What do market participants actually think is going to happen to their assets due to climate change? And when do they expect it? And do they think we will ever abandon fossil fuels? Well to answer those questions (and any others!), you need a survey. Luckily, we've got one! We've linked it below, and created a podcast episode about it. Enjoy!Link to the survey: https://www.msci-institute.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/MSI-Survey-Report-061124_2.pdfHost: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: ...
Energy-hungry data centers are the backbone of AI. And as big tech companies look to meet rising demand for AI capabilities, their emissions are ticking up. So, are net zero ambitions at risk? Or can they be saved by a decades-old energy source in a new guise?Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Yoon Young Chung & Mathew Lee, MSCI ESG Research
VW announced it would shut at least three of its German plants, axe tens of thousands of jobs and slash pay by 10%. This is notable because VW is the powerhouse of Germany which typically has been the EU’s industrial engine – meaning jobs, meaning unions, meaning political might. But this is more than a VW story. It is a story of how the energy transition – the transition from pollutive to non-pollutive forms of economic operations – is upending the global order of established industries. It ...
Well not yet. But on October 11, a UN expert group reached a compromise on key elements of a global carbon trading system. If it passes (we go into this, don’t worry), it will resolve nearly a decade of talks on a what is seen as a fundamental tool for the Paris Agreement to be achieved. So, in this episode, we discuss why this global carbon market agreement is so important, and what it will do to the already up and running voluntary carbon markets.Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest:...
Heat waves are getting longer and more intense. And although mitigating climate change will remain a long-term priority, investors will also be thinking about adaptation technologies. The humble air conditioner is an off-the-shelf solution, but does it have any downsides? Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Mathew Lee, MSCI ESG Research
Today is the last part of a three part series we've done for ESG now: we examine whether investors should care about incorporating environmental data into equity analysis. In previous episodes we discussed the social pillar and the governance pillar, now its on to the environmental pillar of our ESG ratings model. We look at the environmental pillar as a whole and the themes that build it and tell you whether companies that scored well on each theme performed better than their lower scoring p...
It’s climate week in The Big Apple! And the perfect time to take a look at different investment approaches to a low-carbon transition. We talk through financial risks and opportunities for companies, transition funds, and how the things are playing out in bond markets. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Meggin Eastman, Chris Cote & Michael Ridley, MSCI ESG Research
Flooding is one the costliest of all natural hazards and climate change is raising the stakes. In this episode, we discuss the need for precise asset locations and forward-looking climate models to figure out your risk exposure. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Matthias Kemter, MSCI ESG Research
The 2024 proxy season has come and gone. In recent years, environmental and social proposals were abundant and saw record high support among shareholders. But what about this year? In this episode we take you through our findings from the 2024 proxy season, what they mean for sustainable investing, and where the future is liking headed. Host: Michael Disabato, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Jonathan Ponder, MSCI ESG Research
Antimicrobial resistance is getting worse. Set to impact healthcare, agriculture and insurance, it’s a phenomenon worth paying attention to. On this episode, we take a look at whether there’s an investment case for fighting back against the superbugs. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Namita Nair, MSCI ESG Research
We periodically put out this report called the Net-Zero Tracker, and it examines the progress by the world’s listed companies toward curbing climate risk. This episode is a dive into the most important bits of our most recently published report. Link to the Net-Zero Tracker: The MSCI Sustainability Institute Net-Zero Tracker Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Sylvain Vanston, MSCI ESG Research
The social pillar has often been maligned as the ignored sibling of the ESG acronym. In its essence, the social pillar is a measurement of how a company, its employees, its products, and the community it operates in are supported and often challenged. For this episode, we show you why that all matters for measuring a company’s market performance.Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Liz Houston, MSCI ESG Research; Xinxin Wang, MSCI ESG & Climate Solutions Research
It’s early days for sustainability-linked bonds, where issuers see their interest rates rise after missing sustainability targets. But instead of throwing in the towel after some initial setbacks, we talk about companies that have doubled down on their sustainability commitments. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Guilherme de Melo Silva, MSCI ESG Research
Good governance is foundational to effective capital markets, promoting accountability, transparency and sound decision-making aligned with investor interests. But how do those potential benefits translate into market performance? Well today, we answer that question for you! We answer the question: does governance even matter.If you want to read the blog mentioned in this podcast, it can be found here: https://www.msci.com/www/blog-posts/corporate-governance-market/04784692180Host: Mike Disab...
Data from over 4,000 issuers, spanning nearly a decade revealed that companies with better MSCI ESG Ratings tended to have a lower cost of capital. It’s big news for investors and another step towards understanding the relationship between sustainability and financial performance. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Jakub Malich & Anett Husi, MSCI ESG Research
Our demand for electricity is growing for the first time in decades. Nuclear energy is being proffered as the answer to our voracious energy-appetites. But are investors capable of propping up an industry with so much complexity and risk? This episode provides an answer.Host: Michael Disabato, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Elchin Mammadov, MSCI ESG Research
What is impact materiality, you ask? And how is it different from financial materiality? A fine and important question, listener! In this episode we take you through all the details you need to parse through the most important sustainability-jargon out there. Including, an explanation of the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, or the CSRD, which has its first required reporting cycle due next year. Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Meggin Thwing Eastman, MSCI ES...
When it comes to climate altering carbon emissions, investors, like asset managers and banks, used to only measure their direct carbon emissions from their buildings and purchased electricity. But now, they are being asked by regulators, stakeholders, and clients to report on the emissions associated with their investment portfolios – a much more complicated and vital task. In this episode, guest Carrie Wang explains to host Mike Disabato why portfolio carbon footprinting is so important to t...
They may not be new, but climate funds have recently hit their stride. From managing transition risk, to targeting technology opportunities, to aligning with the Paris agreement – these funds come in all shapes and sizes and with pretty diverse objectives. On this episode we catch you up on where climate funds stand today, and how differently they’re evolving in public and private markets.Host: Margarita Grabert, MSCI ESG ResearchGuest: Rumi Mahmood, MSCI Sustainability Institute
Maybe a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but that’s not going to fly for sustainability funds in the EU. On this episode we break down ESMA’s latest fund guidelines and discuss their place in a regulatory landscape with all kinds of moving pieces. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG ResearchGuests: Meggin Eastman & Simone Ruiz-Vergote, MSCI ESG Research
John Ortiz
I enjoyed this episode for many reasons, one being the GWP of the built environment is 40% of the globes emissions. I would love to see some coverage of the embodied carbon of buildings, particularly concrete, and what can be done. I would urge you to seek perspecbeyond what the bug cement organizations are saying. Thanks for a interesting and informative series.