How does a sustainability focus support a pension fund's duty to safeguard the retirement future of a country's workers? What does effective engagement with companies look like? In this ESG Currents episode, Shahida Jaffar, Head of Corporate Sustainability at Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund, joins Bloomberg Intelligence ESG analyst Conrad Tan to discuss the key principles guiding EPF's engagement with investee companies and why it sees the defense of biodiversity and natural capital as a critical priority. She also shares why she's optimistic that AI can help sustainability professionals better understand company impacts and dependencies on nature. EPF had 1.44 trillion ringgit ($360 billion) in total investment assets at end-March.

This episode was recorded on May 22.

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Global costs related to climate events, including damage, insurance premiums, maintenance and repair, have exceeded $20 trillion since the year 2000, according to Bloomberg Intelligence’s Climate Damages Tracker. This massive wealth transfer provides the context for BI’s Climate Economy 2026 Outlook report. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Andy Stevenson, BI senior climate analyst and lead author of the report, joins Eric Kane, BI’s director of ESG research, to discuss how companies engaged in adaptation and resilience are benefiting from increased recovery spending and outperforming their benchmark. They also talk about opportunities in mitigation, the methane problem and what climate damages could look like over the next decade. This episode was recorded on June 2.

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Emerging markets are central to the global sustainability transition and increasingly at the forefront of innovation in sustainable finance, from debt-for-food swaps to biodiversity-linked sovereign bonds. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Nicolas Jaquier, a portfolio manager on the emerging markets fixed income team at Ninety One, where he co-manages the Emerging Market Sustainable Blend strategy, joins Bloomberg Intelligence’s Chris Ratti and Grace Osborne. They discuss the resilience of emerging markets through recent market shocks, the growing evidence that countries investing proactively in the transition are less exposed to oil-price volatility, and why a dynamic approach is increasingly important for investors navigating these markets. This episode was recorded on April 28.

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Water demand is set to outpace supply by 40% by 2030, and scarcity is spurring broad changes across the global economy, giving rise to companies that aim to provide solutions for the growing crisis. On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Tom Ferguson, founder and managing partner of Burnt Island Ventures, joins Eric Kane, Bloomberg Intelligence’s director of ESG research, to discuss emerging opportunities in desalination, industrial treatment, reuse and more. They explore how AI is powering software solutions and compressing the cycle time for hardware iterations. They also discuss the importance of investing in companies that aren’t dependent on policy and the current path to liquidity for the companies that Burnt Island Ventures invests in. The episode was recorded on May 8.

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Japan’s Corporate Governance Code, first introduced in 2015, has driven significant changes across the market – strengthening shareholder value, enhancing investor engagement, protecting minority rights, promoting gender diversity, and supporting the transition to a decarbonized economy. A further revision expected in 2026 could accelerate progress across these areas.

In this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Yasunori Takeuchi, CEO and Representative Director of Corporate Action Japan, joins Bloomberg Intelligence ESG strategist Yasutake Homma to discuss the potential impact of the upcoming revision. They also explore what lies ahead for shareholders as Japan enters the annual general meeting season.

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Outcome bonds link investor returns to measurable results and are seeing increased issuance, led by institutions like the World Bank. In this ESG Currents episode, Bloomberg Intelligence ESG analysts Melanie Rua and Chris Ratti speak with Jorge Familiar of the World Bank Group and Stephen Liberatore of Nuveen Asset Management about how these structures are scaling. The discussion focuses on how investors price outcome risk alongside credit risk, how deals are structured - including the World Bank’s $120 million Spekboom restoration bond - and where these instruments fit relative to green and sustainability-linked debt. They also examine investor demand, reporting requirements, and the role of multilateral development banks in mobilizing private capital.

This episode was recorded on April 27.

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Carbon pricing is at the heart of Japan’s decarbonization strategy. With a government-backed initiative covering about 60% of national emissions and the full launch of the Green Transformation (GX) Emissions Trading System in 2026, Japan’s carbon market is entering a pivotal phase.

In this episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Yuki Mori, General Manager of the Japan Exchange Group’s Carbon Credit Market, joins Bloomberg Intelligence ESG Strategist Yasutake Homma to explore the evolving role of JPX’s carbon credit market and what lies ahead. As carbon credit prices rise and global attention intensifies, the conversation also examines growing interest from international investors and the implications for Japan’s expanding carbon ecosystem.

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Two experts, one question: Is climate risk already priced in? On this week’s episode of the ESG Currents podcast, Bloomberg Intelligence EMEA ESG integration analyst Grace Osborne hosts an Oxford-style debate. Dr. Jakob Thomae, co-founder and CEO of Theia Finance Labs, argues for the motion, while Dr. Ben Caldecott, founding director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group and a coordinating lead author on finance for the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report, argues against it. From green tech outperformance to central-bank stress tests, the signals are mixed. Greater information availability may help investors price climate risk, but radical uncertainty — from second-order effects to tipping points — remains far harder to capture. This episode was recorded on March 3.

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