A candid conversation with Victoria Marquez-Mees, EBRD’s first Chief Accountability Officer, about accountability in development finance. We discuss the IPAM process, mediation vs investigation, evidence for decision making, collaboration with E&S teams, and the shared goal of delivering projects responsibly.

Listen and join the conversation by sharing your experiences or reflections on accountability processes.

A conversation with Nikola Nikacevic, co-founder of EON+ and creator of the Envigo platform, exploring how environmental and social impact assessments are evolving in a digital world. The discussion covers the limits of traditional ESIA approaches, the role of technology in improving transparency and usability, and what innovation could mean for the future of sustainability practice. A thoughtful episode for professionals interested in where impact assessment is heading next. Listen in and share your perspective.

Is your corporate wellbeing strategy actually working, or is it just "wellness theater"? In this episode, we sit down with award-winning wellbeing expert Emily Warren to strip away the fluff surrounding the "S" in ESG.

We dive deep into:

• The Burnout Epidemic: Why it’s more than just a "personal problem."
• Ownership: Determining where employee responsibility ends and employer duty of care begins.
• Why Initiatives Fail: The common pitfalls of generic wellbeing programs.
• Pragmatic Solutions: Actionable, no-nonsense ways to improve your corporate approach to mental health.

If you’re tired of surface-level initiatives and want to build a truly resilient workforce, this conversation is a must-listen.

Environmental and social safeguards did not start as box-ticking exercises. They were created in response to protest, public outrage, and real damage caused by development projects financed by international institutions.

In this solo episode of The TNo Nonsense Sustainability, I break down how safeguard standards at International Financial Institutions came to be, the projects and protests that forced change, and why these policies still matter today. I also share my perspective on where safeguards are struggling, what is being watered down, and what their future needs to look like if they are going to protect people and the environment in a changing world.

This episode is for anyone working in sustainability, development finance, policy, or accountability, or for those who want to understand how power, protest, and policy collide.

IFI Watch – A No Nonsense Sustainability Miniseries

Every two weeks, we check in on what our favourite international financial institutions (IFIs) are up to - what’s being funded, where, and why it matters. From climate resilience projects in small island states to massive infrastructure investments, we break down the latest disclosures and unpack what they really mean for communities, investors, and practitioners on the ground.

Short, conversational, and grounded in real-world context, IFI Watch by E&S Solutions helps you stay informed about the trends shaping sustainable finance and development - minus the jargon. For the full project disclosures newsletter subscribe on www.essolutions.ai

Brought to you by The No Nonsense Sustainability Podcast, hosted by Ildiko Almasi Simsic, this miniseries gives you the headlines behind the headlines and a glimpse into how global decisions ripple through local realities.

What does social impact really mean in practice, beyond the buzzwords?

In this episode of the No Nonsense Sustainability Podcast, I’m joined by Andrea Kanaris, founder of All Things Social Impact. Andrea works at the intersection of theory and practice, supporting early career professionals navigating the social impact space.

We talk about how social impact is taught versus how it actually works on the ground, whether the field is better understood today, and what early career practitioners really need to succeed. We also explore Andrea’s platform, her book, her podcast, and what’s next from Australia.

This episode is for anyone trying to turn good intentions into real impact.

IFI Watch – A No Nonsense Sustainability Miniseries

Every two weeks, we check in on what our favourite international financial institutions (IFIs) are up to - what’s being funded, where, and why it matters. From climate resilience projects in small island states to massive infrastructure investments, we break down the latest disclosures and unpack what they really mean for communities, investors, and practitioners on the ground.

Short, conversational, and grounded in real-world context, IFI Watch by E&S Solutions helps you stay informed about the trends shaping sustainable finance and development - minus the jargon. For the full project disclosures newsletter subscribe on www.essolutions.ai

Brought to you by The No Nonsense Sustainability Podcast, hosted by Ildiko Almasi Simsic, this miniseries gives you the headlines behind the headlines and a glimpse into how global decisions ripple through local realities.

This episode takes a clear look at the state of global cooperation. Many of the institutions that shape international policy were built more than 80 years ago and still operate as if the world hasn’t changed. We brought in two people who know the system from the inside to talk about what actually works and what keeps breaking down.

Hugh Dugan served as a special advisor to the President of the United States and supported eleven US Ambassadors to the United Nations. Daniel Wagner published twelve books and more than seven hundred pieces on global risk and knows the international financial institutions better than most.

This is not a ceremonial review of the UN or the IFIs. It’s a grounded conversation about why these institutions struggle to adapt, where they still add value, and what needs to shift for global cooperation to function in today’s world. If you want real talk from serious insiders, this one’s for you.

IFI Watch – A No Nonsense Sustainability Miniseries

Every two weeks, we check in on what our favourite international financial institutions (IFIs) are up to - what’s being funded, where, and why it matters. From climate resilience projects in small island states to massive infrastructure investments, we break down the latest disclosures and unpack what they really mean for communities, investors, and practitioners on the ground.

Short, conversational, and grounded in real-world context, IFI Watch by E&S Solutions helps you stay informed about the trends shaping sustainable finance and development - minus the jargon. For the full project disclosures newsletter subscribe on www.essolutions.ai

Brought to you by The No Nonsense Sustainability Podcast, hosted by Ildiko Almasi Simsic, this miniseries gives you the headlines behind the headlines and a glimpse into how global decisions ripple through local realities.

Senior Privacy Counsel Danie Strachan joins the show to explain how data protection applies to environmental and social work. The episode covers common legal blind spots, what the law requires, how to design practical data protection systems and new guidance being developed for IA practitioners. A clear and grounded conversation for anyone handling community or project data.