Podcast
Sustainability Now
Hosted by MSCI ESG Research LLC · EN
News and investment research brought to you weekly covering major market trends and new research insights. With topics ranging from climate impact on investment portfolios, corporate actions, trending investment topics, and emerging sustainability issues, hosts Mike Disabato and Bentley Kaplan of MSCI ESG Research walk through the latest news and research that is top of mind for the week.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
BP’s AGM Was Contentious: This Proxy Season Could Be Too
4w ago00:21:39Tap to summarizeAfter the SEC stepped back from shareholder proposal oversight, courts stepped in. We take a look at early signals from this year’s proxy season and whether we're seeing a structural shift in shareholder rights.Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Sustainability & ClimateGuest: Jonathan Ponder, MSCI Sustainability & Climate
Transcribe →Is This How Oil Ends?
Apr 2400:16:56Tap to summarizeOn February 28, the Strait of Hormuz shut down, stranding 20% of the world's crude exports and 20% of global LNG capacity. Energy crises usually send the world running back to coal; but this time, coal generation outside China actually fell, while wind, solar, and batteries picked up the slack. Host Mike Disabato talks with MSCI's Chris Cote about whether a war in the Middle East just accelerated the end of fossil fuels, which industries can pivot now, and why countries burned twice by energy dependence may never go back. Episode reading: The Opportunity in Energy Disruption — Batteries IncludedHost: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & ClimateGuest: Chris Cote, MSCI Sustainability & Climate
Transcribe →Are Investors Missing Biodiversity Risk?
Apr 1000:14:48Tap to summarizeFor years, biodiversity risk has been a blind spot for investors — difficult to measure and even harder to link to financial performance. But that’s starting to change. In this episode, we explore how more granular, location-based data is helping investors see where companies are truly exposed to nature-related risks. Host: Gabriela da la Serna, MSCI Research & DevelopmentGuest: Bettina Meyer, MSCI Research & Development
Transcribe →Pricing the Unpredictable
Mar 2700:16:40Tap to summarizeAs climate risk accelerates, insurers face a core challenge — pricing a future that no longer resembles the past. While some are adopting forward-looking models, much of the industry still reacts after losses occur, raising questions about resilience across the financial system.Guests: David Carlin, D.A. Carlin & Company; Pam Palena, MSCI Research & DevelopmentHost: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & Development
Transcribe →Transition Risk vs. Temperature Alignment: What Really Drives Fund Outcomes?
Mar 1300:15:58Tap to summarizeCarbon footprints tell you where a fund has been. But do they tell you how it’s positioned for the road ahead?In this episode, we unpack new research from Positioning Portfolios for the Energy Transition (link to paper) analyzing more than 37,000 funds representing USD 50 trillion in assets. The research finds that funds with stronger energy transition positioning were associated with higher historical returns — and stronger links to decarbonization outcomes.We explore the distinction between transition pressure (risk exposure) and transition readiness (strategic preparedness), why managing transition risk is different from achieving temperature alignment, and how investors can balance financial performance with climate objectives.If you think climate analysis begins and ends with carbon intensity, this conversation may change your perspective.Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & ClimateGuest: Kishan Gangadia, MSCI Sustainability & Climate
Transcribe →From Cloud to Kill Chain
Feb 2700:14:36Tap to summarizeSustainable investors are redrawing their red lines. As defense spending rises, the definition of “controversial weapons” is being reexamined — from nuclear value chains to AI-enabled systems in the kill chain. Where those lines fall could reshape portfolios. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & DevelopmentGuest: Mike Disabato, MSCI Research & Development
Transcribe →Don’t Build a Stadium There!
Feb 2000:15:26Tap to summarizeThe 2026 World Cup is bringing the world to North America this summer. But the stadiums hosting the biggest sporting event on the planet face a problem no amount of ticket revenue can solve: the climate they were built for isn't the climate they're operating in. We look at which venues are most exposed to heat waves, flooding, and even the ground sinking beneath them, why this problem goes beyond the beautiful game, and why the insurance and bond markets haven't caught up to what the data already shows.Episode Reading: What can physical hazard data tell us about the 2026 World Cup?Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & ClimateGuest: Katie Towey, MSCI Sustainability & Climate
Transcribe →Sustainability: From Narrative to Fundamentals
Feb 1300:23:56Tap to summarizeLaura Nishikawa, Head of Emerging Risks R&D at MSCI sits down with Jenn-Hui Tan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Fidelity International, as part of the MSCI Prospectives Podcast to discuss the next phase of sustainable investing. As the public narrative grows noisier and more politicized, they look past the headlines to the economic fundamentals shaping the transition and portfolio management.The conversation explores where momentum in the energy transition is really coming from, why markets continue to struggle with physical climate risk and how investors are adapting to weaker policy signals, shifting governance dynamics and greater uncertainty in capital markets.
Transcribe →Cyberattack in Aisle Three
Jan 3000:12:07Tap to summarizeAs food retailers work to digitize and enhance their logistics and supply networks, they’re becoming more exposed to cybersecurity risks. In this episode, we discuss how a wave of recent cyberattacks has exposed vulnerabilities across the sector — how prepared companies really are, and why investors may want to sit up and take notice.Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI Research & DevelopmentGuest: Cole Martin, MSCI Research & Development
Transcribe →Carbon Markets Seem Static. Prices Don't.
Jan 2300:15:02Tap to summarizeFlat prices, steady volumes — carbon markets in 2025 might seem uneventful. But dig a little deeper, and a clearer picture emerges: buyers are paying more for quality. We explore how media scrutiny, new rating systems, and evolving buyer expectations are reshaping how carbon credits are valued.Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & DevelopmentGuests: Nicholas Baldwin & Utkarsh Akhouri, MSCI Research & Development
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