Sustainability Now

We already know there is a clear link between ESG ratings and the cost of capital. But the question remains: do ESG ratings matter for bonds and their credit spreads? Should fixed income investors care? Listen to this week’s episode to find out! Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Jakub Malich, MSCI ESG Research Link to paper discussed in episode: https://www.msci.com/research-and-insigh...

As a new policy landscape emerges in North America, are companies scaling back on sustainability reporting? And will investors go with the flow? Join us as we look at live trends in company disclosures and where the 2025 proxy season is headed.  Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guests: Julia Morello & Jonathan Ponder, MSCI ESG Research

As the physical risks from climate change grow, so does our reliance on accurate maps to assess them. In this episode, we dig into the limitations of publicly available flood maps and explore how data and modeling in the marketplace have evolved - often surpassing the capabilities of standard public tools.  Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Kate Towey, MSCI Climate Risk Center

Let’s venture beyond the portfolio and into the engine room of company performance. In this episode, we explore how ESG Ratings relate to core business fundamentals like profitability, sales variability, and asset turnover. It’s a new piece of a much bigger picture that connects sustainability with financial performance.  Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Yu Ishihara, MSCI ESG Researc...

On July 4, the United States enacted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping tax-and-spending package containing some 35 provisions affecting the energy sector. Here, we highlight the most significant measures and examine how the legislation could reshape energy-investment decisions for both corporations and investors. Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Chris Cote, MSCI ESG Research

Junk food is at the center of the political conversation in America and globally, with discussions about ultra-processed and artificial foods, and the changes we need to make to food, and how hungry we are but none of the food is "good." It is a thing! But what does it mean for food companies? And what does it mean for our social pillar where we look at opportunities in nutrition and hea...

The energy transition isn’t a straight line. Investors are increasingly look to understand where and how emissions create portfolio risk. In this episode, we explore MSCI’s new energy transition framework and take a closer look at materiality-weighted emissions, a new metric that draws a bolder line to company performance.  Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guests: Chris Cote & Guido Gie...

How is it going with the carbon credit markets? Are they pricing credits accurately? Is the vitally important Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation also known as CORSIA that relies on functioning carbon credit markets working out? Listen to this episode of Sustainability Now to find out! Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Utkarsh Akhouri and Nicholas Baldwin,...

Could Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche’s late-stage antibiotic trials signal new hope against antibiotic‐resistant pathogens? On this special REPLAY episode (originally aired August 2024), we take a deep dive into the state of antimicrobial resistance, from hospital wards to farm fields. As these microscopic threats drive up healthcare costs, jeopardize food security, and reshape insurance risk...

In this episode, we dive deep into the critical role of adaptation finance in helping Asia face the escalating impacts of climate change. As the region experiences rising temperatures and extreme weather events, the demand for resilience-building solutions is greater than ever. With a growing population, rapid urbanization, and a heavy reliance on agriculture, Asia is uniquely vulnerable, but also...

Tariffs and tangled supply chains: This week, we explore how commercial aerospace and defense companies are navigating a new wave of trade restrictions. From Boeing to Lockheed Martin, what do transparency and oversight mean when the stakes — and the sky —are high?  Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research

From car factories to aluminum smelters to textiles, the purported goal of the Trump administration is to 'reshore' American manufacturing. Its a goal, in part, supported by his predecessor, Joe Biden, who enacted the CHIPS act to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to America. So, let's say manufacturing does come back and companies expand their current factories to meet demand....

Newly imposed U.S. tariffs have triggered market volatility and strategic recalibrations across industries. In this episode, we explore the role of supply chain traceability in managing risk — from regulatory exposure to sustainability trade-offs.  Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Aura Dron, MSCI ESG Research

As I type this, we are in the midst of a market sell off. So, it’s a perfect time to look at what happened to our ESG indexes during the last market sell offs. Worrisome times! Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Xinxin Wang, MSCI ESG Research

Does the defense industry have an ESG problem? Is there such a thing as an ethical bomb? These are questions emerging as the European Union ramps up investment in its defense sector as part of a broader rearmament effort. In this episode, we examine whether these concerns are well-founded or simply a dubious proposition.  Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Olga Emelianova, MSCI ESG Rese...

Egg prices in the US have soared, but is avian flu the only culprit? This week, we crack open the structural issues in the egg industry, from supply chain vulnerabilities to price-fixing allegations. Plus, what it all means for investors — and your breakfast.  Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Cole Martin, MSCI ESG Research

In February 2025, the EU Commission proposed the first Omnibus Package of sustainability rules, with the aim of simplifying and reducing EU sustainability reporting requirements. But did it work? Has the outcome been "good" or "bad"? And what are these new rules set to do to the future of sustainable finance in the EU? Listen to this episode of ESG now to find out! NOTE:  The f...

Banks face growing pressure from regulators to assess the risks climate change poses to their loan portfolios. Some regions, like Europe, are tightening standards, while others, like the U.S., remain hesitant. Our latest research reveals that banks with high exposure to industrials—especially in APAC—could see default risks rise by 50% over the next decade. Will global banks adapt, or are we headi...

Oil and gas are in, renewables are out — at least, that’s what the headlines say. But what’s really happening in energy markets? We take a closer look at shifting U.S. policies, investor reactions, and how global energy trends might shape the future.  Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guests: Mathew Lee, Chris Cote & Elchin Mammadov, MSCI ESG Research

The quest for higher returns with lower risk is a fundamental principle of successful investing. Study after study shows that investors can use sustainability data to identify more profitable, less risky companies with higher long-term returns. But what about protecting your portfolio from massive drawdowns? Or better yet, seeing which sustainability data points matter most for which industries? W...

What are climate scenarios? Can I do them myself, or do I need a supercomputer and an advanced degree to make them work? They are certainly important in this day and age, especially as once-in-a-lifetime destructive events seem to be becoming the norm. That’s why we decided to do an episode demystifying the whole process of climate scenario analysis. Luckily, our guest today, James Edwards, along...

Fires continue to rage in Southern California, destroying homes and businesses and leaving thousands stranded. But Los Angeles and its surrounding areas are unfortunately not unique when it comes to wildfire risk. So where is the next fire likely to be? And what can investors do about it? We discuss on this week's episode of ESG now. Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI ESG Research Guest: Katie Towey, ...

One of Australia's biggest casinos is in big trouble, plagued by money laundering investigations and a dwindling pool of domestic gamblers. We look at whether the rise of online gambling may make problems like these redundant in future, and what new risks investors may want to be on the lookout for.  Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guest: SK Kim, MSCI ESG Research

Join us as we cover the sustainability and climate trends that our team thinks will shape the year head. We talk about the energy transition opportunities that are emerging in private markets, rising social risks and the tech giants, falling data access for AI models and much more. Here’s to a big, intriguing 2025! Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guests: Liz Houston, Namita Nair & Jona...

We put out the world’s first price forecast for Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)! In it we analyzed the potential demand, supply and prices for credits under CORSIA, and how much the scheme could cost the airline industry in terms of higher ticket prices or lower profits. In this episode we explore the reports findings from one of its main authors, Faris P...