Frankly Speaking - A Podcast on Responsible Business

Frank Bold
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Frankly Speaking is a double award-winning podcast on responsible business by Frank Bold - discussing the latest political, legal and business developments in the field of ESG, business and human rights and corporate reporting. Host Richard Howitt is a pioneer in the field of corporate disclosure and former Member of the European Parliament. He speaks frankly and personally about what moves policy makers, business and activists to make responsible business the norm and last but not least - redefine business!

  1. Jun 23

    #113 Kathryn Dovey & Alex de Vries-Gao: Responsible AI - What You Need to Know

    From Responsible Business to Responsible AI: what you need to know and do. In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt is joined by two leading voices on AI and responsibility to cut through the hype and the fear around artificial intelligence and its environmental impact. From staggering data centre energy figures to algorithmic bias in HR tools, this conversation is essential listening for anyone in a sustainability or responsible business role who is trying to make sense of AI, and what their company should actually be doing about it. Kathryn Dovey is the Founder of Recalibrate, working on responsible business issues. She spent ten years at the OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct, including the period in which the OECD AI Principles were agreed. She is also the Founder of the career coaching consultancy Fallow Time. Alex de Vries-Gao is a data scientist and researcher at the Institute for Environmental Studies at VU Amsterdam, where he has undertaken extensive research on the environmental impact of AI. You will also hear about: How major US tech companies successfully lobbied the European Commission to keep environmental data from individual data centres out of the public domain The significant positive use cases for AI in sustainability from satellite data analysis tracking climate change and biodiversity, to breakthroughs in healthcare Why the Global South risks bearing the environmental costs of data centres while the benefits flow predominantly to the Global North, and how this echoes patterns seen with large infrastructure projects throughout history The key frameworks companies need to understand: the OECD AI Principles, the OECD Due Diligence Guidance, and the EU AI Act, and why the EU AI Act is a practical benchmark to start working towards now, even as it undergoes its simplification process Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  2. Jun 9

    #112 Nathalie Dogniez & Julian Toth: What Is the Current State of Responsible Investment?

    How does the field of responsible investment compare to a decade ago?  In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Nathalie Dogniez, chair of Eurosif and Independent Director of The Director’s Office, and Julian Toth, Executive Director of the Czech Sustainable Investment Forum and Investment Manager at Soulmates Ventures.  Together they discussed the ESG backlash against sustainable finance, as well as their verdict on what the field looks like post Omnibus 1. You’ll also hear about:  Eurosif’s recent discussion paper on responsible investment in defence   To what extent the value chain cap in the CSRD will limit the information that investors need   Whether or not the EU Green Deal is still alive   Nathalie’s position on SFDR 2.0  Why Omnibus 1 represents a significant step backwards  Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  3. May 27

    #111 John Morrison: Why Sustainability Will Come Back Stronger

    What have been the most significant improvements in business and human rights over the past 15 years, and what has lagged behind?  In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by John Morrison, founder and former CEO of the Institute for Business and Human Rights.   Together they assessed to what extent sustainability and business and human rights have become the new orthodoxy, and what this means for the success of both movements. You’ll also hear about:  The vital importance of trust between companies and communities in improving business and human rights  The detrimental impacts of green hushing on progress in both sustainability and business and human rights   What is the best approach to measuring progress on sustainability   Why John is confident that sustainability will come back from the current backlash   What the business and human rights field may look like in ten or fifteen years’ time  The key arguments in John’s new book ‘Remaking Sustainability’, including what sustainability advocates have got wrong   Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  4. May 12

    #110 Filip Gregor & Simon Braaksma: New EU Sustainability Standards Just Released - What Now?

    Just last week, the European Commission published its draft Delegated Regulation on the revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards. What does this mean for EU business?  In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Simon Braaksma, Global Head of Sustainability Reporting at Philips and Filip Gregor, Frank Bold’s own Head of Responsible Companies Section, both of whom are members of EFRAG’s Sustainability Reporting Board and TEG.  Together they discussed the overview of the changes, including their overarching assessment of the revised standards. You’ll hear about:  How important this latest change is for corporates and why companies should take part in the public consultation   Why the European Commission ultimately held the line on the concept of double materiality in the revised ESRS, in response to the ISSB’s calls to separate financial from impact materiality   The further change to the value chain cap and its consequences for businesses  What the revision on human rights violations only applying to ‘substantiated cases’ means in practice  The significance of the new draft voluntary standards for SMEs  Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  5. May 5

    #109 Jeremy Nicholls: Why Accountants Aren't Saving the World

    Current financial accounting methods are responsible for causing environmental and social harm across the world – but how can this be remedied?  In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Jeremy Nicholls, co-founder and former Chief Executive of Social Value International and Ashoka Fellow at the University of Liverpool. Jeremy previously worked for PwC as well as on the United Nations Development Programme’s SDG Impact Standards.  Together they discussed Jeremy’s new book ‘The Accountancy Paradox: How Financial Accounting is Damaging the World (But Can Help Repair It)’  You’ll also hear about:  The history of accounting and the moment which solidified it around users’ expectation of financial returns rather than external social and environment costs  Why Jeremy believes current ESG approaches including sustainability reporting don’t really solve the heart of the problem   Practical solutions to how to fix the financial accounting system, including revising its conceptual framework to include wellbeing accounting   Why the argument that externalities should be internalised is more important than ever in today’s world   The role of lack of faith, spirituality and moral codes in human-caused environmental and social harm   Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  6. Apr 21

    #108 Andreas Beckmann: The Role of Business in Nature Restoration

    How can businesses help to protect freshwater ecosystems, biodiversity, and habitats?  In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Andreas Beckmann, Regional CEO at WWF Central and Eastern Europe, which works on protecting ecosystems and habitats in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine.  Together they discussed the business case for action on nature and how WWF-CEE has worked with companies such as the Coca-Cola Company and Tesco on conservation and restoration of rivers and wetlands in the region.  You’ll also hear about:  WWF-CEE's award-winning work on the Living Danube Partnership to protect the EU’s longest river   The implications of the Ukraine war on the country’s protected environmental spaces, with around 40% of them being damaged   How Central and Eastern Europe is the ‘green heart’ of Europe and why its precious biodiversity urgently needs to be protected   Andreas’s message to EU lawmakers working on the Water Framework Directive and Nature Restoration Regulation  The balancing act environmental NGOs face in having genuine partnerships with companies whilst also being free to criticise and hold them to account  Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  7. Apr 8

    #107 Finn Schufft & Emirali Karadoğan: What the German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) Shows About Due Diligence Law in Practice

    How has Germany’s national due diligence legislation been working so far?  In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Finn Schufft, Corporate Responsibility Officer at Germanwatch and Emirali Karadoğan, Researcher and Trade Union Expert for the Turkish trade union Tez-Koop-İş, that was featured in Germanwatch’s report on the main impacts so far of the German supply chain act.  Together they discussed the key findings of the Germanwatch report, including the crucial challenge of enforceability of due diligence legislation. You’ll also hear about:  How the German law directly helped to support the right to freedom of association in Turkey   Why due diligence is so important in protecting and enforcing good labour standards, and why ILO conventions, OECD national guidelines and local labour laws are not enough  The impact of the CSDDD replacing the LkSG in Germany, especially in terms of companies covered  How debates on responsible business are advancing in Turkey   Finn’s overarching message to Europe based on the study’s findings   Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  8. Mar 25

    #106 Alina Laszlo-Orth & Tereza Fialová: How the EU Grid Package Will Impact the Business Energy Transition

    What does the proposed European Grid Package mean for the future of the energy industry?  In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Alina Laszlo-Orth, Head of EU Affairs at E.ON and Tereza Fialová, lawyer at the Responsible Energy Team at Frank Bold.  Together they discussed the European Commission’s EU Grid Package, and whether it goes far enough in guaranteeing the energy transition in Europe. You’ll also hear about:  E.ON’s progress on expanding their use of renewables – with the company recently hitting the milestone of two million renewable assets being connected into their German grid   What the EU Grid Package will mean for energy companies like E.ON  Why the grid urgently needs to be modernised in order to ensure a sufficient supply of affordable, clean and secure energy   Why the grid’s existing ‘first come, first served’ principle should be replaced by ‘first ready, first served,’ according to Responsible Energy’s report on how to improve the grid in Europe   How reducing the cost of energy and supporting the energy transition go hand-in-hand  The crucial relationship between the energy transition and greater strategic autonomy on energy for Europe   Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

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About

Frankly Speaking is a double award-winning podcast on responsible business by Frank Bold - discussing the latest political, legal and business developments in the field of ESG, business and human rights and corporate reporting. Host Richard Howitt is a pioneer in the field of corporate disclosure and former Member of the European Parliament. He speaks frankly and personally about what moves policy makers, business and activists to make responsible business the norm and last but not least - redefine business!

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