Frankly Speaking - A Podcast on Responsible Business

Hosted by Frank Bold

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112

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Frankly Speaking is a double award-winning podcast on responsible business by Frank Bold - discussing the latest political, legal and business developments in the field of ESG, business and human rights and corporate reporting. Host Richard Howitt is a pioneer in the field of corporate disclosure and former Member of the European Parliament. He speaks frankly and personally about what moves policy makers, business and activists to make responsible business the norm and last but not least - redefine business!

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June 9, 202636 min

#112 Nathalie Dogniez & Julian Toth: What Is the Current State of Responsible Investment?

How does the field of responsible investment compare to a decade ago? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Nathalie Dogniez, chair of Eurosif and Independent Director of The Director’s Office, and Julian Toth, Executive Director of the Czech Sustainable Investment Forum and Investment Manager at Soulmates Ventures. Together they discussed the ESG backlash against sustainable finance, as well as their verdict on what the field looks like post Omnibus 1. You’ll also hear about: Eurosif’s recent discussion paper on responsible investment in defence To what extent the value chain cap in the CSRD will limit the information that investors need Whether or not the EU Green Deal is still alive Nathalie’s position on SFDR 2.0 Why Omnibus 1 represents a significant step backwards Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

May 27, 202636 min

#111 John Morrison: Why Sustainability Will Come Back Stronger

What have been the most significant improvements in business and human rights over the past 15 years, and what has lagged behind? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by John Morrison, founder and former CEO of the Institute for Business and Human Rights. Together they assessed to what extent sustainability and business and human rights have become the new orthodoxy, and what this means for the success of both movements. You’ll also hear about: The vital importance of trust between companies and communities in improving business and human rights The detrimental impacts of green hushing on progress in both sustainability and business and human rights What is the best approach to measuring progress on sustainability Why John is confident that sustainability will come back from the current backlash What the business and human rights field may look like in ten or fifteen years’ time The key arguments in John’s new book ‘Remaking Sustainability’, including what sustainability advocates have got wrong Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

May 12, 202631 min

#110 Simon Braaksma & Filip Gregor: New EU Company Sustainability Standards Just Released - What Now?

Just last week, the European Commission published its draft Delegated Regulation on the revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards. What does this mean for EU business? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Simon Braaksma, Global Head of Sustainability Reporting at Philips and Filip Gregor, Frank Bold’s own Head of Responsible Companies Section, both of whom are members of EFRAG’s Sustainability Reporting Board and TEG. Together they discussed the overview of the changes, including their overarching assessment of the revised standards. You’ll hear about: How important this latest change is for corporates and why companies should take part in the public consultation Why the European Commission ultimately held the line on the concept of double materiality in the revised ESRS, in response to the ISSB’s calls to separate financial from impact materiality The further change to the value chain cap and its consequences for businesses What the revision on human rights violations only applying to ‘substantiated cases’ means in practice The significance of the new draft voluntary standards for SMEs Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

May 5, 202637 min

#109 Jeremy Nicholls: Why Accountants Aren't Saving the World

Current financial accounting methods are responsible for causing environmental and social harm across the world – but how can this be remedied? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Jeremy Nicholls, co-founder and former Chief Executive of Social Value International and Ashoka Fellow at the University of Liverpool. Jeremy previously worked for PwC as well as on the United Nations Development Programme’s SDG Impact Standards. Together they discussed Jeremy’s new book ‘The Accountancy Paradox: How Financial Accounting is Damaging the World (But Can Help Repair It)’ You’ll also hear about: The history of accounting and the moment which solidified it around users’ expectation of financial returns rather than external social and environment costs Why Jeremy believes current ESG approaches including sustainability reporting don’t really solve the heart of the problem Practical solutions to how to fix the financial accounting system, including revising its conceptual framework to include wellbeing accounting Why the argument that externalities should be internalised is more important than ever in today’s world The role of lack of faith, spirituality and moral codes in human-caused environmental and social harm Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

April 21, 202629 min

#108 Andreas Beckmann: The Role of Business in Nature Restoration

How can businesses help to protect freshwater ecosystems, biodiversity, and habitats? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Andreas Beckmann, Regional CEO at WWF Central and Eastern Europe, which works on protecting ecosystems and habitats in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Together they discussed the business case for action on nature and how WWF-CEE has worked with companies such as the Coca-Cola Company and Tesco on conservation and restoration of rivers and wetlands in the region. You’ll also hear about: WWF-CEE's award-winning work on the Living Danube Partnership to protect the EU’s longest river The implications of the Ukraine war on the country’s protected environmental spaces, with around 40% of them being damaged How Central and Eastern Europe is the ‘green heart’ of Europe and why its precious biodiversity urgently needs to be protected Andreas’s message to EU lawmakers working on the Water Framework Directive and Nature Restoration Regulation The balancing act environmental NGOs face in having genuine partnerships with companies whilst also being free to criticise and hold them to account Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

April 8, 202635 min

#107 Finn Schufft & Emirali Karadoğan: What the German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) Shows About Due Diligence Law in Practice

How has Germany’s national due diligence legislation been working so far? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Finn Schufft, Corporate Responsibility Officer at Germanwatch and Emirali Karadoğan, Researcher and Trade Union Expert for the Turkish trade union Tez-Koop-İş, that was featured in Germanwatch’s report on the main impacts so far of the German supply chain act. Together they discussed the key findings of the Germanwatch report, including the crucial challenge of enforceability of due diligence legislation. You’ll also hear about: How the German law directly helped to support the right to freedom of association in Turkey Why due diligence is so important in protecting and enforcing good labour standards, and why ILO conventions, OECD national guidelines and local labour laws are not enough The impact of the CSDDD replacing the LkSG in Germany, especially in terms of companies covered How debates on responsible business are advancing in Turkey Finn’s overarching message to Europe based on the study’s findings Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

March 25, 202635 min

#106 Alina Laszlo-Orth & Tereza Fialová: How the EU Grid Package Will Impact the Business Energy Transition

What does the proposed European Grid Package mean for the future of the energy industry? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Alina Laszlo-Orth, Head of EU Affairs at E.ON and Tereza Fialová, lawyer at the Responsible Energy Team at Frank Bold. Together they discussed the European Commission’s EU Grid Package, and whether it goes far enough in guaranteeing the energy transition in Europe. You’ll also hear about: E.ON’s progress on expanding their use of renewables – with the company recently hitting the milestone of two million renewable assets being connected into their German grid What the EU Grid Package will mean for energy companies like E.ON Why the grid urgently needs to be modernised in order to ensure a sufficient supply of affordable, clean and secure energy Why the grid’s existing ‘first come, first served’ principle should be replaced by ‘first ready, first served,’ according to Responsible Energy’s report on how to improve the grid in Europe How reducing the cost of energy and supporting the energy transition go hand-in-hand The crucial relationship between the energy transition and greater strategic autonomy on energy for Europe Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

March 18, 202637 min

#105 Leo Donnachie & David Němeček: SFDR 2.0 - What Does it Mean for Investors & Sustainability?

Do the European Commission’s proposed changes to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) go far enough in resolving the weaknesses of the original legislation? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Leo Donnachie, Senior Policy Specialist, Sustainable Finance at the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change and David Němeček, Senior Sustainable Finance Expert at Responsible Companies, Frank Bold. Together they discussed what has and hasn’t worked with the current SFDR from the institutional investor perspective, as well as why the original legislation needed improvement. You’ll also hear about: The main recommendations in Frank Bold’s legal analysis of SFDR 2.0, including on thresholds and new product categories To what extent the strengthened emphasis on exclusions in the Commission’s proposal weakens the impact of the regulation What impact Omnibus 1 has had on investors, and whether it’s created greater alignment with companies What SFDR needs to really shift the dial on sustainable finance: effective accompanying policy measures, from the Savings and Investments Union to the Clean Industrial Deal Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

March 3, 202631 min

#104 Anna Miazga: What is the New Role of the Chief Sustainability Officer?

In a post-Omnibus 1 European sustainability landscape, what does the new role of the Chief Sustainability Officer look like? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Anna Miazga, Chief Sustainability Officer of mBank Poland, which is the country’s fifth largest bank in terms of assets. Together they discussed why mBank is staying steadfast to its sustainability commitments and strategies in the current climate of retrenchment from ESG issues, and why the business case for sustainability is more relevant than ever. You’ll also hear about: MBank's transition plan, including the importance of being honest about the obstacles and barriers the bank faces and how it is planning to tackle them The importance of not forgetting the ‘S’ in ESG – and the bank’s priority of improving the resilience and financial health of its customers Anna’s take on the European Commission’s proposed changes to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) Anna’s advice to new Chief Sustainability Officers coming into the job Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!

February 17, 202636 min

#103 Emily Farnworth: The ‘G’ in ESG – Board Directors & Sustainability

Often the weaker side of current corporate sustainability practice, governance – the ‘G’ in ESG – covers everything from how decisions are made, to transparency, oversight and accountability within company boards. But as an essential component of companies' journey to net zero, how can they better integrate sustainability into the heart of their business? In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Emily Farnworth, CEO of Chapter Zero Alliance, an NGO supporting board directors across 70 countries to lead on climate and nature governance. Together they discussed Chapter Zero Alliance’s new Principles for Climate and Nature Governance in partnership with the World Economic Forum, and how they can help board directors across the world in their sustainability governance processes. You’ll also hear about: Why progress has been slow in sustainability governance, and what needs to change How companies can make sustainability an authentic part of business strategy The importance of board attitudes and mindset towards stakeholders in the new Principles How intergenerational conversations on sustainability within family-owned businesses is sparking change within corporate governance Emily’s one question to board members and senior management within companies to make effective sustainability governance a reality Listen in and follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube!