In the second episode of The Transition Tapes, we’re talking with Sean Kidney, CEO and Co-founder of the Climate Bonds Initiative about its theory of change, and the scaling of an organisation that helped birth a market of trillions of assets in climate and sustainability bonds. How does that actually happen?
Sean explains how his interest in using finance to lower costs for critical societal issues became a catalyst for change. His driving principle: "Follow the Money", get finance to decide it has to change, then look for ways for the money to express itself.
Hugh Wheelan challenges Sean on a crucial question: if green bonds have scaled to trillions, why are CO₂ emissions still rising? Sean also reveals where the only reported green bond scam happened (you might be surprised), and shares how simple net-zero planning incentives could turbocharge the green bond market for property development.
Beyond the work, we explore Sean's preferred books, his Transition Tapes playlist and the career advice he offers to the next generation of sustainability leaders.
Sean's Transition Tapes playlists:
In this first episode of The Transition Tapes, Mark Campanale, founder of Carbon Tracker, walks us through his career, the origin story of Carbon and Planet Tracker, and the Theory of Change behind it, on unburnable carbon and stranded assets.
He reflects on how a month stranded in the desert sparked a lifelong mission to connect sustainability with economic history and finance. He also shares his view on the EU Green Taxonomy and why he believes it's "a solution looking for a problem."
Beyond the work, we explore Mark's Transition Tapes playlist - from Latin rock and Neapolitan songs to UK folk blues, US psychedelia, and even a Mahler symphony - and the career advice he wishes he’d received earlier.
Mark's Transition Tapes playlists:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5arQoUvyvEomCbf7QZyYn0?si=8_X7YKTISEKJkfRbnuA_3w
Apple: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/mark-campanale-the-transition-tapes/pl.u-EdAVzMbtX4lxP8
Tracks from Mark's playlist:
The world already has a lot of podcasts. What it does not have is a podcast that combines challenging interviews, Desert Island Discs and deep insights into the cultural, political and professional hurdles of sustainable finance and how they are overcome by experts. (AKA humans!).
As well as going deep on their professional fields of expertise and the current global sustainable finance context, we will really get to know our guests by asking:
What books and movies do you love? And why?
What music is the soundtrack to your life? What music do you work to, dance to, get romantic to, get inspired by?
Guests will compile a Spotify/Apple Music playlist that will be linked to the pod: their compilation tape!
What is the advice that you wish somebody had given you at the start of your career in sustainable finance?
What advice would you give to others in the ESG field?