The Responsible Investor Podcast delves into the latest developments and debates in sustainable investment. Hear our award-winning journalists and influential i...
EU Omnibus: What's next for the sustainability simplification push?
It’s been just over one month since the European Commission announced its much-anticipated sustainability Omnibus plans, which would heavily water down the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and EU Taxonomy.
The EU executive wants the changes to be approved and implemented at a very quick pace, and much has already happened since the February announcement.
In this episode, senior reporter Fiona McNally – who has been on the ground in Brussels – talks to deputy editor Elza Holmstedt Pell about recent developments and initial reactions to the proposals ahead of some of the big negotiations expected in April.
Drawing on conversations with sources close to the process, the discussion will dig into the details of the CSRD corporate disclosure framework and how its data points could be “significantly reduced”, as well as what investors will miss out on and how they’ve responded to the Commission’s plans.
--------
27:44
How are corporates tackling nature reporting?
In recent years, corporates have increasingly been trying to work out how to approach nature reporting.
How has the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) aided firms in their efforts? And what are the initial insights from Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) reports regarding how corporates are approaching ESRS E4 Biodiversity and ecosystems?
Stephanie Hime, founder and managing director of sustainability-focused consultancy Little Blue Research, is well placed to explore these questions. She helped develop the Capitals Coalition’s natural capital protocol and sector guides, and is also the project lead for the International Organisation for Standardisation’s standard on natural capital accounting.
In this episode, Hime sits down with RI’s nature reporter, Gina Gambetta, to explore how corporates have been evolving their approach to nature reporting, what resources are available to help those getting started, and what key developments they should be aware of.
--------
27:25
How should investors measure engagement outcomes?
Asset owners across the UK, Europe and US are sharpening their focus on asset manager stewardship, and an increasing regulatory focus on stewardship outcomes and transition-focused products is leading investors to think harder about how they can demonstrate that their own engagements are having an effect.
Jennifer Walmsley, associate director for corporate engagement at the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), has more than two decades of experience in the area, having run the engagement team at EOS at Federated Hermes and headed up investor engagement for the Financial Reporting Council. She now oversees IIGCC's corporate engagements, including Climate Action 100+, the Net Zero Engagement Initiative and Nature Action 100.
In this episode, Walmsley discusses how investors can measure the impact of their engagements, how to ensure engagement is a value add for company and investor alike, and how IIGCC is aiming to turn ineffective engagements at the collaborative initiatives it looks after into effective ones.
--------
29:34
Deep dive: How should investors navigate the renewable energy market?
Global investments in renewable energy reached a new record of more than $700 billion in 2024, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. But this year has brought uncertainty and challenges on many fronts, perhaps most notably from the new Trump administration.
The good news is that uncertainty is something the sector is used to, says Jérôme Guillet, co-founder of renewables advisory firm Snow, and there are many bright spots.
At a time when oil and gas firms continue to roll back on their clean energy objectives, Guillet – who also writes a blog where he shares his views on energy policy and industry developments – explains why this is not a bad thing and he outlines how other major players like utilities are faring in the space.
Other key topics include the potentially overestimated role of new nuclear, decarbonisation in hard-to-abate sectors, and to what extent sustainable finance regulations help drive green investment.
--------
34:03
What climate data do investors really want?
Net-zero as a concept is under pressure, and for investors to assess the best path forward, it is crucial to understand how companies and other holdings are managing this – and what efforts they are undertaking to navigate the transition.
This is what the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) has helped investors with since its inception in 2017. Carmen Nuzzo, the executive director of TPI’s academic centre, tells The Responsible Investor Podcast there are notable developments in what investors are asking for to help guide their investment and engagement activities.
Nuzzo talks to RI deputy editor Elza Holmstedt Pell about where the companies that the TPI Centre assesses are improving and where there are blind spots. She also discusses the increasing focus on emerging and developing economies and her view on the global regulatory rollback, as well as the rising use of AI in climate reporting, the next steps for transition plans and the TPI Centre’s research expansion plans.
The Responsible Investor Podcast delves into the latest developments and debates in sustainable investment. Hear our award-winning journalists and influential industry guests share their insights on topics such as net-zero, transition finance, biodiversity and nature, regulation, and ESG data and disclosure.
UK