trade Success: How SO2 program proved markets work
• 32:10 – Carbon Hunters: Future of environmental policy
• 45:45 – Why carbon pricing value exceeds costs 30 to 1

Why This Matters:

Dr. Richard Sandor is recognized by TIME Magazine as "Hero of the Planet" and "Hero of the Environment" for pioneering financial innovations that made market-based climate solutions possible. His work on sulfur dioxide trading ended acid rain in the US and created the model for global carbon markets.

As climate finance scales to trillions, the questions Sandor answered in the 1990s resurface: Can markets solve environmental crises? Do emissions trading systems deliver real outcomes? How do we design carbon pricing that activates private capital rather than draining public budgets?

His new book, "Carbon Hunters," offers historical perspective and forward-looking analysis on why climate capitalism—properly regulated and transparently measured—is the fastest path to decarbonization.

About Dr. Richard L. Sandor:Chairman and CEO of Environmental Financial Products. "Father of Carbon Trading" and inventor of interest rate futures. Founder of Chicago Climate Exchange and European Climate Exchange. TIME Magazine "Hero of the Environment." Author of "Carbon Hunters" (2025).

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores market-based climate solutions and the intersection of finance and environmental action.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.com

#TBLIRadicalTruth #CarbonTrading #ClimateFinance #RichardSandor #ESG #ImpactInvesting #CarbonHunters #NetZero #EmissionsTrading #CapAndTrade #CarbonMarkets #ClimateCapitalism #SustainableFinance

Are we paralyzing ourselves with bad news? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein is joined by Angus Hervey, political economist and founder of Fix The News (formerly Future Crunch).

Angus reveals the "radical truth" about the media's obsession with "doom and gloom" and why it's a barrier to real-world action. We explore the data-driven case for Intelligent Optimism—an evidence-based approach highlighting massive, overlooked wins in clean energy, global health, and poverty reduction. If you want to understand how "hope as a verb" can drive sustainable finance and ESG integration, this is the conversation you need.

What You'll Learn:

• Why Your Brain is Wired for Bad News - The evolutionary psychology behind our negativity bias and how to hack it to enable action instead of paralysis in the face of climate crisis and social challenges
• Fix The News: Data on Global Progress - The most compelling data points on global progress in 2026, from renewable energy deployment to poverty reduction to disease elimination that media ignores
• From Paralysis to Action - How Intelligent Optimism fuels sustainable investment and ESG integration by shifting from doom-scrolling despair to evidence-based problem-solving and action
• Changing the Story - Why the stories we tell ourselves about the future determine outcomes, and how narrative framing influences capital allocation, policy decisions, and individual behavior
• Hope as a Verb - Moving beyond passive optimism to active, evidence-informed engagement that drives measurable impact in sustainable finance and climate action
• The Media's Failure - Why mainstream media's focus on catastrophe and conflict creates learned helplessness and prevents the optimism needed for transformative action

Key Timestamps:

• 11:20 – Why the human brain is wired for bad news (and how to hack it)
• 23:45 – Fix The News: Compelling data on global progress in 2026
• 35:10 – From Paralysis to Action: How Intelligent Optimism fuels sustainable investment
• 48:30 – Changing the Story: Why our narratives determine our future

Why This Matters:

Doom-scrolling isn't just bad for mental health—it's paralyzing climate action and sustainable finance. When media feeds us only catastrophe, we lose the capacity to imagine solutions and the motivation to act. Yet the data tells a different story: renewable energy is accelerating exponentially, global poverty is plummeting, disease elimination is accelerating.

Angus Hervey's Fix The News curates evidence-based optimism—not denying challenges, but refusing to ignore progress. This matters for investors and ESG professionals because capital flows toward perceived opportunity, not hopeless despair. Intelligent Optimism isn't naïve cheerleading; it's recognizing what's working, scaling solutions, and maintaining the psychological resilience needed for long-term transformation.

For anyone working in impact investing, climate finance, or sustainable development who feels overwhelmed by negative news, this conversation offers a powerful reframe: hope as evidence-based action.

About Angus Hervey:Political economist and founder of Fix The News (formerly Future Crunch). Expert in Intelligent Optimism, global development trends, and science communication. Curator of evidence-based progress stories challenging media negativity bias.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast challenges conventional narratives, exploring evidence-based optimism and solutions driving sustainable finance.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comFix The News: https://fixthenews.com

#TBLIRadicalTruth #IntelligentOptimism #FixTheNews #AngusHervey #FutureCrunch #SustainableFinance #ESG #GlobalProgress #ClimateAction #ImpactInvesting #PositiveNews #EvidenceBasedOptimism #HopeAsAVerb

Is the traditional business school model obsolete in a world facing climate collapse? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with Professor Martin Parker (University of Bristol), a leading internal critic of global management education and author of "Shut Down the Business School."

Martin shares his "radical truth" on how we can organize beyond hierarchy and traditional management. We explore the explosive growth of the "business school complex," why rankings are often misleading, and how to build a low-carbon, high-inclusion, and democratic economy.

What You'll Learn:

• Networking vs. Knowledge - Are business schools just elite social clubs providing credentials and connections rather than education, perpetuating inequality while claiming to teach meritocratic success?
• The Responsibility of Educators - Why business schools must produce students who value the planet and people over profit, and how current MBA programs systematically fail this responsibility
• Moving Beyond Neoliberalism - Why market-based ideas and shareholder capitalism struggle to solve climate change, and what alternative economic models could replace them
• Embedding the University in Community - How Bristol University is leading the way in green initiatives and the Bristol Inclusive Economy Initiative, demonstrating how universities can actively support sustainable development
• The Business School Complex - Understanding the explosive growth of management education globally and why business school rankings mislead students, employers, and society about educational quality
• Organizing Beyond Hierarchy - Exploring cooperative models, worker ownership, mutual organizations, and democratic workplace alternatives that business schools systematically ignore

Key Timestamps:

• 11:04 – Networking vs. Knowledge: Are business schools elite social clubs?
• 18:52 – The Responsibility of Educators: Valuing planet over profit
• 27:14 – Moving Beyond Neoliberalism: Why markets fail climate action
• 42:02 – Embedding the University: Bristol's green initiatives

Why This Matters:

Business schools shape the worldview of corporate leaders, consultants, and investors managing trillions. Yet most MBA programs teach narrow ideology: maximize shareholder value, trust market efficiency, treat management as neutral technique.

Professor Parker argues this is propaganda masquerading as education. As climate crisis accelerates and inequality deepens, business schools continue producing graduates optimized for extracting value rather than creating sustainable, equitable organizations.

For anyone in sustainable finance, impact investing, or ESG wondering why corporate behavior remains extractive despite sustainability commitments, this conversation reveals the educational pipeline producing executives incapable of imagining alternatives to shareholder primacy.

About Professor Martin Parker:Professor of Organisation Studies, University of Bristol. Distinguished Fellow, Schumacher Institute. Author of "Shut Down the Business School" and "Anarchism, Organization and Management." Lead, Bristol Inclusive Economy Initiative. Prominent critic of neoliberal management education advocating for democratic organizational alternatives.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast challenges fundamental assumptions about business, finance, and organization, exploring radical alternatives to shareholder capitalism.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comBristol University: [Link]

#TBLIRadicalTruth #BusinessSchools #MartinParker #ManagementEducation #AlternativeEconomics #Sustainability #GreenEconomy #InclusiveEconomy #HigherEducation #ESG #ClimateAction #WorkerCooperatives #DemocraticEconomy #BusinessReform #StakeholderCapitalism

Can you reduce global carbon emissions without a bank account? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein talks with Robert Stern, founder of the See-Through Network.

Robert shares his "Radical Truth" on why traditional climate activism often fails and how he uses "Transparent Trojan Horses" to move people from inactivity to action. We dive into his unique zero-budget business model, the power of radical transparency, and how local Facebook groups can influence national environmental policy.

What You'll Learn:

• The 10-Word Mission - "Speeding up carbon drawdown by helping the inactive become active"—why focusing on converting climate "inactivists" rather than preaching to the converted scales impact
• Why the "Green" Label Fails - The psychology behind the See-Through brand and why leading with environmental messaging alienates most people who've tuned out climate discourse
• Transparent Trojan Horses - How storytelling, humor, and narrative craft engage people on topics they care about (community, identity, fairness) while smuggling in climate action
• The Act Game - Using "tightly worded legal clauses" and behavioral nudges to force political accountability and turn vague climate commitments into measurable action
• The Productivity of Zero - Why Robert Stern's zero-budget model removes perverse incentives, eliminates organizational bloat, and makes See-Through Network 10x more effective than funded climate organizations

Key Timestamps:

• 10:10 – The 10-word mission: Helping the inactive become active
• 22:28 – Why the "Green" label can be a barrier
• 39:45 – The Act Game: Using legal clauses for political accountability
• 1:04:49 – The productivity of zero: Why removing money increases effectiveness

Why This Matters:

Most climate activism targets people who already care—the "choir." Meanwhile, the vast majority remains inactive: not deniers, just disengaged, overwhelmed, or alienated by doom-and-gloom messaging.

Robert Stern spent three decades as journalist, documentary filmmaker, and cross-cultural communicator before founding See-Through News with a radical premise: traditional climate activism is failing because it's terrible storytelling. Instead of guilt-tripping about carbon footprints, See-Through uses sophisticated narrative techniques to spark curiosity, humor, and engagement—turning "inactivists" into activists without mentioning climate change upfront.

His zero-budget model proves you don't need grants or sponsors to drive measurable carbon reduction. You need good stories, radical transparency, and behavioral psychology.

About Robert Stern:Founder of See-Through News. Former journalist and documentary filmmaker (ABC News Tokyo, CNN Beijing, NHK). Creator of "The Truth Lies in Bedtime Stories" podcast. Expert in storytelling for climate action and behavioral change. Self-described "Nuance Warrior."

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores unconventional strategies for climate action, challenging traditional activism and ESG approaches.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comSee-Through: https://www.seethroughcarbon.org

#TBLIRadicalTruth #ClimateAction #Storytelling #RobertStern #SeeThroughNews #CarbonDrawdown #BehavioralScience #ClimateActivism #ZeroBudget #NarrativeChange #ClimateCommunication #Sustainability #GrassrootsActivism

Is your company's greatest asset—its people and knowledge—missing from your financial statements? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein talks with Ludo Pieters, founder of the Ariopa Group, who has spent decades solving the "accounting crisis" of the knowledge economy.

Ludo reveals his "Radical Truth" on how to transform intangible assets like IP and ESG initiatives into audited, monetary values that banks and investors can actually leverage. We explore his 10-step methodology for moving from tacit to explicit knowledge, creating multiple money streams, and why traditional accounting is still stuck in "Jurassic Park."

What You'll Learn:

• The 87% Problem - Why 87% of the economy is knowledge-based, yet invisible to accountants and financial statements, creating a massive valuation gap for modern companies
• IAS 38 & Auditing - How Ariopa's methodology was accepted by the International Accounting Standards board, enabling audited monetary valuation of intangible assets previously considered unquantifiable
• Multiple Money Stream Creation - Case study on turning one software product into an $800M revenue engine by systematically identifying and monetizing hidden intellectual capital
• ESGV: Adding "Value" to ESG - Moving sustainability from a cost center to a profit center by quantifying and monetizing ESG initiatives on the balance sheet, not just in sustainability reports
• The KMI Model - Knowledge Management Inside: How to de-risk SME loans for banks by valuing intellectual capital as collateral, unlocking financing for knowledge-based businesses
• From Tacit to Explicit Knowledge - Ludo's 10-step methodology for identifying, documenting, protecting, and monetizing the intellectual capital hidden in employee expertise and organizational processes

Key Timestamps:

• 09:32 – Why 87% of economy is knowledge-based, yet invisible to accountants
• 18:18 – IAS 38 & Auditing: Ariopa's methodology accepted by accounting standards
• 29:21 – Multiple Money Streams: $800M revenue from one software product
• 55:16 – ESGV: Moving sustainability from cost center to profit center
• 1:08:25 – The KMI model: De-risking SME loans

Why This Matters:

Traditional accounting was designed for industrial economies: factories, inventory, physical assets. But today's economy runs on knowledge, intellectual property, brand value, customer relationships, and sustainability practices—none of which appear on balance sheets.

This creates a crisis: companies with massive intangible value can't access financing because banks don't recognize knowledge as collateral. ESG initiatives are treated as costs, not assets. Intellectual capital walks out the door when employees leave, unprotected and unmonetized.

Ludo Pieters has spent decades solving this. His Ariopa methodology transforms intangibles into audited monetary values accepted by international accounting standards, enabling companies to securitize intellectual capital, monetize ESG, and access financing based on their true value.

For CFOs, impact investors, and ESG professionals frustrated by the gap between sustainability commitments and financial recognition, this conversation offers a roadmap for making intangible value tangible.

About Ludo Pieters:Founder, Ariopa Group. Pioneer in intellectual capital valuation and intangible asset accounting. Developer of IAS 38-compliant methodology for auditing knowledge assets. Expert in ESGV (ESG Value) and the KMI (Knowledge Management Inside) model.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores innovations in sustainable finance, ESG integration, and accounting reform.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.comAriopa Group: [Link]

#TBLIRadicalTruth #IntangibleAssets #LudoPieters #ESG #ESGV #SustainableFinance #AccountingReform #IntellectualCapital #ImpactInvesting #KnowledgeEconomy #SMEFinance #IAS38 #BalanceSheet #ESGValue

FOR SPOTIFY (UNDER 4000 CHARACTERS):

Ending the ESG Data Mess: AI, Marketplaces & Frictionless Impact | Frank Tobé (Supernova)

Why has sustainability data become an "esoteric mess," and how do we fix it? In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, host Robert Rubinstein sits down with Frank Tobé, co-founder and CEO of Supernova—an AI-enabled marketplace designed to help investors find, understand, and act on sustainability data without friction.

Frank brings a unique perspective as third-generation entrepreneur (Kruidvat Holding) and board member of DOB Equity and DOB Ecology. We explore the "Radical Truth" of Data Convergence: moving from fragmented data to actionable insights needed to build compliant, high-impact portfolios.

What You'll Learn:

• The Divergence Problem - How ESG data became a complicated, esoteric barrier to entry, with thousands of metrics, conflicting methodologies, and no standardization preventing investors from making informed decisions
• The Supernova Vision - Using AI to create a frictionless marketplace for sustainability data, enabling investors to access, analyze, and act on ESG information without requiring specialized expertise
• Data Convergence - Bridging the gap between raw sustainability data and investment action by translating complex ESG metrics into decision-ready insights for portfolio construction
• AI-Enabled Sustainability Intelligence - How artificial intelligence can cut through the noise of ESG ratings, identify material sustainability factors, and deliver actionable investment intelligence at scale
• Family Office Insights - Lessons from DOB Equity on venture capital investing in East Africa, including how family offices approach impact investing, sustainability due diligence, and emerging market opportunities
• Moving Beyond Compliance - Why ESG data infrastructure needs to serve both regulatory compliance (SFDR, CSRD) and genuine impact measurement, not just box-checking exercises

Key Timestamps:

• 12:15 – The Divergence: How ESG data became an esoteric barrier
• 24:40 – The Supernova Vision: AI for frictionless sustainability marketplace
• 38:10 – Convergence: Bridging raw data and investment action
• 52:20 – Family Office Insights: VC investing in East Africa

Why This Matters:

ESG data is broken. Investors face thousands of metrics, dozens of rating agencies with conflicting methodologies, fragmented disclosure standards, and regulatory requirements demanding data that doesn't exist or isn't standardized. The result: paralysis, superficial compliance, or avoidance of sustainable investing entirely.

Frank Tobé, coming from both entrepreneurial and family office backgrounds, understands this frustration. Supernova tackles it by using AI to create a marketplace where investors can access curated, actionable sustainability intelligence without needing PhD-level ESG expertise.

This isn't just about data aggregation—it's about convergence: translating the messy reality of sustainability data into investment decisions that meet both fiduciary duty and impact objectives.

For asset managers, family offices, and institutional investors overwhelmed by ESG data complexity, this conversation offers a vision of frictionless sustainable investing enabled by technology.

About Frank Tobé:Co-founder and CEO, Supernova. Third-generation entrepreneur (Kruidvat Holding). Board member, DOB Equity and DOB Ecology. Expert in ESG data infrastructure, AI-enabled sustainability intelligence, and impact investing in emerging markets.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast explores innovations solving critical challenges in sustainable finance and ESG integration.

Part of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.com

#TBLIRadicalTruth #ESGData #SupernovaAI #FrankTobe #SustainableFinance #ImpactInvesting #AIforESG #FamilyOffice #VentureCapital #ESGIntelligence #DataConvergence #SustainabilityData #ESGRatings #FrictionlessImpact