EU ESG Regulation: Players, Policy, and Purpose
Fixed on ESG
EU ESG regulations significantly impact companies operating within the EU, necessitating precise actions and accountability. This episode of Fixed on ESG outlines the key institutions responsible for shaping EU ESG regulations and the various forms these regulations can take, including sustainability frameworks and reporting obligations to investment classifications. We will examine the current trajectory for regulatory changes, including the Omnibus package, against Europe’s shifting political and economic contours. PGIM’s Birgit Lundem Jakobsen, ESG Specialist, hosts this...
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The Insurance Industry in the Climate Conversation
Fixed on ESG
With climate-related events increasing in frequency and severity, we discuss the role of insurance in mitigating the economic and social risks. With a focus on the property and casualty insurance sector, learn about insurance’s economic role, how insurers are adapting their strategies to protect against losses while offering coverage where it is needed, and the importance of risk mitigation efforts by all key players. PGIM’s David Klausner, ESG Specialist, hosts this discussion with Pinto Suri, U.S. Investment Grade Credit Research Analyst. Recorded on July 17, 2025.
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Behind the Seams: Unraveling Fast Fashion's ESG Challenges
Fixed on ESG
This episode of Fixed on ESG unravels the perils of fast fashion, the environmental footprint, transparency challenges, and opportunities for innovation. We highlight the role of different stakeholders across the value chain in driving change towards a more sustainable future. Samantha Van Belle, ESG Specialist at PGIM Fixed Income, hosts this discussion with Alice Roche-Naude, Sustainability Strategy Director at Futerra, and Nuvneet Dhillon, CFA, ESG Specialist at PGIM Fixed Income. Recorded on June 12, 2025.
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Can It Be ESG? A Pragmatic Take on Defence
Fixed on ESG
Often excluded from ESG portfolios on ethical grounds, the defence sector is at the forefront due to current geopolitical tensions. In this episode of Fixed on ESG, we consider whether defence companies should be included in ESG investments, the rising strategic importance of defence, investment barriers, and the potential for ESG-conscious investors to reconsider their exclusion policies. PGIM Fixed Income’s James Malone, CFA, ESG Specialist, hosts this discussion with Katharine Neiss, PhD, Deputy Head of Global Economics and Chief European Economist. Recorded on May 6, 2025.
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SDGs for Impact
Fixed on ESG
Investors are looking to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as one tool to help guide impactful investments. This episode of Fixed on ESG explores the role of the SDGs as a framework for identifying opportunities, SDG-related challenges (e.g. “SDG washing"), the financing gap, methodological issues in assessing contributions, and factors to consider when balancing operational performance with business model alignment. PGIM Fixed Income’s Nuvneet Dhillon, CFA, ESG Specialist, hosts this discussion with Armelle de Vienne, Co-Head of ESG Research, and Yacine...
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Securitised Solutions for the Green Transition
Fixed on ESG
Securitised credit is emerging as a key driver in financing the green transition, offering investors opportunities to support ESG initiatives without sacrificing return. This episode of Fixed on ESG navigates how securitisation helps fund green assets, the challenges of measuring financed emissions, and the evolving regulatory landscape in the U.S. and Europe. We break down the mechanics of green securitisation and discuss how investors can navigate this space. PGIM Fixed Income’s Taylor Chatlos, ESG Specialist, hosts this discussion with David Klausner, ESG Specialist, and Edwin Wilches,...
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Rethinking Green Bond Emissions Reporting
Fixed on ESG
Can green bonds—intended to drive sustainability—complicate emissions reporting? This episode of Fixed on ESG explores the complexities of green bonds and their reported emissions. We examine a proposal by the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) and highlight issues like vanishing emissions, unallocated proceeds, increased reporting demands, and the need for a comprehensive approach to emissions assessment, while considering the broader implications for investors. PGIM Fixed Income’s Taylor Chatlos, ESG Specialist hosts this discussion with John Ploeg, CFA,...
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Behind the Scenes of COP29
Fixed on ESG
With COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan now concluded, the conference ultimately delivered mixed results. In this episode of Fixed on ESG, we analyse the key takeaways from the event, including the geopolitical tensions, financial commitments, and growing Global North-South divide that influenced the outcomes. We also highlight under-the-radar wins, such as methane reduction pledges and the establishment of new carbon market rules, and finally, consider whether COP can continue to drive meaningful change. PGIM Fixed Income’s John Ploeg, CFA, Co-Head of ESG Research, hosts this discussion...
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A Look Under the Hood of Climate Risk Analysis
Fixed on ESG
There are many top-down tools that attempt to model climate-related credit risks, but risks relating to the transition towards a low carbon economy often stem from complex regulation and hotly debated policy that are not easily captured in simplistic models. In this episode of Fixed on ESG, we focus on the EU autos sector as a means of exploring how we leverage our bottom-up research approach to analyse climate risks. We discuss the tightening of EU automobile manufacturer emissions targets, limitations of current climate value-at-risk (Climate VaR) models, and the research process we...
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Powering Data Centre Expansion
Fixed on ESG
The past decade’s explosive increase in digitalisation is forecast to continue exponentially in the coming years. This expansion of the digital economy is fueling the need for data centres. But data centre growth may see significant challenges given the large amounts of electricity they require. Uncertainty about how quickly their power demand will grow is also creating challenges for utilities that have to plan their generation capacity years in advance. Meanwhile, major tech companies claim to be fueling much of their electricity consumption with low carbon energy. But, the story may not...
info_outlineIn some areas, population explosion has exhausted freshwater supplies, and globally the impacts of a warming climate have caused the slow depletion of the freshwater resources available. The search for solutions to freshwater scarcity has intensified and led some municipalities to explore desalination, or the process of turning saltwater into freshwater, as one potential solution.
PGIM Fixed Income’s Taylor Chatlos, ESG Specialist, and Michael Slonim, Municipal Bond Credit Research Analyst, join this episode of Fixed on ESG to provide a complete look at desalination for investors: what it entails; the environmental and social costs and benefits; how we evaluate a desalination credit differently from a run-of-the-mill water utility; and how we integrate these considerations into our investment process when looking at municipal deals.
Recorded on May 31, 2023.