Sustainability Now

Can AI Really Extract Emissions Data?

An AI agent can pull emissions data in seconds. But can it tell you whether two companies’ numbers actually mean the same thing? We look at the risks hiding behind AI’s speed and precision. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI R&D Guest: Tanguy Sene, MSCI R&D

• Transcript

Sustainable Finance Summit, Part 4: Rheia Khalaf and Harlan Tufford

This is the episode four of four we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panelists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. And, fittingly, this last one is on AI. In this episode, Rheia Khalaf, who leads financial sector collaborations at Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, discusses what she sees when a large, traditional company - the kind that turns like a tanker - decides to bring AI into its systems. She explains why the gap is rarely the technology itself but the governance that can't keep pace with it, from the concentration risk of leaning on a handful of major providers to the "shadow AI" and confidentiality gaps that open up when everyone is vibe coding. She also weighs the other side of the ledger - drug discovery, better climate prediction - against the real environmental cost of the data centers, and the water, energy and materials, that power it all. You'll also hear from Harlan Tufford of MSCI Sustainability & Climate, on a new model he and his colleagues are building to assess which industries AI is most likely to disrupt - and support. He explores the tension between efficiency gains and job loss, why a figure like sixty percent of labor being automatable is a hypothetical maximum rather than a forecast, and how a company's economic moat decides whether the benefits of automation flow to the company, its competitors, or its customers. He also gets into what gets priced in first - the chatbots automating knowledge work, or the robots that come after. Enjoy!! Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guests: Rheia Khalaf, Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute; Harlan Tufford, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Sustainable Finance Summit, Part 3: Matthew Lawton and Rik Logtenberg

This is the third of four episodes we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panelists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. In this episode, Matthew Lawton, Head of Impact Fixed Income at T. Rowe Price, discusses what makes a blue economy bond credible and impactful, from the alignment of the issuer to the credibility of the proceeds. He explores why emerging markets are leading the global north on blue finance, where the biggest growth is likely to come from - desalination, sustainable shipping and clean drinking water - and how anchoring smaller deals can crowd in capital and scale the market. You'll also hear from Rik Logtenberg, director of CanAdapt and a city councilmember of Nelson City, on what repeated climate disasters do to a community and why you can't simply build back the same. He also discusses the coordination problem at the heart of adaptation - the workforce, materials, funding and policy that all have to come together at once - and why municipalities carry the responsibility for resilience without the authority to deliver it. Enjoy!! Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guests: Matthew Lawton, T. Rowe Price; Rik Logtenberg, CanAdapt Episode Reading T. Rowe Price: The Blue Economy Climate Risk Institute

• Transcript

Sustainable Finance Summit Pt. 2: Eric Usher and Brian Kernohan

This is the second of four episodes we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panelists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. In this episode, Eric Usher, head of the UN Environmental Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), discusses why banks and insurers continue to make progress on their climate commitments despite recent headlines. He explores the global pace of the electric-vehicle transition, the business case for sustainable finance and why leading banks can benefit from lower funding costs. You’ll also hear from Brian Kernohan, chief sustainability officer at Manulife Investment Management, on why social issues, including housing affordability, income inequality and financial inclusion, deserve greater attention alongside carbon and nature. He also discusses the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD) and its potential to make social impacts more measurable for investors. Enjoy!! Host: Mike Disabato Guests: Eric Usher, UNEP FI; Brian Kernohan, Manulife IM Episode Reading: UN Environmental Programme Finance Initiative Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures | TISFD Global Initiative

• Transcript

Sustainable Finance Summit Pt.1: Sarah Kapnick and John E. Morton

This is the first of four episodes we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panellists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. Today you'll hear from Dr. Sarah Kapnick, the ex-chief scientist of NOAA and how global head of climate advisory at JPMorgan, talking about the weirdening of our natural world is impact all our resources - from drought and the Colorado River to the soil health and how fertilizer shocks are hitting your food supply. And John E. Morton Head of Nature Finance and Investment at the World Wildlife Fund discussing why half of global GDP depends on nature becoming as important as climate in the eyes of investors. Enjoy! Episode Reading: Climate Intuition: Food security: The fates of farming and food in a warming world Climate Intuition: Food security under pressure: Iran conflict disruptions and a brewing El Niño Integrating nature into financial decision-making Guests: Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Dr. Sarah Kapnick, JPMorgan & John E. Morton, World Wildlife Fund

• Transcript

Hormuz and the Fertilizer Fault Line

When conflict disrupted gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year, attention focused on gas prices and shipping lanes. But the shock travelled further — quietly rippling through fertilizer markets, where some producers were hit far harder than others, revealing how location-based risk can emerge deep within a supply chain. Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Cole Martin, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

BP’s AGM Was Contentious: This Proxy Season Could Be Too

After the SEC stepped back from shareholder proposal oversight, courts stepped in. We take a look at early signals from this year’s proxy season and whether we're seeing a structural shift in shareholder rights. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Jonathan Ponder, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

• Transcript

Is This How Oil Ends?

On February 28, the Strait of Hormuz shut down, stranding 20% of the world's crude exports and 20% of global LNG capacity. Energy crises usually send the world running back to coal; but this time, coal generation outside China actually fell, while wind, solar, and batteries picked up the slack. Host Mike Disabato talks with MSCI's Chris Cote about whether a war in the Middle East just accelerated the end of fossil fuels, which industries can pivot now, and why countries burned twice by energy dependence may never go back. Episode reading: The Opportunity in Energy Disruption — Batteries Included Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Chris Cote, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Are Investors Missing Biodiversity Risk?

For years, biodiversity risk has been a blind spot for investors — difficult to measure and even harder to link to financial performance. But that’s starting to change. In this episode, we explore how more granular, location-based data is helping investors see where companies are truly exposed to nature-related risks. Host: Gabriela da la Serna, MSCI Research & Development Guest: Bettina Meyer, MSCI Research & Development

• Transcript

Pricing the Unpredictable

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

• Transcript

Transition Risk vs. Temperature Alignment: What Really Drives Fund Outcomes?

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

From Cloud to Kill Chain

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

• Transcript

Don’t Build a Stadium There!

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

• Transcript

Sustainability: From Narrative to Fundamentals

Laura Nishikawa, Head of Emerging Risks R&D at MSCI sits down with Jenn-Hui Tan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Fidelity International, as part of the MSCI Prospectives Podcast to discuss the next phase of sustainable investing. As the public narrative grows noisier and more politicized, they look past the headlines to the economic fundamentals shaping the transition and portfolio management. The conversation explores where momentum in the energy transition is really coming from, why markets continue to struggle with physical climate risk and how investors are adapting to weaker policy signals, shifting governance dynamics and greater uncertainty in capital markets.

Cyberattack in Aisle Three

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

• Transcript

Carbon Markets Seem Static. Prices Don't.

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

• Transcript

How to Manage Human Rights Risks

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

• Transcript

REPLAY: The Sustainability & Climate Trends to Watch for 2026

When policy and markets move in different directions, the results can be surprising. In this episode, we explore five sustainability and climate trends we'll be watching in 2026. From AI-boosted clean tech and central banks enforcing climate risk rules, to investors reckoning with physical hazards in private equity and the rise of state ownership in strategic sectors. We unpack how materiality is maturing, policy is pivoting, and capital is flowing into what works. To register for the 2026 Trends to Watch webinar, click here. To review all our trend research we have put out to date, click here. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Liz Houston, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

The Sustainability & Climate Trends to Watch for 2026

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

• Transcript

Did the EU Fix SFDR

The EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) is a corner stone of the EU’s plan to cut carbon emissions and achieve its climate goals. But it has undergone numerous changes, with the most recently announced on Nov. 20. Our question was whether these revisions preserved the SFDR’s stated purpose: promoting transparency and ensuring comparability in how sustainable a financial product truly is. We explored that question and more in this episode, which covers the changes the EU Commission made to the SFDR. Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Solutions & Climate Guest: Simone Ruiz-Vergote, MSCI Solutions & Climate

• Transcript