POPULARITY
In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we talk to PepsiCo to understand how one of the world's biggest food and beverage companies is building resilient food systems. PepsiCo products are sold in more than 200 countries and territories, and Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Andrew explains how the company works with its global farmer network to create long-term value. This is a challenge in a food system facing increasing stress from climate change, resource constraints and geopolitical uncertainty. "All these things are hitting — food, water, energy, supply chains — all at once. And so what used to be the occasional rare disruption now really shows up all the time," Jim says. "So what we're preparing for here at PepsiCo is what I call the 'era of resilience.'" Jim says AI is part of that resilience strategy, from helping farmers reduce their use of chemicals for pest control to making PepsiCo's plants and vehicle fleets operate more efficiently. "For us, AI is not just a technology choice," Jim says. "It helps us align the resources that we rely on with sustainable long-term business growth — and those two things really have to go together." This interview is the latest installment in our CSO Insights podcast series, where we talk to Chief Sustainability Officers around the world and across industries. Listen to all the episodes here: CSO Insights by All Things Sustainable - YouTube Further listening: Climate Week Zurich: How Swiss food giant Nestlé tackles sustainable supply chains | S&P Global What's next for sustainable food systems | S&P Global Infrastructure, food, finance: The complex picture for sustainability in Asia-Pacific markets | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
The rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers is putting unprecedented pressure on energy supply, emissions and water availability. At the start of 2026, S&P Global named AI and data center growth as a top sustainability trend to watch, and it was a dominant theme at both Climate Week Zurich and CERAWeek 2026 in Houston, where the conference title was "Convergence and Competition." In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we explore how the tech and energy industries are converging to meet the growing power demands of AI while also protecting the planet and local communities. In three interviews from the sidelines of CERAWeek, we ask how companies can deliver reliable energy to power AI without sidelining affordability, emissions, water and community concerns. Arshad Mansoor, President and CEO of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), explains how the research organization is convening stakeholders across the energy ecosystem to meet growing energy demand. "Without convergence, without the stakeholders coming together to solve critical policy issues, technical issues, regulatory hurdles, we will not be able to bring speed to power," Arshad says. We talk to Alexis Bateman, Head of Sustainability at Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud-computing and technology services subsidiary of Amazon. She discusses why one of the world's largest hyperscalers takes a "multipronged" approach to powering AI infrastructure that balances grid reliability and sustainability. "We have to play both sides of the coin," Alexis says. "We have customers that are reliant on our cloud services every single day, and so we have to be a reliable partner for them. At the same time, our first choice will always be carbon-free energy and making sure that we have a steady supply." And we sit down with Lydia Krefta, Senior Director of Electrification and Decarbonization at one of the largest US utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric Company. PG&E operates in the heart of Silicon Valley, and Lydia explains how the utility is managing the build-out needed for both electrification and data centers. Lydia also highlights a less-discussed bottleneck in the AI build-out: human capital. Even where capital and technology exist, utilities still need enough skilled workers to plan, permit and construct the infrastructure required to meet surging demand. Further reading and listening: Beneath the surface: Water stress in data centers | S&P Global CSO Insights: California's biggest utility talks decarbonization, climate adaptation and AI energy demands | S&P Global S&P Global's Top 10 Sustainability Trends to Watch in 2026 | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're examining global uptake of standards created by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). The ISSB launched in 2021 to create standardized sustainability reporting rules, establishing its first two standards in 2023. Since then, around 40 jurisdictions have either adopted ISSB standards or are planning to adopt them in future. Canada was one of the early adopters, and in today's episode we speak to Wendy Berman, Chair of the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB), which formed in 2022. Wendy explains the challenges Canadian companies face in adopting sustainability standards in a tense geopolitical environment and her expectations for greater global convergence in sustainability reporting. "Despite these headwinds, we're not seeing any significant pullback in Canadian companies on their journey to full implementation of these standards," Wendy says. "They see sustainability issues as mainstream business risks and opportunities, and they're advancing on their journey." She also explains how the CSSB is working with the ISSB to embed the interests of Canada's Indigenous peoples into sustainability standards. "It's important to have Indigenous rights, interests and voices heard by the ISSB," Wendy says. We'll be back in upcoming podcast episodes to explore how other jurisdictions are adopting ISSB standards. In the meantime, you can read our latest quarterly tracker on ISSB adoption: May 2026 – Where does the world stand on ISSB adoption? | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
Learn what happens when the executive accountable for data strategy is also the executive accountable for the business results that depend on it. Saugata Saha, President of S&P Global Market Intelligence and Chief Enterprise Data Officer at S&P Global, shares how he manages one of the world's largest financial data estates while driving business outcomes across public and private markets. He breaks down the four pillars of S&P Global's data strategy, the federated organizational model that connects data teams to business value, and why capturing ROI from AI requires deliberate workflow transformation. Key Moments Why Data Strategy Must Follow Business Strategy (04:57): Saugata challenges the idea that data and business strategy can run in parallel. Market trends, customer pain points, and existing capabilities must come first. Building an AI-Ready Financial Data Estate (15:10): Scale alone does not create intelligence. Saugata explains why semantic layers and graph databases are the hard work behind connected financial data. How AI Compresses Post-Acquisition Data Integration (18:29): Manual reconciliation of millions of records is no longer the only path. Discover how AI entity matching accelerated post-acquisition integration. The Federated Model That Connects Data to Value (22:49): Most large organizations either over-centralize data teams or leave them too embedded to scale. Saugata outlines the federated model that actually bridges both. Rethinking AI Productivity: From Marginal to Transformative (28:29): Most AI programs stop at training and tooling. Saugata explains why deliberately redesigning workflows is the missing step between AI investment and real ROI. Key Quotes “Data strategy and business strategy have to be very tightly connected. And if they're not, that's when value capture does not happen. In fact, I would go so far as to say data strategy actually follows from business strategy.” - Saugata Saha “Stop treating data as an afterthought or byproduct, but start thinking about data as a key ingredient for value creation and competitive advantage.” - Saugata Saha “We don't want everybody to become 10% more productive, because that's a little squishy. We want 10% of the people to become a hundred percent more productive so they can do other things.” - Saugata Saha “If a company can really use data at scale for better decision making, better client service, [and] better outcomes, that creates a lasting edge over the competition.” - Saugata Saha Mentions S&P Global Agrees to Acquire With Intelligence from Motive Partners for $1.8 Billion, Establishing Its Leadership in Private Markets Intelligence The Data & AI Chief: Why a Federated Data Team is Crucial for Business Value, with Dow Private Companies Wait Too Long to Go Public The Lex Fridman Podcast Guest Bios Saugata serves as President of S&P Global Market Intelligence, leading the division's efforts to deliver essential insights and intelligence to clients worldwide. He is also S&P Global's Chief Enterprise Data Officer, responsible for driving innovation and excellence in the company's enterprise data strategy. Saugata is a member of S&P Global's Executive Leadership Team, contributing to the strategic direction and growth of the organization. Before joining S&P Global, Saugata was a consultant at McKinsey & Company's New York office, where he advised clients on strategy, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and operational improvements across various industries, with a strong focus on financial services. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.
All Things Sustainable is the official podcast of the inaugural Climate Week Zurich taking place May 4-9, and all week we've brought you special daily episodes from Zurich. In our final episode of the week, we're talking to Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The WMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Geneva, Switzerland, that facilitates worldwide cooperation on monitoring and predicting changes in weather, climate, water and other environmental conditions. Celeste says Climate Week Zurich is helping raise awareness of the need to build climate resilience in the public and private sectors through collaboration and data sharing. "If we speak about food security, you speak about climate; if you speak about water security, you speak about climate; if you speak about transportation and logistics and security associated with aviation or marine operations, you're also speaking about weather and climate," Celeste says. "The quality of climate information is not guaranteed unless every player plays an active role." Celeste explains how the WMO is building consensus at a time when geopolitical tensions are high. "We need to trust science," she tells us. "Scientists are also needed to provide objective information for decision-makers. It's not for scientists to decide on what to do, but it's for scientists to provide the right level of knowledge for those that are going to take decisions." Learn about the S&P Global Climate Center of Excellence: Climate Center of Excellence | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
All Things Sustainable is the official podcast of the inaugural Climate Week Zurich taking place May 4-9, and all week we're bringing you special daily episodes from Zurich. In our fourth episode of the week, we're talking to a leader who spent 30 years working for Swedish retail giant IKEA: Jesper Brodin. Jesper recently retired after eight years as CEO of Ingka Group, the primary operator of IKEA's global home furnishing stores, and in March 2026 he was named Board Chair of The Earthshot Prize. Climate Week Zurich includes a focus on how sustainability can build competitive advantage, and in our interview Jesper explains how his career continuously showed him that companies can embrace sustainability without sacrificing economic benefits, quality or affordability. "It actually is a good business to be a good business," he says. To navigate geopolitical headwinds, Jesper says sustainable businesses need to strike the right balance between near-term and long-term thinking. "I think a long-term view gives you perspective. Then I think you should operate with a short-term anxiety and drive," Jesper says. "Governments and presidents will come and go, but the issues about climate change and about resource scarcity will remain." William Prince of Wales launched The Earthshot Prize in 2020 to find and scale innovative solutions to the world's biggest environmental challenges by 2030. Listen to our previous interviews with an Earthshot Prize winner and finalist here: How Earthshot Prize winner Coral Vita tackles reef restoration | S&P Global Climate Week, meet Fashion Week | S&P Global The All Things Sustainable podcast will be back with more special coverage from Climate Week Zurich tomorrow, so please stay tuned. Learn more about events S&P Global is hosting during Climate Week Zurich: Climate Week Zurich 2026 : Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
All Things Sustainable is the official podcast of the inaugural Climate Week Zurich taking place May 4-9, and all week we're bringing you special daily episodes from Zurich. In our third episode of the week, we're talking to Zurich Insurance Chief Sustainability Officer Linda Freiner. Zurich Insurance is one of the world's largest insurers, serving over 82 million customers in more than 200 countries and territories across multiple types of insurance, including property & casualty and life insurance. Linda explains how the insurance industry is evolving to address climate change. She says climate mitigation and adaptation are both needed to build systemic resilience amid compounding global crises. "You can no longer look at climate risk on its own, or geopolitical risk on its own, or social risk on its own. They're all interconnected and they're all compounding," Linda says. "As an insurance company, it's our job to help our customers navigate those risks and build the right resilience measures in place to be able to withstand the shocks." This interview is the latest installment in our CSO Insights podcast series, where we talk to Chief Sustainability Officers around the world about how they're navigating the sustainability landscape. Linda says the CSO role has "changed tremendously" in recent years. Now, she says, "it's about the focus on execution. We have set all the big commitments. We have put out the plans." The All Things Sustainable podcast will be back with more special coverage from Climate Week Zurich throughout the week, so please stay tuned. Learn more about events S&P Global is hosting during Climate Week Zurich: Climate Week Zurich 2026 : Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global Listen to all the episodes in our CSO Insights series: CSO Insights by All Things Sustainable - YouTube Listen to previous episodes of the All Things Sustainable podcast about insurance and climate: Why all eyes are on insurance in climate risk conversations | S&P Global Why insurance is becoming central to climate risk conversations | S&P Global What the LA wildfires show about climate change and the future of insurance | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
Kia ora. Welcome to Thursday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news oil prices have tumbled as the US seems to give up on most of its stated objectives, including the promise of safe-passage for shipping, in a u-turn to extract itself from a losing hand. Crude oil prices are down more than -10% on the news, although it needs to be noted that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. It is just market euphoria. We now need to start worrying about a permanent Iranian transit tax after the US walks away. The Gulf States who supported the US are about to be thrown under the bus. Financial markets don't care of course and like the end of the adventure. US mortgage applications fell again last week as interest rates rise, both for refinance activity and new home purchases. This takes this activity back to September 2024 levels. The US ADP employment report said their private labour market added +109,000 jobs in April, marginally more than the +99,000 expected. This sets the official non-farm payrolls report up for an expected +60,000 rise, with upside. Most of the new jobs are coming from aggressive hiring in their healthcare sector. After the prior week's outsized fall, this week the EIA reports another notable fall in US crude oil stocks. In fact, every metric fell other than US crude oil imports. There is certainly no relief at US petrol pumps yet, with prices now up more than +50% from their pre-Trump Gulf War levels. We have earlier noted the politicalisation of US official data, especially of the Bureau of Labor Statistics who produce CPI, PPI and labour market data. We weren't the only ones. A new analytical report has been looking at how this has affected the quality of their data and concluded there is a worrying impact from this trend. So we need to be sceptical, and the next of their big set piece reports is the April non-farm payrolls. This means we will need to rely more on other non-Trump Administration high frequency market data. In Canada, their widely-watched Ivey PMI surged into a strong expansion in April and by more than expected. In China, new analysis shows Chinese companies are reporting lackluster earnings, with overall net profit declining in 2025 for the third consecutive year as the property slump dragged on and more retailers posted losses, hurting employment and the economy as a whole. Meanwhile, China's Golden Week holiday has just ended, and reports are that there was less air travel this year - but very much more high-speed rail travel. Overall domestic holiday activity was up +3.5% with air travel falling -5.7% year-on-year to 10.5 million passengers between May 1 and May 5, railway journeys up +4.6% to 1.06 billion. And staying in China, their non-official S&P Global services PMI reports that their services sector expanded faster as new business picked up in April and the year-ahead outlook improved. Cost pressures remained modest from this giant sector. In India, their services sector saw new orders and output expand at a quicker pace supporting hiring activity. They also reported a mild reduction in inflationary pressures. (Things aren't so good in the Russian services sector.) In the EU, they report rising cost pressure for producers, all related to higher fuel prices. Overall they are up +2.0% in April from a year ago, but up +3.2% from March. There is quite a wide range of impacts depending on the country. Internationally, a new report tallying global debt found it at US$353 tln, and a strong shift away from US treasuries and toward big new demand for Japanese and European government bonds. They also found the overall debt:GDP ratio remained stable. The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.35%, down -7 bps from this time yesterday. The price of gold will start today up +US$121 at US$4680/oz. Silver is up +US$4 at just over US$77/oz. American oil prices are down -US$6.50 at just on US$95.50/bbl, while the international Brent price is down -US$8.50 and now at US$101.50/bbl. The Kiwi dollar is up +60 bps from yesterday at this time at 59.5 USc. Against the Aussie we are up +30 bps at 82.3 AUc. Against the euro we are up +30 bps at just on 50.7 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just under 62.8 which is up +50 bps from yesterday. The bitcoin price starts today at US$81,399 and up +0.1% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just under +/- 1.3%. You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz. Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we'll do this again tomorrow.
All Things Sustainable is the official podcast of the first-ever Climate Week Zurich taking place May 4-9, and all week we're bringing you special daily episodes from Zurich. In our second episode of the week, we're talking to Switzerland-based EFG International, a global private banking and asset management group. We sit down on the sidelines of Climate Week Zurich with Melanie Beyeler, the bank's Global Head of Sustainable Investing. Melanie outlines the landscape for sustainable finance and where she sees continued investment opportunities. "If you listen to the market chatter, you might think that sustainable investing is out of fashion, there is hardly any demand left — but then if you look at the data, you get a very different picture," she says. "For us, sustainable investing starts with a very practical question: What will the world need more of in the future, and which companies are well-positioned to provide it?" Melanie says companies need to treat sustainability as a strategic management tool to build value. "If sustainability is only done for the photo opportunity, for the annual report, you will always struggle to justify the cost," she says. "But if it's used to make the business more efficient, more resilient, better prepared for the future — then the case becomes much, much stronger." The All Things Sustainable podcast will be back with more special coverage from Climate Week Zurich throughout the week, so please stay tuned. Learn more about events S&P Global is hosting during Climate Week Zurich: Climate Week Zurich 2026 : Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
Kia ora. Welcome to Wednesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news that although the US claims the ceasefire with Iran is holding and "ships are lining up to transit", in fact, very little is moving in the area between Iran's red lines. And the most high profile transit in the past 24 hours was an Iranian tanker. Still, the US claims resonated on Wall Street, and stocks rose, benchmark rates fell. But first today, there was another full dairy auction earlier today, a small one where volumes offered and sold were the least in fifteen years, since mid 2011. But prices were up +1.5% in USD, up +1.6% in NZD. Butter prices continued to slide, but there were good gains for SMP, WMP and mozzarella. These gains end two consecutive full events where prices fell. US job openings fell, although to be fair, but less than expected. But even then, they are back at levels they had in April 2018, which is less than it seems because their labour force is so much larger now. There were two services PMI reports out for the US overnight (ISM and S&P Global) and both showed that new business intakes fell for first time in two years as war in the Middle East and inflation hit demand. But both were positive even if less so that in the prior two months The reason for the retreat cam be found in the latest April logistics managers report, where freight costs leapt, taking this index back to pandemic-stress levels. The US RCM/TIPP economic optimism index fell yet again, down to levels last seen in early 2024. It has retreated steadily since December 2024. It's sponsor's report called it 'steady' but that is gilding it somewhat. US exports and imports were little-changed in April, but both are in rising trends even if imports rose slightly more than exports (which rose largely on petroleum exports). Their trade deficit was widened. Canada also reported export data and that came in at a one year high, and unexpectedly good result, largely on the back of high exports of petroleum and gold. Imports fell back in April but from an unusually high March level. The result was a good trade surplus, their first since September 2025. Singapore reported March retail sales late yesterday and they were better than expected with a good +4.8% rise from a year ago. That represents a real gain because their CPI inflation was 1.8% in March. As widely anticipated, the RBA raised its cash rate target by +25 bps to 4.35% late yesterday. It was a split decision with one voting member wanting to hold the rate unchanged. But they face sharply higher inflation threats that seem to be growing and prior rate hikes have done little to quell those. However they have restrained their housing market enthusiasm and this latest hike is expected to put the brakes on that further. Traders still believe there is at least one more rate increase this year despite the RBA saying their policy was still only mildly restrictive. This comes after the March CPI rose +4.6%, and yesterday they reported that household spending remained high over the year in nominal terms, up +6.3% compared to March 2025 (and the highest since January 2023). Most of this is 'price' and much of it relates to a +32.8% increase in monthly fuel prices. But in volume terms, they say fuel purchases are lower, down -1.3% in March from February. The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.42%, down -2 bps from this time yesterday. The price of gold will start today up +US$37 at US$4559/oz. Silver is unchanged at just over US$73/oz. American oil prices are down -US$3 at just on US$102/bbl, while the international Brent price is down -US$3.50 and now at US$110/bbl. It is hard to see these prices easing further given the sharp fall in global oil reserves recently. Even the future process of building them back will add to demand and prices. The Kiwi dollar is up +20 bps from yesterday at this time at 58.9 USc. Against the Aussie we are up +10 bps at 82 AUc. Against the euro we are up +20 bps at just on 50.4 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just under 62.3 which is up +20 bps from yesterday. The bitcoin price starts today at US$81,300 and up +0.9% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just under +/- 1.3%. You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz. Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we'll do this again tomorrow.
All Things Sustainable is the official podcast of the first-ever Climate Week Zurich taking place May 4-9, and all week we're bringing you special daily episodes from Zurich. In our first episode of the week, we're talking to the world's largest food and beverage company: Nestlé. Switzerland-based Nestlé has around 271,000 employees and sells food and snacks, coffee, petcare and nutrition products in 185 countries. To learn how the company is managing sustainability across its global supply chain, we sit down with Benjamin Ware, Global Head of Climate and Sustainable Sourcing. Benjamin describes how Nestlé is enhancing its supply chain traceability, how it is using nature-based solutions to address emissions, and how it works with farmers to improve sustainability outcomes alongside productivity. "Climate change has to be put in balance versus food security and economical social development," Benjamin says. The All Things Sustainable podcast will be back with more special coverage from Climate Week Zurich throughout the week, so please stay tuned. Learn more about events S&P Global is hosting during Climate Week Zurich: Climate Week Zurich 2026 : Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
Kia ora. Welcome to Tuesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news conflict in the Persian Gulf has erupted again with attacks on US naval forces trying to open the waterway for US flagged vessels. Iran also hit the UAE. Iran also warned that it will tighten its control over the Strait. So far there have been 28 attacks and 6 near-misses. The oil price has risen, equities have fallen, and benchmark interest rates rose. How China reacts will be important now. So far they are bolstering their support of Tehran via trade and payments support, and banning their companies from respecting the US sanctions threats. In the US, factory orders rose in March and by more than expected as the stockpiling trend got started. They are now almost +3.7% higher on a nominal basis than a year ago. This data matches the recent factory PMI data we have reported earlier. US April vehicle sales came it at an annualised 15.9 mln rate, slightly less than for March and less than expected. This was down -7.2% from April 2025, but holding at about the post-pandemic average which in turn is about -10% lower than pre-pandemic levels. The US Fed loan officers survey may have disappointed some observers. Earlier in the year, indications were for rising demand. But the results of the April survey found little-change. At least it didn't find softer demand. In Canada, they have announced a $C1 bln support program for manufacturers hit by the swinging Trump tariffs on their steel products, a sector hit particularly hard. Another C$500 mln in regional support was announced at the same time. In South Korea, we got another very good factory PMI for April. The S&P Global version rose to 53.6 in April from 52.6 in March, the strongest expansion since February 2022. But the scramble for more orders, and production is to get ahead of incoming inflation pressure. In fact, input costs and output price inflation surged to its highest in the 22-year history of this monitoring. In Taiwan, the same scramble is underway, with production and sales rising sharply as firms look to stockpile. That drove their factory PMI to new momentum and a five year high. In Europe, the ECB also released a survey of bank forecasters. They found there were expectations for higher inflation in the near term, but unchanged further out. These analysts have downgraded their 2026 and 2027 growth expectations, but left longer forecasts unchanged. In Australia, the Melbourne Institute's Inflation Gauge tracking reported a +0.6% rise from March to be 4.3% higher than a year ago. The April result was lower than the record high monthly increase at +1.3% in March, and compares with the official March monthly annual rise of 4.6%. Despite the easing, this rate remains very high and likely well above what the RBA will be comfortable with. The RBA is widely expected to raise its policy rate +25 bps to 4.35% later today, although in the past 24 hours, the market conviction has wavered. The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.44%, up +6 bps from this time yesterday. The price of gold will start today down -US$92 at US$4522/oz. Silver is down -US$2 at just under US$73/oz.. American oil prices are up +US$3 at just on US$105/bbl, while the international Brent price is up +US$5.50 and now at US$113.50/bbl. The Kiwi dollar is down -30 bps from yesterday at this time at 58.7 USc. Against the Aussie we are holding at 81.9 AUc. Against the euro we are down -10 bps at just on 50.2 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just under 62.1 which is down -20 bps from yesterday. The bitcoin price starts today at US$80,587 and up +2.4% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just under +/- 1.6%. You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz. Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we'll do this again tomorrow.
The second annual DC Climate Week took place April 20-26, and in this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast we're exploring two key themes that are front and center in Washington, DC: the proliferation of data centers, and diminished federal support for science and research. All Things Sustainable was the official podcast of DC Climate Week and in today's episode we sit down with some of the week's speakers to unpack the climate implications of both topics. DC is where federal regulations and laws are passed, and DC Climate Week co-founder C'pher Gresham explains how developments in the nation's capital often reverberate across the US and globally. We talk with Brandon Jones, President of the American Geophysical Union, a professional society for earth and space scientists. He says waning support for science is causing major ripple effects throughout society that will require courage, connection and creativity to solve. "We have to rethink how we're going to engage to make sure we have the future that we want and we need," Brandon says. AI and data center demand were another big area of focus during DC Climate Week. The Northern Virginia communities around DC are home to rapid data center growth, and Udit Garg tells us how this could impact the energy transition. Udit is Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Arcadia, a global utility data and energy solutions platform. He says the current process for permitting energy and electric transmission infrastructure needs to be fixed to allow projects to come online faster to meet growing energy demand. And we speak to Xan Fishman, Vice President of the Energy Program at DC-based think tank the Bipartisan Policy Center. Xan says energy permitting reform is one area that could garner bipartisan support in Congress. Further listening: California's biggest utility talks decarbonization, climate adaptation and AI energy demands The rise of billion-dollar US weather and climate disasters | S&P Global All Things Sustainable is the official podcast of the inaugural Climate Week Zurich May 4-9. Learn more here: Climate week Zurich 2026 : Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
The average price of gas in the U.S. hit a wartime high of $4.30 on Thursday, according to AAA. Bloomberg's Michael Regan breaks down the latest numbers. And, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent global energy prices skyrocketing and led to oil and gas shortages in parts of the world. Economic historian, author and S&P Global vice chairman Daniel Yergin says the Hormuz oil shock will lead to a new global balance of power. He joins us.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
In this episode of the Oil Markets Podcast from S&P Global Energy, host Jeff Mower dives into first-quarter earnings from major oil and gas service companies, including SLB, Baker Hughes, and Halliburton. Joined by S&P Global editors Binish Azhar, Sheky Espejo, and J. Robinson, the panel explores the sector's strategic pivot toward energy infrastructure and generation amid geopolitical uncertainties. Why are US shale producers still focused on completions despite high oil prices? How are surging diesel prices and record-low natural gas prices at the Waha hub driving the industry shift from diesel-powered frack spreads to natural gas and electric fleets? How is next-generation fracking technology being deployed in Argentina's Vaca Muerta? Are Pemex payments stabilizing in Mexico? Is there reason for cautious optimism surrounding Venezuela's future production goals? Join us for a wide-ranging conversation on these topics and more.
Kia ora. Welcome to Friday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news investors are ignoring big (geopolitical) risks by taking even bigger new tech risks. On Wall Street, tech firms are reporting a profit gusher. Google (+81% rise in profits), Amazon (+56%) and Microsoft (+24%) delivered bonanza profit results yesterday, crediting AI for these outsized results. Meta was up too (+61%), but held back by a misfiring AI strategy that will require huge new investment. The positive results will likely boost valuations ever higher. In fact, Big Tech has committed to US$750 bln in new spending in the sector. And this impulse is a big part of driving US economic activity which expanded +2% in Q1-2026 in their initial estimate, up from a modest +0.5% gain in Q4-2025 (which was revised lower at each subsequent update). However the current result was below market expectations of +2.3% growth. The outcome was driven primarily by AI investment, but also exports, and both consumer and government spending. But their PCE inflation was reported for March at its highest in more than two years at 3.5%, with +0.7% of that coming in March alone, the steepest monthly increase since the pandemic distortions. Almost certainly April will have been higher, and probably by some margin. Personal income, before adjusting for inflation, rose +4.2% while personal spending rose +5.4%. No wonder most Americans don't feel like they are making economic progress - although Big Tech won't feel the same way. US initial jobless claims came in at 180,000 last week, a decrease and by more than seasonal factors would have indicated. But although it was expected to continue to expand, in fact the Chicago PMI slipped into contraction in April. This unexpected shift was driven by a drop in new orders and a sharper than expected rise in input costs. In Japan, retail sales (+1.7% vs expectations of +0.8% year-on-year) and industrial production data (+2.3% vs +0.4% in February) out yesterday for March were much stronger than any analyst was expecting. But it was only for March, and questions linger about their April data. Still it is better to lead into that with a good prior month. There were two factory PMI surveys out for China yesterday. The official one has it expanding marginally slower and at a quite modest rate. The unofficial S&P Global version reported a slightly stronger expansion. The official services PMI showed a slightly larger contraction after the surprise tiny March expansion. In Taiwan, they also reported GDP and it will be no surprise that it was a strong +13.7% growth, well exceeding the expected +11.3% expansion. The EU said they expect April CPI inflation to come in at 3.0%, up from +2.6% in March and all driven my higher energy costs. The ECB reviewed its monetary policy settings overnight and left its policy rate unchanged, as expected. (The English central bank did the same.) In Australia, CoreLogic said its Home Value Index rose by +0.3% in April, slowing from a +0.6% increase in March and this latest level is the weakest growth in nearly a year. But values are now falling in the nation's two largest property markets and they are easing in every other capital city. The prospect of another rate hike next Tuesday isn't helping. Global container freight rates were little-changed last week from the prior one, and are now +6% higher than year-ago levels. There were few notable regional route changes. And bulk freight rates also held unchanged over the past week although at a high level. From a year ago these rates are up +90% however. The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.39%, down -2 bps from this time yesterday. The price of gold will start today up +US$72 at US$4616/oz. Silver is up +US$3 at just under US$74/oz. American oil prices are down -US$3 at just on US$103.50/bbl, while the international Brent price is down -US$9.50, and now at US$109/bbl. The Kiwi dollar is back up +50 bps from yesterday at this time at 58.9 USc. Against the Aussie we are up +10 bps at 82 AUc. Against the euro we are up +30 bps at just on 50.3 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just under 62.2 which is up +30 bps from yesterday. The bitcoin price starts today at US$76,167 and up +0.3% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just under +/- 1.2%. You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz. Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we'll do this again on Monday.
Energy has moved back to the center of corporate strategy and public policy—and AI is a major reason why. In this episode of the Look Forward Podcast from S&P Global, host Aries Poon is joined by S&P Global experts Aneesh Prabhu, Ashutosh Singh, and Raoul LeBlanc to discuss the fast-changing energy reality now confronting utilities, investors, and governments. Related Research: Look Forward: Energy Futures Upstream is back … but different Has the electrotech age arrived? More Look Forward: Look Forward Homepage
In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're talking to the Chief Sustainability Officer of one of the largest utilities in the US — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). PG&E is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. During San Francisco Climate Week 2026, we sat down with Aaron Johnson, who took on the CSO role at the start of the year. Aaron explains PG&E's long-term decarbonization strategy and the utility's investments in adaptation measures to address climate hazards like wildfire and sea level rise, which are priorities in PG&E's California markets. He also discusses growing energy demand from data centers to power booming AI usage — a topic that is front and center in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley. Aaron says PG&E is seeking to attract data center load to PG&E's service territory while driving down costs for customers. Across all these topics, Aaron explains how PG&E is balancing sustainability, affordability and energy security. "I don't think it's an either/or," he says. "They all come together. The organizing principle for us as a company is that triple bottom line concept of people, planet and prosperity." This interview is the latest installment in our CSO Insights podcast series, where we talk to Chief Sustainability Officers around the world about how they're navigating the changing sustainability landscape. Listen to all the episodes here: CSO Insights by All Things Sustainable - YouTube Further reading: How high-resolution data translates flood risk into financial risk | S&P Global Why climate adaptation is key to US energy expansion | S&P Global Upcoming events: The All Things Sustainable podcast will be live in London April 29. Learn more and register to attend: Sustainable1 Summit 2026: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global All Things Sustainable is the official podcast of the inaugural Climate Week Zurich May 4-9. Learn more here: Climate week Zurich 2026 : Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
On Earth Day, Lisa Friedman, reporter covering climate policy and politics at The New York Times, talks about her reporting on how EPA administrator Lee Zeldin has drastically changed the mission of the EPA, and more related environmental and climate news.Photo: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin is shown during CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Switzerland's largest city is hosting its first-ever Climate Week, and All Things Sustainable is the official podcast. In this episode, we preview what to expect from the inaugural Climate Week Zurich May 4-9. Zurich is a global banking and financial hub, and Climate Week Zurich Managing Director Johannes Pokorny explains how the city plans to convene financial institutions, business leaders, policymakers and the public across hundreds of events to scale climate action. "At Climate Week Zurich ... we're not talking too much about what should be happening in 20 years, but really more about what should happen now," Johannes says. Nic Meyer, Chair of the Climate Week Zurich board, tells us how the gathering is taking inspiration from Climate Week events gaining momentum around the world. He says Climate Week Zurich will focus on building the business case for sustainability. "If you're going to build change, you ultimately need to convince the CFO and the board and the stockholders, the shareholders, that there's a dollar behind this," Nic says. "Governments alone can't do this. So businesses have to step up." S&P Global Energy is a founding partner and sponsor of the inaugural Climate Week Zurich and will be hosting events throughout the week. Learn more here: Climate week Zurich 2026 : Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global Other upcoming events: The All Things Sustainable podcast will be live in London April 29. Learn more and register to attend: Sustainable1 Summit 2026: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global Register to attend DC Climate Week | 20-26 April 2026, where All Things Sustainable will be the official podcast. Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global
In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're exploring how billion-dollar scale extreme weather and climate disasters in the US are growing in frequency and cost — and what that means for businesses, communities and disaster recovery efforts. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) previously developed and published the billion-dollar disaster report and its related historical database. In 2025, the agency discontinued the research and Climate Central picked up the baton for gathering the data and publishing related research. Climate Central is a nonprofit made up of climate scientists and communicators, including some former NOAA staff. In March 2026, the organization published the latest report tallying US weather and climate events that caused at least $1 billion in damages. In the episode, we speak to project lead Adam Smith, Senior Climate Impacts Scientist at Climate Central. He explains how the landscape for climate research is evolving in the US and what the business community can take away from past weather and climate disasters. "We know that extreme events will continue to happen and we need to learn from them," Adam says. "The result will be we're better prepared in the future to minimize the loss of life and property." Related content: For the world's largest companies, climate physical risks have a $1.2 trillion annual price tag by the 2050s What the LA wildfires show about climate change and the future of insurance Physical Climate Risk | S&P Global Upcoming events: The All Things Sustainable podcast will be live in London April 29. Learn more and register to attend: Sustainable1 Summit 2026: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global Learn more about the inaugural Climate Week Zurich, where All Things Sustainable will be the official podcast: Climate Week Zurich | 4-9 May 2026 Register to attend DC Climate Week | 20-26 April 2026, where All Things Sustainable will be the official podcast. Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
Equities under pressure after President Trump ramped up threats against Iran ahead of his Strait of Hormuz deadline. Crude hits $116 a barrel, but S&P Global's Dan Yergin says the oil market is under-pricing risk. Plus, we go stock picking in the semis sector. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Ernest Moniz was the 13th US secretary of energy, serving from 2013 to January 2017. During his tenure he was part of the team, along with then-Secretary of State John Kerry, that negotiated the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. Moniz currently serves as founder and CEO of the EFI Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the transition to a low-carbon energy future. In this episode, Dan Testa speaks with Moniz on the sidelines of the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, to hear the former secretary's perspectives on the current war with Iran and the impacts on oil and gas markets, as well as how the conflict could accelerate adoption of other forms of energy. Moniz also weighs in on steeply rising US power demand forecasts, which new energy technologies hold promise and possible “bumps in the road” for the energy transition. This episode also features information about the Platts Global Power Markets Conference, scheduled for April 13-15 in Las Vegas. Click here to register or learn more about the conference. Related content: (Subscriber content) QatarEnergy expects 3-5 years to repair LNG facilities after strikes (Subscriber content) Iran war disrupting supply chains more so than COVID: Saudi finance minister (Subscriber content) Crude exports from inside Strait of Hormuz plunge 70% since onset of war: CAS
Ernest Moniz was the 13th US secretary of energy, serving from 2013 to January 2017. During his tenure he was part of the team, along with then-Secretary of State John Kerry, that negotiated the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. Moniz currently serves as founder and CEO of the EFI Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the transition to a low-carbon energy future. In this episode, Dan Testa speaks with Moniz on the sidelines of the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, to hear the former secretary's perspectives on the current war with Iran and the impacts on oil and gas markets, as well as how the conflict could accelerate adoption of other forms of energy. Moniz also weighs in on steeply rising US power demand forecasts, which new energy technologies hold promise and possible "bumps in the road" for the energy transition. This episode also features information about the Platts Global Power Markets Conference, scheduled for April 13-15 in Las Vegas. Click here to register or learn more about the conference. Related content: (Subscriber content) QatarEnergy expects 3-5 years to repair LNG facilities after strikes (Subscriber content) Iran war disrupting supply chains more so than COVID: Saudi finance minister (Subscriber content) Crude exports from inside Strait of Hormuz plunge 70% since onset of war: CAS
https://clearmeasure.com/developers/forums/ Aaron Stannard is the Founder and CEO of Petabridge and the co-founder and lead maintainer of Akka.NET — the most widely used actor model framework for .NET, with over 21 million NuGet downloads and adoption by Fortune 500 companies like Boeing, Bank of America, and S&P Global. A two-time startup founder, Aaron previously founded MarkedUp Analytics and worked at Microsoft as a Startup Developer Evangelist before dedicating himself full-time to building the Akka.NET ecosystem. He's a Vanderbilt University graduate, a former Microsoft MVP, and has spoken at major conferences worldwide including NDC, Techorama, QCon, and .NET Conf. Beyond Akka.NET, Aaron is known for creating NBench (a .NET performance benchmarking framework), the Sdkbin marketplace for .NET developers, and for his prolific blog and YouTube content on distributed systems, .NET internals, and software engineering philosophy. Mentioned in this Episode Episode 172 Software 2.0 Case Study LinkedIn Twitter / X - (@Aaronontheweb) GitHub Personal Blog YouTube (Personal) openclaw simon Crop - verify library SlopWatch - detect reward hacking behavior Opus 4.6 & Sonnet 4.6 Copilot OpenCode Claude Code Codex 5.3 model for debugging Qwen2.5 27B llama.cpp local. tmux - Terminal multiplexer suo apt install -y tmux Ralph LLM loop Akka.NET StirTrek, May 1 in Ohio NDC Copenhagen in June Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.
In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast we speak with Dirk Forrister, President and CEO of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), to discuss the role of carbon markets in tackling climate change. We sat down for the interview on the sidelines of CERAWeek, the annual S&P Global energy conference that convenes stakeholders from across the energy ecosystem. Dirk explains how carbon markets in some of the world's largest economies are undergoing fundamental changes in 2026, at a time when war in the Middle East has put energy security and affordability squarely in the spotlight. "International cooperation on climate through markets has the potential of cutting the cost in half in achieving the Paris objectives," Dirk tells us. "And in times like these when government budgets are stressed, the only way of mobilizing the kind of capital that's needed is through market-based solutions." Despite geopolitical unrest and pushback on climate action in parts of the world, Dirk says business and industry leaders remain committed to long-term decarbonization targets. "Companies take a long view," Dirk says. "They do not start investing in climate change as a whim for just a year or two. They're investing for long term." Listen to recent podcast episodes about carbon markets: How trade mechanisms, AI and innovation will influence global carbon markets in 2026 | S&P Global The role of carbon markets in protecting and restoring nature | S&P Global The All Things Sustainable podcast will be live in London April 29. Learn more and register to attend: Sustainable1 Summit 2026: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global Learn more about the inaugural Climate Week Zurich, where All Things Sustainable will be the official podcast: Climate Week Zurich | 4-9 May 2026 Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor at the Journal of Commerce (JOC), part of S&P Global, is the guest on this episode of the Freightvine podcast. Eric leads coverage and analysis of technology's impact on global logistics and trade. He is co-chair of the annual Inland Distribution Conference and founder of TPM Tech, the technology-focused event held in conjunction with TPM - the Transpacific Maritime conference. Our conversation covers many different converging pressures currently affecting freight markets and global supply chains. First, we analyze how fuel cost pressures impact domestic supply chains, and the particular vulnerability of small carriers operating without long-term contract protections or fuel surcharge mechanisms comparable to larger fleets. Second, we explore the broader economic implications of energy supply constraints beyond diesel pricing, including the effects on raw materials, manufacturing inputs, and less visible supply chain dependencies. Third, we examine the ongoing uncertainty surrounding US tariff policy, including the sometimes hidden or mostly forgotten operational burden this creates for customs compliance. This has become even more complex with the looming and currently undefined tariff refund processes. We also address structural questions about freight contracting practices, the role of technology in market efficiency, and current applications and limitations of artificial intelligence in logistics operations. Throughout the conversation, Eric provides context on how current market dynamics compare to previous cycles, and what patterns suggest about medium-term industry trajectories. Whether you work in carrier operations, shipper logistics, or policy development, this episode offers substantive analysis of factors affecting your operations. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of a lightly edited transcript using the blue Download button below. There is no power point slide deck this week.We spent the past week in Houston at the always great CERAWeek conference hosted by S&P Global. On behalf of all my colleagues at Veriten, a big thank you to Dan Yergin and the entire S&P Global team for putting on a great event. CERAWeek 2026 came amidst what is now week four of the War in Iran and the continued de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz. We are recording this late on Wednesday, March 25 and as always hope that by the time this is released on Saturday morning, the Strait will have reopened to normal flows and the war ended. Its ongoing closure is simply untenable for the global economy. It is ultimately not good for energy companies, which is our focus area, even if current oil and gas pricing is elevated. A quick end to the war and the reopening of the Strait is the best-case scenario for energy companies everywhere.This week we'll provide some takeaways from CERAWeek 2026. We will bucket our takeaways in 3 key themes: (1) Macro outlook and scenarios; (2) The day after the war ends, what comes next for energy companies? (3) What unexpected changes will come from this crisis?Our current plan is to not publish Super-Spiked over Easter/Passover weekend. We hope everyone is able to take some time off.Subscribe to Super-Spiked to receive all content. Also available at https://veriten.com.
As the Iran War entered its fourth week, Houston hosted S&P Global's CERA Week. Where leaders from across the energy & natural resources sector mingle with policy wonks and senior government officials from around the world. This CERA Week was as noticeable for its last minute absences, doom-scrolling, braves faces and some swagger both from big oil and big clean tech. Nick Kumbleben of Greenmantle gives us his take on the vibe and key discussion points.
This week's episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast brings you coverage from CERAWeek, the annual weeklong energy conference that S&P Global hosts in Houston, Texas. Known as the "Davos of energy," the gathering convenes government and private sector leaders from across the energy ecosystem. At CERAWeek 2026, we heard how war in the Middle East is reshaping the way companies and countries manage the energy trilemma of energy security, energy affordability and energy sustainability. "It reminds us again that energy security requires diversity of sources and supply chains," Lord John Browne tells us in an interview on the sidelines of the conference. "It will remind us again that we have to think about the energy mix." Lord Browne was Group Chief Executive of oil and gas major British Petroleum (BP) from 1995 to 2007 and is now Chairman and Co-Founder of BeyondNetZero, the climate growth equity fund of investment firm General Atlantic. Climate remains on the agenda, he says, "but it has to be blended as always, with security and with affordability." Learn more about CERAWeek 2026 here: CERAWeek by S&P Global | The World's Premier Energy Conference | CERAWeek S&P Global's All Things Sustainable podcast is the official podcast of Climate Week Zurich. Learn more about the inaugural Climate Week Zurich here: Climate Week Zurich | 4-9 May 2026 Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
ATN will be at the Mid-America Trucking Thursday through Saturday; Iran is not admitting that negotiations are ongoing, but they are saying that the 15 point conditions to end the war are unacceptable, which they could only know as result of being part of the negotiations; oil and gas prices are reacting to the negotiations; Mike Kucharski, Co-Owner and VP of JKC Trucking, joins the show to talk about rising diesel prices, the Department of Transportation's crack down on illegal immigrants illegally attaining CDL licenses; an explosion and fire at a Texas refinery adding insult to injury regarding diesel prices; S&P Global releases good news/bad news data on U.S. Purchasing Managers Indices; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Measuring and reducing upstream methane emissions is critical for US gas producers, particularly as they look to export their product to markets like Europe and Asia, and as the tech industry turns to gas as a key solution to its voracious power demand. In this episode, from the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, co-host Dan Testa talks with Courtney Loper, head of government relations and public affairs for EQT Corp., one of the largest US gas producers and pipeline operators, about the steps the company has taken to improve methane measuring. Also joining the episode is Ben Webster, director of policy at MiQ, a nonprofit providing data and certifications to understand and reduce methane emissions.
Measuring and reducing upstream methane emissions is critical for US gas producers, particularly as they look to export their product to markets like Europe and Asia, and as the tech industry turns to gas as a key solution to its voracious power demand. In this episode, from the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, co-host Dan Testa talks with Courtney Loper, head of government relations and public affairs for EQT Corp., one of the largest US gas producers and pipeline operators, about the steps the company has taken to improve methane measuring. Also joining the episode is Ben Webster, director of policy at MiQ, a nonprofit providing data and certifications to understand and reduce methane emissions.
ATN will be at the Mid-America Trucking Thursday through Saturday; Iran is not admitting that negotiations are ongoing, but they are saying that the 15 point conditions to end the war are unacceptable, which they could only know as result of being part of the negotiations; oil and gas prices are reacting to the negotiations; Mike Kucharski, Co-Owner and VP of JKC Trucking, joins the show to talk about rising diesel prices, the Department of Transportation's crack down on illegal immigrants illegally attaining CDL licenses; an explosion and fire at a Texas refinery adding insult to injury regarding diesel prices; S&P Global releases good news/bad news data on U.S. Purchasing Managers Indices; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When it comes to advanced nuclear generation, most North American power producers are in the study and development phases. But Ontario Power Generation is currently constructing the first of four small modular nuclear reactors at its Darlington facility, with the first 300-MW unit scheduled to complete construction and connect to the grid by 2030. The other three reactors are scheduled to be complete in the mid-2030s, totaling 1,200 MW of firm capacity from advanced nuclear reactors. In this episode, Dan Testa speaks with OPG President and CEO Nicolle Butcher, from the sidelines of the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, about the state of the advanced nuclear project so far, how OPG selected this reactor design and why public power providers, like OPG in Canada and the Tennessee Valley Authority in the US, are taking the first steps to build advanced nuclear generation in North America.
When it comes to advanced nuclear generation, most North American power producers are in the study and development phases. But Ontario Power Generation is currently constructing the first of four small modular nuclear reactors at its Darlington facility, with the first 300-MW unit scheduled to complete construction and connect to the grid by 2030. The other three reactors are scheduled to be complete in the mid-2030s, totaling 1,200 MW of firm capacity from advanced nuclear reactors. In this episode, Dan Testa speaks with OPG President and CEO Nicolle Butcher, from the sidelines of the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, about the state of the advanced nuclear project so far, how OPG selected this reactor design and why public power providers, like OPG in Canada and the Tennessee Valley Authority in the US, are taking the first steps to build advanced nuclear generation in North America.
Escaladarea conflictului din Orientul Mijlociu reaprinde îngrijorările privind creșterea prețurilor alimentelor la nivel global, pe fondul perturbărilor din piețele de energie, îngrășăminte și transport maritim, arată o analiză publicată săptămâna trecută de S&P Global. Tensiunile din jurul Strâmtorii Hormuz, un punct strategic pentru comerțul mondial cu petrol, gaze naturale și îngrășăminte, au dus deja la majorarea prețurilor energiei și la scumpirea transportului maritim, factori care se transmit rapid în costurile inputurilor agricole. În scenariul unui conflict prelungit, până la o treime din comerțul global cu îngrășăminte ar putea fi afectat, ceea ce ar putea reduce marjele de profit ale fermierilor și ar putea influența deciziile de plantare în sezoanele următoare, orientând producătorii către culturi cu consum mai mic de inputuri. Potrivit estimărilor S&P Global, suprafața cultivată cu porumb în Italia ar putea scădea până la aproximativ 480.000 de hectare în anul de comercializare 2026-2027, de la 541.000 de hectare în anul precedent. Polonia, Franța și Spania ar putea înregistra scăderi ale suprafețelor cultivate cu 9%, 3% și, respectiv, 11%. Impactul imediat asupra diversificării producțiilor agricole este așteptat să fie limitat, deoarece mulți fermieri din emisfera nordică au făcut deja achizițiile de inputuri pentru campania de primăvară. Totuși, dacă tensiunile persistă, costurile mai ridicate ale energiei, îngrășămintelor și transportului ar putea influența producția agricolă și evoluția prețurilor alimentelor în perioada următoare, afectând relativa stabilitate care începuse să se profileze după perioadele de volatilitate generate de întreruperile lanțului de aprovizionare din Marea Neagră, cauzate de războiul din Ucraina. O nouă platformă digitală accesibilă statelor membre pentru controlul siguranței și trasabilității alimentelor Comisia Europeană a lansat un nou instrument de inteligență artificială (IA), TraceMap, care oferă o trasabilitate mai bună la nivel transfrontalier, detectează mai rapid fraudele alimentare și alimentele contaminate și accelerează retragerea produselor nesigure de pe piață. „Este un progres care va revoluționa capacitatea Uniunii Europene de a reacționa la crizele în materie de siguranță alimentară și de a combate frauda alimentară. Va permite detectarea mai rapidă a fraudelor și a celor care încearcă să eludeze condițiile noastre de import”, a declarat Olivér Várhelyi, comisar european pentru sănătate și bunăstare animală. Platforma IA utilizează date din sistemele europene de siguranță alimentară și este accesibilă acum autorităților naționale din toate statele membre. Aceasta le permite să direcționeze mai eficient controalele și să efectueze investigații mai detaliate fără a necesita resurse suplimentare, potrivit unui comunicat al Executivului european. Instrumentul are și un rol preventiv, ajutând la identificarea rapidă a modelelor comerciale și a fluxurilor de producție, precum și la detectarea operatorilor suspecți. O versiune pilot a fost deja folosită în retragerile recente de lapte praf pentru sugari, produs cu ingrediente contaminate din China. Proiecte europene pentru mediu și sisteme alimentare Peste o sută de milioane de euro se vor investi în șapte proiecte strategice selectate recent de Comisia Europeană, cu finanțare în cadrul programului LIFE. Acestea vor contribui la consolidarea stabilității economice, a sistemelor alimentare și a ecosistemelor naturale, anunță Executivul european într-un comunicat de presă. Proiectele se derulează în Finlanda, Franța, Grecia, Țările de Jos, Portugalia, Slovacia și Spania și vor sprijini punerea în aplicare a politicilor europene în domeniul mediului și al climei, cu accent pe reziliența climatică și a resurselor de apă, refacerea naturii, economia circulară și utilizarea durabilă a terenurilor. Se preconizează că aceste inițiative vor mobiliza investiții publice și private naționale suplimentare. Finanțarea celor șapte proiecte face parte dintr-un buget mai mare, de 5,43 miliarde de euro, alocat programului LIFE pentru perioada 2021-2027. În propunerile Comisiei pentru perioada post 2027 sunt incluse acțiuni LIFE integrate în diferitele componente ale viitorului cadru financiar multianual, în special în domeniul „tranziției curate și decarbonizării” al Fondului european pentru competitivitate, precum și în „mecanismul UE” din cadrul planurilor și programelor naționale și regionale. Soluții digitale pentru servicii mai eficiente în mediul rural O inițiativă europeană finanțată prin programul Horizon Europe arată cum tehnologiile digitale pot transforma viața în comunitățile rurale. Proiectul AURORAL a dezvoltat o infrastructură digitală deschisă, care permite diferiților operatori locali, de la agricultură și transport școlar până la energie, să partajeze date în siguranță și să funcționeze mai eficient, se arată într-un material publicat pe platforma Comisiei Europene. Tehnologia a fost testată în șapte regiuni rurale europene și poate fi adaptată pentru numeroase servicii. Un exemplu vine din Laponia, unde o aplicație de transport școlar îi ajută pe părinți să verifice rapid dacă elevii au ajuns la școală, iar șoferii de autobuz primesc notificări automate dacă un copil lipsește sau trebuie preluat din alt loc. Sistemul este folosit în două localități finlandeze pentru peste 200 de elevi și a înlocuit metodele tradiționale, precum listele pe hârtie sau mesajele WhatsApp. Platforma digitală utilizează tehnologii avansate de conectivitate și analiză a datelor pentru a optimiza traseele și a reduce deplasările inutile. Potrivit coordonatorilor proiectului, acest lucru poate reduce consumul de energie și emisiile cu aproximativ 25% pe an. În nordul Italiei, producătorii de lactate utilizează sistemul pentru a monitoriza sănătatea și producția de lapte a efectivelor lor de bovine, prin schimbul de date în condiții de siguranță cu fermele învecinate. În Catalonia, tehnologia ajută la transformarea deșeurilor viticole în biomasă pentru energie regenerabilă. Proiectul a reunit 25 de organizații din 10 țări europene, combinând expertiza cercetătorilor, a dezvoltatorilor de tehnologie și a autorităților locale, și urmărește să stimuleze dezvoltarea unor „comunități inteligente”, care folosesc instrumente digitale pentru a sprijini economia locală și tranziția verde.
This episode of S&P Global's All Things Sustainable explores nuclear fusion, a technology some in the energy industry believe could become a cornerstone of secure, affordable low-carbon power. Our guest is Chris Mowry, CEO of Type One Energy, a company working to design and deploy a commercially viable fusion power plant. He explains the science behind fusion and how it differs from nuclear fission. He says fusion commercialization looks more achievable now than in prior decades, thanks to recent technological breakthroughs. And he says fusion can provide safe, abundant and reliable energy — if it can be commercialized at scale. Chris estimates that the global addressable market for fusion energy is nearly $1 trillion annually. "On a global basis, there is a race today to see who is going to actually deploy the first fusion power plant in the world," Chris says. Type One Energy is a member of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), a network of global CEOs across finance and industry, including S&P Global. SMI facilitates private sector diplomacy with the ambition of making sustainability the driving force of global markets and value creation. Over the past year, the All Things Sustainable podcast has interviewed SMI member CEOs from across industries and around the world. Listen to other interviews in the series here: Terra Carta Series | S&P Global Chris says Type One Energy has been working with other SMI members to put together coalitions across the entire value chain needed to deploy fusion. "We're a fusion technology company, but it needs a lot more than technology to actually be deployed," he says. "Finance, insurance, off-takers, construction, supply chain — all of these things are needed to actually go execute any large infrastructure project and fusion power plants are no different." Learn more about CERAWeek 2026, the energy conference hosted by S&P Global March 23-27: CERAWeek by S&P Global | The World's Premier Energy Conference | CERAWeek Listen to our podcast episode about the themes, like fusion, that will be covered during CERAWeek: CERAWeek sneak peek: What's ahead for energy and sustainability | S&P Global S&P Global's All Things Sustainable podcast is the official podcast of Climate Week Zurich. Learn more about the inaugural Climate Week Zurich here: Climate Week Zurich | 4-9 May 2026 Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
Micron shares on the move after earnings, and we break down what the results and guidance mean for the AI memory trade with S&P Global's Melissa Otto. Plus, market reaction to the latest Fed rate decision, private-credit stress spills into consumer loans, and a spotlight on Josh D'Amaro's first day as Disney CEO. Fast Money Disclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're talking to Carbon Measures CEO Amy Brachio. Carbon Measures is a business-led coalition launched in 2025 with a goal to establish consistent product-level carbon intensity standards and a ledger-based carbon accounting framework. Amy explains how measuring carbon intensity at the product level will drive market-based solutions to reduce emissions at the lowest cost. "We're looking at, how do you unlock the demand such that the products that we need to be sold — lower carbon emission steel, lower carbon emission fuels, lower carbon emission cement — are able to be sold in a way that is profitable for the organization such that they continue to drive the investment and the scale that we need," Amy says. In the interview, we hear what's on Carbon Measures' roadmap; why Amy welcomes dialogue with existing standard-setters like the Greenhouse Gas Protocol; and how the coalition plans to grow. Current Carbon Measures members include some of the world's largest companies across industries and geographies, such as oil and gas major ExxonMobil, big Spanish bank Santander, automaker Toyota and mining giant Vale. "These are organizations that have invested heavily in low-carbon emission solutions," Amy says of the coalition members. "The benefit for them is that they get to have demand for the products that they've invested in." Listen to our episode How GHG Protocol's emissions standards for business are evolving | S&P Global Read reports from S&P Global Energy: Taking stock of the carbon accounting dialogue A roadmap to a carbon differentiated market S&P Global's All Things Sustainable podcast is the official podcast of Climate Week Zurich. Learn more about the inaugural Climate Week Zurich here: Climate Week Zurich | 4-9 May 2026 Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
In this episode of the Look Forward Podcast from S&P Global, host Aries Poon speaks with Natznet Tesfay, Global Head of Analysis at S&P Global Market Intelligence, about how technology is becoming the decisive game changer in geopolitics as we approach 2026. They explore why geopolitics has shifted from sporadic shocks to a constant operating condition, and how traditional stabilizers like frictionless trade, predictable regulation, and cheap capital are becoming "unmoored." Natznet explains S&P Global's concept of the "age of agility" and why policy itself is now a major source of market volatility, requiring leaders to track it as closely as macro data.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol has developed the world's most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards and guidance since launching in 1998 as a joint initiative of the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we unpack how GHG Protocol is now evolving — including updating its Scope 2 guidance and Scope 3 standard, launching a new 'actions and market instruments' standard, and working with other standard-setters to create harmonization — for example, announcing a partnership with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 2025. "Historically, fragmentation in carbon accounting has been a huge problem," says Pankaj Bhatia, GHG Protocol Global Director at WRI and part of GHG Protocol's Secretariat. In the episode, Pankaj explains what's ahead for greenhouse gas accounting and reporting standards and how GHG Protocol is responding to stakeholder feedback from recent public consultations. "Climate change is not a siloed operational issue. It's a systemic issue," Pankaj tells us. "And if the problem is systemic, the accounting system must also be systemic." Explore company carbon disclosure practices in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment Further reading: GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance public consultation: S&P Global Energy Horizons submitted response Contact: Lindsey.hall@spglobal.com Esther.whieldon@spglobal.com Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
Kevin covers and discusses the following stories: update on the war in Iran from Israel's Defense and Security Forum daily Zoom call, are oil prices already signaling a quick victory in Iran?, ADP reports the January Private Sector Jobs numbers; in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision, the European Union is discussing whether to proceed with tariff levels agreed to last summer; the stock market reacts to the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) service sector survey; ISM released the Prices Paid Index, Employment Index and the New Orders Index; in the manufacturing sector, S&P Global released the Purchasing Manager's Business Activity Index and New Order Growth, Walmart and Target release their outlook for 2026; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kevin covers and discusses the following stories: update on the war in Iran from Israel's Defense and Security Forum daily Zoom call, are oil prices already signaling a quick victory in Iran?, ADP reports the January Private Sector Jobs numbers; in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision, the European Union is discussing whether to proceed with tariff levels agreed to last summer; the stock market reacts to the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) service sector survey; ISM released the Prices Paid Index, Employment Index and the New Orders Index; in the manufacturing sector, S&P Global released the Purchasing Manager's Business Activity Index and New Order Growth, Walmart and Target release their outlook for 2026; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offers his insights and opinions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How do you balance near-term energy priorities with the long-term reality of climate change and nature loss? That's the big sustainability question we're asking in 2026, and in today's episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we sit down with Daniel Yergin to explore the answer. Daniel is a Pulitzer Prize winner, S&P Global Vice Chairman, and Chair of CERAWeek, the annual S&P Global conference that has been described as "the Davos of energy." Daniel tells us what to expect when leaders from the public and private sectors convene in Houston, Texas March 23-27 for CERAWeek 2026. This year's theme is Convergence and Competition: Energy, Technology and Geopolitics, and the conference will focus on many of the key issues we're watching through a sustainability lens this year, including AI, electrification, climate and critical minerals. Daniel explains how geopolitical fracture and economic competition are reshaping the landscape for all these topics. "What we're seeing is the fragmentation, the end of the kind of globalization that we've known for the last three and a half decades," Daniel says. "How are people arranging their priorities when the agenda is more complex?" Read S&P Global's Top 10 Sustainability Trends to Watch in 2026 | S&P Global Read CERAWeek 2025 Key Takeaways for Sustainability Professionals Read Copper in the Age of AI: Challenges of Electrification | S&P Global Learn more about CERAWeek by S&P Global | The World's Premier Energy Conference | CERAWeek Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
AI is everywhere in the headlines—but what does it actually mean for jobs? In this episode of the Look Forward Podcast from S&P Global, host Aries Poon is joined by Sophie Malin (Principal Economist, Global Labor Markets) and Pollyanna De Lima (Economics Associate Director, Purchasing Managers' Index/PMI) to separate hype from real-world labor market signals. The conversation starts with a crucial distinction: AI development (chips, data centers, capital-intensive buildouts) versus AI deployment (using AI inside everyday business processes)—and why deployment is what truly rewires hiring, productivity, and work design. Drawing on PMI special survey insights, Pollyanna breaks down where adoption is spreading fastest (with Northern Europe leading), which sectors are moving first (notably financial services and professional/business services), and how adoption differs across services vs. manufacturing. The guests also dig into what companies are optimizing for today—efficiency and customer outcomes over headcount cuts—and why the near-term impact may look more like slower hiring and shifting job tasks. Looking ahead, Sophie and Pollyanna outline the biggest unknowns: how quickly AI capability improves, what happens to entry-level and graduate pipelines, whether productivity gains translate into hiring freezes, and how governments might respond if employment and tax bases come under pressure. They also point to key indicators to watch, including the PMI Employment Index and business outlook/hiring intentions measures, to track how labor demand evolves in real time.
Recent analysis from Goldman Sachs indicates that $700 billion in AI investment during 2025 resulted in no measurable U.S. GDP growth, with most AI equipment imports negating domestic benefits and 80% of surveyed firms reporting no productivity or employment improvements. This pattern suggests that AI-related spending has primarily shifted margins from enterprise IT budgets to a small number of infrastructure vendors rather than delivering distributed value. Internal concerns are rising, with 90% of IT leaders questioning AI's return on investment, and 80% citing fragmented data as a primary challenge to measuring outcomes. Further context reveals that agentic AI initiatives face operational headwinds: Gartner expects 40% of such projects to be cancelled by 2027, and S&P Global found nearly half are abandoned before production, most often due to inadequate planning and data foundations. Margin erosion is widespread, attributed to AI implementation costs, and attempts to scale AI agents into production remain limited by inference costs and insufficient infrastructure. Despite increased adoption efforts, sustainable value delivery from AI platforms remains elusive for most organizations. Enterprise AI access is becoming increasingly concentrated. OpenAI's partnership with consulting firms such as BCG, McKinsey, Accenture, and Capgemini consolidates control of the enterprise distribution layer, narrowing competitive opportunities for smaller providers. Meanwhile, Amazon's 13-hour AWS outage, linked to the misconfiguration of an internal AI tool, underscores the liability ambiguity in agentic systems—where vendors may attribute autonomous actions to user error, complicating risk assignment. Additional updates from vendors such as Anthropic, Cloudflare, and New Relic address incremental technical capabilities, with a distinct focus on cost, operational governance, and policy enforcement. The prevailing themes for MSPs and IT leaders are increased scrutiny of AI value, heightened exposure to cost and accountability risk, and the emergence of managed service opportunities around data governance, cost instrumentation, and liability management. With enterprise market channels consolidating and risk shifting toward service providers, integrating robust contractual definitions for autonomy, incident attribution, and financial boundaries is essential to limit harm and clarify responsibility before incidents occur. Four things to know today 00:00 Goldman: $700B AI Spend Delivered Near-Zero U.S. GDP Growth in 2025 03:49 OpenAI Enlists BCG, McKinsey, Accenture to Distribute Enterprise AI Agents 06:44 Report: Amazon's Own Engineers Prefer Claude Over Its Mandated Internal Tools 08:56 AI Inference Costs Are Falling — But Governance Gaps Are Growing This is the Business of Tech. Supported by: CometBackup Small Biz Thoughts Community
In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we explore how one of the world's largest tire manufacturers is working to balance profitability with sustainability across a global supply chain. We talk with Antoine Sautenet, Chief Sustainability Officer at France-based Michelin Group, who outlines company strategies that prioritize climate, biodiversity, social equity and circularity alongside profit. "Today it's very difficult to translate the sustainability performance into the price of our product," Antoine tells us. "So one of our challenges is to make that balance between profit and planet in order to be able to promote the right value of our product compared to our competitors." Antoine describes how Michelin is increasing the use of recycled and renewable materials in its tires to reduce the company's reliance on fossil fuels and other resources. And he outlines how the company works with the many smallholder farms that produce rubber for its tires to drive sustainable agriculture practices. This interview is the latest installment in our CSO Insights podcast series, where we interview Chief Sustainability Officers around the world about how they're navigating the changing sustainability landscape. Listen to other episodes in the series here. Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
In this week's episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're exploring how aging global populations are impacting retirement, the workforce and the economy. We talk to Pat Tomlinson, President and CEO of global consulting firm Mercer, a Marsh McLennan business. Pat took the reins in 2024 and brings both global perspective and hands-on experience from the World Economic Forum's Longevity Economy Initiative, which aims to address the demographic and financial challenges of aging societies. "Having fewer workers as people age and … a lower birth rate will impact employers and will impact business and will impact society as we think about how to grow GDP," Pat says. Pat explains how retirement savings and healthcare systems need to evolve to meet the needs of the aging global population. And he outlines creative solutions that employers and governments are considering to address these challenges — including through public-private collaboration, AI, reskilling workers and flexible working arrangements. Read the research: S&P Global's Top 10 Sustainability Trends to Watch in 2026 | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're talking to Vijay Bains, Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of Environmental, Social and Governance at Dubai-based Emirates NBD, one of the largest banks in the Middle East. Vijay says the region and its banking sector are "doubling down on sustainability as a growth driver." He explains the growing focus on water in particular, and how this will influence sustainable finance trends. "We're going to see a lot more blue finance," Vijay tells us. "It's a really material topic due to the water stress within the region." In the face of climate change, the bank is also financing adaptation projects. "Adaptation for us is now hitting the mainstream," Vijay says. This interview is the latest installment in our CSO Insights podcast series, where we interview Chief Sustainability Officers around the world about how they're navigating the changing sustainability landscape. Listen to other episodes in the series here. Listen to our previous interview with Vijay here: Talking climate finance ahead of COP29 | S&P Global Read research from S&P Global Sustainable1: For the world's largest companies, climate physical risks have a $1.2 trillion annual price tag by the 2050s | S&P Global Copyright ©2026 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.