In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we’re talking to Mastercard Chief Sustainability Officer Ellen Jackowski, who was just named to the TIME100 Climate list of the 100 most influential climate leaders in business for 2024. Ellen was on the ground in Cali, Colombia, for the UN’s recent COP16 biodiversity conference and in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the UN’s COP29 climate conference that wraps up today.  

Mastercard is one of the world’s largest payments networks with more than 3 billion cards in circulation. In the interview, Ellen explains the company’s approach to balancing economic growth with sustainable consumption and inclusive climate action — a focus she says will continue following the recent US election results.  

“[W]e can feel the societal pressure around climate change — but this is absolutely good business as well,” Ellen says. "This is a megatrend that's only growing, no matter what is going on in the political atmosphere of the United States.” 

Ellen also discusses Mastercard’s 2040 net-zero goal, including how the company manages its Scope 3 emissions and how it balances AI’s opportunities with its potential climate impacts.  

Listen to our recent podcast episode featuring key takeaways from COP16: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/cop16-shows-why-companies-and-countries-have-biodiversity-on-the-agenda  

Read research from S&P Global Sustainable1, Can AI become net positive for net-zero? https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/can-ai-become-net-positive-for-net-zero  

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.     

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