Sustainability Now

MSCI ESG Research LLC
  • 4.5 (2)
  • Investing
  • Updated weekly

News and investment research brought to you weekly covering major market trends and new research insights. With topics ranging from climate impact on investment portfolios, corporate actions, trending investment topics, and emerging sustainability issues, hosts Mike Disabato and Bentley Kaplan of MSCI ESG Research walk through the latest news and research that is top of mind for the week. 

  1. 7 hr ago

    Sustainable Finance Summit, Part 4: Rheia Khalaf and Harlan Tufford

    This is the episode four of four we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panelists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. And, fittingly, this last one is on AI. In this episode, Rheia Khalaf, who leads financial sector collaborations at Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, discusses what she sees when a large, traditional company - the kind that turns like a tanker - decides to bring AI into its systems. She explains why the gap is rarely the technology itself but the governance that can't keep pace with it, from the concentration risk of leaning on a handful of major providers to the "shadow AI" and confidentiality gaps that open up when everyone is vibe coding. She also weighs the other side of the ledger - drug discovery, better climate prediction - against the real environmental cost of the data centers, and the water, energy and materials, that power it all. You'll also hear from Harlan Tufford of MSCI Sustainability & Climate, on a new model he and his colleagues are building to assess which industries AI is most likely to disrupt - and support. He explores the tension between efficiency gains and job loss, why a figure like sixty percent of labor being automatable is a hypothetical maximum rather than a forecast, and how a company's economic moat decides whether the benefits of automation flow to the company, its competitors, or its customers. He also gets into what gets priced in first - the chatbots automating knowledge work, or the robots that come after. Enjoy!! Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guests: Rheia Khalaf, Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute; Harlan Tufford, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

  2. 14 Jul

    Sustainable Finance Summit, Part 3: Matthew Lawton and Rik Logtenberg

    This is the third of four episodes we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panelists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. In this episode, Matthew Lawton, Head of Impact Fixed Income at T. Rowe Price, discusses what makes a blue economy bond credible and impactful, from the alignment of the issuer to the credibility of the proceeds. He explores why emerging markets are leading the global north on blue finance, where the biggest growth is likely to come from - desalination, sustainable shipping and clean drinking water - and how anchoring smaller deals can crowd in capital and scale the market. You'll also hear from Rik Logtenberg, director of CanAdapt and a city councilmember of Nelson City, on what repeated climate disasters do to a community and why you can't simply build back the same. He also discusses the coordination problem at the heart of adaptation - the workforce, materials, funding and policy that all have to come together at once - and why municipalities carry the responsibility for resilience without the authority to deliver it. Enjoy!! Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guests: Matthew Lawton, T. Rowe Price; Rik Logtenberg, CanAdapt Episode Reading T. Rowe Price: The Blue Economy Climate Risk Institute

  3. 26 Jun

    Sustainable Finance Summit Pt. 2: Eric Usher and Brian Kernohan

    This is the second of four episodes we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panelists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. In this episode, Eric Usher, head of the UN Environmental Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), discusses why banks and insurers continue to make progress on their climate commitments despite recent headlines. He explores the global pace of the electric-vehicle transition, the business case for sustainable finance and why leading banks can benefit from lower funding costs.  You’ll also hear from Brian Kernohan, chief sustainability officer at Manulife Investment Management, on why social issues, including housing affordability, income inequality and financial inclusion, deserve greater attention alongside carbon and nature. He also discusses the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD) and its potential to make social impacts more measurable for investors. Enjoy!! Host: Mike Disabato Guests: Eric Usher, UNEP FI; Brian Kernohan, Manulife IM Episode Reading: UN Environmental Programme Finance Initiative Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures | TISFD Global Initiative

  4. 19 Jun

    Sustainable Finance Summit Pt.1: Sarah Kapnick and John E. Morton

    This is the first of four episodes we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panellists at their Sustainable Finance Summit.  Today you'll hear from Dr. Sarah Kapnick, the ex-chief scientist of NOAA and how global head of climate advisory at JPMorgan, talking about the weirdening of our natural world is impact all our resources - from drought and the Colorado River to the soil health and how fertilizer shocks are hitting your food supply. And John E. Morton Head of Nature Finance and Investment at the World Wildlife Fund discussing why half of global GDP depends on nature becoming as important as climate in the eyes of investors. Enjoy! Episode Reading: Climate Intuition: Food security: The fates of farming and food in a warming world Climate Intuition: Food security under pressure: Iran conflict disruptions and a brewing El Niño Integrating nature into financial decision-making   Guests: Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Dr. Sarah Kapnick, JPMorgan & John E. Morton, World Wildlife Fund

  5. 22 May

    Hormuz and the Fertilizer Fault Line

    When conflict disrupted gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year, attention focused on gas prices and shipping lanes. But the shock travelled further — quietly rippling through fertilizer markets, where some producers were hit far harder than others, revealing how location-based risk can emerge deep within a supply chain. Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Cole Martin, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

  6. 8 May

    BP’s AGM Was Contentious: This Proxy Season Could Be Too

    After the SEC stepped back from shareholder proposal oversight, courts stepped in. We take a look at early signals from this year’s proxy season and whether we're seeing a structural shift in shareholder rights. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Jonathan Ponder, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

  7. 24 Apr

    Is This How Oil Ends?

    On February 28, the Strait of Hormuz shut down, stranding 20% of the world's crude exports and 20% of global LNG capacity. Energy crises usually send the world running back to coal; but this time, coal generation outside China actually fell, while wind, solar, and batteries picked up the slack. Host Mike Disabato talks with MSCI's Chris Cote about whether a war in the Middle East just accelerated the end of fossil fuels, which industries can pivot now, and why countries burned twice by energy dependence may never go back.  Episode reading: The Opportunity in Energy Disruption — Batteries Included Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Chris Cote, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

  8. 10 Apr

    Are Investors Missing Biodiversity Risk?

    For years, biodiversity risk has been a blind spot for investors — difficult to measure and even harder to link to financial performance. But that’s starting to change. In this episode, we explore how more granular, location-based data is helping investors see where companies are truly exposed to nature-related risks.  Host: Gabriela da la Serna, MSCI Research & Development Guest: Bettina Meyer, MSCI Research & Development

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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
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About

News and investment research brought to you weekly covering major market trends and new research insights. With topics ranging from climate impact on investment portfolios, corporate actions, trending investment topics, and emerging sustainability issues, hosts Mike Disabato and Bentley Kaplan of MSCI ESG Research walk through the latest news and research that is top of mind for the week. 

Information

  • Creator
    MSCI ESG Research LLC
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    338
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 MSCI ESG Research LLC
  • Show Website
    Sustainability Now

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