Sustainability Currents

Hosted by Bloomberg

Business Investing

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Episodes

156

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Financial markets can no longer ignore the impacts of climate change, shifting consumer expectations, and increasing regulatory scrutiny. These forces are reshaping industries, redefining risk, and creating new opportunities for long-term value creation. Through conversations with industry leaders, investors, and subject-matter experts, we explore where sustainability is translating into measurable financial outcomes.

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60 recent

August 19, 202631 min

Future of Sustainable-Investment in EMs

Emerging markets are expected to account for much of the world’s future economic growth, but meeting their infrastructure, climate and development needs will require trillions of dollars in new investment. As governments, development banks and private investors work to close that financing gap, sustainable investment strategies are evolving beyond traditional ESG approaches. Blended finance structures are becoming more sophisticated, capital allocators are shifting toward higher-impact sectors and advances in artificial intelligence, digital finance and other technologies are creating new opportunities to identify, scale up and monitor investments. On this episode of the Sustainability Currents podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chris Ratti speaks with Ron Margalit, managing director at Lonomics, about the future of sustainable investing in EMs. They discuss the evolution of blended finance, where institutional investors are deploying capital, how early-stage sustainable businesses are attracting investment and the technologies reshaping both risk assessment and impact measurement. This episode was recorded on July 15. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 12, 202625 min

How NordicNinja Backs Climate Tech

As global heat waves become more frequent and severe, climate-technology startups are playing an increasingly important role in innovation needed to accelerate decarbonization and create new economic opportunities. Financing these emerging companies has become a critical task for climate-focused venture capital funds. In this episode of the Sustainability Currents podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Yasutake Homma is joined by Tomosaku Sohara, founder of NordicNinja, a climate-technology venture capital firm. They discuss the growing role of climate-technology investors, how portfolio companies are tackling climate change through innovation, and how government policies are shaping the future of the climate-technology ecosystem. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 5, 202637 min

Building Performance, Next Asset Value

Rising insurance costs, climate risk and new performance expectations are changing how commercial real estate is valued. In this Sustainability Currents episode, Bloomberg Intelligence Thematic Strategist Melanie Rua speaks with Breana Wheeler, director of operations for BREEAM USA about how independent building assessments are helping investors and owners evaluate resilience, operational efficiency and long-term asset value. They discuss why verified performance data is becoming increasingly important, how retrofits can improve both financial returns and resilience, and how AI and data centers are reshaping energy and water management. This episode was recorded on July 31. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 29, 202658 min

Climate, AI and Other Key Themes for 2H

Bloomberg Intelligence’s ESG Currents is now Sustainability Currents, reflecting a broader focus on the investment risks and opportunities emerging from themes including climate change, water scarcity, consumer expectations, and regulatory scrutiny. In this special episode marking the relaunch, BI’s director of Sustainable Finance Research, Eric Kane, brings together the full team for its 2026 midyear outlook. Melanie Rua, Andrew John Stevenson, Rob Du Boff, Gail Glazerman, Grace Osborne, Conrad Tan, Yasutake Homma, Chris Ratti, and Shaheen Contractor discuss key themes ranging from climate adaptation and resilience, sustainable debt, the ESG implications of AI, shareholder activism, water scarcity, sustainable-labeled funds and much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 22, 202636 min

Sciens Water on Making Water an Investable Asset

Water underpins nearly every sector of the economy, yet institutional investment remains limited. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Alexander Loucopoulos, partner at Sciens Water, joins Bloomberg Intelligence thematic strategist Melanie Rua to discuss how private capital can turn fragmented water markets and long-term infrastructure needs into investable opportunities. They discuss what sets water apart from other real assets, how AI-driven power demand is increasing pressure on water systems, where regulation is creating investment opportunities, and why local expertise matters when investing across utilities, treatment, reuse and infrastructure. Recorded July 21. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 15, 202618 min

Geopolitics and the Changing Energy M&A Landscape

Geopolitical tensions, commodity-price volatility and policy uncertainty have made energy dealmaking more complex, but they haven’t brought it to a halt. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Jalal Nadeem, a faculty member at the Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances and an M&A deal-structuring expert, joins Shaheen Contractor, Bloomberg Intelligence senior sustainable finance research analyst, to explore the evolution of energy transactions. They discuss where M&A activity is emerging across the energy transition, why innovative deal structures are becoming more common, how AI is reshaping negotiations and what investors should watch as the landscape continues to shift. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 8, 202643 min

B Lab on Balancing Fiduciary Duty, People & Planet

More than 10,000 companies have been certified as B Corps, which requires them to change their legal structures to ensure their boards consider all stakeholders, not just shareholders; measure and manage impact; and commit to continuous improvement. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Clay Brown, chief standards officer at B Lab, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence director of ESG research, to discuss how companies balance fiduciary responsibilities with commitments to people and the planet. They also explore the biggest risks and opportunities for B Corps today, how the B Corp standards have changed over time, and much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 1, 202623 min

Impax Asset on Why Asia’s Climate Risks Matter

From technology to food, global supply chains depend on Asia, making climate risks there relevant to investors everywhere. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence sustainable-finance analysts Grace Osborne and Conrad Tan speak with Nana Li, Head of Sustainability and Stewardship for Asia Pacific at Impax Asset Management, about why sustainability in Asia is more than a compliance exercise. From China’s industrial transition and clean-technology leadership to Japan’s governance reforms, they discuss why understanding the region’s diverse investment drivers is essential for building resilience, capturing opportunity and generating alpha. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 24, 202638 min

Standards Uniting Global Sustainable Finance

Green-bond rules are spreading across governments, but fragmentation may emerge as a hurdle for sustainable finance. Different legal frameworks across jurisdictions are raising questions about how issuers and investors can move capital across borders without added complexity. On this week’s ESG Currents, Aldo Romani, head of sustainable finance, and Tomomitsu Maruta, sustainable finance officer, both in the Finance Directorate at the European Investment Bank, join Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chris Ratti to discuss how the Green Bond Principles and European Green Bond Standard have helped sustainable-debt markets evolve by improving clarity around labeled-bond structuring. Recorded June 18. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 17, 202634 min

How Climate Data Helps Homeowners Assess Costs

As climate change intensifies, physical risks to property are mounting. On this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence sustainable-finance senior analysts Gail Glazerman and Andy Stevenson speak with Daryl Fairweather, chief economist of Redfin, about how homebuyers are responding to physical risks, the challenges for home affordability — especially insurance costs — and how markets are adapting, including signs of climate migration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.