ESG State of Play

The fifth ministerial meeting of the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council.And what we are tracking in 2024

The short version: It went pretty well. This time around COP saw countries and companies renew their commitment on many fronts. These are some of the most important outcomes.Final declaration sends mixed messages to the business communityMore climate finance pledges, though not enough, can accelerate transition in emerging marketsFood hits the climate agenda with a first-of-its-kind agreement and a major UN planAgreement on the global stocktake sets tone for near-term actionRenewable energy is to be tripled with most countries on board

This week's letter focuses on risks and opportunities for companies, as they emerge from COP 28.Countries and companies are failing to report accurately on emissions.117 countries pledge to triple renewable installations by 2030.The Biden Administration and fossil fuel giants move in tandem against methane.Carbon credit markets are moving ahead.Boosting green investments with special drawing rights in emerging markets will expand opportunities.

This week's letter focuses on the expected positions of different players at COP 28.We look at three different players, the European Union, the United States, and China, together accounting for just over half of the world's total carbon emissions.We look at examples of positions from countries in South America or groupings such as the Least Developed Countries and small island nations.

Episode highlights:COP28 is around the corner: both nearby and out of sightChina boosts cobalt strategic reservesThe U.S. SEC may scale back Scope 3 reporting A Just Energy Transition Investment Program (JET-P) with North MacedoniaMexico is running dry with water shortagesThe viability of the US leader in Small Modular Reactors

The Geopolitics of the Green Transition Weekly update.- US wants China to forego unabated coal- Restricted traffic in Panama Canal- Kenya signs carbon offset deal with UAE- Lithium-ion battery prices drop- France's Sustainable Investment Label remake- US launches new critical minerals coalitiongeostreams.org 

The Geopolitics of the Green Transition Weekly updateEU releases Wind Power Action PlanChemaf sells DRC minesGreece moves forward with Euro-Asia InterconnectorMineral Security Partnership identifies 15 common projectsIndonesia returns palm tree plantations to forestsgeostreams.org

U.S. states are sophisticated and comprehensive in their incentive packages for investments. Yet polarization around ESG is altering the landscape with challenges ranging from incessant culture wars to the curbing of renewables expansion.geostreams.org 

The Geopolitics of the Green Transition Weekly update. China Restricts Graphite Exports in Bid to Slow Western EV DeploymentSingapore's consultations on transition planningShift to clean energy unstoppableUAE deploys first wind projectVast disparity in renewable deployment around the worldDelivered to newsletter subscribers on October 26, 2023 geostreams.org

The Geopolitics of the Green Transition Weekly update. Delivered to newsletter subscribers on October 19, 2023 geostreams.org 

African leaders are united on the idea of a Global Carbon Tax. This episode is a clip from our Geopolitics of the Green Transition monthly webinar. It was recorded on October 4, 2023.  geostreams.org

Our weekly update on the geopolitical developments shaping the green transition and what they mean. geostreams.org

CBAM:  The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is here and means business. This episode is a snippet from our Geopolitics of the Green Transition monthly webinar. It was recorded on October 4, 2023. geostreams.org

Our first audio version of the Geopolitics of the Green Transition newsletter. Listen to these short updates about the transition. geostreams.org

Sustainability advisor Carmen Escobar reflects on Climate Week in New York and talks sustainability in Colombia. Ah, yes, the reports dilemma...

How to develop a successful sustainability strategy? Carmen Escobar and Justin talk through the question as the US Securities and Exchange Commission prepares to release its landmark climate disclosure rules. www.geostreams.org 

New details about the Geopolitics of the Green Transition newsletter after the first 17 editions.  

Hear about Leila's approach to calculating the emissions of small to medium-sized businesses. Leila's links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/co2consultant/https://www.w2rsolutions.com/

Get into the details of EU ESG Regulation with Lauri and Pascale. This episode is a segment from our monthly webinar series. It was recorded on August 22, 2023. 

Justin and Tahmina Day, Global ESG Solution Lead at Archer, discuss ESG consolidation, data solutions, and the connection to risk management.

Lithium plays a vital role in the green transition. Justin and Rebecca Keller Friedman discuss the geopolitics of this precious metal. 

Lauri and Senior Advisor for UX and Narrative Juha Hemanus reflect on the question 'who is the user?' when it comes to ESG. 

Lauri and Pascale discuss climate change making parts of the United States uninsurable. They also look ahead to what looks like a controversial COP28.

FROM THE GEOSTREAMS KNOWLEDGE VAULT: The EU is an alphabet soup of sustainability regulation. Here's the state of play in mid-2023: from questions about the CSRD's future to the inherent friction between ESG aspects in the existing frameworks. This episode is a recording of our June 2023 webinar, which is an open conversation on the Geopolitics of the Green Transition. Learn more at geostreams.org 

Lauri and Justin reflect on lessons learned from their interview series with sustainability managers. 

Ludivine Wouters is a partner at Latitude Five, focusing on sustainability, mining, and minerals. She joins Lauri to discuss the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRM Act) and the global race for mineral wealth. 

Ben Goodare, Head Of Sustainability at Renishaw plc, joins Lauri for a discussion on the drawbacks of overly focusing on carbon emissions. Also, Ben describes how employee education is central to the role of a sustainability team.  

Jimmy Christopher, Group Sustainability Officer at ITL, joins Lauri to talk about his sustainability journey. He also discusses South Africa's transition away from coal and what that transition looks like in a country with energy shortages. 

United By Blue Director of Sustainability Maria McDonald joins Lauri on the podcast to talk about the company's journey as a B Corp and the tension between sustainability results and marketing. 

How to make sure that as many stakeholders as possible see the value in sustainability efforts. Lauri speaks with Brock Rodgers, Sustainability Manager at HNI Corporation.

How does sustainability support the growth and profitability of an enterprise? Too many sustainability professionals are 'bolt ons' and not integrated. Lauri talks to Joe Rozza, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ryan Companies.

Lauri speaks with Christian Phipps, Sustainability Manager at Emeria UK about upcoming reporting changes, divergence with the EU, and connecting ESG and real estate sector standards.  

The United States is not the only country creating an industrial policy that favors the green transition.  Pascale Siegel joins Lauri on the podcast. 

Sustainability Advisor Carmen Escobar talks smart cities, building strategies for companies in the food and banking sectors, and ESG in Latin America.  

Lauri and Justin discuss their vehicle choices and the unintended consequences. 

Lauri and Justin talk through the cost and time challenges inherent to Scope 3 emissions reporting. 

There's trust issues involved in Scope 3 emissions reporting.

The CSRD and Scope 3 emissions reporting. 

Watch California to see where ESG issues will go next. 

The environment is a big winner of Brazil's presidential election. Will Lula force Uber drivers to become employees? And how did Operation Car Wash change views on governance?  

Brazil faces a pivotal run-off election on October 30, 2022. Lauri and Justin run through the ESG issues that matter most and touch on how politics is often impossible to separate out.  

Lauri is joined by Gijsbert Wierink founder of Plutonic Raw Materials Advisory to discuss energy security in Europe, minerals procurement, and the possibility that nuclear fuels become part of the circular economy. 

Lauri is joined by Chris Oates, the creator of policy tracking app Legislata to discuss the differing approaches employed by political risk and ESG practitioners and how to think about each. 

Justin and Lauri discuss The Economist's Special Report on ESG and why investment managers have piled into ESG. Also, mentions of fancy tomatoes. 

Anna Rahikainen is Sustainability Director at Finland's Kotipizza Group. She joins GEOSTREAMS' State of Play podcast to discuss cases of ESG friction, challenges faced by sustainability managers, and why she'd ideally like to see herself unemployed. The interview also touches on the role of ratings and why a restaurant business 'going vegetarian' is not straight forward solution. www.geostreams.org 

Lauri and Justin talk through the emerging and current ESG regulation in North America and Europe. 

In the first 2 Points ESG episode, Lauri and Justin reflect on data governance challenges and the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) going after an international company over ESG. 

What does Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) mean in practice? In the first full length episode of GEOSTREAMS State of Play, Justin and Lauri present four typologies of ESG risk, along with accompanying case studies. How do we move from (geographically) restrictive scenarios to ones in which the pros and cons can be balanced? All of these cases are characterized by the the friction between E and S&GAnd were the ESG risks for Western companies in Russia predictable? The second part of the episode digs into this question and potential ramifications for corporations...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Trash FM by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Music : Way Home by Tokyo Music WalkerStream & Download : https://fanlink.to/tmw_way_homeCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 

Introducing the ESG State of Play 2022. Part annual outlook, part white paper. We want to help especially companies think through ESG. We discuss how the environmental transition brings with it great opportunities, but, just as importantly, major friction with social and governance issues.