Sustainability Currents

Engagement plays an important role for managers to ensure the companies they invest in are managing ESG factors to maximize long-term value. But what happens when this engagement just doesn’t cut it? When the carrot doesn’t work, sometimes you need the stick. On this episode of ESG Currents, BI Senior ESG Analyst Rob Du Boff chats with NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. They discuss the recent announcement that the New York State Common Retirement Fund, one of the largest public pensions in the US, will restrict investment in eight oil and gas companies it deemed not ready for the carbon transition, including Exxon Mobil. This episode was recorded on March 26.

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About 50% of global GDP is at least moderately dependent on nature, according to the World Bank. Increasing recognition of this dependency has fueled new biodiversity-related disclosure frameworks, regulations, and investor action. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Eric Kane and Melanie Rua are joined by David Craig, co-chair of the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) to discuss how climate and biodiversity are interrelated, how the TNFD framework fits in with other disclosure guidelines, hopes for COP 16 in Colombia, why nature risk is financial risk, and much more.

This episode was recorded on Mar. 18. 

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Nearly 80% of the world’s 150 top CO2-emitting companies have stated net-zero ambitions for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050 or sooner, according to Climate Action 100+’s recent Net Zero Company Benchmark 2.0 report. However, the same study finds only 24% of companies assessed have short-term targets aligned with a 1.5-degree Celsius trajectory. On this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Francois Humbert, Climate Action 100+’s (CA 100+) global investor representative and current Steering Committee Chair, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence’s director of ESG research, to discuss how the CA100+ has influenced company progress and investor behavior, and why we need to move to actions from words.

This conversation was recorded on Nov. 23, 2023. 

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ESG has become an important part of the investment landscape. But some critics say the term may be overly broad, conflating a number of topics that may or may not be financially material for different issuers. In this episode of ESG Currents, BI analysts Eric Kane and Rob Du Boff are joined by Alex Edmans, a professor of finance at London Business School, who recently authored a paper advocating the concept of “Rational Sustainability” as a worthy replacement. This episode was recorded on Feb. 13.

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Founded in 1998, Impax Asset Management is a pioneer in investing in the transition to a more sustainable economy. On this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Ian Simm, Impax’s Founder and CEO, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence’s director of ESG research, to discuss the evolution of the ESG space, single vs. double materiality, net zero vs. net-zero aligned, the complexity of biodiversity, why “green is not black and white” and much more.

This episode was recorded on Feb. 12.

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Asset Managers can find it difficult to navigate through all the noise related to the climate transition as the lack of standard data and quality of disclosures affects aspirations of reaching net-zero targets. In this episode of ESG Currents, BI analysts Shaheen Contractor and Chris Ratti are joined by Rob Fernandez and Tim Coffin from Breckinridge Capital Advisors. The two guests provide views into what the asset-management industry is looking at when it comes to the climate shift, with valuable insights into assessing the credibility of net-zero goals and more.

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The Inflation Reduction Act is an import signal that the United States is putting out to the world that is leading to real investments, yet its potential will soon come up against some very real roadblocks, says Aniket Shah, Managing Director at Jefferies. In this episode of Bloomberg Intelligence’s ESG Currents podcast, Shah discusses these threats to the energy transition and decarbonization with Chris Ratti, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Senior ESG Credit Analyst. They also talk about the future of green financing instruments. 

This episode was recorded on January 10.

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A quarter of the world’s population is currently exposed to extremely high water stress each year, and that’s expected to grow to 60% by 2050, according to World Resources Institute’s recent Aqueduct 4.0 report. On this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Sara Walker, WRI’s Director of Corporate Water Engagement, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Director of ESG Research to discuss corporate water targets, water accounting, the concept of ‘virtual water’, and why the local problem of water has global implications.

The episode recorded as of October 19. 

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Gender lens investing remains a complex theme, seeing growing interest from investors and regulators in some regions and a backlash in others. In this episode of ESG Currents, BI analysts, Shaheen Contractor and Rob Du Boff are joined by Audrey Kaplan, the senior portfolio manager of Robeco Global Gender Equality Impact Equity Portfolio to discuss her work, ways in which one can evaluate companies, useful metrics, shareholder advocacy and measures of success.

This episode was recorded on Nov. 9.

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Climate Investing has evolved from a focus on portfolio exclusions to a diverse set of products, such as low-carbon solutions. In this episode of ESG Currents, senior ESG strategist Shaheen Contractor is joined by Leslie Samuelrich, the president of Green Century Capital Management, to discuss the evolution of climate investing, demand drivers, shareholder advocacy and measures of success. Green Century is one of the oldest environmental fund managers.

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