Sustainability in Conversation

What are the world's largest asset owners prioritizing today? In this episode, we explore the evolving role of sustainability in investment decision-making with Leanne Clements of People's Pension, and review findings from Morningstar's 2026 Asset Owner Perspectives Survey. Our guests discuss asset owners’ approaches to climate transition readiness, ESG decision-making under uncertainty, the growing influence of AI-related risks, how they are managing sustainability data challenges, and rising interest in private markets.  

00:00:00 

Introduction 

00:02:00 

A conversation with Leanne Clements 

00:25:09 

A conversation with Maggie Stafford and Lindsey Stewart  

00:45:30 

Sign off 

This episode of Sustainability in Conversation dives into the results of PitchBook’s 2026 Sustainable Investment Survey. The report’s co-authors Hilary Wiek, Principal Analyst, Fund Strategies and Anikka Villegas, Senior Analyst, Fund Strategies and Sustainable Investing, share insights from the survey and discuss the persistence of sustainable investing among private market investors, despite headlines to the contrary. They also explore emerging opportunities in infrastructure, energy transition, and water, as well as how investors are navigating the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence. In the long run, they see successful strategies as those that connect sustainability themes directly to risk management, resilience, and investment opportunities, while also responding to evolving geopolitical and technological realities.  

00:00:00

Introduction and highlights from Climate Week NYC

00:05:27

A conversation with Hilary Wiek and Anikka Villegas, authors of Pitchbook’s 2026 Sustainable Investment Survey report

00:33:29

Sign off

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on Sustainability in Conversation. You can email us at [email protected]. 

This episode of Sustainability in Conversation explores how the sustainable debt markets are maturing as investors and issuers shift their focus from commitments and frameworks to evidence, delivery and long-term credibility. Agnes Gourc, Co-Head of Sustainable Capital Market Solutions at BNP Paribas, joins Begum Gusoy, Director, Market Development at Morningstar Sustainalytics, to discuss evolving investor expectations, the continued role of labeled bonds in capital markets, and why capital allocation and transition planning have become critical indicators of a credible sustainability strategy. Their conversation examines the integration of sustainable finance across debt markets and what that means for issuers, banks, and investors navigating the next phase of market development.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on Sustainability in Conversation. You can email us at [email protected].

In this episode of Sustainability in Conversation, we are delighted to share an intriguing and insightful conversation direct from London Climate Action Week. Friend of the show and former host, Lindsey Stewart, sat down with Tom Gosling, Professor in Practice at the London School of Economics, to discuss the investor’s role in climate transition. The conversation points toward a more pragmatic phase of sustainable investing — one centered on fiduciary duty, policy engagement, investor agency, and asset-owner leadership, rather than ambitious but difficult-to-deliver climate commitments.

Additionally, Catalina shares why she’s feeling energized and inspired following a week of climate conversations with peers in London and talks about Morningstar Sustainalytics’ recently announced collaboration with XDI and Veridion to bring enhanced asset-level physical climate data to the market.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on Sustainability in Conversation. You can email us at [email protected].

00:00:00

Introduction

00:03:36

A conversation with Lindsey Stewart

00:07:32

A conversation with Tom Gosling

00:30:38

Sign off

This episode of Sustainability in Conversation focuses on investors and climate transition. We start with an insightful conversation with Thomas Hohne-Sparborth, Head of Sustainability Research at Lombard Odier. He discusses how the asset management firm’s systems-level view of climate transition informs their investment strategy, and shares what that looks like in practice.  

Next, we hear from Alex Osborne-Saponja, Director of ESG Methodology at Sustainalytics and co-author of Transition or Illusion? What Capital Flows Reveal About Net Zero Credibility. Alex shares insights from the report, which examines capital expenditures as a key signal of corporate climate transition credibility. She details why capex is an important indicator and highlights a “mosaic approach” to analysis, combining multiple indicators to infer transition direction.  

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on Sustainability in Conversation. You can email us at [email protected]. 

00:00:00 

Introduction 

00:03:38 

A conversation with Thomas Hohne-Sparborth 

00:17:14 

A conversation with Alex Osborne-Saponja 

00:34:00 

Sign off 

In this episode of Sustainability in Conversation, we welcome our new co-host, Catalina Secreteanu. Catalina has worked in the sustainable investment space for the past 17 years, holding roles at UKSIF and Sustainalytics in the UK and Australia. During that time, she’s had a front row seat to how the industry has evolved. She shares her thoughts on where the market has been and where it’s going, as well as the challenges and opportunities along the ways.  

Melissa and Catalina also sat down with Bin Dong, Lead Analyst, ESG Methodology, and author of the report “ESG Resilience in Focus: What the US-EU Divergence Means for Portfolio Performance.” Building on analysis from a previous publication, this report examines how portfolios adjusted for material sustainability factors perform under pressure in US and EU equity markets. Bin shares the most recent findings and explains how investors could leverage the insights for their own approaches. 

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on Sustainability in Conversation. You can email us at [email protected] or take this short survey.

In this episode, recorded earlier this year, Lindsey sat down with Angela Flaemrich, Matteo Falleca and Ignacio Garcia Giner from Morningstar Sustainalytics’ ESG Proxy Voting Overlay team to discuss their insights from the most recent proxy season. Insights from the discussion include:

00:00:04

Introduction.

00:02:12

Highlights of the sustainability-related proposals from 2025 proxy season.

00:04:55

Insights on support levels for sustainability-related proposals.

00:08:31

Insights on the changing topic mix in the 2025 proxy season.

00:11:12

Overview of climate proposal trends.

00:14:52

Overview of social proposal trends.

00:19:04

Thoughts on the 2026 proxy season.

In this episode of ESG in Conversation, Melissa and Lindsey chat about the continued volatility in the sustainable investing market, as well as luxury brands’ focus on ESG and sustainable supply chains. To kick things off, Melissa interviews Kevin Ranney, Senior Director, Sustainable Fixed Income Research. He talks about the evolution of the sustainable fixed income market and shares insights on the latest enhancements to Morningstar Sustainalytics’ second-party opinion assessment framework. Later, Lindsey sits down with Ruthann Bartello, Senior Director, Global Lead, Stewardship, where they discuss Sustainalytics’ involvement in the Pact for the Future and the importance of bringing the investor voice to the conversation about funding the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on ESG in Conversation. You can email us at [email protected]. 

00:00:24 

Introduction 

00:06:25 

Interview with Kevin Ranney on the evolution of sustainable fixed income investing and Morningstar Sustainalytics second-party opinion framework. 

00:24:44 

Interview with Ruthann Bartello about efforts to allocate more funding to the Sustainable Development Goals. 

00:36:24 

Closing remarks 

Listen to more episodes here.

ESG In Conversation welcomes Lindsey Stewart as the new co-host for the podcast. He and Melissa chat about current developments in the sustainable investment space and the uncertainties investors and companies face. This month’s episode includes three compelling interviews with some of Sustainalytics’ experts, including Lindsey. Tune in to hear perspectives on sustainable investing trends and the continuously changing regulatory landscape. The discussions also cover recent research examining patterns in investors’ proxy voting activities, how companies’ share structures can influence vote outcomes and how that plays out for certain ballot items like say on pay.  

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on ESG in Conversation. You can email us at [email protected]. 

00:00:26 

Introduction 

00:03:32 

Interview with Hortense Bioy on sustainable investing trends, regulatory changes and the impact on the investment funds landscape. 

00:14:29 

Interview with Jackie Cook covering recent research on the impact of dual class share structures on sustainability-focused shareholder resolutions. 

00:28:42 

Interview with Lindsey Stewart on the widening gap between European and US investors environmentally and socially focused shareholder resolutions. 

00:36:24 

Closing remarks 

Ad: To learn more about the Morningstar Sustainable Investing Summit and to register visit https://www.morningstar.com/business/events/morningstar-sustainable-investing-summit 

Host: 

Melissa Chase, Senior Content Marketing Manager, Morningstar Sustainalytics 

Guest: 

It’s the start of a new year, a time when many focus on setting new goals and ambitions. In this episode of ESG in Conversation, we explore the resolutions investors and issuers might make when it comes to ESG, climate transition and regulatory issues. Experts from Morningstar Sustainalytics weigh in and share their predictions on what financial market participants will, or should, focus on in the year ahead.  

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on ESG in Conversation. You can email us at [email protected] or take this short survey. 

00:00:00 

Introduction 

00:00:35 

Thomas Kuh discusses asset owners 

00:05:43 

Catalina Secreteanu discussion ESG risk and opportunities 

00:08:35 

Anne Schoemaker discusses regulations 

00:12:52 

Azadeh Sabour discusses climate transition finance

00:21:58 

Lindsey Stewart discusses stewardship 

00:26:03 

Barbara Lambotte discusses sustainable fixed income 

00:30:59 

Closing remarks