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For years, biodiversity risk has been a blind spot for investors — difficult to measure and even harder to link to financial performance. But that’s starting to change. In this episode, we explore how more granular, location-based data is helping investors see where companies are truly exposed to nature-related risks.  Host: Gabriela da la Serna, MSCI Research & Development Guest: Bettina Meyer, MSCI Research & Development

As climate risk accelerates, insurers face a core challenge — pricing a future that no longer resembles the past. While some are adopting forward-looking models, much of the industry still reacts after losses occur, raising questions about resilience across the financial system. Guests: David Carlin, D.A. Carlin & Company; Pam Palena, MSCI Research & Development Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & Development

Carbon footprints tell you where a fund has been. But do they tell you how it’s positioned for the road ahead? In this episode, we unpack new research from Positioning Portfolios for the Energy Transition (link to paper) analyzing more than 37,000 funds representing USD 50 trillion in assets. The research finds that funds with stronger energy transition positioning were associated with higher historical returns — and stronger links to decarbonization outcomes. We explore the distinction between transition pressure (risk exposure) and transition readiness (strategic preparedness), why managing transition risk is different from achieving temperature alignment, and how investors can balance financial performance with climate objectives. If you think climate analysis begins and ends with carbon intensity, this conversation may change your perspective. Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Kishan Gangadia, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Sustainable investors are redrawing their red lines. As defense spending rises, the definition of “controversial weapons” is being reexamined — from nuclear value chains to AI-enabled systems in the kill chain. Where those lines fall could reshape portfolios.  Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & Development Guest: Mike Disabato, MSCI Research & Development

The 2026 World Cup is bringing the world to North America this summer. But the stadiums hosting the biggest sporting event on the planet face a problem no amount of ticket revenue can solve: the climate they were built for isn't the climate they're operating in. We look at which venues are most exposed to heat waves, flooding, and even the ground sinking beneath them, why this problem goes beyond the beautiful game, and why the insurance and bond markets haven't caught up to what the data already shows. Episode Reading: What can physical hazard data tell us about the 2026 World Cup? Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Katie Towey, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Laura Nishikawa, Head of Emerging Risks R&D at MSCI sits down with Jenn-Hui Tan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Fidelity International, as part of the MSCI Prospectives Podcast to discuss the next phase of sustainable investing. As the public narrative grows noisier and more politicized, they look past the headlines to the economic fundamentals shaping the transition and portfolio management. The conversation explores where momentum in the energy transition is really coming from, why markets continue to struggle with physical climate risk and how investors are adapting to weaker policy signals, shifting governance dynamics and greater uncertainty in capital markets.

As food retailers work to digitize and enhance their logistics and supply networks, they’re becoming more exposed to cybersecurity risks. In this episode, we discuss how a wave of recent cyberattacks has exposed vulnerabilities across the sector — how prepared companies really are, and why investors may want to sit up and take notice. Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI Research & Development Guest: Cole Martin, MSCI Research & Development

Flat prices, steady volumes — carbon markets in 2025 might seem uneventful. But dig a little deeper, and a clearer picture emerges: buyers are paying more for quality. We explore how media scrutiny, new rating systems, and evolving buyer expectations are reshaping how carbon credits are valued. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & Development Guests: Nicholas Baldwin & Utkarsh Akhouri, MSCI Research & Development

For years, institutional investors treated human rights as a checkbox exercise, something to monitor after the fact. But a new wave of regulation and stakeholder pressure is forcing a fundamental shift from passive oversight to active due diligence. In this episode, we explore how forward-thinking investors are moving beyond retroactive screening to implement proactive human rights risk management across their portfolios.  Episode Reading: Human-Rights Risks in Portfolios: From Oversight to Due Diligence Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Gust: Aura Dron, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

When policy and markets move in different directions, the results can be surprising. In this episode, we explore five sustainability and climate trends we'll be watching in 2026. From AI-boosted clean tech and central banks enforcing climate risk rules, to investors reckoning with physical hazards in private equity and the rise of state ownership in strategic sectors. We unpack how materiality is maturing, policy is pivoting, and capital is flowing into what works. To register for the 2026 Trends to Watch webinar, click here. To review all our trend research we have put out to date, click here. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Liz Houston, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

When policy and markets move in different directions, the results can be surprising. In this episode, we explore five sustainability and climate trends we'll be watching in 2026. From AI-boosted clean tech and central banks enforcing climate risk rules, to investors reckoning with physical hazards in private equity and the rise of state ownership in strategic sectors. We unpack how materiality is maturing, policy is pivoting, and capital is flowing into what works. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Liz Houston, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

The EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) is a corner stone of the EU’s plan to cut carbon emissions and achieve its climate goals. But it has undergone numerous changes, with the most recently announced on Nov. 20. Our question was whether these revisions preserved the SFDR’s stated purpose: promoting transparency and ensuring comparability in how sustainable a financial product truly is.  We explored that question and more in this episode, which covers the changes the EU Commission made to the SFDR. Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Solutions & Climate Guest: Simone Ruiz-Vergote, MSCI Solutions & Climate

Oil spills, labor violations, data breaches. When controversy strikes, should investors pull out, or hold their nerve? We unpack fresh analysis on what happens when portfolios steer clear of scandal-prone firms and the surprising impact on returns. Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Drashti Shah, MSCI Custom Index Solutions

The energy transition is underway, but it’s not a smooth ride. In this episode, we unpack why progress has been so uneven, from surging EV sales to rising coal demand. We explore how tech, cost, and policy are shaping risks and opportunities for investors. Host: Gabriela de la Serna, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guest: Anthony Chan, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

We are in the era of data centers. They are being built with the speed and intensity of factories during the industrial revolution, and with the same sort of capital attraction. But their high emissions, which are under-reported by companies (we will tell you why!), have left both real estate and tech investors with a dilemma: take advantage of the data center boom or have a portfolio with low emissions. We explore this tension in this episode of Sustainability Now. Helpful Reading: Desire for Data Centers Creates Carbon Dilemma for Property Investors Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate Guests: Tom Leahy, MSCI Solutions; Yoon Young Chung, MSCI Sustainability & Climate.