EY Sustainability Matters

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Sep 2026

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The EY Sustainability Matters podcast explores sustainability as a business issue. The series offers insights on key business risks and opportunities, through an environmental, social, governance and sustainability lens.

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58 recent

October 29, 202617 min

How AI can reduce social inequality

In this episode of the Sustainability Matters podcast , David Rae, EY Global Lead for Technology and Innovation for EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services, explores the intersection of AI and social development. He poses a central question: Can AI drive equitable social progress, or will exponential technological change widen existing societal divides? Industry voices and thought leaders weigh in on whether AI can serve as a force for inclusion while offering clear strategies for responsible enterprise governance . Laura Turkington, EY Global Commercial, Innovation and AI for Good program Leader , emphasizes that human capability is foundational. She highlights how targeted skilling initiatives, from empowering young women in STEM to upskilling older generations, are critical to preventing digital exclusion. Dr. Angela Aristidou of Stanford HAI and the UCL School of Management breaks down the operational AI pipeline, highlighting why boardrooms must govern AI models well beyond deployment, including addressing historical data bias, conducting real-world team testing and planning for long-term asset decommissioning. Professor Michael Lepech of Stanford University challenges leaders to expand their boundary settings, arguing that meaningful sustainability assessments must look past single units of compute to capture broader socioeconomic parameters across the triple bottom line.

September 15, 202629 min

Beyond the buzz of Climate Weeks

In this episode of Sustainability Matters podcast, host Alexis Gazzo brings together Global EY leaders Ruth Guevara and Bruno Sarda to explore whether the global climate conversation is genuinely moving from ambition to action. Recorded ahead of Climate Week NYC 2026, the discussion tackles how extreme weather events — from record heat waves to devastating wildfires — are shifting physical climate risk from a future scientific model to an immediate operational reality for global businesses. The panel addresses the challenge of navigating a fragmented geopolitical landscape as companies prepare for COP31. The guests also examine the evolving reporting landscape, discussing whether frameworks such as the ISSB are creating real business value or simply making organizations busier.

September 2, 202646 min

Why short-term growth mindset can put business at risk

In this episode of the Sustainability Matters podcast , host Nadia Woodhouse from the EY New Economy Unit explores the notion of the extractivist economy. As companies work to meet sustainability goals, a critical question emerges : is our focus on short-term extraction quietly undermining long-term resilience? Nadia is joined by economist and writer Professor Tim Jackson and Kiara Konti, Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader for Ernst & Young (Hellas) Certified Auditors Accountants SA (EY Greece) . Together, they reveal how overusing natural resources and ignoring systemic degradation may directly threaten global supply chains and day-to-day business stability. The conversation confronts major structural challenges — from prioritizing short-term investor returns and overlooking unpriced environmental costs , to an over-reliance on the current metrics of economic growth. Tim and Kiara explain why simply "doing less harm" through superficial sustainability isn't enough, warning that ignoring core dependencies on nature creates severe systemic risk s . However, they also highlight practical solutions for businesses , such as rethinking value chains around circular models, net-positive impacts and choosing "care over growth , " to safeguard both society and long-term business viability. Read more about the EY New Economy Unit and their research here .

August 11, 202622 min

How sport can become a catalyst for business sustainability

I n this episode of Sustainability Matters podcast , host Colin Tetreault , Managing Director, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, Ernst & Young LLP , explores the shifting environmental landscape of the sports industry. As North America enters an unprecedented era of mega events, a critical question emerges : Is the massive environmental footprint of sports a standard business liability, or can it become a powerful driver for operational resilience? Colin is joined by Heather Watkins, co-founder of Bold Reuse , to break down the operational realit ies of tackling single-use waste at scale. The conversation confronts major logistical and economic challenges, mapping out the impact of rising supply-chain costs for single-use products and upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation in the US . The episode offers an inspiring look at how sports venues act as a "cultural beacon" for innovation. Heather explains how implementing reusable packaging systems not only cuts costs but also drives local jobs, community engagement and new corporate sponsorship revenue.

July 15, 2026Episode 124 min

How sustainability reporting can drive financial performance

In this episode of Sustainability Matters podcast, host Christian Orth explores how Siemens is using sustainability reporting as a powerful management tool to help steer business performance. As new regulatory frameworks such as CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) roll out, he explores whether ESG disclosure is simply an administrative burden or a tool to drive real value. Christian is joined by Thomas Knobloch from Siemens AG and Caroline Pfaff, Partner at EY Germany to break down the practical reality of ESG reporting. Together, they look at the challenge of complex global data, tracking how organizations can move past chasing "perfect" real-time metrics and instead prioritize immediate progress over perfection. They discuss the real-world operational challenges, how Siemens successfully built a 360-degree target framework directly into its board-level decisions and how focusing on material KPIs, like carbon intensity and product carbon footprints, can simultaneously mitigate long-term risk while unlocking competitive advantages. Through it all, Thomas and Caroline highlight that building a strong company culture is what can drive true organizational transformation as well as the opportunities to unlock real business value. @2026 Ernst & Young LLP

June 24, 2026Episode 914 min

AI for climate: risk or solution?

In this episode of Sustainability Matters , host David Rae, EY Global Lead for Sustainability Technology and Innovation , explores the impact of AI on climate change. As AI companies build massive data centers worldwide, a critical question emerges : W ill the skyrocketing resource footprint of AI push global grids past their limits , or will AI become a vital tool to help accelerate the energy transition ? David is joined by James Grabert from the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and Michael Lepech from Stanford University to break down the duality of this digital megatrend. Together, they look at the physical reality behind "the cloud," tracking how AI is driving a massive surge in electricity demand while also leaving an extensive water footprint through data center cooling and the lifecycle of chip manufacturing. However, they also identify areas of opportunity . The episode offers a hopeful look at "decision intelligence." The guests explain how AI is already delivering measurable climate benefits — from transforming early warning weather models in the Global South to balancing power grids and optimizing renewable energy.

April 26, 2026Episode 833 min

Why healthy rivers are critical to businesses and the economy

In this episode of the EY Sustainability Matters podcast, Bruno Sarda hosts a discussion with Mark Greatrex, President of Cox Communications, and Tom Kiernan, CEO of American Rivers, about the pivotal role of water in supporting communities and businesses. The guests emphasize that, amid increasing challenges such as nature loss, pollution, drought, flooding and climate extremes, safeguarding rivers is now more critical than ever for commercial interests and economic health. The dialogue explores how organizations can deepen their understanding of their reliance on healthy river systems, advance solutions through collaborative efforts, and promote water-positive and nature-positive practices. Additionally, the speakers underscore the importance of strategic partnerships in achieving watershed-scale outcomes. Effective collaboration between businesses and nonprofit organizations facilitates data sharing, strategic alignment , and the development of practical projects that provide multifaceted benefits to communities, industry and ecosystems. Both guests highlight the value of establishing relationships prior to crises, ensuring that trust and momentum are established when challenges inevitably arise .

March 17, 2026Episode 716 min

Can AI save nature, or will it cause more harm?

In this episode of EY Sustainability Matters, David Rae, EY Global Lead for Technology, AI and Innovation at EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services, explores the complex intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and nature. The host poses the question: Can technology solve the nature loss crisis, or will its resource-heavy footprint only accelerate the problem? Hear industry voices and activists debate whether AI is a necessary tool for nature's survival and offer holistic views on the risks and opportunities ahead, drawing on a hypothetical debate from The EY AI x Sustainability Exchange: from big questions to real solutions, where activists were asked to take opposing sides of the argument. Gilad Goren of the Nature Tech Collective argues that reversing nature loss is impossible without AI, which is essential for de-risking private sector investment and closing the nature finance gap. We also hear how companies, such as SAP, IBM, Treefera and others, are leveraging real-time data to track deforestation and optimize crop yields in hard-to-abate sectors. Conversely, activists Livia Pagoto and Fred Werner highlight the "shadow effect" — the skyrocketing energy and water demands of massive data centers. The conversation also explores ethical governance, questioning whether potentially biased algorithms can ever replicate human care required to protect the environment. AI is already accelerating nature protection, from monitoring deforestation and biodiversity to improving climate risk assessment, supply ‑ chain transparency and renewable energy optimization. However, AI's rapid growth is resource ‑ intensive, driving significant increases in energy and water use, and raising concerns about scalability, equity and environmental impact. Progress requires collective action, combining human wisdom, inclusive governance, Indigenous knowledge and responsible innovation, to ensure that AI strengthens — rather than replaces — our relationship with nature. @2026 Ernst & Young LLP

February 19, 2026Episode 630 min

How collaboration can open new opportunities to reduce emissions

In this episode of the Sustainability Matters podcast , hosts Bruno Sarda and Anne Munaretto interview Ravi Annapragada , Director of Sustainability and Energy Strategy at Carrier , a global supplier of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) products . Together they discuss ' Joining f orces for a s ustainable f uture ' , a collaboration between Carrier customers, suppliers, and internal teams that aims to accelerat e decarbonization and driv e meaningful sustainability progress. The initiative , engag ing 10 major customers across various sectors at different stages of their sustainability journey , highlights the benefit s of moving away from isolated efforts toward partnership and co-creation. The discussion describes the HVAC giant's path to setting ambitious science-based targets, recognizing that most emissions stem from product use and realizing that addressing these challenges requires collaboration rather than a solely transactional relationship . The guests also emphasize the importance of internal alignment, especially with sales teams, and demonstrate that sustainability and business growth can be mutually reinforcing.

January 15, 2026Episode 534 min

2026: from climate pledges to measurable results

In this episode of the EY Sustainability Matters podcast, hosts Elanne Almeida, EY LATAM Industrials and Energy Lead for Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS), and Matthew Handford, EY CCaSS Lead for Financial Services in the Americas, unpack the pivotal outcomes of COP30 and what they mean for the year ahead. This episode moves beyond the conference itself to focus on how its decisions are shaping business and policy strategies for 2026. Listeners will hear insights from global leaders and industry professionals on the shift from climate pledges to implementation, the rise of accountability frameworks, and the growing role of collaboration between the private and public sectors. Discover how new transparency requirements, ambitious national climate plans (NDCs) and innovative collaborations are setting the stage for measurable progress in sustainability — and why 2026 is poised to be a defining year for climate action worldwide.

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