EY Sustainability Matters

In this episode of Sustainability Matters podcast, host Alexis Gazzo brings together Global EY leaders Ruth Guevara and Bruno Sarda to explore whether the global climate conversation is genuinely moving from ambition to action. Recorded ahead of Climate Week NYC 2026, the discussion tackles how extreme weather events — from record heat waves to devastating wildfires — are shifting physical climate risk from a future scientific model to an immediate operational reality for global businesses.
The panel addresses the challenge of navigating a fragmented geopolitical landscape as companies prepare for COP31. The guests also examine the evolving reporting landscape, discussing whether frameworks such as the ISSB are creating real business value or simply making organizations busier.

In this episode of the Sustainability Matters podcast, host Nadia Woodhouse from the EY New Economy Unit explores the notion of the extractivist economy. As companies work to meet sustainability goals, a critical question emerges: is our focus on short-term extraction quietly undermining long-term resilience?  

Nadia is joined by economist and writer Professor Tim Jackson and Kiara Konti, Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader for Ernst & Young (Hellas) Certified Auditors Accountants SA (EY Greece). Together, they reveal how overusing natural resources and ignoring systemic degradation may directly threaten global supply chains and day-to-day business stability.  

The conversation confronts major structural challenges — from prioritizing short-term investor returns and overlooking unpriced environmental costs, to an over-reliance on the current metrics of economic growth. Tim and Kiara explain why simply "doing less harm" through superficial sustainability isn't enough, warning that ignoring core dependencies on nature creates severe systemic risks. 

However, they also highlight practical solutions for businesses, such as rethinking value chains around circular models, net-positive impacts and choosing "care over growth," to safeguard both society and long-term business viability.  

Read more about the EY New Economy Unit and their research here.

In this episode of Sustainability Matters podcast, host Colin Tetreault, Managing Director, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, Ernst & Young LLP, explores the shifting environmental landscape of the sports industry. As North America enters an unprecedented era of mega events, a critical question emerges: Is the massive environmental footprint of sports a standard business liability, or can it become a powerful driver for operational resilience? 
Colin is joined by Heather Watkins, co-founder of Bold Reuse, to break down the operational realities of tackling single-use waste at scale. The conversation confronts major logistical and economic challenges, mapping out the impact of rising supply-chain costs for single-use products and upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation in the US.  

The episode offers an inspiring look at how sports venues act as a "cultural beacon" for innovation. Heather explains how implementing reusable packaging systems not only cuts costs but also drives local jobs, community engagement and new corporate sponsorship revenue.

In this episode of Sustainability Matters podcast, host Christian Orth explores how Siemens is using sustainability reporting as a powerful management tool to help steer business performance. As new regulatory frameworks such as CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) roll out, he explores whether ESG disclosure is simply an administrative burden or a tool to drive real value. 
Christian is joined by Thomas Knobloch from Siemens AG and Caroline Pfaff, Partner at EY Germany to break down the practical reality of ESG reporting. Together, they look at the challenge of complex global data, tracking how organizations can move past chasing "perfect" real-time metrics and instead prioritize immediate progress over perfection. 
They discuss the real-world operational challenges, how Siemens successfully built a 360-degree target framework directly into its board-level decisions and how focusing on material KPIs, like carbon intensity and product carbon footprints, can simultaneously mitigate long-term risk while unlocking competitive advantages. 
Through it all, Thomas and Caroline highlight that building a strong company culture is what can drive true organizational transformation as well as the opportunities to unlock real business value.
@2026 Ernst & Young LLP

In this episode of Sustainability Matters, host David Rae, EY Global Lead for Sustainability Technology and Innovation, explores the impact of AI on climate change. As AI companies build massive data centers worldwide, a critical question emerges: Will the skyrocketing resource footprint of AI push global grids past their limits, or will AI become a vital tool to help accelerate the energy transition? 

David is joined by James Grabert from the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and Michael Lepech from Stanford University to break down the duality of this digital megatrend. Together, they look at the physical reality behind "the cloud," tracking how AI is driving a massive surge in electricity demand while also leaving an extensive water footprint through data center cooling and the lifecycle of chip manufacturing. 

However, they also identify areas of opportunity. The episode offers a hopeful look at "decision intelligence." The guests explain how AI is already delivering measurable climate benefits — from transforming early warning weather models in the Global South to balancing power grids and optimizing renewable energy.