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ESG Currents
ESG Currents
Author: Bloomberg
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ESG has become established as a key business theme as companies and investors seek to navigate the climate crisis, energy transition, social megatrends, mounting regulatory attention and pressure from other stakeholders. The rapidly evolving landscape has become inundated with acronyms, buzz words, and lingo and we aim to break these down with industry experts.
120 Episodes
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Nature capital has become a central theme in ESG investing, helping companies design strategies to boost economic growth while preserving the environment, with discussions at COP30 helping to increase global attention. Instant cup noodle producer Nissin Foods Holdings has been recognized by Japan’s Financial Services Agency as a leading firm in nature capital disclosure. In this episode, Kaya Tanii, head of sustainability strategy at Nissin Foods, speaks with Yasutake Homma, ESG analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, about the challenges behind its disclosure journey, and how nature capital has become financially material to its business. This episode was recorded on Nov. 6.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From Coldplay to takeaways, Notpla is disrupting the single-use plastic epidemic. As global regulators tighten restrictions on plastic waste, innovation in natural materials is fast becoming an investment imperative. In this episode of ESG Currents, BI ESG analyst Grace Osborne speaks with Rodrigo García González, co-founder of Notpla, to explore how the company’s pioneering seaweed-based packaging is helping brands and investors transition toward a circular, regulation-ready future. Together, they discuss the evolution of product innovation, the shifting policy landscape, and how nature-based design can deliver both environmental and financial impact, as Notpla advances its bold goal to replace one billion units of plastic by 2030.This episode was recorded 31 October.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What does putting $100 billion toward climate solutions entail? On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Peter Cashion, head of sustainable investing at CalPERS, joins Shaheen Contractor, senior ESG analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to unpack how one of the world’s largest pension funds is translating climate ambition into investment decisions. Learn more about the practical aspects of putting this kind of plan into action, what mobilizing capital means in practice, how returns interface with impact and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Japan’s ESG and sustainable investing are entering a new stage – impact investing, which seeks to generate measurable social impact alongside financial returns. Government-led initiatives and working groups involving investors, asset managers, corporations and academia are working to establish the framework of new investing schemes and increase its scale in Japan. In this episode of ESG Currents, Yuka Ogasawara, Director of the Fujimura Research Institute and co-author of the book Impact Investing, speaks with Bloomberg Intelligence ESG analyst Yasutake Homma about how it differs from conventional ESG investing, and why it matters. This episode was recorded on October 23.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
PepsiCo’s food and beverage products depend on reliable access to agricultural commodities and water, driving the company’s sustainability strategy. On this episode of ESG Currents, BI senior ESG analyst Gail Glazerman is joined by Jim Andrew, PepsiCo’s chief sustainability officer. They discuss how sustainability intersects with PepsiCo’s business strategy, the company’s progress toward its goals and challenges such as fragmented global policy. The episode was recorded on Oct. 8.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Japan is emerging as a potential leader in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) — and is developing another next-generation decarbonization technology: CO2-absorbing concrete. In this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Yasutake Homma speaks with Junichiro Miura, deputy director at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, about the current status of CCUS and CO2-absorbing concrete, as well as their future prospects. Why are these technologies critical for achieving a decarbonized society yet still not widely adopted? What are Japan’s plans for international expansion, and what implications could these developments have for industry? This episode was recorded on Oct. 15. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As carbon “super sponges” and vital climate-resilience tools, mangroves highlight how nature underpins economic stability. With more than half of global GDP reliant on healthy ecosystems, nature loss poses substantial risks and opportunities. In this episode of ESG Currents, BI ESG analysts Grace Osborne and Chris Ratti speak with the WWF’s Global Lead of the Carbon Finance & Markets Taskforce, Rueban Manokara and John Morton, Executive Managing Director of Nature Finance and Investment, to explore the business case for nature, the temporal challenges of nature-based investments and the power of blended finance in helping to close the $700 billion nature-funding gap. This episode was recorded on Sept. 25.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Green bonds may have transformed the world by volume, but blue bonds are poised to change it by depth. In this episode of ESG Currents, BI EMEA ESG Integration Analyst Grace Osborne speaks with Shargiil Bashir, chief sustainability officer and executive Vice president at First Abu Dhabi Bank, discuss how blue bonds are mobilizing capital toward protection of critical marine ecosystems. They explore how the UAE is moving from ambition to action, leveraging blended finance and innovating to meet climate and water goals in one of the world’s driest regions. This episode was recorded on Sept. 16. Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
According to the IEA’s 2025 Global Methane Tracker, methane is responsible for around 30% of the current rise in global temperature. Mitigating methane, which has more than 80x the warming potential of CO2 over a 20-year period, is critical to addressing climate change. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence’s director of ESG research Eric Kane speaks with Olya Irzak, founder and CEO of Frost Methane, about the company’s efforts to destroy, valorize and measure emissions from manure ponds and other sources. They also talk about the volatility of voluntary carbon markets, raising capital, the current climate policy landscape and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Shareholders aren’t financial investors, but actual owners of a company. They have several tools at their disposal to push corporate leaders to focus on long-term sustainability of the business: electing the board of directors, voting on routine matters, or even submitting proposals for other shareholders to vote on. But are these shareholder rights a strength of capitalism, or are executives spending too much time engaging with a wide range of shareholders and not enough time on their day jobs? On this week’s episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence Senior ESG Analyst Rob Du Boff speaks with Sanford Lewis, director and founder of the Shareholder Rights Group and a leading national expert on shareholder proposals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stronger ecosystems that bolster investor confidence have become essential to global carbon markets' growth. "Carbon markets can only scale at the speed of trust," says Oi-Yee Choo, CEO of Singapore-based Climate Impact X (CIX), tells Conrad Tan, Bloomberg Intelligence ESG integration analyst. Choo explains what's needed to build this trust, why the gap between compliance and voluntary carbon markets is narrowing, and how countries' focus on their own needs risks fragmenting markets further. They also discuss how Asia's mix of suppliers and buyers of carbon credits could support deeper, more liquid carbon markets that support the decarbonization ambitions of governments and companies worldwide. This episode was recorded on Sept. 8, 2025.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weather drives nearly $1 trillion in annual spending-pattern shifts — boosting long john sales in Miami on a 60-degree day while slowing them in Minnesota. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence senior climate analyst Andrew Stevenson speaks with Planalytics CEO Fred Fox about how companies such as Lowe’s are using weather insights to improve bottom-line results.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Modern portfolio theory tells us that company-specific risks can be reduced through the magic of diversification. But what about market-wide risks, like climate change and income inequality? On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, BI Senior ESG Analyst Rob Du Boff speaks with Jon Lukomnik, managing partner of Sinclair Capital and a pioneer in corporate governance. They discuss how shareholders can use ESG analysis and corporate engagement to minimize systematic risks that threaten all investments. This episode was recorded on July 31.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Extreme weather is taking toll on farm output worldwide, with record droughts and wildfires driving up prices in markets for cocoa, cattle and coffee. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence senior climate analyst Andrew Stevenson is joined by Dave Farnham, chief data scientist at ClimateAi, to discuss how better data can help minimize climate costs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The IMO's draft net zero framework's implications for new marine fuels and technologies as well as the top challenges for shipowners and fuel producers are explored in the latest ESG Currents episode. Strong demand will develop for hydrogen-derived fuels, with ammonia likely to be the "scalable solution," Tristan Smith, Professor of Energy and Transport at UCL Energy Institute tells Conrad Tan, Bloomberg Intelligence ESG integration analyst. Smith, whose institute is known for its research guiding international shipping decarbonization, also explains why liquid natural gas could be a dead end for the shipping industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As government support for climate solutions wanes, attracting private capital becomes even more critical. On this episode of ESG Currents, BI senior analysts Gail Glazerman and Rob Du Boff speak with the Green Impact Exchange’s co-founders Daniel Labovitz (CEO) and Charles Dolan (president) about their new equity-trading platform designed to connect sustainability-minded companies and investors. They discuss the pressure points in impact finance and how products like equitized carbon credits may offer solutions. This episode was recorded on Aug. 31.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Amid the backlash against ESG, it’s essential that investors and other market participants be able to separate the signal from noise. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Director of ESG Research Eric Kane is joined by the entire BI ESG team to discuss the key issues shaping ESG in the second half of 2025. Chris Ratti, Conrad Tan, Gail Glazerman, Andy Stevenson, Yasutake Homma, Margot Wentzel, Rob Du Boff, Grace Osborne, Melanie Rua and Shaheen Contractor share insights on sustainable debt issuance, physical risk, regulatory uncertainty, the resilience of ESG in Japan, new and existing efforts to reduce CO2 via compliance, and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Climate-related disasters have caused $18.5 trillion in damages since 2000, and the risks keep growing. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence’s director of ESG research Eric Kane speaks with Ron Dembo, founder and CEO of Riskthinking.AI, about the radical uncertainty of climate change, how his firm models physical climate risk, how investors can use the data and why the biggest signals might be hiding in the tails.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Patagonia is known for putting the planet before profit, including a landmark decision to make Earth “our only shareholder.” Learn more about Patagonia’s unique ownership structure as CEO Ryan Gellert joins Shaheen Contractor, senior ESG analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, on this week’s episode of ESG Currents. They discuss unique challenges and opportunities in leading a mission-driven company, along with Gellert’s personal journey, leadership philosophy and vision for Patagonia’s future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Debt-for-nature swaps are gaining traction as a way to restructure sovereign debt in exchange for conservation commitments. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence director of ESG research Eric Kane and senior ESG associate Melanie Rua speak with Slav Gatchev, who leads The Nature Conservancy’s Sustainable Debt team, and Jake Harper, senior investment manager for Alternative Debt at Legal & General. Together, they discuss how these deals are structured, the role of new market standards in improving investor confidence and takeaways from landmark transactions in Ecuador and Gabon. Legal & General has invested nearly $500 million across four swaps, while TNC’s work has unlocked over $1 billion for conservation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.




