In this episode, host Josina Kamerling has a discussion with Thierry Philipponnat, Chief Economist, Finance Watch, about the banks’ efforts to building a sustainable economy and the challenges of the net zero transition for banks.

2023 was a year of milestones for regulations and standards to improve sustainable investment transparency, comparability, and credibility. In this episode of The Sustainability Story, host Deborah Kidd, CFA, talks with James Alexander, chief executive at UKSIF. They discuss the new UK regulation for sustainable investment product labels, the IFRS international corporate sustainability disclosure standards, and the establishment of harmonized definitions for key responsible investment terms by the PRI, GSIA, and CFA Institute. James shares his views on the successes of the past year and the work that still needs to be done to create a sustainable finance system.

 In this episode of the Sustainability Story podcast, Andres Vinelli is joined by Harriet Waters, the head of environmental sustainability at the University of Oxford. Harriet shares the highlights of Oxford's sustainability journey and explores the lessons learned that can be applied to other organizations. She discusses her personal journey into environmental issues and how she became involved in the field. Tune in to learn about Oxford's sustainability strategy and gain valuable insights for your own sustainability initiatives.

In this episode of The Sustainability Story, host Sandy Peters is joined by Brian Tomlinson, a managing director in Ernst & Young's financial accounting and advisory services practice. They discuss the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and its impact on non-EU-based multinationals. While the extraterritorial nature of the EU's reporting requirements may be known among policy experts, it is less understood by US companies and investors. The episode delves into the potential implications and importance of this directive for sustainability reporting and investment decision making.

As the world economy transitions from high carbon to low carbon, the largest global investment in history is underway. In this episode of The Sustainability Story, host Deborah Kidd, CFA, talks climate bonds, transition, and policy with Sean Kidney, CEO of Climate Bonds Initiative, an international NGO working to mobilize global capital for climate action. Learn how bond investors can both drive change and profit from a world that is rapidly evolving, and why Sean says the policy action he’s seeing fills him with hope at what he calls our 11th hour.

Josina Kamerling, Head of Regulatory Outreach EMEA at CFA Institute, and Rob Bauer, Professor of Finance at School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, and co-author of the paper “Private Shareholder Engagements on Material ESG Issues,” discuss the main findings of his research and how private engagements can address financially material ESG issues while contributing to firm performance.

Read the full report here: https://cfainst.is/3F9YbdT

In this episode of The Sustainability Story, host Andres Vinelli interviews Dr. Spencer Glendon, founder of Probable Futures—a nonprofit organization focused on climate science accessibility from the CFA Institute Climate Risk and Returns conference. Dr. Glendon, an expert on climate change with a background in finance and economics, shares his journey and the importance of climate literacy. He explains the importance of climate literacy and how it intersects with environmental issues. Tune in to gain insights into the work being done to influence the conversation on climate change.   Visit https://probablefutures.org to access interactive maps, science, historical context, and stories to help visualize a range of possible climate futures.

In this episode of the Sustainability Story, we tackle two areas of mass confusion in the world of sustainable investing: what should be done about the divergence in ESG ratings, and what works and doesn't work in impact investing. Deborah Kidd, CFA, talks with Dr. Julian Kölbel, Assistant Professor in Sustainable Finance at the Center for Financial Services Innovation at the University of St. Gallen and Research Associate at MIT Sloan, where he co-founded the Aggregate Confusion Project. Julian is also host of the podcast Innovations in Sustainable Finance.

https://fsi.unisg.ch/en/insights/innovations-in-sustainable-finance/

With an estimated one-third of the world's assets under management being managed sustainably, ESG ratings have come under increasing scrutiny by regulators. We discuss issues around the reliability of ESG ratings, whether they should be regulated, and how investors can make sense of them. Our conversation then turns to impact investing, where we learn about evidence-based strategies and the key component necessary for actually making an impact.

Are you ready to crack the code on sustainable investing? We promise a plethora of insights in our thought-provoking conversation with Brian Minns, CFA, the Managing Director of Responsible Investing at University Pension Plan Ontario. Fusing his engineering acumen with financial expertise, Brian is at the forefront of driving environmental, social, and governance (ESG) values in investments. Not only will you hear about his transformative journey from engineer to finance guru, but he also reveals how he co-founded the Canadian Responsible Investment Working Group and illuminates the ongoing growth in understanding sustainable finance among professionals.   Fasten your seat belts as we navigate through the second half of our discussion, where Brian takes the wheel, guiding us through the University Pension Plan's approach to integrating ESG factors into their investment process. He tackles the tough questions around proxy voting, greenwashing and how to assess partners effectively. In an especially riveting segment, we confront the looming hurdles in our race towards net zero emissions — a challenge that demands rapid emissions reductions, regulatory intervention, and carbon pricing. Brian's compelling call-to-action encourages us all to start addressing environmental issues and climate change — it's an episode that's sure to spark your curiosity and leave you inspired!

Discover the ins and outs of sustainability regulations in the EU with Patrik Karlsson, a senior policy officer at the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), and Josina Kamerling, head of regulatory outreach for CFA Institute for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region at CFA Institute. Gain valuable insights into the Sustainable Financial Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and its implementation, as well as the ongoing consultation on some changes to the requirements. Patrick shares his thoughts on greenwashing, the role of ESMA and other European Supervisory Authorities in applying SFDR, and the importance of acknowledging the responsibility of the finance sector to provide disclosure.

Dive deeper into the complex world of financial services rulemaking in the EU as we explore the framework law, regulatory and implementing technical standards, guidance and Q&A's, and supervisory convergence in relation to SFDR. Learn about the importance of case studies as a tool for illustrating how the rules are meant to be applied and the consultation paper on tweaks recently issued by ESMA. Additional topics include the significance of close collaboration between financial market participants and regulators, the EU's dynamic process for regulation making, the UK's proposed measures to address greenwashing, the FCA's labeling regime, and the call for evidence on the fund naming process to help prevent greenwashing. Don't miss this enlightening conversation with Patrik Karlsson on the complexities of sustainability disclosures and the crucial role of regulation in preventing greenwashing.