Oil spills, labor violations, data breaches. When controversy strikes, should investors pull out, or hold their nerve? We unpack fresh analysis on what happens when portfolios steer clear of scandal-prone firms and the surprising impact on returns.

Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Guest: Drashti Shah, MSCI Custom Index Solutions

The energy transition is underway, but it’s not a smooth ride. In this episode, we unpack why progress has been so uneven, from surging EV sales to rising coal demand. We explore how tech, cost, and policy are shaping risks and opportunities for investors.

Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Guest: Anthony Chan, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

We are in the era of data centers. They are being built with the speed and intensity of factories during the industrial revolution, and with the same sort of capital attraction. But their high emissions, which are under-reported by companies (we will tell you why!), have left both real estate and tech investors with a dilemma: take advantage of the data center boom or have a portfolio with low emissions. We explore this tension in this episode of Sustainability Now.

Helpful Reading: Desire for Data Centers Creates Carbon Dilemma for Property Investors

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Guests: Tom Leahy, MSCI Solutions; Yoon Young Chung, MSCI Sustainability & Climate.

Carbon, selfishly, has dominated the sustainability conversation for some time. But what about the often-overlooked foundation of our everything in our economy: biodiversity. How can you measure that if its basically everything? We show you how in this episode, exploring how every business, from agriculture to technology, depends on the health of ecosystems, and how investors can now quantify those connections through innovative data-driven tools. 

By unpacking the creation of our new Biodiversity Risk Index Screen, the conversation reveals how measuring nature’s complexity can help reduce financial exposure to environmental loss and drive more resilient investment strategies. It’s a deep dive into how markets are beginning to account for the true value of the natural world. 

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research

Guest: Laura Coomber, MSCI ESG Research

Do hurricanes affect the market? Join us as we cover new research that tracks the financial fallout of storms on company equity. Through asset exposure and climate models, we’ll discuss how storm paths connect to stock prices and why investors may want to take notice, before the next hurricane hits.

Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research

Guest: Xinxin Wang, MSCI ESG Research

As the planet continues to warm, physical climate risk is no longer an abstract future concern. It is financially material today. The question now is where those risks will materialize and how are companies prepared for those risks. We can help you find out -  just by listening to this episode!

Report discussed: https://www.msci.com/research-and-insights/blog-post/the-bill-is-due-physical-hazard-revenue-losses-mount-plans-lag

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability and Climate Research

Guest: James Edwards, MSCI Sustainability and Climate Research

Climate change doesn’t just arrive one disaster at a time. It stacks crises on top of each other: drought followed by flood, heat followed by fire; shocks that turn small problems into big financial hits. In this episode, we talked about how compounding climate hazards are reshaping the bottled water industry, what a 2024 Nestlé scandal reveals about the future of water quality, and why investors should be paying closer attention. 

Host: Mike Disabato - MSCI ESG Research

Guest: Cole Martin - MSCI ESG Research

Link to paper discussed in episode: https://www.msci.com/research-and-insights/blog-post/compound-climate-hazards-pressure-beverage-giants

Controlled companies now outnumber widely held ones. New MSCI research shows that this market shift has significant implications for shareholder returns. 

Guest: Jonathan Ponder, MSCI ESG Research

Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research

We already know there is a clear link between ESG ratings and the cost of capital. But the question remains: do ESG ratings matter for bonds and their credit spreads? Should fixed income investors care? Listen to this week’s episode to find out!

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research

Guest: Jakub Malich, MSCI ESG Research

Link to paper discussed in episode: https://www.msci.com/research-and-insights/paper/the-financial-materiality-of-sustainability-risk-in-credit-markets-a-decade-of-evidence

As a new policy landscape emerges in North America, are companies scaling back on sustainability reporting? And will investors go with the flow? Join us as we look at live trends in company disclosures and where the 2025 proxy season is headed. 

Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research

Guests: Julia Morello & Jonathan Ponder, MSCI ESG Research