LSEG Sustainable Growth

Hosted by LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group)

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

The LSEG Sustainable Growth Podcast tackles important issues which intersect sustainability and finance, hosted by Jane Goodland, LSEG’s Group Head of Sustainability. We talk about some of the biggest issues of our time – from climate transition and investment, green infrastructure to greenwashing, natural capital, carbon markets, financial inclusion, equality and inclusion and more! We hear from leading experts from Microsoft, ISSB, IIGCC, Blackrock, IFAD, Women's World Banking, Climate Impact Partners, Planet Tracker, First Abu Dhabi Bank – and many more.

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60 recent

October 26, 202621 min

Private capital, public impact: The power of long-term investing

How can private capital help solve real-world challenges while delivering attractive returns? In this episode of the Sustainable Growth podcast, Jane Goodland speaks with David Epstein, Managing Director at Aviva Capital Partners, about investing beyond traditional asset management. David explains how Aviva Capital Partners uses its balance-sheet capital to support early-stage projects that may fall outside conventional investment mandates, with the aim of earning a fair reward while creating long-term impact. Exploring examples including the London Cancer Hub and electric bus financing with Rock Road, David discusses how patient capital and public-private partnerships can help unlock regeneration, housing and sustainable infrastructure projects across the UK. Chapters (00:00:01) - Introduction (00:01:19) - From mathematician to leading Aviva Capital Partners (00:02:52) - Why Aviva Capital Partners was created (00:06:22) - Using balance sheet capital to unlock difficult investments (00:08:00) - Balancing financial returns with sustainability impact (00:09:30) - How Aviva evaluates social and climate impact (00:11:42) - London Cancer Hub: investing in research and urban regeneration (00:15:25) - Financing sustainable transport: rock road electric buses (00:18:13) - Measuring success beyond financial returns (00:19:15) - Public-private partnerships driving UK regeneration

September 29, 202620 min

The ESG Value Bridge: Understanding the financial value of sustainability

How do ESG factors influence financial value? Jane Goodland sits down with Michel Driessen, author of 'Green Gold', to unpack the findings of his book. Drawing on his experience in private equity, transactions and restructuring, Michel explains the concept of the ESG Value Bridge, how sustainability is assessed in M&A and due diligence processes and why investors are increasingly looking beyond compliance to identify value creation opportunities. Chapters (00:00:00) - Michel's career: A portfolio of activities (00:01:41) - Why write 'Green Gold'? The gap in ESG financial literature (00:02:42) - Research process: Interviews and practical case studies (00:04:13) - Unpacking the ESG value bridge (00:06:24) - Private equity and ESG: From compliance to value creation (00:10:06) - Palm oil case study: Trade-offs in sustainability decisions (00:13:22) - Value destruction: Risks, reputation and market impact (00:16:57) - ESG ratings and the need for deeper analysis (00:18:26) - 2030 ESG outlook: AI, data standardisation and regulation

July 21, 202626 min

Breached boundaries: How planetary science is reshaping business risk

Seven of nine planetary boundaries are already breached – what does that mean for business decisions today? Jane Goodland speaks with Jean Oelwang, founding CEO of Virgin Unite who shared her view on the role business can play in tackling planetary limits. The conversation explored how Virgin Unite incubates impact-focused initiatives, and why understanding planetary boundaries is important for business, and growth opportunities. Chapters (00:00:00) - Welcome and guest introduction (00:01:25) - How Virgin Unite started (00:03:49) - Four ways Virgin Unite drives change (00:08:13) - Planetary boundaries explained (00:10:02) - The Planetary Guardians (00:14:10) - Why the Planetary Health Check matters (00:20:33) - Tools to embed boundaries into decision-making (00:22:30) - Why collaboration beats “hero” solutions

June 16, 202625 min

Transactions to transitions: The realities of financing sustainable growth

What does financing a sustainable economy look like in reality? In this episode, Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, CEO of the Green Finance Institute (GFI), joins Jane Goodland to share examples of GFI’s first-of-a-kind-transactions and explore how to bridge the “transactions to transitions” gap. Rhian-Mari sets out GFI’s view of the need for granular sector-transition policy frameworks, and how more coordination across government, finance and industry can turn single transactions into sectoral transition at scale. Chapters (00:00:00) - Rhian's career before the Green Finance Institute (00:02:40) - GFI's mission (00:05:20) - International work (00:07:55) - The transactions to transitions gap (00:13:13) - Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) case study (00:16:19) - Scaling first-of-a kind transactions (00:22:17) - Key takeaways for future focus

May 26, 202627 min

The water weapon: How governance gaps are shaping risk

Water is becoming one of the most contested resources on the planet, with far‑reaching implications for economies, businesses and investors. Jane Goodland speaks with Franck Gbaguidi from Eurasia Group about the rise of the “water weapon”, how weak water governance is intensifying competition, and what companies and governments can do to manage growing water‑related risk. Chapters (00:00:00) - Welcome and guest introduction (00:01:15) - Eurasia's Top Risks 2026 report (00:02:00) - The importance of international water governance (00:04:43) - Unpacking water scarcity: Competition and managing disputes (00:06:50) - Where water is being weaponised (00:09:41) - The economic impact (00:13:40) - Water infrastructure (00:16:36) - Could costs change for water-intensive companies? (00:17:40) - Water offsetting and sharing (00:19:50) - Measuring water (00:24:10) - Advice for businesses

April 28, 2026Episode 423 min

Beyond the boardroom: Responsible leadership in practice

What does responsible leadership look like in practice? Sir Mark Moody‑Stuart is a distinguished business leader and former geologist who has held senior leadership and board roles at some of the world's largest organisations including Shell, Anglo American, Saudi Aramco and HSBC. Sitting down with Jane Goodland, he reflects on how his experience serving on boards and engaging with governments has shaped his views on ethical leadership, the role of multilateral frameworks in today’s changing geopolitical landscape, and how open conversations between business, civil society and governments can create long‑term value. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:01:11) - How Sir Mark Moody-Stuart's interest in sustainability began (00:03:05) - Responsible leadership: Sir Mark's experience at Shell (00:08:28) - Value vs. reputation: Conversations in the boardroom (00:10:11) - The role of governments, companies and civil societies (00:12:33) - Engaging with governments and civil societies (00:16:15) - China: A different approach to sustainability (00:18:23) - Advice for business leaders (00:19:20) - A practical example: Sudan, Amnesty International and acting responsibly

March 31, 202627 min

The long-term view: Adapting to changing tides in sustainable investing

How are investors integrating sustainability considerations to manage risk and create value? Richard Manley, Chief Sustainability Officer at CPP Investments, discusses how sustainability integration has evolved into a core driver of long‑term value creation. The conversation covers the role of climate scenario analysis, company governance, physical risk and why informed decision‑making remains central to resilient, long‑term investment outcomes. Chapters (00:02:17) - Introduction (00:05:48) - How sustainable investing has evolved (00:08:58) - CPP's mandate and investment beliefs (00:12:20) - Governance and company expectations (00:20:00) - Physical risk and unpacking climate scenario analysis (00:27:17) - The role of insurance

March 3, 202628 min

Innovative finance: The future of child-lens impact investing

With traditional aid budgets declining, how can NGOs unlock new sources of capital to drive sustainable development? Paul Ronalds, CEO of Save the Children Global Ventures, explains how the charity is reinventing its funding model through impact investing and nature‑based solutions that deliver measurable outcomes for children. Paul unpacks the philosophy behind child‑lens investing and how innovative finance can create sustainable, long‑term benefits for children and their communities. Chapters (00:01:20) - Introduction (00:03:40) - The genesis of Global Ventures (00:07:10) - Their investment philosophy in practice (00:09:42) - Delving into the Asia Health Fund (00:14:01) - Impact investing in action (00:15:28) - Investment time horizons (00:20:40) - How climate investing can benefit children and communities (00:24:19) - Investor profile (00:26:10) - Will other organisations adopt this funding model? (00:28:41) - Broader implications for the charity sector

February 3, 202621 min

The trust gap: Why rising insularity matters for business

Richard Edelman, CEO of global communications firm Edelman breaks down the key findings of the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer, exploring how insularity—the theme of this year’s report—is impacting workplaces, consumer behaviour and economic sentiment. He shares why trust has become the "ultimate currency" for institutions, the risks posed by declining confidence in institutions, and how trust brokering can help leaders bridge divides and strengthen organisational resilience. Chapters (00:00:00) - Richard's experience at Davos (00:01:10) - Trust as the ultimate currency (00:02:35) - Edelman Trust Barometer: Origins and trends (00:05:55) - Trust amid insularity (00:07:47) - How insularity is impacting business (00:11:31) - Trust brokering in the workplace (00:18:20) - Role of CEOs

January 30, 20260 min

LSEG Sustainable Growth podcast trailer 2026

The LSEG Sustainable Growth podcast is back — and this season, we’re on camera. Join Jane and leading voices across sustainability, business and finance — now available to watch as well as listen. Follow to catch the first episode wherever you listen to your podcasts. The LSEG Sustainable Growth Podcast tackles important topics which intersect sustainability and finance, hosted by Jane Goodland, LSEG’s Group Head of Sustainability. We hear from leading experts about some of today's biggest topics – including climate transition, green infrastructure, carbon markets, financial inclusion and much more.