As extreme weather events become more prevalent, the utilities sector is on the front lines. From investing in microgrids to burying transmission lines, there are ways to help climate-proof infrastructure. But funding is key, and it looks like the green bond market is a good a place to start. 

Host: Margarita Grabert, MSCI ESG Research
Guest: Meghna Mehta, MSCI ESG Research
Producer: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research

We are on the ground at COP 28!! Right now, in the UAE, most of the world’s power brokers are gathered to talk about the climate emergency, the world’s plans for lowering emissions, and everything in between. For this episode, we interviewed our Global Head of Climate Research, Oliver Marchand, who is at COP 28 - meeting folks and having talks. He told us what he has been seeing and how he thinks the talks are proceeding.

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research
Guest: Oliver Marchand, MSCI ESG Research

We’re thirsty, y’all! In a year, we drink 350 billion liters of bottled water, most of it from plastic. But it’s a product with a hefty environmental footprint, and big climate risks.  We take a look at what might lie ahead for companies and investors.

Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research
Guest: Cole Martin, MSCI ESG Research

Some say oil demand is soon to peak. Well, if that is true, why are some oil and gas producers growing their reserves? If there is uncertainty on how oil will perform in the future, how are oil and gas companies positioning themselves amid an ambiguous low-carbon transition? We try to answer these questions on this episode of ESG now.

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research

Guest: Chris Cote, MSCI ESG Research

You trust a retail store to be convenient. You can walk in and get basically anything you need - be it food, clothes, face wash, batteries...whatever. Retail companies have built their brands on that convenience and affordability factor. But would you trust a retail company to be your healthcare provider? Well they are betting on that - Amazon, Walmart, and others are getting into the healthcare game. And in this episode, we discuss what it might look like to have an Amazon employee administer a flu test.

Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI ESG Research
Guest: Namita Nair, MSCI ESG Research

This week, we are returning to five stories we have already covered to see what progress has been made (if any!): The Adani Group and its attempt to address a short seller report that questioned the group’s governance that led to a massive loss in market share; the United Auto Workers strikes and the continued struggle in the auto industry; the Inflation Reduction Act and the trillions of dollars of capital is supports; what the EPA’s methane rule has done for the gas industry in the US; and how Exxon has changed after having three seats of its 12 member board taken by over by Engine No. 1, an activist investor worried about carbon emissions.

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research

Guest: Harlan Tufford, Yu Ishihara, Mathew Lee, Chris Cote, Antonios Panagiotopoulos; MSCI ESG Research

The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded on Monday to Claudia Goldin, a Harvard professor, for her work to advance the world’s understanding of women in the work force. She made history by being the first woman to win the award solo rather than sharing in the prize. To honor her achievement, we discussed our own gender pay gap research that is in part informed by academics like Dr. Goldin, focusing on a new regulation in Japan that mandated companies disclose their pay gap data. And then, after we go through the numbers, we have a special part of this episode where colleagues come on to share their experiences of work before and during motherhood. 

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research

Guest: Yukie Shibano, Laura Nishikawa, Gillian Mollod, Siyu Liu, and Linda-Eling Lee, MSCI ESG Research and MSCI Sustainability Institute 

With Governor Newsom poised to sign two new climate reporting bills into law, we look at what’s in them, why they matter, and why everyone is suddenly making a fuss about Scope 3 emissions. 

Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research
Guests: Zohir Uddin & David Bokern, MSCI ESG Research

Despite growing demand for clean energy, price parity with fossil fuels and friendly policies, renewable energy companies are facing some tough headwinds. We take a look at why that's happening and what Orsted's no good, very bad August can tell us about the rest of the industry.

Host: Margarita Grabert, MSCI ESG Research
Guest: Elchin Mammadov, MSCI ESG Research

The demands made by the United Auto Workers (UAW) to the big three auto companies in the US are varied and touch on every part of ESG. But what may loom largest is the ongoing transition to electric vehicles that will change how a massive industry operates and employs its millions of workers. We discussed what the strikes mean for the future of the auto industry, and why the UAW is fighting an uphill battle as its industry changes.

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research
Guest: Yu Ishihara, MSCI ESG Research