Sustainable connections

In our sixteenth episode, Mark Lee talks to Amy Rosenthal, Senior Global Director for Conservation Initiatives at leading satellite imagery provider, Planet, and Michael Mangiante, Global Climate Risk Lead at ERM, about how nature mapping and data analytics can enable companies and governments to operationalize their nature strategies. 

Their conversation covers:

• How to use satellite data to enable nature stewardship and disclosure
• Identifying and taking action against nature crimes
• Monitoring and verification of nature restoration projects

In our fifteenth episode, Mark Lee talks to Mirela Atanasiu, Executive Director and Head of Unit Operations at the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, a public-private partnership supporting research and innovation in hydrogen technologies in Europe, and David Hart, Global Hydrogen Lead at ERM, about how to accelerate the hydrogen economy. 

Their conversation covers:

• Research and development to improve hydrogen technology
• Private-public partnerships to decarbonize heavy industry
• Production and use cases for hydrogen across the globe

In our fourteenth episode, Mark Lee talks to Emily McKenzie, Technical Director at the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), and Matt Haddon, Global Leader, Biodiversity, Water & Nature at ERM, about the latest developments in nature disclosure and how companies are responding. 

Their conversation covers:

• How C-suite execs are using TNFD to understand nature risks and opportunities
• Improving data gathering and analysis to support nature management and disclosure
• Expectations for the upcoming COP16 Biodiversity Conference in Colombia 

Related links:
Sustainable Connections Podcast: Building nature into business strategy (erm.com)

In our thirteenth episode, Mark Lee talks to Mardi McBrien, Chief of Strategic Affairs & Capacity Building, IFRS Foundation, and Rob LaCount, North America Climate Change Advisory Lead, ERM, about aligning sustainability-related disclosure standards and integrating financial and sustainability accounting within companies.

Their conversation covers:

•            Evolving sustainability-related disclosure regulations

•            Upskilling finance and sustainability professionals to implement International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Standards

•            How to harness sustainability reporting to improve business performance

Related links: 

ISSB's first act (sustainability.com)

IFRS - ISSB: Frequently Asked Questions

In our twelfth episode, Mark Lee talks to Bruce Douglas, CEO, Global Renewables Alliance, and Dylan Mitchell, Global Commercial Director of Renewables at ERM, about how to triple global renewable energy capacity to at least 11,000 GW by 2030 to meet global climate targets. 

Their conversation covers:

• Accelerating grid transformation to connect renewable energy
• Permitting innovation to scale renewables faster
• Cross-sector learning and collaboration across the renewables value chain

Related links:

3xRenewables – Global Renewables Alliance

In our eleventh episode, Mark Lee talks to Adam Brennan, Group Director of Sustainability at global seafood processor and manufacturer Thai Union, and Yulia Dobrolyubova, Corporate Sustainability and Climate Change Lead, Asia at ERM, about how to tackle global seafood sustainability and achieve sustainable fisheries. 

Their conversation covers:

• Defining environmental and social criteria for sustainable fisheries
• Methods to improve supply chain traceability and data quality
• How to implement climate and nature targets in the seafood sector

In our tenth episode, Mark Lee talks to Mariana Rocha, Senior Investor Relations Manager at mining firm Vale, and Jonathan Molyneux, Head of ESG Strategy, Mining & Metals at ERM, to discuss how to engage with and respond to investors on ESG issues.

Their conversation covers:

• Responding to investors' ESG concerns
• Raising capital to expand critical minerals production
• Moving from ESG risk management to an ESG-driven growth strategy

In our ninth episode, Mark Lee is joined by Ken Mehlman, Global Head of Public Affairs at global investment firm KKR and Co-head of KKR Global Impact fund, and Sabine Hoefnagel, Global Leader of Sustainability & Risk at ERM, to discuss the evolving business case for ESG.

Their conversation covers:

• The financial impacts of ESG for companies and investors
• How to interpret and respond to the ESG backlash
• Investor expectations of C-suite leadership on ESG

In our eighth episode, Mark Lee is joined by Candice Brenet, Head of Sustainability, and Antoine Bateman, Sustainability Senior Manager, at Ardian and Michael Eisenberg, Partner, ESG Services, at ERM to discuss private market impact investment strategies and evolving trends, with a focus on scaling energy transition and decarbonization investments. Their conversation covers:

• How to measure and manage impact in private market investments
• Engaging investors and companies to accelerate and scale impact 
• Integrating impact and decarbonization strategies across investment portfolios.

Related link:

Private Market Impact Investing: A Turning Point | World Economic Forum (weforum.org) - authored by Michael Eisenberg 
Navigating ESG data scarcity challenges in Private Markets (sustainability.com)

In our seventh episode, Mark Lee talks to Julie Moorad, Senior Manager, Global Climate Action at Salesforce, and Caitlin Brown, Senior Consultant at ERM, about how businesses can better assess and respond to their nature-related risks and opportunities. Their conversation covers:

• Creating a nature positive business strategy
• Integrating nature into corporate climate action
• How to apply the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework to understand business risk and opportunity

Related links:
Salesforce Nature Positive Strategy
Prepare to LEAP: Updates to the TNFD framework and planning for the future - SustainAbility Institute by ERM briefing