1. Beyond the Glossy Sustainability Report w/ Susan Mac Cormac
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
Release Date: 06/07/2022
12. The Social and Governance Side of ESG w/ Mandi McReynolds
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
For our final episode of Sustainability Decoded Season 1, we’re doing some self reflection with a fellow podcaster. All season long we’ve talked about ESG – environmental, social, and governance, and we’ve spent several episodes on the environmental side. Mandi McReynolds is the Head of Global Environment, Social, and Governance at Workiva and the host of . In this episode, she broke down why the ‘S’ and ‘G’ in ESG are just as important as the ‘E.’ She told us that good governance is a base for good business, and that social impact is a growing interest area for businesses...
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11. The Green Building Movement w/ Eric Corey Freed
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
The amount of greenhouse gas emissions that buildings are responsible for is unbelievable. Construction and operations of buildings account for up to 50% of global emissions. Everything from heating and cooling a building, to keeping the lights on, to the materials it’s made out of contribute to climate change. But luckily, there’s a movement toward more sustainable architecture. In today’s episode, we explore green buildings with one of the OG architects in the space, Eric Corey Freed. He’s the Principal and Director of Sustainability for CannonDesign and author of “Green...
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10. Why Mining is Crucial for Sustainability w/ Rohitesh Dhawan
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
Will mining ever be sustainable? How do we deal with the sins of the past and move forward in a responsible way? We explore this in today’s episode with Rohitesh Dhawan, President and CEO of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). ICMM brings together 26 of the world's largest mining and metals companies to work collectively on issues of sustainable development. We talked to Rohitesh about the work he’s doing at ICMM and the commitments the council is making. We get into how mining and the circular economy intersect, misconceptions about the mining industry, and...
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9. Flipping the Script on Covering Climate w/ Joel Makower
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
This week’s guest has been watching and writing about the sustainability world for over 30 years and he provided us with some unique perspectives. Joel Makower is a journalist and the chairman and co-founder of GreenBiz, a media and events company focusing on the intersection of business and the clean economy. He had a syndicated newspaper column, he contributes to the radio show, Marketplace, and he has authored over a dozen books. This episode really feels more like we had a third host than a guest. He also brought up new subjects for the podcast, including, what a green...
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8. The ESG Sensation (Decades in the Making) w/ Aron Cramer
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
In this episode, we talked about how interest and advancements in ESG are suddenly everywhere. Today’s guest, Aron Cramer called the trend an “overnight sensation.” But really he’s been working for years to pull sustainability into the mainstream. Aron is the President and CEO of management consulting company, BSR (Business for Social Responsibility). Before his career as an ESG OG, Aron went to law school and worked as a journalist. On the show, Aron tells us about his professional journey, how BSR helps businesses advance ESG initiatives and how ESG has evolved and exploded in...
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7. Why Fighting Climate Change is Personal for Gen Z w/ Anissa Vasquez and Kevin Stephen
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
To mark the halfway point of our first season we’re talking to two Gen Z climate fanatics and Persefoni employees! Anissa Vasquez is Manager of Global ESG Policy at Persefoni and Kevin Stephen works on the sustainability strategy team. They came on the show to talk about how young people can get involved in sustainability and climate tech,why fighting climate change is an incredibly personal fight for their generation, and what they are doing to stay optimistic about their future. In this episode, we got reflective. Kevin and Anissa shared book recommendations, thoughts on some of our...
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6. Educating the Next Generation of Sustainable Business Leaders w/ Andrew Hoffman
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
This week’s episode is mandatory listening for anyone searching for a career with meaning. Our guest Andrew Hoffman, Holcim Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan, has powerful advice for engaging in work that has a purpose. Andrew’s book “” outlines why business leaders can and should see their work as a way to solve societal problems. Andrew teaches across disciplines in the Ross School of Business and the School for Environment & Sustainability. He told us that an interdisciplinary approach is key to combating climate change. In this episode, Andrew...
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5. Should Machines Read ESG Reports? w/ Jane Diplock
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
Until recently, climate disclosures were a mostly voluntary part of doing business. But soon, they could become mandatory. Like financial disclosures, climate disclosures would be overseen by individual regulatory authorities in different countries around the world. These regulatory authorities are members of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). Jane Diplock, this week’s guest, chaired the IOSCO for seven years and the New Zealand Securities Commission for nine years, during the Global Financial Crisis and the recovery. On the show, she explains how...
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4. The Evolution of Climate Disclosure w/ Paul Dickinson
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
Encouraging companies to disclose their impact on the environment is more important than ever before and Paul Dickinson has been trying to do just that for over 20 years. Paul is the founder of the Climate Disclosure Project (CDP), a non-profit that collects voluntary disclosures from companies about sustainability issues like climate change, water security, and deforestation. The CDP keeps databases so that investors can compare sustainability data. In 2021, over 13,000 companies reported through the CDP. In this episode, we talked to him about the future of sustainability, new...
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3. Why Comparison is Key in Sustainability w/ Janine Guillot
Sustainability Decoded with Tim & Caitlin
Creating comparable standards for environmental, social and governance reporting is difficult, but Janine Guillot and The Value Reporting Foundation are on it! In this episode, we sat down with Janine to talk about how sustainability reporting has evolved, the new ways we’re finding to track it, and what sustainability reports mean to investors. Janine is a leader in this field and as CEO of the Value Reporting Foundation she’s working to create ESG frameworks. We also got into greenwashing and the seismic shift that is happening in sustainability, starting with the SEC...
info_outlineYou’re not alone if you don’t know what a corporate form is or why Public Benefit Corporations (PBCs) exist. But, it’s so important to understand what they’re here for — and it kind of boils down to accountability.
In this episode, we are joined by Susan Mac Cormac, a Partner at international law firm Morrison & Foerster. She chairs the firm’s Energy and Social Enterprise and Impact Investing practices.
In this episode, we talk about how businesses are being held accountable for their social and environmental impact — beyond their mission and value statement and sustainability reports. On the show, we also tackle how we can move from being “doomers” to actually effecting positive change.
Learn more about Susan’s work here.
Sustainability Decoded is produced by our incredible team at Persefoni and Hueman Group Media.
Learn more about Persefoni and our climate management and accounting platform by subscribing to Tim’s weekly newsletter!