Sustainability Now

As climate risk accelerates, insurers face a core challenge — pricing a future that no longer resembles the past. While some are adopting forward-looking models, much of the industry still reacts after losses occur, raising questions about resilience across the financial system.Guests: David Carlin, D.A. Carlin & Company; Pam Palena, MSCI Research & DevelopmentHost: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & Development

Carbon footprints tell you where a fund has been. But do they tell you how it’s positioned for the road ahead?In this episode, we unpack new research from Positioning Portfolios for the Energy Transition (link to paper) analyzing more than 37,000 funds representing USD 50 trillion in assets. The research finds that funds with stronger energy transition positioning were associated with higher historical returns — and stronger links to decarbonization outcomes.We explore the distinction between transition pressure (risk exposure) and transition readiness (strategic preparedness), why managing transition risk is different from achieving temperature alignment, and how investors can balance financial performance with climate objectives.If you think climate analysis begins and ends with carbon intensity, this conversation may change your perspective.Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & ClimateGuest: Kishan Gangadia, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Sustainable investors are redrawing their red lines. As defense spending rises, the definition of “controversial weapons” is being reexamined — from nuclear value chains to AI-enabled systems in the kill chain. Where those lines fall could reshape portfolios. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & DevelopmentGuest: Mike Disabato, MSCI Research & Development

The 2026 World Cup is bringing the world to North America this summer. But the stadiums hosting the biggest sporting event on the planet face a problem no amount of ticket revenue can solve: the climate they were built for isn't the climate they're operating in. We look at which venues are most exposed to heat waves, flooding, and even the ground sinking beneath them, why this problem goes beyond the beautiful game, and why the insurance and bond markets haven't caught up to what the data already shows.Episode Reading: What can physical hazard data tell us about the 2026 World Cup?Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & ClimateGuest: Katie Towey, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Conversation centers on sustainability shifting from moral arguments to economic drivers and the need for a clear business case. They explore how falling costs and scale are propelling the energy transition. Discussion covers ESG data gaps and why sustainability advantages might be undervalued. They examine weakening policy signals, tougher governance, and challenges pricing physical climate risk and financing adaptation.

As food retailers work to digitize and enhance their logistics and supply networks, they’re becoming more exposed to cybersecurity risks. In this episode, we discuss how a wave of recent cyberattacks has exposed vulnerabilities across the sector — how prepared companies really are, and why investors may want to sit up and take notice.Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI Research & DevelopmentGuest: Cole Martin, MSCI Research & Development

Flat prices, steady volumes — carbon markets in 2025 might seem uneventful. But dig a little deeper, and a clearer picture emerges: buyers are paying more for quality. We explore how media scrutiny, new rating systems, and evolving buyer expectations are reshaping how carbon credits are valued.Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & DevelopmentGuests: Nicholas Baldwin & Utkarsh Akhouri, MSCI Research & Development

For years, institutional investors treated human rights as a checkbox exercise, something to monitor after the fact. But a new wave of regulation and stakeholder pressure is forcing a fundamental shift from passive oversight to active due diligence. In this episode, we explore how forward-thinking investors are moving beyond retroactive screening to implement proactive human rights risk management across their portfolios. Episode Reading: Human-Rights Risks in Portfolios: From Oversight to Due DiligenceHost: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & ClimateGust: Aura Dron, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

AI-accelerated clean tech and which commercially ready solutions will actually win market share. Central banks tightening climate-related financial rules and enforcement. Private capital facing rising physical climate risk in infrastructure and long-term assets. Increasing state ownership in strategic sectors and what that means for investors. Shrinking corporate disclosure to a narrower set of material sustainability metrics.

When policy and markets move in different directions, the results can be surprising. In this episode, we explore five sustainability and climate trends we'll be watching in 2026. From AI-boosted clean tech and central banks enforcing climate risk rules, to investors reckoning with physical hazards in private equity and the rise of state ownership in strategic sectors. We unpack how materiality is maturing, policy is pivoting, and capital is flowing into what works.Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Sustainability & ClimateGuest: Liz Houston, MSCI Sustainability & Climate