Earlier this year, we took the show on the road for our first episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast recorded live in London. We sat down in front of an audience with three guests to understand the direction of travel for sustainability, climate and the energy transition: What has changed in 2026, where are the challenges and where are the opportunities?

Today, we're bringing you highlights from that April 29 event. Sonja Gibbs, who is Managing Director of Global Markets and Policy at the Institute of International Finance (IIF), explains how sustainability is evolving into a broader conversation about business resilience that includes topics as wide-ranging as climate adaptation, innovation, infrastructure and energy security.

The IIF is a global network of financial institutions, and Sonja says that for many members, sustainability is "more integrated across business lines than so much of a separate silo."

The Iran war is contributing to this shift by bringing issues of energy security and energy affordability to the fore. "The Middle East conflict just highlights how fragile our global energy system is," Sonja tells us. "What it's leading to is really hard questions about what is the optimal energy mix in different countries and different regions."

Guest Steve Howard calls this "the next phase of the energy transition," in which renewables serve as a platform for business model innovation.

Steve is Vice Chairman of Sustainability at Singapore-based Temasek, a global investment firm with a net portfolio value of US$324 billion as of March 2025. He says that even while some business and government leaders shift attention toward energy security and affordability, they can't lose sight of the opportunities in sustainability.

"We know that tackling climate change gives us good economic growth," Steve says. "We also know an inclusive economy where you bring people out of poverty creates the best, widest economic growth. We all have to invest into that future."

And to understand the landscape for standards and reporting amid this geopolitical conflict and rising climate risks, we speak with Richard Barker, a member of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). Richard explains how the ISSB is focusing on adoption and implementation of its existing standards while setting new standards at a pace that makes sense for markets.

"In order to have a standard that works in a capital market context, it needs to be global and it needs to be mandatory," Richard says. At the same time, he says, "It's really important for us in this evolving world of sustainability reporting that we don't go faster than the market."

Further listening:

How food and beverage giant PepsiCo uses AI for its 'era of resilience' | S&P Global

How Swiss food giant Nestlé tackles sustainable supply chains | S&P Global

Further reading:

May 2026 – Where does the world stand on ISSB adoption? | S&P Global

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Live in London: How sustainability is evolving into a broader conversation about resilience

All Things Sustainable

Live in London: How sustainability is evolving into a broader conversation about resilience