ESG Insider: A podcast from S&P Global S&P Global

The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, also known as COP28, gets underway at the end of November and includes a thematic program focusing on key topics on different days of the event. One of those themes is a day devoted to gender equality, and discussions will focus on topics such as why climate policy should consider gender equality and why women can be disproportionately impacted by climate change. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we delve into the intersection of gender equality and climate ahead of the event.  

We speak to Shruti Sharma, Senior Policy Advisor at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, a think tank headquartered in Canada. Shruti is based in India and has conducted research into the impact of fossil fuel subsidy reforms on women.  

“The climate crisis is not gender neutral,” she tells us. “It is impacting women disproportionately more. A major reason for that is that women are traditionally responsible for securing food, water and fuel. And so when a climate crisis or event occurs, that tends to exacerbate that disproportional burden on women even more.”  

We also talk to Michelle Li, Founder and Executive Director of Women and Climate, a nonprofit networking group for women interested in climate change. She explains why gender equality plays an integral part in the transition to a green economy.  

“The power players and the really technical industries that are going to help us transition to a greener economy, so to speak, those are mainly led by men,” Michelle tells us. “So we have to create space for women.”  

Learn about events S&P Global Sustainable1 is hosting during COP28 here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/events/cop28-in-person-event 

You can read the latest research on gender diversity from S&P Global here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/breaking-boundaries-women-poised-for-milestone-achievement-in-parity-amid-otherwise-bleak-outlook 

Listen to all the episodes in our Women in Leadership podcast series here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-in-leadership 

 
This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.      

 
Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global     

 
DISCLAIMER     

 
By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. 

 

Every year we bring you coverage of the ‘Conference of the Parties,’ or COP, the annual UN summit that convenes world leaders to work together on solutions to tackle climate change. This year’s conference, COP28, takes place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates starting Nov. 30.  

In today’s episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we’re talking about what to expect from the gathering, including what’s at stake and what big themes will be discussed. 

We talk to Saugata Saha, President of S&P Global Commodity Insights. He explains the significance of the first-ever global stocktake that will be discussed and finalized at COP28. The stocktake is a process for countries and stakeholders to assess progress toward meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Saugata also talks about the path to phasedown and phaseout of fossil fuels. 

And we talk to Dan Feldman, a former ambassador who served as Chief of Staff and Counselor to US Secretary John Kerry when he was appointed the first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate by US President Joe Biden. Dan is now Co-Chair of the ESG and Business & Human Rights practices at law firm Covington & Burling. He explains how the conference will unfold and the different players involved from both the public and the private sector.    

“We need to have everyone here under the tent,” Dan says. "Everyone, including the private sector, has a really significant role to play." 

Learn about events S&P Global Sustainable1 is hosting during COP28 here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/events/cop28-in-person-event 

Read COP28 insights from S&P Global Commodity Insights here: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/topics/2023-climate-change-conference-unfccc-cop28  

Listen to a previous podcast episode on the topic of Article 6 here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/at-cop26-why-article-6-matters-to-companies-and-investors  

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.     

Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global    

DISCLAIMER    

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. 

 

This week on the ESG Insider podcast, we’re talking to one of the world’s largest banks about the landscape for climate disclosure rules and standards. 

We sit down with Citigroup Chief Sustainability Officer Val Smith. She talks about how Citi is approaching the energy transition with clients; how investor expectations around climate disclosure are changing; and the challenges of climate data.    

As a global bank with roughly $2.4 trillion in assets and operations on the ground in 95 countries, Citi works across many different sectors of the economy. The companies it lends to have different kinds of environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions. For a bank, those financed emissions are Scope 3 emissions.    

In the episode, Val explains Citi’s net-zero goals and how the bank is approaching Scope 3 emissions in light of evolving climate disclosure regulations and standards. She says this changing landscape has made more collaboration necessary among different teams at the company — from sustainability to finance to legal.  

"In the mandatory disclosure space it's like exam week every week," Val says. “It's an incredibly active moving space with a lot of expectations, and it really does require that top-of-the-house, front-of-the-office collaboration between lots of different teams with different cultures to be able to execute and meet the expectations."    

Listen to last week’s episode, featuring all our interviews from the ESG Insider Live event: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/live-what-to-expect-from-the-evolving-climate-disclosure-landscape  

Hear more of our interviews about how financial institutions are approaching Scope 3 emissions: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/why-bank-of-america-says-scope-3-emissions-biggest-challenge-for-banks  

https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-financial-institutions-are-tackling-scope-3-financed-emissions  

Read research from S&P Global Sustainable1 on Scope 3 financed emissions here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/financed-emissions-are-missing-from-many-firms-net-zero-plans     

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.    

Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global   

DISCLAIMER   

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.

Last week, we took the ESG Insider podcast on the road for an in-person event in New York City about the evolving climate disclosure landscape. In this episode, we bring you highlights from our interviews at this ESG Insider Live event: 

Emily Pierce, Chief Global Policy Officer at climate software firm Persefoni, discusses the US regulatory outlook. She talks about what to expect from the pending climate disclosure rule from the US Securities and Exchange Commission — including how the SEC will approach Scope 3 emissions in the final rule.    
Neil Stewart talks to us about the global landscape for climate disclosures. Neil is the New York-based Director of Corporate Outreach for the IFRS Foundation, which formed the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).  
Tim Mohin tells us about the challenges companies face in getting to grips with this landscape. Tim is the former chief executive of sustainability standards organization the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and a partner and director in climate and sustainability at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). 
Val Smith, Chief Sustainability Officer at big bank Citigroup, provides a financial institution’s perspective. She describes how investor expectations around sustainability reporting have evolved. Tune into next week’s episode to hear more of our interview with Val.   

Learn more about the ESG Insider Live event hosted by S&P Global Market Intelligence on Oct. 19, 2023: https://events.spglobal.com/event/2f756e86-5dd7-40d1-b729-cc859e40be5f/summary  

Listen to our previous ESG Insider Live episode here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/live-the-year-the-human-component-of-nature-and-climate-comes-to-the-fore  

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.   

Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global  

DISCLAIMER  

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. 

Today’s episode of the ESG Insider podcast explores several big themes from Climate Week NYC that will inform conversations at COP28, the UN’s climate conference taking place in Dubai later this year.  

Our guests talk about closing the climate finance gap; the role of partnerships and collaboration in driving decarbonization; and how credible and just transition plans will incorporate the needs and voices of local communities.

In the episode we speak to: 

-Julia Thayne, Senior Principal on the Climate-Aligned Industries Program at RMI, formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Institute; RMI is a US-based nonprofit focused on the clean energy transition 

-Marcus Krembs, Head of Sustainability for the US and Canada at Enel North America, a subsidiary of the Enel Group 

-Sonia Khanna, Managing Director of Sustainable Finance at Maryland-based Forbright Bank, which is focused on accelerating the transition to a sustainable, clean energy economy   

-Gerbrand Haverkamp, Executive Director at the World Benchmarking Alliance, a nonprofit that assesses companies on their contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

Listen to our episode featuring Christopher Creed, Chief Investment Officer of the US Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-climate-conversations-are-shifting-to-concrete-solutions-faster-action  

Listen to last week's part one round-up of themes from Climate Week NYC here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-climate-conversations-are-shifting-to-concrete-solutions-faster-action   

Read about the five big ideas from Climate Week NYC that S&P Global Sustainable1 is bringing to COP28 here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/5-big-ideas-from-climate-week-nyc-that-samp-p-global-sustainable1-is-bringing-to-cop28   

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.  

Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global 

DISCLAIMER 

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. 

In today's episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we're exploring several of the big themes we heard about at Climate Week NYC that will inform conversations at COP28, the UN’s climate conference taking place in Dubai later this year.  

We’ll hear how Climate Week was marked by a focus on implementing concrete solutions at speed. We'll explore the challenges around data availability and disclosure. And we'll hear how the physical impacts of climate change are affecting the insurance sector. 

In the episode we speak to: 

-Gerbrand Haverkamp, Executive Director at the World Benchmarking Alliance, a nonprofit that assesses companies on their contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

-Carine Smith Ihenacho, Chief Governance and Compliance Officer at Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, and has about $1.4 trillion in assets under management. 

-Sonia Khanna, Managing Director of Sustainable Finance at Maryland-based Forbright Bank, which is focused on accelerating the transition to a sustainable, clean energy economy.  

-Charlie Sidoti, Executive Director of Innsure, a nonprofit focused on closing the protection gap that exists between economic losses tied to climate change and insured losses. 

Register here to attend the ESG Insider Live event taking place on Oct. 19, 2024, in New York City: https://events.spglobal.com/event/2f756e86-5dd7-40d1-b729-cc859e40be5f/register  

Read about the 5 big ideas from Climate Week NYC that S&P Global Sustainable1 is bringing to COP28 here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/5-big-ideas-from-climate-week-nyc-that-samp-p-global-sustainable1-is-bringing-to-cop28  

Listen to our episode featuring Dr. Sarah Kapnick, Chief Scientist for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-noaa-is-working-to-turn-climate-science-into-action  

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.  

Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global 

DISCLAIMER 

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.