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

In this week's episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we bring you coverage of the annual S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit held in London on May 8.
 
We sit down with panelists on the sidelines of the event to discuss key conference themes, including data challenges related to climate, nature and the energy transition; the role that technology and innovation can play in addressing these challenges and the potentially transformative role of AI; and the challenge of sustaining economic growth in emerging markets while accelerating the transition. 
 
"We don't have enough actual innovation, we don't actually have enough quantum of finance going into developing countries," says Sagarika Chatterjee, Climate Finance Director and Finance Lead for the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions. "This is absolutely critical because this is where a lot of the emissions is going to come from. We can't change the past and the energy system of the past, but we can try to change the carbon that we have in future.” 
 
For emerging markets and developing countries, "the lack of data is the biggest problem," says Budha Bhattacharya, Head of Systematic Research at Lombard Odier Investment Managers. If companies in developing economies embrace sustainability, "a huge amount of capital unlocks," he tells us. 
 
Christopher Johnstone, a partner at management consultant Oliver Wyman, highlights the need for more asset-specific data to understand how companies will be impacted by climate change and biodiversity loss, and he explains the role AI could play here. He also talks to us about how approaches to sustainability are evolving around the world. 
 
"Historically people have seen the climate, sustainability or the ESG agenda as being a very Western agenda," Christopher says. "What I am more and more seeing is this is a core topic across lots of different emerging market economies — even a large number of economies that would traditionally be seen as oil-based. They see the energy transition as actually being a key economic enabler and a growth lever as they look to move away from oil over time." 
 
Listen to our interview from the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit with International Sustainability Standards Board Vice Chair Sue Lloyd: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/issb-vice-chair-sue-lloyd-talks-aligning-sustainability-standards-across-jurisdictions   
 
Less than half of the leading listed companies in the US have a net-zero target, according to the S&P Global Sustainable1 Net-Zero Commitments Tracker dataset. Read the research: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/net-zero-commitments-are-still-the-exception-for-top-us-companies-not-the-rule   
 
Read our research that uses the S&P Global Sustainable1 Nature & Biodiversity Risk Dataset to assess nature-related impacts and dependencies across a company’s direct operations: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/how-the-world-s-largest-companies-depend-on-nature-and-biodiversity  
 
Read research that uses the S&P Global Sustainable1 Physical Risk Exposure Scores and Financial Impact dataset to quantify the financial costs of climate change physical risks for companies: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/quantifying-the-financial-costs-of-climate-change-physical-risks 
 
We’ll be back next week with more coverage from the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in London. The next leg of the Summit will take place in Tokyo on June 6. Learn more here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/events/summit-2024  
 
This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global. 
 
Copyright ©2024 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,

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we’re taking you to London for the third annual S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit, where we sit down with International Sustainability Standards Board Vice Chair Sue Lloyd.
Sue was a keynote speaker at the conference, where sustainability leaders from across industries and the investment community gathered on May 8. In the interview, Sue discusses global uptake of the ISSB’s first two standards, launched in June 2023. She also tells us what to expect from the organization for the remainder of 2024 — including a big focus on helping jurisdictions around the world align with ISSB standards.
“The very, very strong message that we got when we went out with the drafts of the standards before we finalized them was we really needed to make sure that this was a truly global baseline — that it wasn’t only fit for purpose for the most well-resourced, sophisticated company in developed economics, but could be used by smaller companies in emerging markets,” Sue says.  

We’ll be back next week with more coverage from the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit in London. The next leg of the Summit will take place in Tokyo on June 6. Learn more here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/events/summit-2024  

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

Copyright ©2024 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.
S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. 

With about six months to go before the UN’s COP29 climate change conference in Azerbaijan, we’re talking with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Yergin about the role that diplomacy will play in facilitating solutions to climate change and the global energy transition.   

“Climate diplomacy has been really central to where we are right now in terms of both focusing on the issue and building international consensus and collaboration, and I think inclusivity is part of it, too,” says Daniel, who is Vice Chairman of S&P Global and Chairman of CERAWeek, the annual S&P Global conference in Houston, Texas that has been described as “the Davos of energy.”  

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, Daniel shares key takeaways from CERAWeek, where he was on stage with speakers like US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates and CEOs from some of the world’s largest energy companies. In our interview, he talks about the role of energy security, affordability and reliability in the current fraught geopolitical landscape. 

He also talks about balancing these demands with the urgency of climate change. And he discusses the role that technology will play in facilitating solutions to energy transition challenges.  

“The solutions are not going to be words or declarations — they're going to be technology and engineering,” Daniel says.   

Listen to all our coverage from the 2024 CERAWeek conference here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/events/ceraweek-2024  

Check out our coverage from Davos 2024 here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/key-sustainability-takeaways-from-davos-energy-transition-nature-and-the-rising-role-of-ai   

Listen to the episode where we cover highlights from COP28 in Dubai here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/climate-adaptation-finance-data-and-nature-what-we-learned-at-cop28  

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

Copyright ©2024 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.
S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

As part of our ongoing ‘Women in Leadership’ series of the ESG Insider podcast, we’re speaking with women CEOs and leaders from across industries and around the world to understand their path to the top.  

In today’s episode, we talk with Piyajit Ruckariyapong, CEO of Thailand-based Sappe, a family business producing a range of juice and health drinks sold around the world. 

Piyajit describes how her leadership style has changed significantly over a career that started in investment banking. In the CEO role at Sappe, she tells us she leads with a focus on teamwork and empathy, which she says “creates the playground for our company to be able to play together, experiment together.”  

She talks about building the company into a global brand and being named one of Forbes Asia’s Power Businesswomen in 2023. And she explains why women hold around 60% of senior management positions at Sappe, a figure that is significantly higher than global averages.  

Read the latest research on gender diversity in leadership from S&P Global Sustainable1 here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-in-leadership-what-s-the-holdup   

Listen to our 2023 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 ©2024 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.
S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

Ahead of Earth Day on April 22, we’re continuing our series on plastic with a look at steps some companies are taking to address the growing plastic pollution problem.  

The ESG Insider podcast launched the series ahead of international plastic treaty talks taking place in Ottawa, Canada April 23-29. More than 170 countries will gather to negotiate a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, with a view to agreeing on a global treaty by the end of 2024. 

In today’s episode, we talk to Dow, one of the world’s largest chemical and plastic production companies, to hear how it is approaching the challenge of pollution and waste alongside growing demand for plastic. 

We talk with the company's Lead Sustainability Director Jihane Ball and with Stephanie Kalil, Senior Global Business Director, Packaging & Specialty Plastics at Dow. Stephanie explains how Dow is working to change its business model for plastics.  

"We're shifting the business model from what has historically been a largely linear business model — where you basically make, sell, consume, then dispose — to more of a circular model, which is going to start with us designing with the end in mind so that we can ensure that all the products that we make are recyclable and delivering the lowest carbon footprint," Stephanie says. 

We hear the perspective of a company that uses plastic in its products and packaging in our interview with Allison Lin, Global Vice President of Packaging Sustainability at Mars, one of world’s the largest food and confectionary companies.    

And we hear about some of the emerging technology solutions for plastic waste in an interview with Adela Putinelu, Head of Policy and Sustainability at plastics recycling company Plastic Energy. 

Listen to the first episode in this series, titled "How plastic impacts companies, investors, public health and the environment": https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-plastic-impacts-companies-investors-public-health-and-the-environment  

Listen to the second episode in this series, titled "What's at stake in UN plastic pollution treaty talks:" https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/what-s-at-stake-in-un-plastic-pollution-treaty-talks 

And listen to our interview with Kevin Rabinovitch, Global Vice President of Sustainability and Chief Climate Officer at Mars: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-one-of-world-s-largest-food-companies-is-rethinking-supply-chains 

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

Copyright ©2024 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 code

More than 170 countries will gather in Ottawa, Canada between April 23 and April 29 to negotiate a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution with a view to agreeing on a global treaty by the end of 2024. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we’ll hear from stakeholders who will be present at the negotiations about key issues being debated and the potential implications. 

Willemijn Peeters discusses policies and actions to increase recycling and reuse of plastics and reduce plastic pollution. Willemijn is Founder and CEO of circularity consultancy Searious Business, which works with companies to manage their plastic use. She’s also an Adviser to the UN on the global plastics agreement. 

We speak to Carroll Muffett, CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law, a nonprofit advocacy organization. He says that transforming and reducing plastic production will be one of the key topics at the negotiations.  

"We are already overwhelmed with plastic pollution and the problem is only getting worse. The only way to address that is to dramatically and rapidly reduce the amount of plastics that are entering our world," Carroll says. "These negotiations should be a wake-up call to any business that is anchored in the continuing production and use of plastic." 

And we hear the industry perspective from Stewart Harris, Senior Director of Global Plastics Policy at the trade group the American Chemistry Council, who says demand for plastic will continue to grow.  

"Reaching an agreement where the majority of countries can join is an incredibly high priority for the plastics industry," he says. "When we get all the countries sitting around the table, we get an agreement where they can all join, that's what's going to drive and have the most impact in terms of solving this issue of plastic pollution." 

Listen to the first episode of our miniseries titled "How plastic impacts companies, investors, public health and the environment" here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/how-plastic-impacts-companies-investors-public-health-and-the-environment 
Listen to our third episode in this miniseries titled “What companies are doing to address the plastic pollution problem" here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/what-companies-are-doing-to-address-the-plastic-pollution-problem 

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

Copyright ©2024 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.