Carbon footprints tell you where a fund has been. But do they tell you how it’s positioned for the road ahead?

In this episode, we unpack new research from Positioning Portfolios for the Energy Transition (link to paper), analyzing more than 37,000 funds representing $50 trillion in assets. The findings suggest that funds with stronger energy transition positioning scores delivered higher historical returns and were more closely linked to real-world decarbonization.

We explore the critical distinction between transition pressure (risk exposure) and transition readiness (strategic preparedness), why temperature alignment and transition risk are not the same thing, and what this means for investors balancing financial performance with climate objectives.

If you think climate metrics begin and end with carbon intensity, this conversation will challenge that assumption!

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Guest: Kishan Gangadia, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Sustainable investors are redrawing their red lines. As defense spending rises, the definition of “controversial weapons” is being reexamined — from nuclear value chains to AI-enabled systems in the kill chain. Where those lines fall could reshape portfolios.

Host: Bentley Kaplan, MSCI Research & Development

Guest: Mike Disabato, MSCI Research & Development

The 2026 World Cup is bringing the world to North America this summer. But the stadiums hosting the biggest sporting event on the planet face a problem no amount of ticket revenue can solve: the climate they were built for isn't the climate they're operating in. We look at which venues are most exposed to heat waves, flooding, and even the ground sinking beneath them, why this problem goes beyond the beautiful game, and why the insurance and bond markets haven't caught up to what the data already shows.

Episode Reading: What can physical hazard data tell us about the 2026 World Cup?

Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & Climate

Guest: Katie Towey, MSCI Sustainability & Climate