How Can the EU Reduce its Dependency on China and Build a Sustainable Industrial Policy, Human Rights at the Core of Corporate Culture, and more!
Responsible Companies, Frank Bold
We promote sustainable corporate governance and accountability. Leading the Alliance for Corporate Transparency project.
Welcome to Frank Bold's Podcast on Responsible Business monthly newsletter!
Frankly Speaking is a Responsible Companies, Frank Bold podcast discussing the latest political, legal and business developments in the field of ESG, business and human rights and corporate reporting.
Host Richard Howitt is a pioneer in the field of corporate disclosure and former Member of the European Parliament. He speaks frankly and personally about what moves policy makers, business and activists to make responsible business the norm!
What You Missed in November and December ???
Here is a recap of the episodes you might have missed this month.
Enjoy listening and please rate the podcast ??
#63 Alicia García-Herrero: Can the EU Build a Resilient and Sustainable Green Tech Strategy to Counter China?
What should the EU's industrial policy be to reduce its dependency on China? Tune in to the last Frankly Speaking episode of the year to find out! ??
As the world faces the dual challenges of addressing climate change and navigating geopolitical tensions, cooperation on #climate goals is under threat. China’s role in green technology has made it a vital player, but it is also increasingly seen as a rival, or even a threat, by other global powers.
Electric vehicles (EVs) have become the latest flashpoint, with the United States and European Union imposing punitive tariffs on Chinese #EV imports, intensifying trade disputes.
Richard Howitt welcomed Alicia Garcia-Herrero 艾西亞 , chief economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking and Senior Fellow at Bruegel - Improving economic policy . Drawing on her extensive expertise, Alicia discusses how the EU can navigate its growing reliance on Chinese green tech and craft a competitive industrial strategy.
You will hear more about:
?? China’s green tech dominance and contradictions in its decarbonization goals.
?? The implications of global dependence on Chinese renewable energy technologies.
?? The impact of trade wars and tariffs on China’s green tech monopoly.
?? Strategies for the EU to counterbalance China’s influence while advancing its sustainability goals.
Leave your thoughts in the comments and share this conversation ?? ?
Spotify https://spoti.fi/4iBzTvQ
Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/4gGffZP
#62 Anna Triponel: Embedding Human Rights at the Heart of Corporate Culture
As the #UNForumBHR was wrapping up last week, we dived into a pressing question: What are companies really doing to respect human rights?
More importantly, is this less about policies and performance metrics and more about company culture, shaping not just what a business does, but how it operates at its core?
In the last #FranklySpeaking episode of November, Richard Howitt sat down with Anna Triponel , a human rights expert with experience of working with hundreds of companies worldwide. Anna is the founder and CEO of Human Level, which works to “bring business back to the human level”.
You’ll hear more about:
?? How respecting #HumanRights goes beyond processes: it's about embedding them into the company culture
?? Why a strong culture means being open to uncomfortable truths
?? The pivotal role of a business leader's personality in fostering human rights respect
?? Article 7 of the #CSDDD and its implications for integrating human rights into corporate practices
?? Addressing human rights violations: how the #OECD guidelines and national contact points can mediate solutions that work for businesses
Leave your thoughts in the comments and share this conversation ?? ?
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3ZAvoud
Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/412pjYx
#61 Justine Maillot & Emma Priestland: Will the UN Global Plastics Treaty Break Us Free from Plastic?
40% of plastic produced is for one-time use packaging. Only 9% of all plastic ever made is recycled. A large portion of the rest, ends up littering our land and oceans, harming wildlife and human health through microplastics.
The 5th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee was held at the end of November to develop an internationally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. This treaty presented a crucial opportunity to radically reduce plastic usage and waste, while encouraging businesses and individuals to embrace the circular economy.
To shed light on the #PlasticsTreaty and its implications ahead of its finalisation, Richard Howitt was joined by Justine Maillot , European Coordinator, and Emma Priestland , Global Corporate Campaigns Coordinator for Break Free From Plastic , a global coalition of 13,000 organizations committed to ending plastic pollution.
In this episode, you’ll hear more about:
? Why is plastic such a dramatic issue for the environment: Its effects on climate, biodiversity, pollution, and the human impact of all these factors
?? What was the context leading up to the #INC5 discussions next week in Busan, South Korea
?? Why reducing plastic production is essential for the treaty’s success and how the zero-waste hierarchy is a critical element of achieving this goal
?? A call for every company to act now to eliminate plastic use and the opportunities available for immediate action
Leave your thoughts in the comments and share this conversation ?? ?
Spotify https://spoti.fi/4fAzA2i
Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/496d3In
#60 Peter Webster: Inside the Social LobbyMap - How Businesses Influence EU Sustainability Policy
Are companies saying one thing about sustainability, but doing something in their political lobbying that is very different?
A new report was published in November by the sustainable finance pioneer, the EIRIS Foundation , as part of a project called Social LobbyMap. It provides detailed and independent research on business and finance lobbying on Europe's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The report is helping to provide the inside story of what was really going on in what was one of the most remarkable and high profile political pressures on any piece of EU legislation.
To discuss this topic in #FranklySpeaking, Richard Howitt welcomed Peter Webster , CEO of the Foundation.
In this episode, you’ll hear more about:
?? Corporate lobbying and its contribution to watering down the #CSDDD
? The companies that do the right thing and how can companies contribute to being positive voices in sustainability
?? If trade associations are doing the “dirty work” on behalf of companies
?? How this research provides the data and the evidence that investors, civil society and companies can actually use to align on these issues
Leave your thoughts in the comments and share this conversation ?? ?
Spotify https://spoti.fi/4fo9MGD
Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3CCpkYI
Subscribe to Frankly Speaking - A Podcast on Responsible Business and listen to new bimonthly episodes on your favourite podcast streaming platform.