Climate Biz: Recent Episodes
Shari Friedman and Denise Odaro
The World Bank Group’s private sector arm IFC invites you to discover what’s new in the world of green energy and sustainable business with Esohe Denise Odaro and Shari Friedman. Climate Biz is a leading bi-monthly podcast that explores global sustainability trends from a business perspective.
Join in conversations with leaders from the world of sustainable business and policy or stay in-the-know with our monthly sustainable trends report, covering energy, tech, finance, and the wider real sector.
In this episode, Denise and Shari have a conversation with Ashley Allen, Chief Sustainability Officer at Oatly, producer of oat-based dairy substitute products.
They discuss the origins of the company, Oatly's rapid growth in the US, plus they take a deep dive into their farming and sustainability practices.
For more information visit:
www.ifc.org/climatebiz
www.oatly.com
In this episode, Denise and Shari discuss the most interesting topics in climate and sustainability over the past month.
- ESG: Environmental Social & Governance
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The Voluntary Carbon Market Initiative and Greenwashing
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The US Supreme Court's decision on the EPA.
Be sure to follow Climate Biz on your favorite podcast app so you can be alerted when a new episode is released.
Visit our website Climate Biz Podcast
The question of how to be sustainable when you work in 170 countries with a 170 different sets of laws, rules, resources and cultures requires looking beyond the doors of your factory. For Hewlett Packard, everything they do starts with three pillars: climate, human rights and digital equity, but Ellen Jackowski, HP's Chief Sustainability and Social Impact Officer, says that's just the start.
For HP to reach net zero by 2030 and reduce their absolute footprint by 50% they need buy-in across all aspects of their $50 billion dollar supply chain. That's what their Amplify Impact program is about. But even that won't do it. Jackowski believes that you need to work with municipalities to develop the type of green infrastructure that allows a company like HP to reduce their footprint. That's why they joined the Clean Energy Demand Initiative.
On this episode, Denise and Shari discuss some of the hottest news in climate finance and sustainability including: 01:26 Davos and the expansion of the First Movers Coalition
07:46 SEC seeks greater ESG transparency
16:18 Tesla's removal from the S&P 500 ESG Index
Guided by the principles of people, planet, profit, and empathy, Kehkashan Basu and Steve Petterson are among the new generation of leaders trying to impact our future through better sustainable practices and investments. Whether its by organizing activities in over 26 countries that have led to the planting tens of thousands of trees, thousands of mangroves, solar installations, as the 21-year old Basu has with her Green Hope foundation or by rethinking the rules of investment by including social and environmental triggers that reduce the cost of loans and choosing investments on the basis of social impact vs profit as Petterson, founder of the National Social Value Fund does... These two youths are not only leading, but perhaps forging a new way in business and advocasy.
On this episode, Denise and Shari discuss some of the hottest news in climate finance and sustainability including: 01:12 - Earth Day's Sour Tone
05:10 - An Old Solution Counters Methane Emissions
09:44 - Record Number of Climate Resolutions Find Mixed Response
16:58 - The Audience Question of the Month!
After speaking with the UN and COP26, Hugo and Nebula Award winning science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson stops by to speak with Denise and Shari about carbon coins, geoengineering, the role of central banks in solving a climate crisis, and the possibility of an optimistic future.
Robinson's latest novel, Ministry for the Future, has garnered wide acclaim not just among readers of fiction, but in professional circles. The solutions he promotes have catalyzed discussions from think tanks to board rooms. Will Ministry change the future? One thing's for sure, Robinson's writings and predictions drawn from over twenty-five years of writing and research provides him with a depth of prescience few crystal balls can match.
On this episode, Denise and Shari discuss some of the most important news stories in climate finance and sustainability including: 01:56 The Effect of the War in Ukraine on Food and Energy Insecurity 11:38 The New SEC Disclosure Guidelines 20:06 UN Environmental Committee Plastics Treaty Passed Unanimously 29:17 Audience Question featuring special guest expert Sam Burgess, Equity Analyst at Citibank: Defense as a Sustainability Strategy
In life, we encounter many types of leaders: those who stir our imagination and ignite us to action; those who through their silent deeds provide an example to follow; and those who as teachers give us the tools we need to become leaders ourselves. On this very special episode of Climate Biz we're going to meet eight female climate leaders who are moving to meet today's challenges.
03:28- Leadership & the Philosophy of Business Sustainability
05:33- Leadership & Not Going it Alone
11:42- Leadership & Stepping Back to see the Big Picture
14:44- Leadership and Mission
17:22- Getting More Women Involved at a High Level
On this episode, Denise and Shari discuss some of the hottest news in climate finance and sustainability including: 01:25 - Sustainability in the Winter Olympics and EV-powered Super Bowl ads
07:47 - What sixty kettles worth of fusion power might mean
16:27 - The impact of energy inflation on investing
23:02 - The audience question of the month!
Building back better is about more than supply chains, innovations, and carbon. Fundamentally, it's about us. On this episode of Climate Biz, we're talking jobs and tackle how to create a "just transition" with Guy Ryder, Director general of the International Labour Organization.
2:47 -- What do we mean by Just Transition?
5:30 -- Energy Jobs and the Just Transition
6:47 -- Transitions in Geography
11:22 -- Supply Chain and Labor
14:00 -- Women and the Just Transition
16:42 -- Green Sprouts
19:58 -- Fairy Godmother's Wish
On our fourth annual Crystal Ball episode, we delve into eight seven sustainable sectors to predict how they will fare in 2022:
Carbon Capture: 01:49
Recycling Plastics: 03:08
Batteries: 04:56
Hydrogen: 6:49
Green Building/Construction: 08:58
Agriculture: 10:24
Sustainability-Linked Bonds: 12:39
Julia Hoggett, CEO of the LSE, discusses voluntary carbon markets and the role of stock exchanges in the green economy. She believes that "the only way we get to net zero and stay there is if the entirety of the economy moves on a global basis." Going forward, she lists her three chief objectives to be:
o creating better ESG and climate disclosure and data,
o growing the green economy, and
o supporting the just transition to low carbon and net-zero economy.
This month Denise and Shari tackle the latest news in blended finance, carbon pricing, and green fuel for aviation and shipping.
IFC Senior Vice President Stephanie von Friedeburg explains how COP26 impacts IFC's future strategy. Rivian IPO sparks huge interest, and billionaires Warren Buffet and Bill Gates go nuclear.
All that, plus two listener questions with a Latin American flavor...
On this episode, Denise and Shari teeter on the edge of Outrage and Optimism as they discuss corporate disclosures, reporting transparency, policy pledges, and what follows COP26 with CDP founder and podcast host Paul Dickinson. More...
On the eve of COP26, hosts Denise Odaro and Shari Friedman discuss the recent IEA warning that based on current emissions pledges, the world is still on course for a 2.7C rise. Plus, this month's top public and private trends and an audience question from New York City.
One key to every net zero path is comprehensive reporting, but that can't happen if key variables are excluded. For example, if you're tracking emissions, it's important to track not only the amount of carbon in the air, but how much is being burned. Another factor may be fit. That is, are market actions matching what the science is telling us?
Well... are they?
Carbon Tracker's Mark Campanale joins Climate Biz to dish the dirt... or perhaps the carbon.
More...
Join Shari and Denise as they dive into the biggest news in climate business over the last few months. They focus on the new IPCC report, major announcements at the UN General Assembly meeting, and wrap up with a conversation about the world's newest (and biggest) Direct Air Capture Plant: The Orca plant in Iceland.
Podcast show page: www.ifc.org/climatebiz
IPCC report: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
Orca: https://climeworks.com/orca
In Season 4, Climate Biz will build upon the blueprints presented in episodes past in areas such as heating/cooling, cement, fashion, sustainability linked investing, so that together we can consider better practices, avoid past mistakes, and devise a pathway to Net Zero. Listen in to get a head start and discover where financing is looking for solutions. More...
Cement is often literally the foundation of our infrastructure. It’s an essential product, but also a problematic one. Globally, 8% of our carbon footprint comes from its production. Mahendra Singhi, CEO of India’s Dalmia Cement is taking on the problem using a multi-pronged strategy he describes as “clean, green, and profitable.” But utilizing alternative energy, better mixes & biomass to reach net zero is not enough for Singhi. His true goal is for Dalmia to become a net negative carbon producer by 2040
Green bonds have become more than just fashionable and a new trend in sustainability-linked bonds. Globally, regulators aim to incentivize and elevate green bonds to become the gold standard for companies looking to raise money for climate-friendly projects. This move could make green bonds an essential part of every corporate wardrobe.
Fittingly (pun intended), ClimateBiz spoke to two pioneers in the apparel industry, VF Corp and H&M to discuss their recent offerings.
When the first Green Bonds were issued in the late 2000s, no one imagined the demand to come. The first public offering was done by IFC and it sold out in only a few hours. Since then, Green Bonds have grown from around $2.5 billion in 2012 over $270 billion in 2020 with analysts projecting even further growth this year. Today, bonds are sought out as an investment option by pensions funds, insurers, and central banks, but according to Sean Kidney, CEO at the Climate Bonds Initiative and IFC's Treasurer John Gandolfo, their greatest potential may lie in their ability to change the terms of the debate.
It's one thing to fit all the puzzle pieces together when constructing your energy portfolio, but another to do so while trying to design a whole new picture at the same time. Rafael Mateo, CEO of Energy at Acciona, says growth in the renewable energy market requires flexibility, nimbleness, and the ability to keep an eye open for innovative technologies. ClimateBiz Host Shari Friedman caught up to him to discuss how the Spanish company is attempting to "look around the corner" in order to build capacity not only for today, but for the economy of the future.
Shari and Denise are back with the second edition of the new and improved Sustainability Trends: Top 3 Picks for May 2021. They start with the latest IEA report on net-zero emissions pathways, then unravel some game changing news from global oil majors, and share an update on the booming electric vehicle sector.
This month’s picks:
- IEA’s Net Zero by 2050: Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector
- ExxonMobil, Chevron lose key shareholder votes and Dutch court orders Shell to cut emissions faster
- A big month for electric vehicles
This month’s question comes from Rodney from Hong Kong, who asks if net-zero trends are impacting blended finance for climate. To share some insights, we welcome IFC’s Kruskaia Sierra-Escalante, Head of Blended Finance.
Relevant Links:
- Podcast show page: ifc.org/climatebiz
- IEA’s Net Zero by 2050: Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector: https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050
- David Dodwell, “IEA’s net zero emissions road map puts a knife to the fossil fuel industry’s neck", South China Morning Post
- IFC’s Blended Finance: ifc.org/blendedfinance
ClimateBiz hit the red carpet for the fifth annual Innovate4Climate conference. This year, over 8,000 delegates from more than 80 countries attended the World Bank Group's flagship climate event. That roster included a Who’s Who in Climate: Patricia Espinosa (Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change), Larry Fink (CEO, BlackRock,) and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Director-General, the World Trade Organization), and so many more.
The three day event is both a forward looking conference as well as a check on where things stand in sustainability, alternative energy, jobs, and policy. It really is the Oscars of the climate scene! Join Shari and Denise as they break it all down: from plans and problems to the best and worst dressed.
The World Bank Group’s fifth annual Innovate4Climate (I4C) Conference runs from May 25th to May 27th. The event promises to bring together leaders focused on transformative and innovative action on climate change.
Join ClimateBiz hosts Shari Friedman and Denise Odaro as they offer a quick peek at what's to come and then check out the conference site to see the schedule, lineup, and for free registration:
https://www.innovate4climate.com/about.
Sustainability Trends: Top 3 Picks for May 2021
Join Shari and Denise for the new and improved Sustainability Trends: Top 3 Picks for May 2021. They start off by checking in on where we are regarding global GHG emissions and what groups like IEA and the UN have to say.
This month's picks:
- The US Climate Summit: Who made what kind of climate commitments, and what does it mean for the private sector?
- The net zero trend among investors and asset managers: What’s their process, Mark Carney’s new Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), do we have the required technologies to meet these goals, and the launch of Temasek and BlackRock’s new Decarbonization Partners climate tech fund.
- World's whitest paint: How does this simple technology match up with traditional air conditioners?
The episode ends with another new segment: Questions from our listeners. Shari and Denise take Mike from New York’s question on plastics – what happens if plastic waste isn’t recycled and doesn’t go to a landfill? What is chemical recycling, and what’s pyrolysis?
- Podcast show page: ifc.org/climatebiz
- Felix Salmon/Axios article on the summit: A zero-carbon future is now the central thesis for most financial giants, Available at: https://www.axios.com/climate-summit-green-energy-investing-5b8c2c1e-3873-4345-b620-d0bc8b6f7de4.html
Words can inspire or rally the troops, but in the end, they must lead to action. On this episode of ClimateBiz, Shari and Denise speak about turning corporate commitments into results, and what's being done to mitigate the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss with the International Finance Corporation’s Makhtar Diop and the World Wildlife Fund’s Carter Roberts. We’ll explore habitat preservation, sustainable agriculture, the transmission of diseases, jazz, and much, much more.
Plastic. It's everywhere. And that's part of the problem. In our oceans alone, the equivalent of a truckload of plastic waste is dumped every minute. This impacts the food chain, livelihoods, and our health.
What can be done? What is being done?
ClimateBiz takes on the issue of marine plastic waste with Rob Kaplan, founder and CEO of circulate capital and IFCs Director and global head for climate for Vivek Pathak.
On this episode, ClimateBiz celebrates some women with a very green thumb indeed.
Women in leadership roles have helped businesses become greener on multiple fronts. When it comes to profits, on average, gender balanced businesses yield 10-20% greater profits. And the success isn't limited just to the bottom line, but can be seen on multiple fronts, including innovation, efficiency, policy, etc.
Are you cool? No, I mean... do you have air conditioning? A refrigerator? A freezer? According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the cooling sector is expected to grow from $135 billion dollars in 2018 to approximately $170 billion in 2030. During this same period, the associated electrical energy costs are expected to triple. Focusing on more immediate concerns, cold chains have become increasingly important for vaccines and hospitals. ClimateBiz talks to Danfoss President of Climate Solutions, Jürgen Fischer about how to cool the world without warming the planet.
Happy New Year! Join Shari and Marcene as they unpack the first news roundup of 2021. Two big pieces of news from GM and the US with lots of other stories in between.
The road to a green rebuild passes through all sectors—even traditional energy sectors like oil and gas. As we roll forward, it’s hard not to wonder what the future look will like for some of the biggest players in the field?
One company looking into this question is Royal Dutch Shell. Director of Integrated Gas and New Energies for Royal Dutch Shell, Maarten Wetselaar, says that, when it comes to getting greener, electrifying as much as possible is a major part of the company's strategy, but in global terms its plan can be summed up as, "Avoid emissions,. If you can't avoid them, you need to reduce emissions, and (after) you reduce them as much as possible you offset (what remains) with carbon credits." [Should this last part be, “and, once you’ve avoided them as much as possible, you offset the remaining with carbon credits.”?]
Wetselaar joins Marcene and Shari to discuss Royal Dutch Shell’s vision to become a net-zero company by 2050.
Sorting through the tea leaves, Climate Biz Hosts Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman find out what's in store in 2021 from top IFC experts in wind, solar, green buildings, transportation, hydrogen, sustainable waste and much, much more....
For our last news roundup of 2020, join Marcene and Shari as they look back at the year, discuss recent corporate and national policy announcements, battery storage, and women in the board room!
In Part I, ClimateBiz spoke with the CEO of Standard Bank Group in South Africa. For Part II, ClimateBiz is bringing in another emerging markets voice – Parwati Surjaudaja, the CEO of OCBC NISP bank in Indonesia. Indonesia is a country of more than 268 million people spread across 17,000 islands and is especially vulnerable to climate change. OCBC NISP has been a leader in issuing green bonds and training its employees in green finance.
November news from Marcene & Shari covers climate risk, national net zero commitments, the new Biden Administration, Bezos, and EVs!
Correction: Mark Carney was formerly the Governor, not Chairman, of the Bank of England.
Is it only a matter of time before climate risk disclosure is mandatory? Increasingly, government financial regulators are addressing climate change in the financial sector. Steven Rothstein of Ceres, a nonprofit that works with investors and companies to drive sustainability solutions, joined ClimateBiz to discuss the regulatory landscape in the US. Be sure to check out Ceres’ new report, Addressing Climate As a Systemic Risk: A Call to Action for U.S. Financial Regulators.
https://www.ceres.org/resources/reports/addressing-climate-systemic-risk
Tune in for the first news roundup of Season 3! Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman recap the past couple months, ranging from major corporate announcements to the latest EV.
How is COVID impacting the outlook for green finance? And how can green finance be part of the recovery, especially in emerging markets? ClimateBiz caught up with Sim Tshabalala, CEO of Standard Bank Group, South Africa’s largest bank. He shared his views on how COVID is leading to unprecedented levels of public and private collaboration and green investment opportunities he sees in Nigeria, Togo, Senegal, and other locations in the region.
Welcome to Season 3 of ClimateBiz! This season we will focus on COVID-19 and its implications for climate-smart business, including initiatives from around the world about how we can build back better and more sustainably. For the first episode, ClimateBiz gets an insider’s look at the European Commission’s recovery package that is targeting hundreds of billions of Euros in climate investment. Joining the show are Frank Heemskerk, Secretary General of the European Roundtable for Industry, and Feike Sijbesma, Special Corona Envoy for The Netherlands and Honorary Chairman of Royal DSM.
- IFC COVID relief financing
- European Roundtable for Industry
How can we communicate climate change in a way that inspires action? And what are the implications for the private sector? Find out in this episode, featuring a conversation with Andy Revkin, one of America’s most honored and experienced environmental journalists and the founding director of the new Initiative on Communication and Sustainability at Columbia University's Earth Institute.
Tune in as Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman discuss the latest climate business news from June 2020, focusing on recent private sector announcements and an update on green stimulus plans.
Did you know that one pair of jeans produces as much greenhouse gas emissions as driving a car more than 80 miles? Transitioning the apparel industry to a low carbon future is a complex problem that involves a vast, interconnected global supply chain.
In 2018, fashion stakeholders, including IFC, created the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action under the auspices of the United Nations. In this episode, Stefan Seidel, Head of Corporate Sustainability at PUMA and Chair of the Charter Steering Committee, and Laila Petrie, CEO of 2050 and Vice Chair of the Charter, discuss how the sustainability challenges and opportunities facing the industry.
You’ve heard about green buildings, but have you heard about net zero buildings? Arthaland, a pioneering developer of green buildings in the Philippines, joins ClimateBiz to discuss how their Century Pacific Tower became the first EDGE-certified Zero Carbon building and how they used a green bond to finance this construction.
Tune in as Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman discuss the latest climate business news from May 2020, focusing on transport.
www.ifc.org/climatebiz
BNP Paribas is France’s largest commercial bank. ClimateBiz interviewed Pierre Rousseau, Strategic Advisor in Sustainable Business, about how BNP Paribas is lowering its exposure to assets with climate risks and how it is building a green business in renewables, biodiversity, and more. They were an early supporter of the Paris Agreement as well as one of the first international banks to adoptive investment policies regarding coal, oil, and shale gas.
Generation Investment Management is an asset management company with an unusual philosophy – that incorporating social and environmental criteria creates better companies with better risk-adjusted investment results. Co-founder David Blood joined ClimateBiz to discuss how they make their investment decisions and how this kind of risk management is becoming mainstream.
For more information about sustainability disclosure:
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Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/
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Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) https://www.sasb.org/
Tune in as Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman discuss the latest climate business news, focusing on the unprecedented drop in oil prices and what it means for the clean energy industry.
For Earth Day, Marcene and Shari spoke with The Nature Conservancy about nature-based solutions. In a bonus interview, IFC's Irina Likhachova joined the show to discuss IFC's approach.
Happy Earth Day! ClimateBiz is celebrating Earth Day 2020 by looking into nature-based solutions, which use natural ecosystems and processes to solve societal challenges. There are many examples of this, including reforestation to reduce carbon in the atmosphere. Tim Purinton of the DC and Maryland chapter of The Nature Conservancy joins the show to discuss specific solutions in the Chesapeake Bay area and how the private sector is supporting these solutions.
Tune in as Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman discuss the latest climate business news, focusing on the impacts of COVID-19.
South Africa is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions – for context, it emits more than the U.K. even though the U.K.’s GDP is nearly eight times larger. ClimateBiz spoke with Shamini Harrington (VP, Climate Change, Sasol South Africa) about how Sasol, a major industrial player in South Africa, plans to lower the emissions from its petrochemicals and energy business. In 2019, Sasol released its inaugural report on how it will position itself for resilience in a lower-carbon future.
https://www.sasol.com/sites/default/files/financial_reports/Sasol%20Climate%20Change%20Report%202019.pdf
Michael Sheren is a senior advisor at the Bank of England, the UK’s central bank. ClimateBiz caught up with him at the 2019 Innovate4Climate conference to discuss his views on climate-related financial risk disclosure.
Tune in as Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman discuss the latest climate business news, including some new corporate climate commitments, 2019's flat GHG emissions, and more.
Climate risk disclosure is a big topic these days for the private sector, especially those companies that are publicly traded. Many have decided to voluntarily disclose their risks and how they are mitigating them. Are mandatory disclosures coming down the pike? Mary Schapiro, former Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and current Special Advisor to Michael Bloomberg, joins ClimateBiz to share her thoughts and predictions.
Tune in as Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman discuss the latest climate business news, including net zero corporate announcements at the World Economic Forum in Davos and Mark Carney's legacy on addressing climate financial risk at the Bank of England.
It's a new year and a new decade. ClimateBiz asked several industry experts within IFC for their predictions of how climate business opportunities will develop in 2020. Tune in for predictions across the diverse field of climate business.
- 2:09 Green Finance
- 8:30 Solar
- 15:18 Wind
- 20:00 Carbon Capture
- 26:54 Waste
- 30:13 Green Buildings
- 36:25 Adaptation and Resilience
- 43:07 Carbon Pricing
Now that the dust has settled from the UN's Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change in Madrid, ClimateBiz sums up the highlights from the negotiations and what they mean for the private sector.
IFC just released a new report, “Green Buildings: A Financial and Policy Blueprint for Emerging Markets,” that shows how financiers, governments, developers, and buildings owners can take the lead in shaping and accelerating this multitrillion-dollar business opportunity. Read more here: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/climate+business/resources/green+buildings+report?deliveryName=DM50130
IFC just released a new report, “Green Buildings: A Financial and Policy Blueprint for Emerging Markets,” that shows how financiers, governments, developers, and buildings owners can take the lead in shaping and accelerating this multitrillion-dollar business opportunity. Read more here: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/climate+business/resources/green+buildings+report?deliveryName=DM50130
Catch up on the most important climate business news.
1:08 New high for GHGs
2:30 Biogas from livestock
4:15 Tesla's expanding Lithium storage project in australia
5:50 Using AI for concentrated solar panel
10:05 What to expect from COP25
Recorded onsite at Climate Week 2019 in New York, Jesper Brodin, CEO and President of the INGKA Group, which includes the IKEA brand, joined Shari and Marcene to discuss IKEA’s plans to decouple material use from growth. This includes ambitious targets for renewable energy, product suppliers, and transport.
4:10 What does a circular economy company look like?
8:50 Managing the supply chain
11:25 The role of customers
16:25 IKEA’s action plan
Part I went through the basics and current state of carbon pricing, including what it means for business. In Part II, Marcene and Shari interviewed two business leaders, Feike Sijbesma and Anand Mahindra, to discuss the report they co-chaired on Carbon Pricing and Competitiveness.
2:25 Carbon pricing and competitiveness
7:56 Climate action and profitability
11:58 Systematic approaches to incorporating climate-friendly business practices
16:57 Do we need a floor on carbon
Renowned economist Lord Nicholas Stern literally wrote the book on carbon pricing – well, the Stern-Stiglitz High-Level Commission on Carbon Prices. He and IFC Vice President Hans Peter Lankes join ClimateBiz to discuss the basics of carbon prices, what businesses need to know, and what this means for international development.
8:21 Current state of carbon pricing initiatives
11:54 What should the price be?
14:47 Carbon pricing and developing countries
17:35 Millennial preferences
21:00 IFC’s carbon pricing experience
26:00 Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition
29:32 Climate change and pensions
Welcome to Season 2!
Shari and Marcene cover the climate news from the past month, with a focus on what this means for the private sector.
1:20 Scientists ramp up the alarm
2:43 UN Climate Conference, “The Ambition COP”
6:29 Saudi Aramco’s IPO
8:18 Offshore wind’s potential
10:57 Central banks and climate change
Ironically, cooling our buildings, transport, and industry is a major contributor to climate change.
Jim Maguire from Sustainable Development Capital joins ClimateBiz to discuss the financing mechanisms for efficient, sustainable cooling.
0:21 News roundup
08:12 Climate impacts of cooling
15:20 The Kigali Amendment
20:45 Business models, incl. “cooling as a service”
27:30 Which developing countries are ripe for investment?
31:32 Cold chains in Sub-Saharan Africa
34:17 Working through financial institutions
36:15 Market projections
Carbon Engineering (https://carbonengineering.com/) captures carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and turns it into fuel. CEO Steve Oldham joined ClimateBiz to discuss how carbon capture has a big role to play in the ambitious targets laid out by the Paris Agreement.
They said it was impossible to produce enough energy from the sun to power an airplane. But Bertrand Piccard did it. And he flew that plane around the world. It took a larger wingspan, a lighter aircraft, and a commitment to showing how protecting the environment does not have to reduce quality of life. Bertrand joined ClimateBiz to discuss his Solar Impulse Foundation (https://solarimpulse.com/) and how it builds on the success of the solar plane to scale up 1,000 profitable, innovative climate solutions.
Here are a couple of reports mentioned during this episode’s news roundup:
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Transition Pathway Initiative report (http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/tpi/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/TPI-State-of-Transition-Report-2019-1.pdf) that only one out of every eight of the world’s largest GHG-emitting companies are meeting their climate goals.
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13 ways where machine learning can help solve climate change (https://arxiv.org/pdf/1906.05433.pdf)
David Katz, founder and CEO of Plastic Bank, joins ClimateBiz to discuss how his company turns plastic waste into currency to fight ocean plastic and help people ascend from poverty at the same time. Roughly 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans every year. These plastics cost society up to $2.5 trillion a year in damage and lost resources from tourism and aquaculture. This episode explores the link between climate change and ocean plastic and how innovative ways to recycling plastic could help to change human behavior, capture value in waste, and create new markets.
Henrik Stiesdal, a wind industry pioneer who installed the first offshore wind farm in 1991, joins ClimateBiz to discuss how offshore wind has become a major player in electricity generation. Cumulative investments in offshore wind are projected to reach $350 billion by 2030, just over a decade from today. This episode explores where the sector stands today and which technologies and regions are poised to see the most development.
During Take Your Child to Work Day, Shari sat down with some IFC staff kids and let them tell us about their ideas for solving climate change.
IFC has partnered with HSBC to launch the Real Economy Green Investment Opportunity Fund (REGIO). It is the first global green bond fund targeting "real economy" issuers in emerging markets. It is expected to catalyze up to $700 million in multilateral and private sector capital, largely through green bonds issued by non-financial, or real sector, companies.
Guests:
Vivek Pathak, Regional Director East Asia and the Pacific, IFC
Melissa McDonald, Global Head of Product - Equity and Responsible Investment, HSBC Global Asset Management
The transition to a low carbon economy in a socially responsible way needs to happen fast…but it also needs to be done right. Brune Poirson, Secretary of State for the French Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, joins ClimateBiz to discuss President Macron’s approach to climate leadership both domestically and internationally. Tune in to hear about ambitious approaches for everything from plastics to fashion to the financial sector, and how social responses such as the gilets jaunes (“yellow jackets”) influence the conversation.
Small scale solar has more than doubled since 2012, and distributed generation is profoundly transforming the energy sector. Shari and Marcene are joined by two solar experts – Guido Agostinelli, a Senior Industry Specialist at IFC, and Mike Silvestrini, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Energea, a renewable energy project investor that is focused on emerging and frontier markets.
From shade trees to weather index microinsurance for smallholder farmers, agribusinesses are taking action on climate change. Guillaume Le Cunff, Nespresso USA President and CEO of the Nespresso Sustainability Innovation Fund, joins ClimateBiz to discuss Nespresso’s carbon footprint and how to make coffee production as a whole more sustainable as well as more resilient to climate impacts. Companies across the agricultural sector – as well as their investors – are paying more attention to the sustainability of their supply chains.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
Nespresso (https://www.nespresso.com/us/)
Nespresso and Blue Marble’s Pilot Weather Index Insurance (https://www.nestle-nespresso.com/media/mediareleases/nespresso-blue-marble-microinsurence-collaboration)
What do local credit unions, job retraining, energy access, and potential climate litigation have in common? Climate justice. Historically, the developed world has been responsible for the warming of the climate while the developing world has borne the worst of the impacts. Former president of Ireland and current climate justice champion Mary Robinson joins the podcast to discuss the concept of a just transition to a low carbon economy and what it means for the private sector.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
Mary Robinson Foundation (https://www.mrfcj.org/)
The Elders (https://www.theelders.org/)
Mothers of Invention (https://www.mothersofinvention.online/)
At $1.42 billion, the Amundi Planet Emerging Green One (EGO) fund is the world’s largest green bond fund. The fund was established in partnership with IFC. In addition to its size, it is significant for its focus on emerging markets. The fund will deploy over $2 billion over its lifetime. This episode delves into the innovative thinking that led to this fund and the process of finding the right partner.
What does 2019 hold in store for climate business? This episode pulls in expert opinions from specialists across IFC. You'll hear their predictions for green buildings, offshore wind, carbon pricing, and more.
Green bonds are a hot topic in the sustainable finance world. Denise Odaro (International Capital Markets Association) and Berit Lindholdt-Lauridsen (IFC) join ClimateBiz to discuss what green bonds are and how they can mobilize capital for climate investments.
With the COP now in the rearview mirror, Shari Friedman and Marcene Mitchell take stock of what happened at the conference and what the implications are for business.
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview is with Bjorn Hannappel, Head of Responsibility Strategy and Standards, Deutsche Post DHL Group.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview is with Lord Nicholas Stern, Co-Chair of the Global Commission on New Climate Economy.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview is with David Wei, Director for Climate at BSR, on the topic of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview is with Dirk Forrister, CEO and President of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA).
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview is with Maryke van Staden, Manager of Low Carbon City Agenda at ICLEI, the global network of 1,500+ cities, towns, and regions committed to building a sustainable future.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview is with Jean Pascal Pham-Ba, Secretary General of the Terrawatt Initative, which is working to operationalize the deployment of 1 terawatt of new solar capacity by 2030 by streamlining regulatory practices, developing financial instruments and at-scale digital marketplace.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview is with Brian Dean, an expert on buildings' energy efficiency with the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview is with Luca de Giovanetti, manager for science-based targets at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview is with Michael Wilkins, Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance at S&P Global. Hear his thoughts on how the role of credit rating agencies in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview is with Emmanuel Normant, Vice President for sustainable development at Saint-Gobain. Hear his thoughts on how to tackle heavy-emitting industries.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview features Seth Schultz, a Lead Author on the IPCC Special Report on 1.5 Degrees °C of Global Warming. He is also Special Advisor to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Get the latest straight from the UN negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Peek behind the scenes with Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman to learn how the proceedings at COP24 will affect the private sector.
This bonus interview features Joeri Rogelj, a Coordinating Lead Author for the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming and lecturer at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
COP24 (http://cop24.gov.pl/)
Straight from COP24 in Katowice, this is ClimateBiz's first dispatch - an interview with Patricia Espinosa.
Recorded live at the World Bank’s Innovate4Climate forum this past spring, hosts Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman spoke with V. Ponnuraj from the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which serves 35 million commuters, and Sascha Kelterborn from Microvast, which is a leading provider of fast-charging batteries for electric vehicles.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
Microvast (http://www.microvast.com/)
Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (http://www.mybmtc.com/en)
Mission Possible report (http://www.energy-transitions.org/mission-possible)
Can energy storage save our planet? In this episode, hosts Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman take a deep dive into energy storage. Guests Kiran Kumaraswamy, Market Applications Director for Fluence, and Peter Mockel, IFC’s Principal Industry Specialist for Storage, join the show to discuss how storage can enable renewable energy.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
Fluence (http://fluenceenergy.com/)
World Bank Group announcement on energy storage (https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/09/26/world-bank-group-commits-1-billion-for-battery-storage-to-ramp-up-renewable-energy-globally)
Energy Storage Project Database(www.energystorageexchange.org)
In this episode, hosts Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman take a deep dive into green buildings. Guests Mahesh Ramanujam, President and CEO of US Green Building Council, and Prashant Kapoor, IFC’s Chief Industry Specialist for Green Buildings and Climate-Smart Cities, join the show to discuss the value proposition for green buildings and what is needed to scale up in rapidly urbanizing emerging markets.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
US Green Building Council (https://new.usgbc.org)
EDGE Green Building Certification (www.edgebuildings.com)
Study on Home Energy Efficiency and Mortgage Risks (http://www.imt.org/uploads/resources/files/IMT_UNC_HomeEEMortgageRisksfinal.pdf)
LEED for operations and maintenance (https://www.usgbc.org/articles/getting-know-leed-building-operations-and-maintenance-om)
Green Business Certification (www.gbci.org)
In this inaugural episode of ClimateBiz, hosts Marcene Mitchell and Shari Friedman explore the role that business is playing in creating the transition to a global low carbon economy. Guest Nigel Topping, CEO of We Mean Business, shares insights into how leading corporations and investors are influencing energy markets and driving policy changes in their quest to capture climate business opportunities while lowering their carbon footprint and guarding against climate risk.
Podcast show page (www.ifc.org/climatebiz)
IFC climate business (www.ifc.org/climatebusiness)
We Mean Business Coalition (https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/)
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (fsb-tcfd.org)
Climate risks and credit ratings (https://www.spratings.com/documents/20184/1634005/How+Environmental+And+Climate+Risks+And+Opportunities+Factor+Into+Global+Corporate+Ratings+-+An+Update/5119c3fa-7901-4da2-bc90-9ad6e1836801)
RE100 Initiative (re100.org)
Science-Based Targets (https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action/)