The Transition Tapes

International Sustainable Finance Centre (ISFC)

The funky podcast for the people making finance sustainable and financing sustainability. The world already has a lot of podcasts. What it does not have is a podcast that combines challenging interviews, Desert Island Discs and deep insights into the cultural, political and professional hurdles of sustainable finance and how they are overcome by experts (AKA humans!). Hosted by Hugh Wheelan, award-winning finance journalist with 25+ years experience and a media entrepreneur. He was the co-founder of Responsible Investor in 2006. https://www.isfc.org/the-transition-tapes

Episodes

  1. Episode 4 | Lisa Sachs: Reality checks on sustainable finance thinking

    02/12/2025

    Episode 4 | Lisa Sachs: Reality checks on sustainable finance thinking

    Lisa Sachs is Director of the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, part of the Climate School at Columbia University in New York. She is also the author of a smart and trenchant set of reality check articles on LinkedIn. In the latest episode of The Transition Tapes, Lisa talks with Hugh Wheelan about why she’s challenging thinking on sustainable finance and how a renewed vision can help re-shape the future of sustainability planning. Hear Lisa talk about:  How a positive impact vision of laws and governance could shape finance, investment flows and practices, and renew positive multilateralism.Why sustainability reporting has become a frustrating ‘end’, rather than a means, due in part to the risk focus of Mark Carney's Tragedy of the Horizon’s speech 10 years ago.The challenge of bringing scientists, engineers and financiers together for co-ordinated planning for public goods.Why sustainable finance is like trying to pilot a broken plane through turbulence, and why it’s painful to watch failed radar for climate finance now being applied with gusto to biodiversity!    While Lisa loves many types of music for dancing and relaxing, she also talks about why music has taken on a therapeutic role for her in a world of daunting sustainability challenges!  Don’t miss her top ten Transition Tapes playlist! Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1NgBEFWhN8gpDUsqqDqEkp?si=J9K_jhsqQZq_vEDHQrWBsg Apple Playlist: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/the-transition-tapes-lisa-sachs/pl.u-r2yB1aBu9B18pv

    52 min
  2. Episode 3 | Nell Minow: The serious threat to shareholder voting in the US on climate and sustainability risks, and beyond

    18/11/2025

    Episode 3 | Nell Minow: The serious threat to shareholder voting in the US on climate and sustainability risks, and beyond

    In the third episode of the Transition Tapes, HughWheelan talks with Nell Minow, who BusinessWeek called "the queen of good corporate governance" and Fortune magazine dubbed "the CEO killer". Minow is Chair of ValueEdgeAdvisors, Co-founder and Director of GMI Ratings, and a former President of ISS.  This is a crucial time for shareholder rights in the US financial system, which are under heavy attack from regulators in Texas and other states, in moves which, if successful, could neuter climate and sustainability proxy voting. What some people may not know is that Nell is also a total movie buff, and for years has written a magazine column under the moniker of the Movie Mom. Check out her great corporate governance movie references! Hear: Nell talk about the origins of the business model of proxy voting agencies.How shareholders getting directors with climate change expertise nominated to the board of ExxonMobil precipitated the latest devastating attack on shareholder rights. How Nell defended proxy voting agencies in front of the US Congress.What the implications of the regulatory attack on shareholders rights could be?Nell’s favourite ‘corporate governance’ movies, her Transition Tapes music playlist, and career advice.  Nell's Transition Tapes Playlist: SpotifyApple music

    43 min
  3. Episode 2 | Sean Kidney: From zero to trillions in green bonds…how?

    07/11/2025

    Episode 2 | Sean Kidney: From zero to trillions in green bonds…how?

    In the second episode of The Transition Tapes, we’re talking with Sean Kidney, CEO and Co-founder of the Climate Bonds Initiative about its theory of change, and the scaling of an organisation that helped birth a market of trillions of assets in climate and sustainability bonds. How does that actually happen? Sean explains how his interest in using finance to lower costs for critical societal issues became a catalyst for change. His driving principle: "Follow the Money", get finance to decide it has to change, then look for ways for the money to express itself. Hugh Wheelan challenges Sean on a crucial question: if green bonds have scaled to trillions, why are CO₂ emissions still rising? Sean also reveals where the only reported green bond scam happened (you might be surprised), and shares how simple net-zero planning incentives could turbocharge the green bond market for property development. Beyond the work, we explore Sean's preferred books, his Transition Tapes playlist and the career advice he offers to the next generation of sustainability leaders. Sean's Transition Tapes playlists: Spotify Apple Music

    40 min
  4. Episode 1 | Mark Campanale: The carbon bubble and stranded assets…when?

    29/10/2025

    Episode 1 | Mark Campanale: The carbon bubble and stranded assets…when?

    In this first episode of The Transition Tapes, Mark Campanale, founder of Carbon Tracker, walks us through his career, the origin story of Carbon and Planet Tracker, and the Theory of Change behind it, on unburnable carbon and stranded assets. He reflects on how a month stranded in the desert sparked a lifelong mission to connect sustainability with economic history and finance. He also shares his view on the EU Green Taxonomy and why he believes it's "a solution looking for a problem." Beyond the work, we explore Mark's Transition Tapes playlist - from Latin rock and Neapolitan songs to UK folk blues, US psychedelia, and even a Mahler symphony - and the career advice he wishes he’d received earlier. Mark's Transition Tapes playlists: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5arQoUvyvEomCbf7QZyYn0?si=8_X7YKTISEKJkfRbnuA_3w Apple: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/mark-campanale-the-transition-tapes/pl.u-EdAVzMbtX4lxP8 Tracks from Mark's playlist: Spring Manifestations, SantanaO Zampugnaro:O SarrasinoThe Associates, Party Fears TwoAlbum Kind of Blue, Miles Davis (first track)Solid Air, John Martyn Gong, MasterbuilderJefferson Airplane - House at Pooneil CornersDean by Terry Reid;  Milk and Honey by Sandy DennyStabat Mater, Vivaldi  Mahler, Symphony No5, the Adagietto ‘Reflection’ by the Pentangle

    50 min

  5. TRAILER

    The Transition Tapes - Trailer

    The world already has a lot of podcasts. What it does not have is a podcast that combines challenging interviews, Desert Island Discs and deep insights into the cultural, political and professional hurdles of sustainable finance and how they are overcome by experts. (AKA humans!). As well as going deep on their professional fields of expertise and the current global sustainable finance context, we will really get to know our guests by asking: What books and movies do you love? And why? What music is the soundtrack to your life? What music do you work to, dance to, get romantic to, get inspired by? Guests will compile a Spotify/Apple Music playlist that will be linked to the pod: their compilation tape! What is the advice that you wish somebody had given you at the start of your career in sustainable finance? What advice would you give to others in the ESG field?

    20 sec

Trailer

About

The funky podcast for the people making finance sustainable and financing sustainability. The world already has a lot of podcasts. What it does not have is a podcast that combines challenging interviews, Desert Island Discs and deep insights into the cultural, political and professional hurdles of sustainable finance and how they are overcome by experts (AKA humans!). Hosted by Hugh Wheelan, award-winning finance journalist with 25+ years experience and a media entrepreneur. He was the co-founder of Responsible Investor in 2006. https://www.isfc.org/the-transition-tapes

Information

  • Creator
    International Sustainable Finance Centre (ISFC)
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © International Sustainable Finance Centre (ISFC)
  • Show Website
    The Transition Tapes

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