Sustainability In Motion

In Episode 21 of Sustainability in Motion, Matt Orsagh and Maria Maisuradze speak with Jo Paisley, President of the GARP Risk Institute, about the evolving landscape of sustainability risk in the financial sector. With deep experience from the Bank of England to HSBC, Jo brings a unique lens on how financial professionals can better prepare for climate and nature-related challenges.   We cover: Jo's journey from economist and regulator to sustainability thought leader What GARP and the GARP Risk Institute are doing to advance risk literacy in sustainability Key findings from their Nature Risk Management surveys—what's shifting in how institutions assess and respond to nature-based risks Common misconceptions in the industry around sustainability risks and how to bridge the knowledge gap The most pressing sustainability risks on the horizon for the financial sector—and how to manage them effectively   At ED4S, we believe that understanding and managing sustainability risks is no longer optional—it's essential. That's why we design company- and role-specific sustainability training programs that are efficient, relevant, and outcome-driven. Our goal is to close critical knowledge gaps and empower professionals to take meaningful action—without wasting time on generic content.

In this eye-opening episode, we unpack the quiet crisis in corporate governance: how boardrooms are often shaped by personal networks over real skills, leaving major ESG blind spots at the top. Guest Matt Moscardi, Co-founder of Free Float Analytics, joins us to explore signals that companies send by backtracking on their commitment and why treating investment stewardship as a cost center may be a costly mistake. We dive into the DEI backlash, flip-flopping climate commitments, and how surface-level sustainability reports (complete with curated optics) reveal more about a company's culture than they realize. Plus, what makes a great sustainability analyst? It's not just the data—it's the curiosity, context, and ability to challenge the narrative. Perfect for anyone building ESG skills, delivering corporate sustainability training, or decoding the signals behind the statements.

We talk with Victoria Hurth, a Pracademic (practitioner and academic) to help define and describe a well-being economy. We discuss how to get to a wellbeing economy from our current state, and what companies and investors need to do to move in that direction.

We talk about the issue of income inequality and why understanding income inequality is important for investors. We discuss the causes of inequality, the ways that inequality impacts our economy and investments. Listeners can learn ways to measure income inequality, and how to integrate inequality analysis and analysis of other systemic issues into the investment process. 

In this episode, Matt, Maria, and Nawar reflect on their 2024 sustainability predictions and look ahead to what's coming in 2025. They discuss the ESG backlash, evolving sustainability regulations, and key trends shaping the future. Tune in as they analyze past forecasts and make bold predictions for the year ahead!

In this episode of the Sustainability in Motion podcast, hosts Matt Orsagh and Maria Maisuradze engage in an insightful discussion with William Burckart, CEO of the Investment Integration Project (TIIP), which helps investors integrate systems thinking in the investment process. The conversation explores the transformative concept of systems-level investing, a forward-thinking approach that integrates financial, social, environmental, and economic systems to address systemic risks such as climate change, inequality, and resource scarcity. Key highlights include: Introduction to Systems-Level Thinking: Bill explains the shift from traditional investment strategies to a holistic approach aimed at mitigating root causes of systemic risks rather than their symptoms. Practical Applications: Examples such as large-scale infrastructure projects and innovative asset allocation strategies that address interconnected societal and environmental challenges. Bridging Theory and Practice: How tools, techniques, and collaboration across sectors can help investors influence broader systemic change. Building Executive Buy-In: Practical advice for sustainability professionals on initiating and sustaining meaningful organizational change through systemic thinking. The episode underscores the importance of aligning financial investments with long-term sustainability goals, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in advancing responsible investing and fostering resilience across global systems.

Episode Overview: In this episode, Matt Orsagh and Nawar Alsaadi of ED4S sit down with Jon Lukomnik, a leading figure in sustainable finance and co-author of Moving Beyond Modern Portfolio Theory. Jon explores the limitations of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) in addressing long-term, systemic risks like climate change, highlighting the evolution toward "system-level investing." Key Takeaways: Limitations of MPT: MPT is designed for idiosyncratic risk (individual asset variance) but fails to account for systemic risks, which cannot be diversified away. Lukomnik notes that while MPT focuses on market-relative risk, it overlooks larger economic and environmental factors that affect the entire market. System-Level Investing: Lukomnik advocates for a shift towards system-level investing, where investors engage in strategies to mitigate systemic risks like climate change, inequality, and biodiversity loss. This approach involves collaborative stewardship and policy engagement to reduce overall portfolio risk. Collaboration and Collective Action: Collaborative efforts, such as Climate Action 100+, enhance the impact of investors on global issues. Though the free-rider problem exists, Lukomnik observes that collective initiatives are crucial in addressing systemic challenges. Practical Approaches: Practical tools for system-level investors include investment enhancements (e.g., climate-aligned private equity and infrastructure projects), stewardship, policy advocacy, and setting clear boundaries for ESG targets. Engaging with policymakers and stakeholders strengthens the collective response to systemic risks. The Role of Policy: Effective systemic risk mitigation requires a synergy between investors, policy, and NGOs. Policy is critical in shaping sustainable practices, yet investor engagement and capital flow remain vital in driving actionable change.

We talk with Natasha Chaudhary, a Research Fellow at the Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE).  Natasha recently wrote the report, From Stranded Assets to Assets-at-Risk – reframing the narrative for European private financial institutions. We discuss how well financial firms are accounting for stranded assets and the impact those stranded assets may have on financial firms and the wider financial system. 

In this episode, we talk about the recent paper published at ED4S. Operationalizing Sustainability – 8 role sheets in finance. We discuss what sustainability looks like in practice, and how to operationalize sustainability for different roles. The paper breaks down how different roles require different skillsets - there is no "one size fits all" sustainability training.  Speakers: Matt Orsagh, Maria Maisuradze, Nawar Alsaadi

In This Episode: We talk with Tiffany Grabski, Head of the SSE Academy, and Anthony Miller, Coordinator of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative. We discuss how sustainability has grown as a focus of stock exchanges, and the need for sustainability training among financial professionals. 

We talk with Alice Kalro, the Founder of arkH3, a corporate systemic leadership platform.  We will talk about sustainability, how prepared companies and investors are for the world ahead, ecological overshoot, social undershoot, and pressing sustainability issues. 

In this episode: We talk to Erin Knowles, Manager at Position Green about the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and what it means for companies. We discuss what is in the legislation, what companies need to comply and how they can best start preparing for CSRD reporting.

In This Episode: We talk with Christine Uri, Founder of ESG for in-house Counsel about how companies can better prepare for sustainability regulations and tell their story effectively. We discuss increased litigation around sustainability issues like climate change and explore what sustainability issues she sees gaining prominence in the future. 

We talked to Terry Thornton, Founder of Educate Ethos ESG. We discuss the evolution of sustainability training, current best practices, and the motivations behind companies and investors investing in sustainability training. Terry shares his thoughts on what the future of sustainability training might hold and how to go beyond just box-ticking in training your staff. 

We talked to Stephen Kibsey, who enjoyed a distinguished career as an analyst, portfolio manager, and risk manager at one of Canada's largest pension funds. We talked to Stephen about the ED4S secret shopper campaign, in which we spoke with Canadian financial advisors to determine their ability to meet the needs of clients looking to invest sustainably. While some advisors demonstrated a thorough understanding of sustainability issues, there is room for improvement if more financial advisors are to meet their clients' sustainability needs.  Host: Matt Orsagh, Chief Content Officer, ED4S Co-host: Maria Maisuradze, CEO, ED4S Guest:  Stephen Kibsey,  BSc, BEng, MBA, SIPC

We talked to Heidi Welsh, Executive Director at Sustainable Investments Institute about sustainability and proxy season. Heidi tells us about the main sustainability issues this proxy season, how proxy voting and shareholder engagement have evolved, the anti-ESG movement, and what sustainability issues we may see more of on future proxy ballots. Participants: Host: Matt Orsagh, Chief Content Officer, ED4S Co-host: Nawar Alsaadi, Founder & CEO, Kanata Advisors. Advisor to ED4S Guest: Heidi Welsh, Executive Director, Sustainable Investments Institute      

We discuss the recent report  “Beyond Checking the Box” by the IBM Institute for Business Value. The report helps to show how companies can “embed sustainability” into what they do. This conversation gets into the all-important question of "HOW" to do sustainability right that we hear so often from investors and companies.    Participants: Host: Matt Orsagh, Chief Content Officer, ED4S Co-hosts: Maria Maisuradze, CEO, ED4S Nawar Alsaadi, Founder & CEO, Kanata Advisors. Advisor to ED4S

We talk with Pavan Sukhdev, CEO of GIST Impact. Our discussion focuses on biodiversity and natural capital. Investors and companies are attempting to properly value our natural world to better manage risk and to meet the increasing demand for nature-friendly products and services from customers. Pavan shares his wisdom on how companies can better work in harmony with nature and what steps we can take to be better stewards of our natural world. Participants: Host: Matt Orsagh, Chief Content Officer, ED4S Co-host: Nawar Alsaadi, Founder & CEO, Kanata Advisors. Advisor to ED4S Guest: Pavan Sukhdev, CEO of GIST Impact

Matt and Nawar discuss how investors are using sustainability data. The discussion touches on materiality, the process investors use to incorporate ESG data into fundamental and quantitative analysis, and the impact of the anti-ESG movement.   Participants: Host: Matt Orsagh, Chief Content Officer, ED4S Co-host: Nawar Alsaadi, Founder & CEO, Kanata Advisors. Advisor to ED4S

We talk with Marie-Josée Privyk, CFA, RIPC, Founder of FinComm Services. Our discussion focuses primarily on ESG reporting. We discuss the current state of sustainability regulation, what is working, what isn't, best practices, and the evolution of ESG reporting that we can expect in the future. Participants: Host: Matt Orsagh, Chief Content Officer, ED4S Co-host: Nawar Alsaadi, Founder & CEO, Kanata Advisors. Advisor to ED4S Guest: Marie-Josée Privyk, CFA, RIPC, Founder of FinComm Services.

It's our first podcast! We welcome our listeners and let them know what we have planned for the podcast. Because it's early in the year, we take out our crystal balls and try to anticipate what will and won't happen in the sustainability world in 2024. Bold predictions ahead! Participants: Host: Matt Orsagh, Chief Content Officer, ED4S Co-hosts: Maria Maisuradze, CEO, ED4S Nawar Alsaadi, Founder & CEO, Kanata Advisors. Advisor to ED4S