Sustainability Now

AGL Energy, Australia’s largest electricity generator and polluter, abandoned plans to spin-off its coal assets after tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes bought shares to help block the move. It was a continuation of a trend we are seeing: the offloading or spinning off of pollutive assets away from the parent company. We discuss AGL’s attempt, this offloading trend, and where the company goes fr...

Abbott Laboratories is having to answer difficult questions after the F.D.A found its Michigan plant to be “egregiously unsanitary.” The plant closed after four infants became ill and two died after consuming Abbott’s baby formula that was made at the plant leading to a national formula shortage. We discussed what happened and why product quality and safety is such a key issue in ESG analysis. The...

After a stellar 2021 for mining company Sibanye-Stillwater, its CEO is banking a hefty pay package. But as the company squares off against 25,000 striking mineworkers, we pick apart the arguments for and against bumper executive paydays. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guests: Zanele Mtshali and Samuel Block; MSCI ESG Research

Carl Icahn, a billionaire investor and storied corporate raider, has mounted a proxy fight at McDonald’s Corp. to change how it sources it’s pork. At the moment, McDonald’s, and all other fast-food companies, source pork from farmers that use what are called gestation crates. These crates have caught the ire of Icahn and the US Humane Society for some time, and they decided to mount a public proxy...

After a draft opinion leaked from the U.S. Supreme Court showed the possible reversal of the landmark abortion law called Roe v. Wade, a new spotlight has been put on companies that manufacture abortifacients (aka abortion pills). We give you a quick look into what those pills are used for (not just abortions) and the companies that manufacturer them. Then we explore what sovereign bonds can tell...

For short sellers, ESG data offers new strategic considerations. But when it comes to reporting the ESG-related impacts associated with short positions, you’d be forgiven for scratching your head. We take a look at the differences between financial and double materiality and what key investors had to say about this brave, new world. Host : Bentley Kaplan, MSCI ESG Research Guests: Rumi Mahmood and...

A spate of auditor resignations for real estate developers in China have prompted whispers of economic contagion. The real estate market in China is really important and if it were to collapse, then the world might go with it. We discuss what ESG has to do with the looming, potential crisis, and how the problems we are already seeing in the market could be fixed with better company governance proc...

This week we saw a landmark win for labor as Amazon workers on Staten Island voted to unionize. The decision and others like it at Starbucks and REI gives us a chance to explore unions from an ESG perspective. Then, we touch on some of the important findings in the recently published IPPC Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change report. IPCC Report : https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/ Ho...

As Russia invaded Ukraine, endless briefing documents were thrust in front of company directors. Navigating supply chain disruptions, sanctions and a humanitarian crisis is not supposed to be easy. And as the war continues, investors will find that not all boards are equal. And war aside, Boeing’s board will be navigating a crisis of its own, following the fatal crash of a 737-800 in southern Chin...

Coal is a complex topic: it's the main factor driving up global energy-related carbon emissions, yet it is a cheap and stable fuel source millions rely on for their energy and livelihoods. So, why does it have such staying power? And why has 2022 seen so many planned coal expansion projects? We discuss such things in our first story. Then, we give you the MSCI ESG Research hot take on the new...

ESG MORAL CONUNDRUM: Can defense companies (which are also the weapons companies) make a positive contribution to ‘social sustainability’ and so should be consider social impact companies? I may not have a good answer but I go through the data so you can decide. Then, we discuss a Chinese ride sharing company that left Russia right before Putin invaded Ukraine because of market difficulties (i.e....

We begin this episode with an update on the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Western companies have begun an exodus from Russia as sanctions and atrocities mount.  Yet, some are deciding to stay. The decision behind why is ultimately one that can be explained by examining their board of directors. We do this, with a focus on one of company specifically: Danone. Then, we discuss the growing problem o...

As a country and its people reel, we look at some of the early implications of the conflict in Ukraine. We’ll take you through Russia’s shifting ESG risk profile, the moral dilemma facing social media platforms and the implications for climate change. Host: Bentley Kaplan Guests: Bhaveer Shah, Andrew Young & Antonios Panagiotopoulos; MSCI ESG Research

As the Russian escalation in Ukraine continues, Germany has decided to suspend certification of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline that would have doubled Russia’s natural gas export capacity to Germany. We discussed what this move means for the energy mix of Western Europe and what companies are exposed to the pipeline’s construction. Then, we discussed the equitable distribution of the COVID-...

Tensions continue to rise between Russia and Ukraine. The crisis is complicated because of the dependence of the West on Russian natural gas. We discuss how that dependence plays out and what could happen to companies’ carbon targets if Russia cuts off its supply of natural gas. Then, we discuss the proliferation of online gambling in the US. Host: Mike Disabato Guests: Elchin Mammadov and SK Kim;...

As banks feel the heat over financed emissions, we look at current disclosures and the challenge of putting out credible numbers. Then we sift through recent and colorful electric vehicle start-ups that hit public markets with some SPAC-merger magic. Host: Bentley Kaplan Guests: Nigel Fletcher, Carrie Wang, Yu Ishihara; MSCI ESG Research

The EU has made a last minute change to its green bible, the EU Taxonomy: It proposed including natural gas as a sustainable transition fuel. The move would have notable effects on investors and companies. And would give natural gas a coveted green label by the EU. Then, a self-commissioned report by Rio Tinto revealed sexual assaults and culture of ‘systemic’ bullying at the Australian mining gia...

A labor strike ends at Kroger after contract negotiations give the employees a wage increase. But Kroger is supposed to be a decent employer, so what is going on here? Is this all due to the great resignation or renegotiation or restructuring of labor caused by pandemic? Or is there something deeper? We answer all these (floating) questions. Then, we discuss how a new EU proposal to ensure that pe...

China’s toymakers are staring down rising sea levels. And that’s not just bad news for Santa – a sizable portion of global supply chains are anchored in the manufacturing powerhouses of Guangdong, Shanghai and Fujian.

This week we provide you with a carbon markets 101, and a discussion around companies that use carbon markets and carbon offsets to meet their plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon markets, in the broadest sense, turn the power to pollute into a credit that can be bought and sold. They are marketed as one of the major pillars in combating climate change and are an important tool f...

Antibiotic resistance is getting more worrisome. It's possible by 2050, antibiotic resistant super bugs could kill three times as many people could a year as during the worst parts of the COVID-19 pandemic . But there may be hope in the development of novel antibiotics. We discuss how this is related to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. Then we finally put ESG ratings in their rightful...

Everyone wants to get into mining these days. The extractive industries have seen a flurry of interest as the rush to decarbonize our economies sparks a race to control the metals those low-carbon technologies need to work. We discuss the ESG paradox this creates: on the one hand, mining is a fundamentally challenging sector when it comes to ESG and on the other hand for renewable energy to be a f...

Jack Dorsey, the eccentric and visionary co-founder of Twitter, announced he was stepping down on Monday. Parag Agrawal, the chief technology officer, will replace him as CEO. We discuss what this move means for the governance of Twitter, for Block (previously called Square), and for the tech world in general. It's a good old governance episode!

COP26 dropped an unstoppable wave of headlines. As delegates catch their breath for the hard work that starts in the aftermath, we take a look back at what happened in Glasgow. For one, it looks like big change lies ahead, especially for energy producers. But a recent surge in the prices of coal, oil, and gas may dampen the spirits of climate investors. Should it? Host : Bentley Kaplan; Guests : S...

A USD 1 trillion deal is scheduled to be signed into law by US President Biden on Monday, November 12. The deal, in the White House’s words, is imperative for the US to meet its commitment to reduce U.S. emissions by 50-52% from 2005 levels in 2030, create a 100% carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, and achieve a net-zero economy by 2050. It allocates funds toward updating the US transporta...