California has long led the US in tackling air emissions, but Congress recently voted to block a key tool employed by the state to accomplish its goals. In this episode of ESG Currents, BI senior ESG analysts Gail Glazerman and Rob Du Boff are joined by Mary Nichols, distinguished counsel for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA, who previously served as chair of the California Air Resources Board. They discuss implications of the auto-emissions waiver repeal, ways the state could still push emissions improvements and how companies may respond to the rollback in federal ambitions. This episode was recorded on June 5.

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How can we prepare tomorrow’s leaders for today’s climate risks? In this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, the University of Maryland’s Dr. Cliff Rossi, academic director and professor, and Tim Canty, associate professor, join Bloomberg Intelligence’s Andy Stevenson, senior ESG analyst, to discuss their interdisciplinary approach to teaching sustainability. Together they explore how science and finance must be used to understand and mitigate climate risk, from mortgage markets to air quality. They also discuss the rising challenges posed by natural hazards, the consequences of rolling back federal data and modeling tools and the critical role students can play in bridging the communication gap between science, policy and business. The episode was recorded on May 9.

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Discussions around climate change have become deeply politicized, but global warming’s impacts have no political affiliation, whether it’s hurricanes in deep red Texas or wildfires in deep blue California. On this episode of ESG Currents, BI senior ESG analyst Rob Du Boff is joined by Bob Inglis, executive director of republicEn.org and former US Congressman from South Carolina’s 4th district. They discuss why Republicans have traditionally shied away from the topic, and free-market solutions to addressing the climate crisis. And for more perspectives on tackling the climate crisis, be sure to register for BI’s virtual conference, COP 29.5.

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With emissions hitting record highs, carbon dioxide removal is shifting from theoretical climate solution to commercial necessity. In this episode of ESG Currents, Bloomberg Intelligence Director of ESG Research Eric Kane speaks with AirMyne’s co-founder and COO, Mark Cyffka, and its CCO, Jan Huckfeldt, about the startup’s low-cost, scalable approach to direct air capture (DAC). They discuss why simplicity and heat efficiency are critical to scaling DAC, how waste heat from data centers can fuel removals and what sets the company’s liquid-based system apart from legacy approaches. The trio also unpacks why investors should care now despite high prices and the policy frameworks necessary to unlock the emerging market’s full potential. For more insights, click here to register for BI ESG’s June 4 virtual conference, COP 29.5.

This episode was recorded on May 8.

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"Climate risk is financial risk; investors who aren't addressing that risk are at risk themselves," says Rebecca Mikula-Wright, CEO of the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change. Among Asia's biggest institutional investors, a growing number now track or target investments in climate solutions, conduct physical-risk assessments and engage investee companies to reduce portfolio risks, recognizing climate change as a major risk to long-term returns. Mikula-Wright discusses these issues with Conrad Tan, Bloomberg Intelligence ESG integration analyst for APAC, in this edition of ESG Currents. They also examine newer areas of focus including how investors are working to integrate nature and social risk into their capital allocation and engagement strategies.

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"Many UAE banks have seen sustainable finance as a profit center", says Vijay Bains, Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of ESG at Emirates NBD. In this episode of ESG Currents, Grace Osborne, BI’s ESG integration analyst for EMEA, speaks with Bains about the rising momentum of sustainable finance in the GCC and its intertwinement with the region's economic diversification plans. With UAE's national banks' pledging to mobilize AED 1 trillion in sustainable finance by 2030, alongside strengthened Nationally Determined Contributions, opportunities for capturing sustainable value creation are mounting. From water scarcity solutions to green building initiatives, the GCC is scaling its sustainability ambitions at a time where other regions in the world appear to be stepping back.
This episode was recorded on May 1, 2025.

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As climate change accelerates water scarcity, investors are eyeing scalable solutions with environmental integrity. In this episode of ESG Currents, BI’s director of ESG research Eric Kane and senior ESG associate Melanie Rua speak with OceanWell CEO Robert Bergstrom about a subsea desalination product that uses deep-ocean pressure to cut energy use by up to 40% while protecting marine ecosystems. Bergstrom outlines OceanWell’s phased road map, including pilots and global scaling, and makes the investment case for water infrastructure, citing research showing a $7 return for every $1 invested. The episode explores why valuing water appropriately is key to driving innovation, policy and climate resilience. Recorded April 23.

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"It’s very important to understand that we need to deliver sustainability, not simply be passionate about it," says Eric Lim, managing director and chief sustainability officer at United Overseas Bank, our first guest from Asia on the ESG Currents podcast. Lim joins Conrad Tan, Bloomberg Intelligence’s ESG integration analyst for Asia-Pacific, to discuss what the ESG backlash means for companies' sustainability efforts, the role of banks in driving sustainable practices in different industries, and the nature-climate nexus and business dependencies on natural capital. They also talk about the importance of aligning with ecosystem partners to enhance impact in a region spanning myriad political structures and development priorities.

This episode was recorded on April 2, 2025.

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