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

We have likely entered in to an El Nino season as of June 2023. El Nino forms and then eventually dissipates as trade winds that blow to the south of the equator shift and impact the flow of the ocean below them. This means the world gets hotter, even hotter than the record heat we have already seen (which is tough to hear). In this episode, we discuss what that sort of warming will likely do to global crop yields and the debt levels of the world’s economies.

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research

Guest: Alex Schober, MSCI ESG Research

The EU has set up a number of regulations to define what is and is not environmentally sustainable. Part of those regulations touch investment funds as most assets under management in Europe (~EUR 7 trillion out of EUR 12 trillion) are invested in ESG funds or strategies with some sustainability-related focus. Is this episode we look at what the effect of these defining regulations have been on the fund investment landscape in Europe, and whether the EU has been successful in its intent.

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research

Guest: Rumi Mahmood, MSCI ESG Research

Artificial intelligence is rolling out in a big way across different industries and sectors. With much to lose and much to gain from this new trend, investors will be looking to boards that ask good questions and get good answers – even if that means letting AI into the boardroom. 

Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research
Guests: Tanya Matanda & Harlan Tufford, MSCI ESG Research
Producer: SK Kim, MSCI ESG Research

Commodities like palm oil, beef and cocoa are intertwined with deforestation. The EU wants to change this. We talk about the bloc’s latest law and how it’s going to ask food companies to take supply chain due diligence and traceability to a whole new level.  

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

[Cole Martin would like to thank Marc Lieberman for his contributions to this episode]

Airlines have been offering customers with the option to purchase carbon credits or to support sustainable aviation fuel as they are buying a plane ticket. The airlines claim in doing so, the customer can lower the emissions of their trip and thereby lessen its impact on climate change. Sounds great! But, is that true? Are your emissions really lowered by those carbon credits? And can airlines use the promise of abated emissions, or better yet, sustainable fuels, to claim they are already carbon neutral? On this episode, we discuss aviation’s ambitious climate plans, why some of the advertising around these plans has gotten the industry in to legal trouble, and what the future holds for airlines and passengers that are worried about their carbon emissions.

Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research 

Guests: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research