In our latest ESG360 podcast, we speak with David Verbitsky, Head of AgTech & Sustainable Food at Nomura Greentech, about precision fermentation, a technology that is now being used for the manufacture of food and food ingredients.  David explores the demand for this nascent but growing market, as well as some of the challenges including scaling products, bringing down costs and convincing consumers.

In this episode, we feature 4 individuals who appeared in the Summer 2023 edition of Nomura Greentech’s Sustainable Heroes magazine, which shines a spotlight on some of the trailblazers who are leading the charge to accelerate the net zero transition. We will hear from Niall Dunne, CEO of Polymateria, a UK-based maker of green packaging, who is pioneering the use of biotransformation technology to eliminate the scourge of plastic pollution. Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia, a French renewables producer, explains how energy dependence concerns in Europe will accelerate the potential of wind and solar. Hidetake Takahashi, Head of Energy and Eco Services at ORIX, a leading Japanese financial services group, speaks about doubling renewable energy capacity through strategic acquisitions. Dharsono Hartono, CEO of PT Rimba Makmur Utama, which operates one of the worlds’ largest natural capital projects, explains how he is protecting and conserving forests in Indonesia to save millions of tons of carbon.

The recent UN accord to protect 30% of the Oceans by 2030 combined with growing investor appetite are providing the ingredients to unleash growth in blue bonds, which aim to conserve and grow the ocean economy.

In this episode, we discuss cyber security as an ESG factor or governance risk with Jason Mortimer, Head of Sustainable Investment for Fixed Income at Nomura Asset Management. We examine the growing threat of cyber security, regulatory tightening, and why it should be on the minds of ESG investors. We also take note of how Nomura Asset Management's approach to cyber security risk helps investors avoid companies that may be overly exposed to cyber attacks, by integrating measures of cyber security performance in the credit analysis of companies to help clients make better investment decisions.

In this episode, we delve into global policy and regulatory themes for the year ahead with Andrew Bowley, Managing Director for Group Sustainability Strategy at Nomura. We examine whether ESG can regain the ground it lost in 2022 after banks threatened to leave key climate groups and asset managers faced pressure from investors and politicians over their primary duty to maximize returns. We also discuss the policy outlook in Japan with Kohei Okazaki, Nomura’s ESG policy expert. We discuss how Japan’s GX (green transformation) league may evolve and whether Japan will make progress on reducing its reliance on coal.

In this episode, we explore the outlook for sustainable M&A with Jeff McDermott, Global Co-Head of Investment Banking at Nomura. We hone in on the sectors to watch including carbon capture technologies and sustainable food, while considering whether the coming 12 months may be a tipping point for moving away from a fossil fuel economy. We also discuss the outlook for ESG bond deals with Jarek Olszowka, Nomura’s Head of Sustainable Finance. We examine how the green bond market will continue to flourish and whether social bonds may see increased inflows amid the prospect of a global recession and a cost-of-living crisis. We also touch on the trend towards biodiversity and Japan’s booming market for transition bonds.

In this episode of our ESG 360 podcast, we review the key takeaways from the ESG in East Asia series, including the shortcomings in current ‘S’ data and why the ‘S’ component is under-researched. We take note of the data for five big geographies in East Asia and where, in particular, Japan and South Korea stand broadly versus peer countries. We also discuss the business opportunities inherent in the ‘S’ factor and which industries came out top.

In this episode of ESG360, we explore how companies in East Asia need to rethink their working patterns and expectations for all employees in order to unlock the diversity dividend. We discuss how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion need to be considered as connected components within a company’s overall strategy. To transform diversity into inclusion, companies should provide personal and professional development opportunities, which enables all employees to realize their potential.

In this episode of ESG360, we explore some of the key discussions at the UN’s COP27 climate conference held between November 6-18, 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, energy security concerns complicated discussions around climate change as come countries burned more fossil fuels in the short term while making plans to accelerate the rollout of renewables to reclaim their energy independence. Discussion centered around the creation of a loss and damages fund to compensate developing countries bearing the brunt of climate disasters. Reducing greenhouse gases like methane and a $20 billion deal to help Indonesia move away from coal were notable successes in contrast to thornier issues like phasing down all fossil fuels.

In this episode of ESG360, we explore how companies in East Asia are tackling the challenge of gender diversity in the workplace and embracing disabled workers. Amid a long period of economic prosperity, East Asia is facing a shortage of workers due to demographic factors, which could help its companies become more inclusive as they look to fill the gap