Frankly Speaking - A Podcast on Responsible Business

Frank Bold

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. 1d ago

    #124 Data Centre Expansion: Can the EU Achieve AI Sovereignty?

    Alongside the topics you already know, we're excited to add a new topic pillar to the podcast: AI and sustainability. As sustainability professionals continue to grapple with all the ethical questions around artificial intelligence, we ask who is really benefiting and what would be needed for Europe and European business to have genuine sovereignty over AI and its use. To discuss this, Richard Howitt welcomed Margarida Silva, Senior Researcher in Tech and Misa Norigami, Corporate Researcher for the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, SOMO. They co-authored a recent study on the EU’s data centre expansion and how it benefits US Big tech and investors. In this episode you will hear more about: The European Commission’s plan to triple the data centre capacity in the next 5-7 years Which companies are building - or plan to build - data centres in the European Union The corporate lobbying techniques used to target  the U.S Tech Regulation, the Digital Markets Act, and the Digital Service Act. How AI developments are now seen as a geopolitical race between the EU, US and China What’s in the European Technological Sovereignty Package and in particular, how the EU Commission plans to request Member States to have a data centre acceleration zone Follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  2. Oct 21

    #123 Have the CSRD and European standards delivered on sustainability?

    ** The Frankly Speaking podcast has been selected as a finalist for the sixth annual Anthem Awards, recognizing work in sustainability, environment and social impact. Help us bring our conversations on responsible business to a wider audience and win the Anthem Community Voice Award. VOTING IS OPEN NOW UNTIL 29.10.2026 AT ⁠CELEBRATE.ANTHEMAWARDS.COM⁠ ** As the Omnibus I package narrows the CSRD's scope and simplifies the ESRS, more responsibility falls on companies to report with a genuine commitment to show progress.   The stakes extend well beyond compliance. The sustainability transition is fundamentally an industrial and innovation challenge, and Europe's position in it is uncertain. As the United States retrenches from climate commitments and China accelerates its dominance in clean technology, the EU's competitiveness, energy security, and geopolitical influence increasingly depend on whether European companies are treating sustainability as a strategic priority. This week in the Frankly Speaking podcast, Richard Howitt was joined by Frank Bold's own Lorena Bisignano, researcher and Filip Gregor, Head of Responsible Companies and member of EFRAG SRB. They co-author the second annual study of corporate sustainability reporting: “Delivering on Sustainability: Evidence from the second year of CSRD implementation”. The research analysed the 2025 reports of 100 large EU companies that disclose sustainability information under the CSRD. It assessed how these companies address critical sustainability challenges in their strategy, focusing on what they report on climate, double materiality assessment, due diligence, actions and metrics, and governance. In the episode, they reveal what is improving, where strategy gaps remain and their advice for wave 2 companies starting to prepare for CSRD. You’ll also hear: How far the intent of the legislation is being achievedHow effective companies’ due diligence is and how the example of the textile apparel sector stands outWhy good practice in one sector may (or may not) transfer to anotherHow far have companies been using AI in this reporting, and what impact has the use of AI had on the reports themselves Follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  3. Oct 7

    #122 What China’s New Security Regulations Mean for EU Sustainability Laws

    What do China’s new supply chain security and counter-extraterritoriality rules mean for European companies trying to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence?  In this episode of the Frankly Speaking podcast, Richard Howitt was joined by Katja Drinhausen, Head of Programme Politics and Society at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS).  Together they discuss China’s new regulations on supply chain security and countering the undue exercise of extraterritorial jurisdiction, and what they could mean for European and other international companies carrying out human rights and environmental due diligence in the country. You’ll also hear more about:  The growing tension between Chinese regulations and European and US requirements on forced labour and supply chain due diligence  How the new rules could make it harder for companies to gather information and conduct audits in Chinese supply chains  How China’s approach to ESG and social responsibility differs from European approaches, particularly when it comes to human rights, independent oversight and civil society participation  Whether Chinese due diligence and sustainability initiatives can provide alternatives to international tools and standards  Katja’s advice to companies on how they can continue conducting responsible due diligence in China while also protecting both workers and those carrying out investigations  Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  4. Sep 23

    #121 Julia Otten & Amandine Van Den Berghe: Environmental Due Diligence in the CSDDD - What's Next?

    The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) has moved from political negotiations to the next critical phase: implementation. But what does meaningful implementation actually look like? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Julia Otten, Senior Policy Officer at Frank Bold, and Amandine Van Den Berghe, Senior Lawyer specialising in value chains, trade and investment at ClientEarth. Together they discussed their new joint publication “Corporate Environmental Due Diligence and Reporting in the EU,” which aims to support Members States in transposing the CSDDD in the most effective manner. You’ll also hear about: The gaps in the Directive’s definition of environmental impacts, and why companies should consider the wider international standards on environmental due diligenceMeaningful engagement with suppliers and affected stakeholders representing a cornerstone of effective due diligenceWhat the removal of climate transition plan requirements from the CSDDD means for companiesThe issue of the principle of non-regression, and what it may mean for the DirectiveWhat recent climate litigation in France, the Netherlands and Germany could mean for companies’ responsibilities for emissions across their value chainsWhat companies can do to already get ahead of the curve on CSDDD transposition Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  5. Sep 8

    #120 A New Vision for Sustainable Finance: Anna Koolstra

    What is the social value of banks? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Anna Koolstra, Advocacy Manager, Impact and Economics at Triodos Bank, which is a founding member of the Sustainable Banking Coalition. Together they discussed the state of the EU’s financial system and how the digital euro may actually support Europe’s sustainability goals. You’ll also hear about: The main achievements of the Sustainable Banking Coalition over the past few years, as well as their objectives for the years aheadWhat the EU Banking package gets right – and wrongTriodos Bank’s vision for a new financial system that prioritises people and the planetAnna’s perspective on the SFDR 2.0 file (which will be voted on at the ECON committee of the European Parliament this week - stay tuned for our commentary!)Why the EU needs to move beyond transparency and disclosure, and start producing guidance for investorsListen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  6. Sep 2

    #119 Leena Ylä-Mononen: What the 2026 Summer Heatwaves Mean for Europe’s Sustainability Transition

    What do the recurring heatwaves, floods and fires in Europe this summer tell us about the state of sustainability progressin the EU? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Leena Ylä-Mononen, Executive Director of theEuropean Environment Agency, an EU body that works to inform decision-makers and the public about the state of Europe’s environment, climate change and wider sustainability issues. Together they discussed the EEA’s recent reports on national climate risk assessments, as well as how well Europe is currently doing on climate adaptation. You’ll also hear about:  The verdict on how much progress the EU is making on transitioning to a circular economy, with the Circular Economy Act expected from the European Commission in NovemberWhether Europe will be able to get sovereignty on AI whilst also reaching its environmental objectivesThe EEA’s perspective on the wider role of businesses in Europe’s sustainability transition, alongside national-level initiatives and individual actionWhy competitiveness is also about citizens’ health, ensuring that we have a healthy workforce alongside a healthy planet Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  7. Aug 26

    #118 Companies Putting the “Meaningful” into Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement: Danny Miles and Dr Wilson Odiyo

    What does effective Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement (MSE) look like in the food and agriculture sector? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Danny Miles, Head of Collective Action at the Ethical Trading Initiative, as well as Dr Wilson Odiyo, Corporate Affairs Director for Eastern Produce Regional Services (EPRS), a consultancy based in Kenya with expertise in agro-economics, providing technical support, marketing and logistics to agricultural producers in eastern and southern Africa, and one of ETI’s company members. Together they discussed ETI’s recently developed guidance on MSE for the food and agriculture industry alongside an alliance of organisations (Amfori, FLA, Oxfam Sweden amongst others), as well as EPRS’s experience in implementing it. You’ll also hear about: How ETI advises its agricultural member companies to address problems of gender-based violence in supply chains through its GAIA programme (Gender Action in Agriculture) – and what EPRS has done in practiceThe actions taken by EPRS to tackle the new issues already caused by climate change, from the outbreak of new pests and diseases to water scarcityETI’s contribution to the EU Commission’s recently closed open public consultation on guidelines on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)Dr Wilson Odiyo’s message to EU policymakers on the importance of understanding contextual differences in the way labour is organized across the world in its legislationHow system change can become a realityThe key elements of ETI’s strategy until 2030 Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

  8. Jul 29

    #117 How Businesses Can Combat Modern Slavery: Professor John Dumay

    Can businesses really tackle the pervasive issue of modern slavery?  In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by an expert in the field, Johannes Dumay, Professor in accounting at Macquarie University, Sydney, and multi-award-winning researcher on modern slavery as well as sustainability accounting and reporting.  Together they discussed how corporate attitudes towards modern slavery have (and haven't!) evolved over the past decade, as well as what the increasing number of court cases on the issue mean for the future of companies’ responsibility and duty of care in their supply chains. You’ll also hear about:  John's verdict on whether legal requirements on companies in relation to modern slavery, from the UK to Australia, have actually been effective   Why companies having more of a risk management culture rather than a due diligence culture is preventing them from effectively identifying and remediate modern slavery  To what extent the EU Forced Labour Regulation will be able to meet its objective of eliminating forced labour from supply chains   What the glove manufacturer Ansell gets right in its modern slavery report  The potential future of modern slavery legislation: companies having to demonstrate the modern slavery is not in their supply chains if they are based in high-risk areas   Why John has changed his mind on boycotting the chocolate industry altogether  Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

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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!

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