Frankly Speaking - A Podcast on Responsible Business

#97 Matt Orsagh: Is There a Case for Degrowth?

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is infinite economic growth compatible with life on a planet with finite resources? In final episode of Frankly Speaking this year, Richard Howi...

#96 Julia Otten & Andreas Rasche: The Definitive Guide to the Final EU Omnibus

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Omnibus 1 agreement has finally been signed off – but what happens next? In this last episode before the Christmas break, Frank Bold’s Seni...

#95 Abrial Gilbert-d'Halluin & Michael Mehling: What the EU-US Trade Deal Means for Global Corporate Accountability

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Against the backdrop of the final Omnibus agreement emerging from trilogues, what will continued US political and corporate pressure mean for the futu...

#94 Niklas Wehner: How to Conduct Corporate Human Rights Due Diligence

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can companies carry out effective human rights due diligence? In this episode of the Frankly Speaking podcast, Richard Howitt was joined by Nikla...

#93 Petter Forslund: Living Wages – Where Are We Now?

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is the world on track to achieving living wages? In this episode of the Frankly Speaking podcast, Richard Howitt was joined by Petter Forslund, Engag...

#92 Siniša Milatović & Olena Uvarova: The Business Case for Human Rights

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Right from the beginning of the Omnibus 1 debate, European policy-makers have repeatedly framed human rights due diligence as a huge barrier to...

#91 Jiří Mravec & Antonín Šámal: What Heavy Industry Needs to Successfully Decarbonise

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What progress has been made so far in heavy industry’s journey towards net zero, and what more needs to be done to aid them in their transformation?...

#90 Nareeluc Pairchaiyapoom: Why the Global South Wants Mandatory Due Diligence

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why is Thailand determined to be the first government in Asia to pass a mandatory human rights due diligence law for companies, and what are the impli...

#89 Brian Hill: Should We Measure the Sustainability of Products Instead of Firms?

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is product-level reporting, and how could it improve the quality and reliability of corporate sustainability disclosures? In this episode of the...

#88 Lorena Bisignano & Louis Establet: Lessons from the First Wave of CSRD Disclosures

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Amid all the noise and confusion around the future of corporate sustainability reporting due to the Omnibus modifications, what does the research actu...

#87 Julia Otten & Andreas Rasche: MEP Vote on EU Sustainability Omnibus – the Verdict

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, the JURI committee of the European Parliament will be voting on the Omnibus 1 proposal. What does this proposal mean for the future of corporat...

#86 Bernard Gouw & Jo Chidley: Will Every Company Become a B Corp?

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What are the new B Corps standards, and what impact will they have on the future of responsible business? In this episode of the Frankly Speaking pod...

#85 Sandra Atler & Signe Lysgaard: Your Essential Guide to the New ESRS Sustainability Standards

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have the new revisions to the European Sustainability Reporting Standards gone too far, or not far enough? That’s exactly what we discussed in this...

#84 Akiko Sato: What Can We Learn from Japan’s Sustainability Journey?

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the relationship between culture and corporate responsibility? How do various social mores and traditions influence how various countries view...

#83 Chris Coulter & Mark Lee: Is Sustainability Facing An Existential Threat?

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, the 2025 Sustainability at a Crossroads survey was released, providing key insights into the views of nearly 850 sustainability professiona...

#82 Kate Lewis & Francesca Mangano: How Supply Chain Due Diligence Can Work For All

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), a leading alliance of trade unions, NGOS and businesses working to bring about the end of corporate h...

#81 Tsvetelina Kuzmanova: How Eastern European Businesses Can Deliver the Sustainability Transition

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Central and Eastern European countries are often described as being the laggards in the EU’s sustainability transformation. But is this actually tru...

#80 Sébastien Mandron: CSRD is Already Redesigning Corporate Sustainability in France

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How is the sustainability transformation unfolding in France?This week on the Frankly Speaking podcast, Richard Howitt was joined by Sébastien Mandro...

#79 Michael H. Posner: Lessons from the Most Severe Cases of Corporate Humans Rights Abuse

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The history of corporate human rights abuse is as old as the history of corporations themselves, and yet our understanding of business and human right...

#78 Fritz Putzhammer: Has Germany Turned Against Sustainability?

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At a time when there is so much uncertainty around sustainability and due diligence reporting with the ongoing Omnibus negotiations, it’s more impor...

#77 Nana Li: Has China Become the World Leader on Sustainability?

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, China issued its Corporate Sustainability Disclosure Standards, aligning its corporate sustainability reporting requirements to the ISSB an...

#76 Ludovic Flandin: Does Business Really Want Sustainability Simplified?

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The European Commission says that EU sustainability legislation harms European business competitiveness. But does business really agree? This week on...

#75 Dr Daniel Klier: Why Carbon Markets Are a Vital Tool in the Sustainability Toolbox

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, Microsoft signed one of the world’s largest carbon removal deals with carbon credit firm Rubicon Carbon, purchasing 18 million tonnes of ...

#74 Andrew Winston: How Can Business Leaders Find the Courage to Do the Right Thing on Sustainability?

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Corporate sustainability is currently facing a significant setback due to recent shifts in the geopolitical landscape. But how should businesses best ...

#73 Joeri de Wilde: What Does the Tariff War Mean for Sustainability?

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Amidst this highly unpredictable global tariff war, there’s a new announcement each day on the latest round of tariffs being levied - or lifted - by...

#72 Ulrike Sapiro: Inside the First Wave - A Practitioner’s Perspective on EU Reporting

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With the CSRD reports of the first wave of EU companies due this year, what are the lessons practitioners have drawn from the experience? And in light...

#71 Antoni Ballabriga: Why ESG Investment is Still a Business Winner

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With the departure of nearly a dozen US and Canadian banks from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance in the past few months, is the future of sustainable fin...

#70 Maria Tymtsias & Julia Otten: EU Omnibus Revealed and How Companies Should Respond

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With the Commission’s Omnibus package now being examined and debated in the European Parliament and the Council, the stakes are high for European bu...

#69 Anne Kelly: What Does Trump 2.0 Mean for Sustainable Business?

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Despite only being in office for less than 100 days, the Trump 2.0 administration has already passed several measures reversing the work of previous g...

#68 Donato Calace: Can Data Solutions Make ESG Easier and Better?

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the European Commission prepares to unveil its omnibus proposals to "simplify" the EU sustainability framework, we wonder if there are ot...

#67 Filip Gregor: Proposed Omnibus on EU Sustainability Laws - Latest “Inside View” from Brussels

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the podcast this week, we’re back with a full length conversation on the Omnibus proposal, which has been causing uncertainty over Europe’s sus...

#66 Natalie Grillon & Tara Scally: Is There a Silver Bullet to ESG Data? Why the Answer is More Complex Than You Think

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

** Register to the Conference on Sustainability & Competitiveness! Seats are filling fast for this high-impact discussion! Join us in Brussels or ...

#65 Countdown to the Omnibus: Join the Conference on Sustainability & Competitiveness

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special edition of the podcast, Richard Howitt sits down with Filip Gregor, head of Responsible Companies at Frank Bold to invite you to our u...

#64 Alberto Alemanno & Patrizia Heidegger: Von der Leyen 2.0 & Trump 2.0 - A Battle for Sustainability

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

2025 starts the same way 2024 ended: with a shifting political landscape. While Trump was re-elected in the US, the new European Commission announced...

#63 Alicia García-Herrero: Can the EU Build a Resilient and Sustainable Green Tech Strategy to Counter China?

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is China making its green stride forward? As the world faces the dual challenges of addressing climate change and navigating geopolitical tensions, co...

#62 Anna Triponel: Embedding Human Rights at the Heart of Corporate Culture

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the UN Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights wraps up today, we’re diving into a pressing question: What are companies really doing to respec...

#61 Justine Maillot & Emma Priestland: Will the UN Global Plastics Treaty Break Us Free from Plastic?

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ou...

#60 Peter Webster: Inside the Social LobbyMap - How Businesses Influence EU Sustainability Policy

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are companies saying one thing about sustainability, but doing something in their political lobbying that is very different? A new report has just bee...

#59 Laura Gitman: Which Future for Sustainability Leadership in the Company?

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is the role of the corporate chief sustainability officer at a crossroads?  According to the renowned Business for Social Responsibility’s latest r...

#58 Piotr Biernacki: How To Tailor Sustainability Reports to Your Business-Specific Context

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How can and should you address entity-specific reporting? What does a company do when something it thinks is important for its sustainability doesn't ...

#57 Jason Judd: What Does the Just Transition Really Mean for Workers

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Will there be a just transition? How far does the climate crisis affect workers and businesses and what needs to be done about it?  Today in Frankly ...

#56 Myriam Vander Stichele: Where Does The Money Flow?

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do our ideas about what makes companies competitive actually hinder the shift toward sustainability? What role do share or stock buybacks have in this...

#55 Alison Taylor: How Can Companies Do the Right Thing

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the third season of Frankly Speaking! We’re kicking it off strong with a crucial topic: trust and what can drive improving it in busines...

#54 Michael H. Posner: Views From the U.S. on the Future of Business and Human Rights

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Frankly Speaking welcomes Professor Michael H. Posner, director of the Centre for Business and Human Rights at NYU Stern School of Business. He...

#53 Robert McCorquodale: What Can ESG Investors Do to Respect Human Rights

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Richard Howitt welcomes Robert McCorquodale, professor of international law and human rights and current chair of the United Nations Workin...

#52 Frederic Hans & Thomas Day: How Are Companies Faring in their Net Zero and Climate Action Efforts in 2024?

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Germany's NewClimate Institute has produced the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor, evaluating the transparency and integrity of climate ple...

#51 Richard Hardyment: How to Measure Good Business and Make Sense of ESG Data

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode, Richard Howitt asks: can we believe the numbers on environment, social and governance (ESG)? To address this, we welcome Ric...

#50 Antonia Zimmermann & Anna Brunetti: What to Expect From the 2024 EU Elections for the EU Green Deal

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are a few days away from the European elections, and there is a frenzied atmosphere in Brussels for what the results might mean for the future of s...

#49 Heidi Hautala: Reflecting on Three Decades of Business and Human Rights Policy in the EU

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this Frankly Speaking episode, Richard Howitt welcomes MEP Heidi Hautala (Greens/ EFA), vice president of the European Parliament, founder of the E...

#48 Linda Kromjong: Europe’s Supply Chain Law (CSDDD) - A Message from Business

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

** Note to the listeners: due to technical difficulties, we recommend listening to this episode on Spotify while the audio is being updated on all pla...

#47 Caio de Oliveira: the State of Corporate Sustainability Reporting in the World in 2024

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week in Frankly Speaking, we put the spotlight on a new report produced by the OECD and analysing the state of corporate sustainability reporting...

#46 Antonie Fountain: How to Solve the World Cocoa Crisis?

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us know that dependence of developing countries on raw commodities leaves them vulnerable to price volatility and sees profit made in countrie...

#45 Sarah Dadush: Can Contracts Support Promoting Responsible Business?

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this new Frankly Speaking episode, we explore the question of human rights due diligence by companies by asking what should go in the contract. Due...

#44 Filip Gregor: How Should Companies Undertake a Materiality Assessment?

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this Frankly Speaking episode, we explore how companies should undertake a materiality assessment when they tackle their sustainability report. The...

#43 Tracey Rembert & Alex Wright-Gladstein - New U.S. SEC Climate Disclosure Rules Explained

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Frankly Speaking explores the new climate disclosure rules just agreed by the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States...

#42 Julia Otten and Andreas Rasche: Europe's Supply Chain Law (CSDDD) - What is Really Happening?

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this new Frankly Speaking episode, Richard Howitt and his guests ask what is really happening in Europe's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligenc...

#41 Veronica Poole: ISSB Standards - What, Why and How?

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Frankly Speaking welcomes Veronica Poole, Global International Financial Reporting Standards and Corporate Reporting Leader at big four account...

#40 Belinda Christine Borck: Tony's Chocolonely's Journey to Transform the Industry - A Chocolate Revolution

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On the podcast this week, we are joined by Belinda Christine Borck, Global Public Policy Coordinator at the Dutch-based chocolate producer Tony's ...

#39 Dr. Anneloes Smitsman: Social Tipping Points and How Can Business Contribute to Systems Change

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"We don't just need to change companies, but to change the system." How often have we heard this statement? In this Frankly Speaking epi...

#38 Nele Meyer: EU Due Diligence Rules Unpicked and Predictions for 2024

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year to all Frankly Speaking listeners! Today’s guest is Nele Meyer, appointed last year as director of the European Coalition for Corpora...

#37 Maria Mendiluce: An Inside View of COP28 - What Are the Implications for Business?

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the last Frankly Speaking episode of 2023, Richard Howitt welcomes Maria Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition and named last month by ...

#36 Caroline Rees: Does Corporate Sustainability Reporting Really Make a Difference?

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How can companies and investors be agents of change for human and social rights? Today on Frankly Speaking is Caroline Rees, President and co-Founder...

#35 How to Implement the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) Recommendations

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In what ways does business interact with nature? What can businesses do about the biodiversity crisis, the loss of wildlife populations or species fac...

#34 Maxwell Atuhura & Nicholas Omonuk: Global South's Call for an Effective EU Due Diligence Law

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We often hear discussions about corporate accountability being too dominated by developed countries and that we need to hear more voices from the Glob...

#33 Marie Baumgarts: SFDR Review - What future for sustainable finance?

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since 2018, Europe has been a leader in sustainable finance efforts, establishing its taxonomy on  what can be classified as a sustainable investment...

#32 Michael Reckordt: Critical Raw Materials Act, mining boom or environmental and social bust?

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for a thought-provoking episode as we delve into the world of critical raw materials. We've all heard about the global dilemmas surroundi...

#31 Sandra Cossart: Why is ESG increasingly getting its day in court?

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment database now records more than 2000 cases of environmental, social and governance (ESG) is...

#30 What has business sustainability achieved? Special 50 minutes anniversary debate

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To celebrate the first anniversary of the podcast, Richard Howitt welcomes back three of our special guests to bring you up to date on some of those i...

#29 Filip Gregor: European Sustainability Reporting Standards for business. What’s new and what to do now?

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After a short summer break, the Frankly Speaking podcast is excited to be back. Over this summer, we've reached a significant milestone as the Eur...

#28 Allan Jorgensen: What the OECD Guidelines update means for responsible business

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Frankly Speaking discusses this week the recent update of the OECD Guidelines on multinational enterprises with Allan Jorgensen, Head of the OECD Cent...

#27 David Vermijs: Last chance to influence EU Sustainability Reporting Standards

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Frankly Speaking, we welcome David Vermijs and discuss the final draft of the first set of European Sustainability Reporting Standards (E...

#26 Giulia Bondi: Unpacking the new EU Deforestation Regulation

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For this episode, we invited Giulia Bondi to discuss the new EU Deforestation Regulation recently adopted and the role of businesses in saving the wor...

#25 Sonja Haut: Why ‘impact’ of the business is the next big thing

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we welcome Sonja Haut to discuss ‘impact’ - the idea that companies can calculate and use valuations of how the business affects societ...

#24 Agnese Ruggiero: Europe’s new green tariff on imports

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Frankly Speaking is discussing carbon tariffs this week: In May 2023, the European Union's green tariff, known as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mec...

#23 Bennett Freeman: SEC climate rules and ESG backlash in the United States - What’s really happening?

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Frankly Speaking is focusing on the United States, where the Securities and Exchange Commission is about to issue binding rules for US...

#22 Antje von Dewitz: How 'responsibility' applies to all sizes of company

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Frankly Speaking welcomes Antje von Dewitz, Chief Executive Officer of the outdoor brand Vaude, based in rural southern Germany. Vaude has won awards ...

#21 Beate Sjåfjell: Is shareholder primacy consistent with sustainability?

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Frankly Speaking welcomes Professor Beate Sjåfjell, who publishes extensively on corporate governance and the integration of sustainability in the ro...

#20 Dimitri Vergne: The new EU anti-greenwashing law - what you need to know

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Frankly Speaking welcomes Dimitri Vergne, team leader for sustainability at the European Consumer Organisation BEUC to discuss the newly published EU ...

#19 Isabelle Schömann: Trade unions, human rights and democracy

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Frankly Speaking has invited Isabelle Schömann, elected Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, representing 45 million membe...

#18 Lene Serpa: What makes integrity in business

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The New Climate Institute has just released its Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2023, ranking the Danish transport logistics company A.P. Mol...

#17 David Atkin: New directions for the Principles for Responsible Investment

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After a little more than one year since he was appointed new CEO of the Principles for Responsible Investment, PRI, founded by the United Nations, Dav...

#16 Philippe Zaouati: Impact investment and the role of regulation

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Frankly Speaking has invited the founder and CEO of Mirova, a 30 billion Euros sustainability focused asset manager based in Paris. Philippe Zaouati h...

#15 Sebastien Godinot: Key issues for corporate sustainability in 2023

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! In our first Frankly Speaking podcast for 2023, we welcome Sebastien Godinot, chief economist and head of the sustainable finance unit...

#14 Filip Gregor: A quick guide on the EU reporting standards

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Frankly speaking welcomes Filip Gregor who guides our listeners through the draft EU sustainability reporting standards that have recently been submit...

#13 Fernanda Hopenhaym: Reflections on the 11th UN Business and Human Rights Forum

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The new Chair of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights, Fernanda Hopenhaym, joins Frankly Speaking to reflect on the key insig...

#12 Chloe Cranston on modern slavery and Uyghur forced labour

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Frankly Speaking has invited one of the leading advocates on responsible business and modern slavery for the non-governmental organisation Anti-Slaver...

#11 Rachel Davis (Shift) on business & human rights and sports

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Football World Cup in Qatar has just started and Frankly Speaking welcomes Rachel Davis, Co-founder of Shift, the leading center of expertise on t...

#10 Christoph Töpfer on climate reporting and environmental due diligence

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s week two of the 27th UN Climate Conference and Frankly Speaking welcomes Germany's leading expert on business sustainability and climate report...

#9 Richard Gardiner (WBA) on the Sustainability Performance of Financial Institutions

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the week of the 27th UN Climate Conference, Frankly Speaking, welcomes Richard Gardiner, EU Public Policy Lead of the World Benchmarking Alliance w...

#8 Julien Lavarini (Lorenz) on implementing due diligence in a medium-sized company

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What does a risk-based approach of a snack company look like in practice? Frankly Speaking has invited Julien Lavarini, Manager of Finance and Respons...

#7 Théo Jaekel on Downstream Due Diligence

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Freedom of speech, right to privacy, state interference and misuse of surveillance equipment are just some of the major human rights impacts a telecom...

#6 Marilyn Waite: Addressing Climate Change through Green Finance

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ESG standards and green investments are globally on the rise. Frankly Speaking has invited one of the world’s leading advocates, Marilyn Waite, Mana...

#5 Rahel Damamme (Decathlon): From Legislation to Business Practice

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Frankly Speaking, we’ll be talking sports goods, value chains and sustainability standards. Rahel Damamme, ESG and Sustainability Repor...

#4 Lara Wolters: Towards an Ambitious EU Due Diligence Legislation

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The European proposal for a due diligence legislation is currently being discussed by the EU Parliament and the Council. Frankly Speaking has invited ...

#3 CEO of the GRI: Reporting on Impacts

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has been one of the pioneers in the field of impact reporting - celebrating its 25th birthday! Frankly Speaking ...

#2 Olena Uvarova & Anita Ramasastry on Due Diligence in Times of War

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine, many European companies have struggled with the challenges of conducting business in the region respons...

#1 Wim Bartels on Development of the European Reporting Standards

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There has been a critical debate around the first publication of the Draft EU Reporting Standards for companies. Frankly Speaking has asked Wim Bartel...