The Transition Tapes

In this episode of The Transition Tapes, Hugh Wheelan talks with Rob Bauer, Professor of Finance at Maastricht University, Chair in Institutional Investors, and Director of the European Centre for Sustainable Finance (ECCE).With extensive experience researching and advising pension funds and institutional investors, Rob brings an evidence-based perspective on how sustainability and climate risk are actually understood — and acted upon — in investment decision-making.Drawing on new empirical research, Rob cuts through assumptions about investor behaviour to explore what pension fund members want, how professional investors think about climate risk, and when shareholder engagement really delivers value. He also reflects on the commercial and structural barriers that continue to limit investor collaboration.Hear Rob talk about:what pension fund members expect when it comes to sustainabilitywhat research shows about investor beliefs on climate changethe evidence on investor engagement and its impactwhy collaboration among investors remains so difficultBeyond markets and models, Rob shares his interests in history, politics and music — including the tracks that make up his Transition Tapes playlist, spanning new wave, post-punk and indie.Don’t miss Rob’s recommended reads, podcasts, series and his favourite tunes:🎵 Playlist:⁠Spotify PlaylistApple Playlist📚 Books: Hilary Mantel - Wolf HallPeter Buwalda - Bonita Avenue Donna Tartt - Secret HistoryJan van Aken - De Ommegang🎙️ Podcasts: De stemming (Dutch politics)Heavyweight: Great and fun podcast about life (by Jonathan Goldstein)📺 Series/movies: Game of ThronesThe LeftoversOne battle after another

In this episode of The Transition Tapes, Hugh Wheelan talks with Rory Sullivan, CEO and Co-Founder of Chronos Sustainability and a leading global expert on climate change, human rights, and sustainable finance.With over thirty years of experience across public policy, investment management, and advisory roles, Rory brings a clear-eyed perspective on where ESG stands today, and what serious investors should focus on next.At a time of growing backlash and confusion around sustainable finance, Rory cuts through the noise to separate substance from rhetoric and sets out what credibility, collaboration, and long-term purpose really mean.Hear Rory talk about:What the ESG backlash really is and what it isn’tWhich investor collaborations still matter now the “tide has gone out”How asset owners can clarify long-term, intergenerational purposeWhy sustainable finance needs a return to Economics 101 on materiality, incentives, and regulationBeyond markets and policy, Rory also shares his love of books, how he works through writer’s block, and the music that fuels his thinking, captured in his Transition Tapes playlist.Listen to the episode on: 🔗 Apple🔗 SpotifyDon’t miss Rory's favourite Transition Tapes playlist.🎵 ⁠Spotify Playlist🎵 Apple Playlist

Helena Viñes Fiestas is Commissioner of Spain’s financial markets authority (CNMV) and was recently reappointed as Chair of the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance. She has been at the heart of Europe’s sustainable finance architecture since its earliest days, helping to shape the EU’s approach to taxonomy, disclosure, and transition planning.In this episode of The Transition Tapes, Helena joins Hugh Wheelan for a wide-ranging conversation on where EU sustainable finance stands today — and where it goes next. Drawing on her unique “inside track” perspective, Helena reflects on how Europe’s green finance framework has evolved, the realities of policy simplification, and the challenges of maintaining ambition amid political and market pressure.Hear Helena talk about:How the different pieces of EU sustainable finance policy - from the Taxonomy to SFDR - fit together, and how they are beginning to influence real-world capital expenditure toward net-zero business models.How the role of the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance has evolved as a multi-stakeholder advisory body, and what to expect from its next mandate.The Omnibus simplification process, why simplification matters, and where the risks of politicisation and regulatory rollback lie.Common misconceptions around SFDR, what it can realistically deliver, and what comes next in its review.Beyond policy, Helena also shares how books, travel, music, and good food shape her thinking and provide balance alongside the demands of financial regulation.Don’t miss Helena’s favourite reads and her Transition Tapes playlist.Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1PeAruu9nxk8SDogYDrJ6A?si=9vaISo--QTilK9819BtUEwApple Playlist: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/helena-vi%C3%B1es-fiestas-the-transition-tapes/pl.u-EdAVz8YIX4lxP8

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

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

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:SpotifyApple Music

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_3wApple: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/mark-campanale-the-transition-tapes/pl.u-EdAVzMbtX4lxP8Tracks 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

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?