The Sustainability Agenda

In this wide-ranging, hard hitting discussion, Vijay Prashad explores the environmental crises we are facing today through a Marxist lens. At the heart of this discussion, Vijay highlights the failings of capitalism, with a particular focus on environmental externalities, and also critiques capitalism’s impact on the development of the global south. Vijay believes a continuing colonial mindset is undermining the commitment to the “common but differentiated responsibilities” embedded in the Rio conference –-- and the subsequent stalling of the Green Climate Fund. Vijay takes inspiration from peoples’ environmental summits such as the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth (2010), the People’s World Conference on Climate Change and the Defence of Life (2015), and the People’s Nature Forum (2020). As an activist, Vijay is inspired by the growing number of movements who are standing up for environmental and human rights –in South Africa, Chile, Columbia, in India—struggles that

In this interview British novelist, journalist and screenwriter Ned Beauman discusses his latest novel Venomous Lumpsucker-a brilliant, darkly satirical and terrifying  novel  about endlings (the last of a species), the manipulation of extinction credit markets... the elusive Hermit Kingdom: described by The Times Literary Supplement as “a tale of capitalism, penance and species extinction.”  Fascinating, broad ranging discussion on extinction, literary fiction and the climate crisis, environmental satire, and the commodification of nature. Ned Beauman is a British novelist, journalist and screenwriter, the author of five novels; he was selected as one of the Best of Young British Novelists by Granta magazine in 2013.  His latest is Venomous Lumpsucker, “a darkly funny and incisive zoological thriller about environmental devastation and one very ugly little fish.”

Eye-opening discussion with Guy Standing on the deteriorating conditions in our oceans…  the destruction of fragile ocean ecosystems, marine pollution, habitat destruction and destruction of coastal communities, driven by overfishing, corporate exploitation, lax regulatory enforcement, increasing extraction-- and growing sea commodification. His analysis is a powerful indictment of contemporary oceanic governance—and an impassioned call for new forms of ocean governance centred around the commons. Guy Standing is a Professorial Research Associate at SOAS University of London and a founding member and honorary co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), a non-governmental organisation that promotes a basic income for all. He was a programme director in the UN's International Labour Organisation and has advised many international bodies and governments on social and economic policies.  Guy has written widely in the areas of labour economics, labour market policy, unemployment, labour market flexibili

As questions surrounding Scope 3 emissions are rising on the business agenda, understanding why and how companies need to decarbonize their supply chains has become increasingly important. In this interview, McKinsey’s Peter Spiller shares his perspective on key questions around how to tackle Scope 3 emissions. Peter explains why Scope 3 is so important and highlights some of the key challenges companies face decarbonizing their supply chains. He identifies some of the key success factors dealing with Scope 3 emissions and also identifies major mistakes companies are making. A deep dive on Scope 3 emissions. This is an edited version of an interview with Peter Spiller for the Scope 3 Agenda podcast. Peter Spiller is Partner and Head of the EMEA Sustainability in Operations Practice at McKinsey. Based in the Frankfurt office, Peter primarily advises clients across industries including telecoms, high-tech, automotive, and consumer goods on operations transformation, supply chain, and procurement topics. He co-l

American theologian, philosopher, and environmentalist John B. Cobb talks about his half-century long commitment to the environment, and environmental ethics, his life long work as a theologian and philosopher. He talks about the recent popularity of his ideas in China and why, at 97, he has cofounded the Living Earth Movement to inspire global cooperation for the sake of all life on our planet--with a particular focus on the geopolitical relationship between the United States and China-a topic of burning importance following  the diplomatic fallout of Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to Taiwan--and China's decision to withdraw from vital climate talks.John B. Cobb an American theologian, philosopher, and environmentalist and the author of more than fifty books. A key idea at the heart of Cobb's work is his emphasis on ecological interdependence—the idea that every part of the ecosystem is reliant on all the other parts. In 1971, he wrote one of the first books in environmental ethics, Is It Too Late? A Theology o

Deep dive on the philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) as developed in Bhutan. Karma Ura explores the origins of this radically different way to think about a nation’s priorities based on measures of individual and collective happiness and well-being of the population, relationship with the environment--and Buddhist values. Karma Ura talks about the development of GNH in Bhutan and explains how the results of five yearly GNH surveys is incorporated into government policy—and also impacts the success of various Bhutanese environmental policies (Bhutan is the only country to have extended forest coverage over the last century.)  Dasha Karma Ura is president of the Center for Bhutan studies and gross national happiness research, he a researcher, scholar, artists and historian. Karma Ura is a key figure in the development of the concept of gross national happiness and Bhutan, formulating the nine domains of gross national happiness and has led various Gross National Happiness surveys. He holds various inte

A wide-ranging discussion with Hans Ulrich Obrist on ecology and contemporary art. Hans discusses his work as at the Serpentine Gallery in London which has made an important commitment to ecology. He highlights the  Gallery’s ongoing exploration of an idea of communion with the environment through is exhibitions and activities—and how he has been inspired by the work of artist and political activist Gustav Metzger. Hans also explores the potential fo climate and environmental art --and the role of the avante garde-- within an increasingly financialised global art market. Hans Ulrich Obrist is a Swiss art curator, critic and historian of art. He is artistic director at the Serpentine Galleries, London, which has embedded environmental and ecological concerns across its programmes and activities-- and research around ecology and climate change. He is the author of The Interview Project, an extensive ongoing project of interviews: so far, some 2000 hours of interviews have been recorded. He is also co-editor of

Fascinating interview exploring the interwoven geopolitical, economic, and political history of Western democratic societies since the early 20th century, revealing the way in which the battles for energy and for resources has shaped  politics, the fault lines ultimately leading to many recent crises. Helen shares her perspective on the evolving relationship between the US and China—the underlying dynamics, emphasising how the Chinese leadership thinks in strategic terms about green energy –unlike the US. Helen also highlights the scale of the challenge of the energy transition which, she argues, is often underestimated, pointing out how energy transitions in the age of fossil fuels has largely been about more energy sources, not directly replacing one energy source with another.Helen Thompson is Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge and a fellow and Director of Studies at Clare College, Cambridge. Her current research concentrates on the political economy of energy and the long history of the democrati

A focussed, and spirited, discussion with Lord Adair Turner on the work of the Energy Transitions Commission and the recent Energy Transitions Commission’s report on the role of Carbon Dioxide Removals (CDR) in meeting global climate objectives… a report which argues that CDR, alongside rapid and deep global decarbonisation, can give the world a 50% chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. This is a fascinating broad ranging discussion exploring different approaches to CDR, the role and varying structure of carbon offsets, validation mechanisms the role of carbon markets, the article 6 rulebook, and related questions. The discussion also touches on the ongoing role that financial institutions are playing supporting the fossil fuel industry.Lord Adair Turner chairs the Energy Transitions Commission, a global coalition of major power and industrial companies, investors, environmental NGOs and experts working out achievable pathways to limit global warming to well below 2˚C by 2040 while stimulating economic

A deep dive with Timothée Parrique on degrowth thinking. In this fascinating interview, Timothee Parrique gives an overview of the latest research on degrowth economics, the compelling underlying logic-- and confronts some of the misunderstandings about degrowth, undermining some of the arguments used against degrowing the economy. Timothée highlights the growing adoption of degrowth ideas in the world of economics, and more importantly, by the IPCC itself—and he discusses the growing evidence that decoupling is not, and has not, taken place, notwithstanding the hopes that many have for green growth. “The new numbers we have tell us that that the decoupling we would need to see in order to make further economic growth in high income nations green…it just has not been delivered.” Timothée Parrique is a researcher at the School of Economics in Lund University, Sweden. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Clermont Auvergne and Stockholm University. Titled “The political economy of degrowth” (2019),

Professor Robert Eccles, one of the world’s leading authorities on ESG, discusses the growing importance of ESG factors in investment, with reflections on the corporate and investor response to the war in Ukraine. He shares his views on the importance of establishing effective corporate sustainability standards--which he recognises as a challenging, inevitably slow, sometimes polarising, but vitally important effort to reach consensus: “Standard setting has always been a contentious, fractious process. There are technical issues, there are ideological issues. It's never done… the debate continues.” Professor Eccles discusses the role  corporations play with respect to the SDGs--and how, and when, corporations can do good given pressures to grow and maximise profits. He also discusses the impact of investors’ changing attitudes to sustainability. A fascinating discussion focussed on some of the most important questions today in the world of corporate sustainability. Professor Robert Eccles is a leading authori

Sunrise co-founder William Lawrence looks back on his days at Sunrise and explores some of the lessons and insights from the organisation’s growth development—and makes the connection with wider trends in left politics in the United States. This interview explores key elements of Sunrise’s strategy, as well the organisation’s methods of organizing. William highlights some of the organisations key successes -- raising the importance of climate in American political discourse, making it a leading priority for the Democratic Party, as well as some of the work that remains to be done. A fascinating insight into the development, growth, and challenges faced by one of the most successful and inspiring youth driven climate change organisations in the world. William Lawrence is an organizer and social movement strategist. He was a co-founder of Sunrise Movement, where he helped shape and popularize the Green New Deal. He currently works as a strategic advisor for Dream Defenders, a social change organisation fighting

Professor Kevin Gallagher and Richard Kozul-Wright discuss their new book The Case for a New Bretton Woods. They highlight the unmet promises for reforms to promote stability, social inclusion, and sustainability in the aftermath of the 2008–9 global financial crisis—and argue that in the wake of Covid there is now an opportunity to reform the financial system and deal with the inequality, volatility, and climate breakdown. Kevin and Richard outline a series of fundamental reforms to bring the Bretton Woods institutions, reforming international finance, aligning trade and investment rules with climate and development goals. Kevin T Gallagher is Professor of Global Development Policy and Director of the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University, whose mission is to advance policy-relevant research for financial stability, human wellbeing, and the environment on a global scale. Richard Kozul-Wright is Director of the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies at the United Nations Conferen

Wide ranging interview with Professor Ann Pettifor on the impact of an unstable financial system on the prospects of dealing with the climate crisis, Bretton Woods, the power of private finance, which she believes is ultimately designed to serve the interests of the 1%. Ann argues, however, that the power of private finance is overstated, pointing to the various ways in which financial institutions consistently rely on public institutions to bail them out—how we are not actually living in time of free market capitalism. Rather than focus exclusively on the cost of decarbonization, Ann argues that think of a different economy living more simply, living with less carbon, living in an economy which is not based on fossil fuels. Ann Pettifor is a British economist who advises governments and organisations. Her work focuses on the global financial system, sovereign debt restructuring, international finance and sustainable development. She was one of the leaders of the Jubilee 2000 debt cancellation campaign and is

Deep dive with Professor Ruth DeFries on her recent book What would Nature Do exploring how strategies from the natural world can help humanity weather many of the environmental crises we are now facing. DeFries explains how a small number of key strategies—investments in diversity, redundancy over efficiency, self-correcting feedbacks, and decisions based on bottom-up knowledge—enable life to persist through unpredictable, sudden shocks-and various ways in which we can apply these strategies to deal with current environmental challenges we are facing. Ruth DeFries is a professor of ecology and sustainable development at Columbia University in New York co-founding dean of the Columbia Climate School and is a recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and many other academic awards she is an author of over a 100 scientific papers related to how people are manipulating the planet and its consequences for humanity. Her most recent book is What would Nature do where she outlines a set of strategies from the n

Carbon Tracker Initiative’s Mark Campanale provides fresh insights into the dangerous phenomenon of stranded assets –according to the IEA: “ investments which have already been made but which, at some time prior to the end of their economic life, are no longer able to earn an economic return.” Mark explains why it is taking so long for capital markets to reflect the real value of fossil fuel companies—and what’s at stake here-- how we are funding climate chaos through our pension schemes and banking system.  Mark discusses the economics of investment in fossil fuel compared to renewables, the power and influence of the fossil fuel industry, and his latest work focus, including important work on the Fossil fuel Non Proliferation Treaty.  Mark Campanale is the Founder of the Carbon Tracker Initiative, a non-profit think-tank launched to pin-point with clarity how global capital markets have failed to deal with climate risk. Mark developed the ‘unburnable carbon’ capital markets thesis – the idea that there are

Wide ranging discussion on ESG ratings and how MSCI approaches identifying risks and opportunities arising from material Climate and ESG issues. Linda-Eling Lee is Global Head of ESG and Climate Research at MSCI the largest provider of ESG Ratings and analytics to global institutional investors. Linda-Elong leads one of the largest teams in the world dedicated to identifying risks and opportunities arising from material Climate and ESG issues.  She oversees all ESG- and Climate-related content and methodology and is also a member of MSCI’s Executive Committee.

Hard-hitting interview with outspoken Kenyan ecologist and conservation writer Dr Mordecai Ogada. Deep dive on key trends in Kenyan conservation. Mordecai criticizes of impact of large sums of money coming into conservation Kenya, from abroad, which he sees having an overtly commercial impact on conservation in Kenya. One impact: substantial growth in “protected areas”—which Mordecai sees as being “rooted in violence and eviction and disenfranchisement.” Mordecai calls for the philosophy behind protected areas has to be looked at afresh. “Humans have always used landscapes have always used natural resources. The key is finding sustainable and more resilient ways of using these natural resources.”  Dr Ogada is a carnivore ecologist and conservation writer who has been involved in conservation policy and practice for the last 18 years in Kenya and other parts of Africa, mainly focusing on human wildlife conflict mitigation, and carnivore and community-based conservation Wildlife Policy and wetlands ecology. He

In this wide-ranging and hard-hitting interview, pioneering American writer, activist, and Marxist environmentalist, Mike Davis speaks out about the dangers of this moment, politically, which he sees as similar to the late 1930s, and the relentless environmental destruction of the planet, and growing nuclear threats. Disappointed by the loss of momentum for street politics and protests in the US, following the inspiration of Black Lives Matter, Mike worries that protests have become predominantly a franchise of the far right, at a time of existential threats where young people need to take action and speak out. Mike is harshly critical of the way in which Western governments have dealt with Covid, drawing parallels with multilateral approaches to dealing with the climate crisis, particularly the prevailing ideology that finance capitalism is the only force that can save the world environmentally.  Mike Davis is a pioneering American writer, political activist, urban theorist, and historian, best known for his

A fascinating deep dive on impact investment with Sir Ronald Cohen, "the father of social investment." This is a spirited discussion about Sir Ronald’s book, Impact, exploring his vision of how impact investing is reshaping capitalism to deliver a form of capitalism that can deal with the profound social and environmental challenges we are facing—issues which he is passionate about. Sir Ronald believes financial institutions are changing profoundly -and is hugely optimistic about the work being done today on measuring impact, notably the Harvard Business School IWA impact weighted accounts project—making the connection between market value and pollution explicit. This in turn brings Ronnie’s vision closer:  a world where investors can measure companies impact and “help change the behaviour of companies so that they bring solutions rather than creating or aggravating environmental and social problems.” Sir Ronald Cohen is Chairman of The Portland Trust and Bridges Ventures, amongst other roles, as a philanthro