Radical Truth

The True Story of Davos: How a Swiss Mountaintop Meeting Became the World's Most Powerful Annual Gathering

What if the world's most influential economic forum started as a small academic conference in the Swiss Alps? Barbara Erskine was there for the transformation—and in this episode of TBLI Radical Truth, she reveals what really happened behind the scenes.

As Director and Executive Board Member of the World Economic Forum from 1990-2000, Barbara led the media strategy that turned Davos from a regional business gathering into the defining global platform for stakeholder capitalism, ESG leadership, and climate action. This is the unfiltered story of how it happened—the strategic decisions, the relationships built, the moments that mattered.

We explore: How did Klaus Schwab's vision gain traction with heads of state and Fortune 500 CEOs? What made global leaders willing to trek to a mountaintop each January? How did strategic communications transform a niche event into essential attendance for anyone serious about shaping capitalism's future? And what can impact investors, ESG professionals, and sustainable finance practitioners learn from the WEF's rise about positioning, narrative power, and building movements?

Barbara also shares battle-tested lessons on building media relationships, launching global initiatives, and crafting messages that cut through noise—insights directly applicable to anyone working in impact investing, corporate sustainability, or climate finance today.

This isn't hagiography. It's an insider's honest assessment of how influence actually works, how stakeholder capitalism went mainstream, and why Davos became the annual pilgrimage for the world's economic elite.

Why This Matters for Impact Investors & ESG Professionals:Understanding how the World Economic Forum shaped the global ESG conversation helps us see where sustainable finance came from—and where it's headed. Barbara's story reveals the power dynamics, communication strategies, and relationship-building that turned abstract concepts like "triple bottom line" and "stakeholder capitalism" into business orthodoxy.

About Barbara Erskine:Director & Executive Board Member, World Economic Forum (1990-2000) | European Editor, Wired Magazine | Former strategist for New York Times Paris Bureau and French government | Expert in global media relations and strategic communications

About TBLI Radical Truth:TBLI Radical Truth brings you unfiltered conversations with the people building sustainable finance, driving ESG integration, and transforming capitalism from the inside. No corporate spin. No greenwashing. Just honest insights from practitioners who've been in the arena.

Hosted by Robert Rubinstein, founder of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network advancing sustainable finance for 25 years.

#RadicalTruth #Davos #WorldEconomicForum #WEF #ESG #ImpactInvesting #StakeholderCapitalism #SustainableFinance #ClimateAction #ESGLeadership #MediaStrategy #CorporateCommunications #GlobalLeadership #SustainabilityPodcast

FOR SPOTIFY (UNDER 4000 CHARACTERS):

ESG Frontline Practitioner's Guide: Social Impact & Development Finance in Southeast Asia

What does ESG implementation actually look like on the ground in development projects? Anthony Zola has spent decades finding out—and in this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, he reveals the unfiltered truth about social safeguards, resettlement challenges, and why lenders' technical advisors face resistance from the communities they're trying to help.

Anthony Zola is a leading authority on development economics and ESG implementation in Southeast Asia's Greater Mekong Subregion. With extensive experience leading policy research and technical assistance projects for the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, UN agencies, bilateral donors, and private sector clients, Anthony specializes in the messy realities of implementing environmental, social, and governance standards in agricultural development, infrastructure projects, and rural development across emerging markets.

What You'll Learn:

• ESG Social Practitioner's Essentials - Ground-level insights on implementing ESG standards in development projects, far from sanitized board reports
• The Technical Advisor Challenge - Why lenders' ESG advisors face resistance from project implementers and how to bridge the gap between compliance and local realities
• Development Finance & ESG Reality Check - Which multilateral development banks genuinely prioritize ESG standards versus box-checking exercises
• Greater Mekong Subregion Case Studies - Real-world ESG implementation challenges and solutions in agricultural policy, infrastructure, involuntary resettlement, and rural development
• Social Protection Frameworks - Practical approaches to resettlement and community development in resource-constrained, politically complex environments

Why This Matters:

Development finance institutions move billions into infrastructure, agriculture, and rural development across emerging markets. ESG standards should ensure investments help—not harm—local communities. But implementation is where ideals meet reality, and the gap can be devastating for affected populations.

Anthony shares candid insights from decades in the arena: political dynamics that undermine social protection, institutional incentives prioritizing project approval over community outcomes, and practical strategies ESG practitioners use to navigate contradictions and deliver real social impact.

About Anthony Zola:Development economist in the Greater Mekong Subregion specializing in agricultural policy research, social protection, involuntary resettlement, and technical assistance. Led projects for Asian Development Bank, World Bank, UN agencies, bilateral donors, private sector, and NGOs across Southeast Asia.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast features ESG frontline practitioners, impact investors, and sustainable finance leaders. Real experience from the field. No sanitized reports.

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

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

#TBLIRadicalTruth #ESG #DevelopmentFinance #SocialImpact #AsianDevelopmentBank #WorldBank #ESGCompliance #SocialSafeguards #ImpactInvesting #GreaterMekongSubregion #SoutheastAsia #AgriculturalDevelopment #SocialProtection #DevelopmentEconomics #ESGPractitioner #InvoluntaryResettlement #SustainableDevelopment #ESGImplementation #MultilateralDevelopment #InternationalDevelopment

How do you transform century-old aid organizations into financially sustainable social enterprises? Henri van Eeghen has done it multiple times—and in this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, he reveals the strategies that work.

Henri van Eeghen is Former CEO of New Energy Nexus—the world's leading organization supporting clean energy entrepreneurs and climate tech startups globally. With extensive international experience transforming traditional development organizations into financially sustainable social enterprises, Henri previously served as CEO of both KIT Royal Tropical Institute and Synergos Institute, Chief Operating Officer of Cordaid (the Netherlands' largest NGO), and held senior roles at Mercy Corps and the Van Eeghen Group family business.

What You'll Learn:

• Transforming NGOs into Social Enterprises - Groundbreaking strategies for converting century-old aid organizations into agile social enterprises with radical transparency and financial sustainability
• Clean Energy Entrepreneurship - How to support climate tech entrepreneurs and clean energy startups through incubators, accelerators, and investment programs that drive energy transition at scale
• Radical Transparency in Development Finance - Why transparency and accountability are essential for sustainable development organizations and how to implement them in practice
• Results-Based Financing & Blended Finance - Innovative financial models that combine public, private, and philanthropic capital to accelerate renewable energy deployment in emerging markets
• Supporting Climate Entrepreneurs - Practical approaches to backing climate entrepreneurs in resource-constrained environments and fragile states
• Shifting Power to Local Leaders - How to move from top-down international development to locally-led solutions that create lasting impact
• Pathways to Self-Sustainability - Creating transitions from traditional development funding dependency to self-sustaining social impact organizations aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals

Why This Matters:

Traditional development organizations face an existential challenge: donor dependency creates financial fragility and limits impact. Henri demonstrates how private sector partnerships, innovative financial models, and sustainable business practices can transform aid organizations into resilient social enterprises.

From pioneering results-based healthcare financing and impact investment funds in fragile states with Cordaid, to building collaborative philanthropic networks and empowering local leadership with Synergos, Henri's work proves that development organizations can achieve both financial sustainability and greater social impact.

About Henri van Eeghen:Former CEO of New Energy Nexus, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, and Synergos Institute. International development leader specializing in social enterprise transformation, impact investing, and clean energy entrepreneurship across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast brings you visionary leaders in clean energy finance, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable development building scalable models for climate action and impact investment. Real experience. No sanitized reports.

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

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

#TBLIRadicalTruth #CleanEnergy #ClimateEntrepreneurs #SocialEnterprise #ImpactInvesting #NewEnergyNexus #SustainableDevelopment #RenewableEnergy #ClimateTech #BlendedFinance #DevelopmentFinance #SDGs #EnergyTransition #ClimateFinance #Cordaid #Synergos #ResultsBasedFinancing #CleanEnergyStartups #SocialImpact #PhilanthropicNetworks #EmergingMarkets #NetZero #NGOTransformation #FinancialSustainability #RadicalTransparency #ClimateAction #ESGInvesting

Can shareholders force Shell, BP, and ExxonMobil to abandon fossil fuels? Mark van Baal proved they can—and reveals exactly how.

Mark van Baal is founder and executive director of Follow This, the Amsterdam-based shareholder activism organization that's rewriting the rules of climate action. After a decade as a climate journalist inspired by Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," Mark pioneered a revolutionary approach: buying shares in fossil fuel companies and filing shareholder resolutions demanding Paris Agreement alignment.

What started with a €30 share in Shell in 2015 became a global movement mobilizing over €4 trillion in institutional investor assets.

What You'll Learn:

• How shareholder resolutions compel Big Oil to align with Paris Climate goals
• The strategic playbook for climate activism through proxy voting and AGM resolutions
• Why €4 trillion in institutional assets now supports climate resolutions
• Measurable wins: Shell's first climate ambition, BP and Equinor emissions targets
• Why Scope 3 emissions (product emissions) are the real battleground
• How declining fossil fuel demand creates financial risks that activate fiduciary duty
• Practical strategies for using corporate governance to drive decarbonization

Key Insights:

Mark reveals how shareholder engagement drives climate progress where protest and regulation fail. Climate resolutions filed by Follow This triggered Shell's first-ever climate ambition, pushed BP and Equinor to set emissions targets, and forced boardroom conversations about fossil fuel business model sustainability in a net-zero economy.

The strategy: frame climate action as financial risk protection. As fossil fuel demand declines, continued oil and gas investment destroys shareholder value. Climate resolutions focusing on this financial reality activate fiduciary duty—making climate action a legal obligation, not a moral choice.

Mark demonstrates how activist investors use proxy season, AGM voting, and corporate governance to force energy companies to address Scope 3 emissions and stranded asset risks.

Why This Matters:

While climate protests and regulation face political resistance, shareholder activism operates inside the system—using capitalism's mechanisms to drive decarbonization. Follow This proves investors don't need to divest; they can use ownership to force transformation from within.

For anyone holding Big Oil shares (often through pension funds or index funds), this episode reveals how voting rights become climate action tools—and why the energy transition may be won in boardrooms and AGMs, not streets or parliaments.

About Follow This:

Follow This empowers investors to use voting rights to push oil and gas companies toward Paris Agreement goals. Since 2015, Follow This has filed climate resolutions at Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, TotalEnergies, and Equinor, securing increasing institutional investor support and forcing measurable climate commitments from Big Oil.

About TBLI Radical Truth:

TBLI Radical Truth brings you unfiltered conversations with climate leaders, activist investors, and ESG practitioners driving systemic change. No greenwashing. No corporate spin. Just honest insights from people in the arena.

Hosted by Robert Rubinstein, founder of TBLI Group—the world's leading ESG and impact investing network for 25 years.

Learn more: https://www.tbligroup.com | Follow This: https://www.follow-this.org

#ShareholderActivism #ClimateAction #FollowThis #ESGInvesting #BigOil #EnergyTransition #ParisAgreement #ClimateResolutions #FossilFuels #ProxySeason #SustainableFinance #NetZero #Scope3Emissions #CorporateGovernance #ImpactInvesting

FOR SPOTIFY (UNDER 4000 CHARACTERS):

Myanmar Crisis 2026: The Hidden Cost of Capital

By January 2026, Myanmar's humanitarian crisis has reached a staggering breaking point: 3.6 million people internally displaced. While the world looks away, the military regime weaponizes the country's natural wealth—jade mining, rare earth minerals, and mega-hydro projects—to fund a war against its own citizens.

In this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, hosts Robert Rubinstein and Dr. Rieki Crins expose the human cost of irresponsible investment with a courageous Kachin human rights activist working on the ground in Myanmar, gathering evidence of war crimes under a military dictatorship and demanding accountability from a regime operating with total impunity.

What You'll Learn:

• The 2026 Humanitarian Reality - Current state of conflict zones in Kachin, Rakhine, and Shan States, where the UN has documented systematic war crimes, entire villages burned, and ethnic minorities facing genocide-level persecution
• The Finance-War Connection - How extractive industries—jade mining, gold, timber, and rare earth minerals—bankroll the junta through global supply chains, turning natural resources into "blood money"
• The Failure of International Sanctions - Why current global pressures and sanctions regimes are missing the mark and failing to stop capital flows to Myanmar's military regime
• ESG and Responsible Investment - What investors must know about their exposure to Myanmar, how to identify supply chain connections to conflict minerals, and the urgent need for due diligence on extractive industry investments
• Atrocity Documentation - Frontline evidence gathering of war crimes, the risks human rights defenders face, and why international accountability mechanisms have failed to stop the violence
• Weaponized Natural Resources - How mega-hydro projects, jade concessions, and rare earth mineral extraction directly fund military operations against civilian populations

Why This Matters:

The scale of atrocities is chilling. The United Nations has documented systematic war crimes, yet "blood money" continues to flow through global supply chains and extractive industries. This is more than a Myanmar story—it's a wake-up call for global finance.

Investors, pension funds, and multinational corporations may be unknowingly funding a regime committing genocide-level persecution. ESG frameworks and responsible investment policies must confront the reality that capital flows enable atrocities when due diligence fails.

Our guest is a brave voice for the silenced, working at the frontlines under a military dictatorship to expose the hidden cost of capital and demand accountability for crimes against humanity.

About the Episode:

Hosted by Robert Rubinstein, founder of TBLI Group, and Dr. Rieki Crins, cultural anthropologist and co-founder of TBLI. This episode pulls back the curtain on how extractive industries and irresponsible investment enable human rights violations at scale.

Critical Question:Are your investments enabling atrocities?

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:

TBLI Radical Truth Podcast is the platform dedicated to pioneers redefining the purpose of capital. We expose the human cost of irresponsible investment and challenge investors to align capital with human rights, climate action, and social justice.

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

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

#TBLIRadicalTruth #Myanmar #HumanRights #ESG #ResponsibleInvesting #ConflictMinerals #SupplyChainTransparency #ExtractiveIndustries #JadeMining #RareEarthMinerals #HumanRightsCrisis #WarCrimes #InternationalJustice #ESGCompliance #ImpactInvesting #SustainableFinance #Kachin #BloodMoney #MilitaryJunta #GenocidePrevention #CorporateAccountability #DueDiligence #EthicalInvesting #HumanitarianCrisis #SocialJustice

What if everyday investors could fund renewable energy projects and sustainable startups driving climate solutions—without venture capital connections or millions in capital? Ellen Hensbergen is making it happen, and in this TBLI Radical Truth Podcast, she reveals how equity crowdfunding is democratizing impact investing across Europe.

Ellen Hensbergen is Managing Director Benelux at Invesdor—Europe's leading impact crowdfunding platform. With leadership experience at ABN AMRO and Munt Mortgages, Ellen is pioneering a financial revolution in impact capital and equity crowdfunding, shifting from exclusive venture capital to a pan-European ecosystem where everyday investors fund renewable energy, sustainable startups, and UN Sustainable Development Goals-aligned climate solutions.

What You'll Learn:

• The Fusion of Scale and Sustainability - How Invesdor's merger with Oneplanetcrowd created Europe's largest impact investment platform, proving crowdfunding investors are a powerful force for systemic change in sustainable finance
• Democratizing High-Impact Assets - Why equity crowdfunding is becoming a legitimate alternative to traditional venture capital for sustainable startups at seed and growth stages, opening impact investing to retail investors
• The 2026 Regulatory Landscape - How the European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSP) license enables cross-border impact investing to scale across Europe, breaking down barriers that previously limited platforms
• Radical Transparency & Double Returns - How transparent impact measurement allows investors to track social and environmental returns as rigorously as financial performance, delivering measurable ESG outcomes alongside profit
• Real-World Impact Projects - From massive renewable energy projects like Windpark Fryslân to cutting-edge MedTech and circular economy businesses, how equity crowdfunding bridges financial returns with measurable social impact

Why This Matters:

Traditional venture capital and private equity have kept impact investing exclusive—accessible only to wealthy individuals and institutions. Ellen demonstrates how equity crowdfunding democratizes capital markets, enabling anyone to invest in renewable energy, climate tech, and sustainable businesses aligned with their values.

As the ECSP license breaks down cross-border barriers, impact crowdfunding is scaling rapidly. Invesdor and Oneplanetcrowd's merger proves retail investors aren't just a capital source—they're a movement demanding financial returns alongside environmental sustainability and social impact.

About Ellen Hensbergen:Managing Director Benelux at Invesdor. Former leadership at ABN AMRO and Munt Mortgages. Expert in equity crowdfunding, impact investing, and renewable energy finance.

About Invesdor:Merged with Oneplanetcrowd to create Europe's largest impact investment engine. Enables retail investors to fund renewable energy, sustainable startups, MedTech, and circular economy businesses with measurable SDG contributions.

About TBLI Radical Truth Podcast:TBLI Radical Truth Podcast brings you leaders in sustainable finance and ESG democratizing capital markets for climate action.

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

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

#TBLIRadicalTruth #ImpactInvesting #EquityCrowdfunding #SustainableFinance #ESGInvesting #Invesdor #Oneplanetcrowd #DemocratizingCapital #RenewableEnergy #ClimateFinance #ImpactCapital #SDGs #CrowdfundingEurope #GreenInvesting #SocialImpact #RetailInvestors #FinancialInclusion #CircularEconomy #ClimateAction #SustainableStartups #ECSP

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