Sustainability Currents

Water underpins nearly every sector of the economy, yet institutional investment remains limited. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Alexander Loucopoulos, partner at Sciens Water, joins Bloomberg Intelligence thematic strategist Melanie Rua to discuss how private capital can turn fragmented water markets and long-term infrastructure needs into investable opportunities. They discuss what sets water apart from other real assets, how AI-driven power demand is increasing pressure on water systems, where regulation is creating investment opportunities, and why local expertise matters when investing across utilities, treatment, reuse and infrastructure. Recorded July 21.

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Geopolitical tensions, commodity-price volatility and policy uncertainty have made energy dealmaking more complex, but they haven’t brought it to a halt. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Jalal Nadeem, a faculty member at the Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances and an M&A deal-structuring expert, joins Shaheen Contractor, Bloomberg Intelligence senior sustainable finance research analyst, to explore the evolution of energy transactions. They discuss where M&A activity is emerging across the energy transition, why innovative deal structures are becoming more common, how AI is reshaping negotiations and what investors should watch as the landscape continues to shift.

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More than 10,000 companies have been certified as B Corps, which requires them to change their legal structures to ensure their boards consider all stakeholders, not just shareholders; measure and manage impact; and commit to continuous improvement. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Clay Brown, chief standards officer at B Lab, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence director of ESG research, to discuss how companies balance fiduciary responsibilities with commitments to people and the planet. They also explore the biggest risks and opportunities for B Corps today, how the B Corp standards have changed over time, and much more.

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From technology to food, global supply chains depend on Asia, making climate risks there relevant to investors everywhere. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence sustainable-finance analysts Grace Osborne and Conrad Tan speak with Nana Li, Head of Sustainability and Stewardship for Asia Pacific at Impax Asset Management, about why sustainability in Asia is more than a compliance exercise. From China’s industrial transition and clean-technology leadership to Japan’s governance reforms, they discuss why understanding the region’s diverse investment drivers is essential for building resilience, capturing opportunity and generating alpha.

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Green-bond rules are spreading across governments, but fragmentation may emerge as a hurdle for sustainable finance. Different legal frameworks across jurisdictions are raising questions about how issuers and investors can move capital across borders without added complexity. On this week’s ESG Currents, Aldo Romani, head of sustainable finance, and Tomomitsu Maruta, sustainable finance officer, both in the Finance Directorate at the European Investment Bank, join Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chris Ratti to discuss how the Green Bond Principles and European Green Bond Standard have helped sustainable-debt markets evolve by improving clarity around labeled-bond structuring. Recorded June 18.

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As climate change intensifies, physical risks to property are mounting. On this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence sustainable-finance senior analysts Gail Glazerman and Andy Stevenson speak with Daryl Fairweather, chief economist of Redfin, about how homebuyers are responding to physical risks, the challenges for home affordability — especially insurance costs — and how markets are adapting, including signs of climate migration.

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How does a sustainability focus support a pension fund's duty to safeguard the retirement future of a country's workers? What does effective engagement with companies look like? In this ESG Currents episode, Shahida Jaffar, Head of Corporate Sustainability at Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund, joins Bloomberg Intelligence ESG analyst Conrad Tan to discuss the key principles guiding EPF's engagement with investee companies and why it sees the defense of biodiversity and natural capital as a critical priority. She also shares why she's optimistic that AI can help sustainability professionals better understand company impacts and dependencies on nature. EPF had 1.44 trillion ringgit ($360 billion) in total investment assets at end-March.

This episode was recorded on May 22.

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Global costs related to climate events, including damage, insurance premiums, maintenance and repair, have exceeded $20 trillion since the year 2000, according to Bloomberg Intelligence’s Climate Damages Tracker. This massive wealth transfer provides the context for BI’s Climate Economy 2026 Outlook report. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Andy Stevenson, BI senior climate analyst and lead author of the report, joins Eric Kane, BI’s director of ESG research, to discuss how companies engaged in adaptation and resilience are benefiting from increased recovery spending and outperforming their benchmark. They also talk about opportunities in mitigation, the methane problem and what climate damages could look like over the next decade. This episode was recorded on June 2.

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Emerging markets are central to the global sustainability transition and increasingly at the forefront of innovation in sustainable finance, from debt-for-food swaps to biodiversity-linked sovereign bonds. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Nicolas Jaquier, a portfolio manager on the emerging markets fixed income team at Ninety One, where he co-manages the Emerging Market Sustainable Blend strategy, joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chris Ratti and Grace Osborne. They discuss the resilience of emerging markets through recent market shocks, the growing evidence that countries investing proactively in the transition are less exposed to oil-price volatility, and why a dynamic approach is increasingly important for investors navigating these markets. This episode was recorded on April 28.

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Water demand is set to outpace supply by 40% by 2030, and scarcity is spurring broad changes across the global economy, giving rise to companies that aim to provide solutions for the growing crisis. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Tom Ferguson, founder and managing partner of Burnt Island Ventures, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence’s director of ESG research, to discuss emerging opportunities in desalination, industrial treatment, reuse and more. They explore how AI is powering software solutions and compressing the cycle time for hardware iterations. They also discuss the importance of investing in companies that aren’t dependent on policy and the current path to liquidity for the companies that Burnt Island Ventures invests in. The episode was recorded on May 8.

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