The Sustainability Omnibus Podcast

In this episode of the Sustainability Omnibus Podcast, hosts Moriah Costa and Simon Nixon speak with Mathilde Dufour, Head of Sustainability Research at sustainable asset management firm Mirova, a firm with over €31 billion in assets under management (AUM), about the far-reaching implications of the proposed Omnibus reforms.

As the EU moves to simplify key regulations, investors are warning that the changes risk undermining the quality, comparability, and availability of ESG data. Mathilde Dufour offers an asset manager’s perspective on why credible, standardised data is essential - not only for compliance, but for effective capital allocation and long-term economic competitiveness.

The conversation also explores the importance of maintaining double materiality and sector-specific disclosures, how voluntary reporting for smaller companies could create data blind spots and the potential risks of introducing a value chain cap on reporting. Mathilde Dufour makes the case that even with lighter regulations, the demand for ESG data will persist as sustainability risks accumulate in the financial system.

The episode examines how artificial intelligence could transform sustainable finance by enhancing data processing and decision-making provided that robust, high-quality ESG data is in place to power it, and why Europe must ensure its data gathering infrastructure sets a global benchmark. With the EU at a crossroads, Mathilde sheds light on what’s truly at stake in the Omnibus negotiations, and why regulatory stability and leadership are vital for driving the green transition across Europe and beyond.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The interconnection between the CSRD, CSDDD, and the EU Taxonomy with SFDR and MiFID
• How proposed changes could reduce corporate sustainability data and heighten risks of regulatory uncertainty 
• What the introduction of a value chain cap would mean for investors, and why maintaining double materiality and sector-specific disclosures are so important 
• The global context: Is the EU facing an ESG backlash, and what are the implications for sustainable finance?
• The role of AI in transforming sustainable finance 

Guest Speaker:

• Mathilde Dufour, Head of Sustainability Research at Mirova

Resources & Further Reading:

• Green Central Banking: https://greencentralbanking.com/2025/02/26/eu-sustainability-omnibus-proposal/ 
• EU Commissions Omnibus Proposal: https://commission.europa.eu/news/commission-proposes-cut-red-tape-and-simplify-business-environment-2025-02-26_en 

Connect With Us:

• Follow Green Central Banking on Linkedin, Bluesky and X 
• Subscribe to the Sustainability Omnibus Podcast on Apple and Spotify
• Contact us at [email protected]

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In this episode of the Sustainability Omnibus Podcast, hosts Moriah Costa and Simon Nixon speak with Tessa Younger, Stewardship Lead at CCLA Investment Management. As one of over 200 investors with €6.6 trillion in assets under management who signed an open letter urging the EU Commission to maintain robust sustainability disclosure standards, Tessa Younger shares her insights on why these regulations are vital for the investors and the EU’s long-term competitiveness. 

Tess Younger shares how these standards provide essential clarity for investors, helping to track corporate climate transition efforts and ensure accountability. As the EU continues to debate the simplification of its reporting framework, Tessa emphasises the need to reduce complexity without sacrificing transparency.

This conversation dives into the implications for investors and businesses. Tessa Younger warns that the proposed reduction of the scope of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in terms scaling back the size of companies required to report would create significant data gaps for investors, undermining their ability to assess risks and track corporate progress on climate and sustainability goals. These gaps could also increase the risk of greenwashing, as companies may exaggerate their sustainability efforts without proper oversight. She warns that weakened rules would also reduce pressure on companies to align their lobbying activities with their climate commitments, risking inconsistencies between their public stance and behind-the-scenes influence.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why the EU’s double materiality principle is key to transparency
• The importance of robust reporting frameworks in supporting investor decision-making
• The risks of watering down EU disclosure rules and their impact on global reporting standards
• Why we need strong sustainability standards to help fight greenwashing
• How to balance simplified reporting while still providing investors with meaningful data 

Resources & Further Reading:

• Green Central Banking:https://greencentralbanking.com/2025/02/26/eu-sustainability-omnibus-proposal/ 
• EU Commissions Omnibus Proposal: https://commission.europa.eu/news/commission-proposes-cut-red-tape-and-simplify-business-environment-2025-02-26_en 
• Tessa Younger joins investors in warning that the Omnibus package weakens EU sustainability disclosures, harming investment and economic competitiveness: https://www.unpri.org/news-and-press/investors-warn-omnibus-package-could-weaken-eu-sustainability-disclosures-harming-investment-and-economic-competitiveness/13023.article 
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Connect With Us:

• Follow Green Central Banking on Linkedin, Bluesky and X 
• Subscribe to the Sustainability Omnibus Podcast on Apple and Spotify
• Contact us at [email protected] 

Call to Action:

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review! Stay tuned for our next episode, where we dive deeper into the role AI technology could play in sustainability reporting.

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In this episode of the Sustainability Omnibus Podcast, brought to you by Green Central Banking, hosts Moriah Costa and Simon Nixon explore the potential impact of the European Commission’s Omnibus package on the EU’s sustainability disclosure framework with guest Ophélie Mortier, Chief Sustainable Investment Officer at Degroof Petercam Asset Management (DPAM).

As part of the broader simplification agenda, proposed changes to key sustainable finance regulations including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and the EU Taxonomy, could have profound consequences for investors and asset managers striving for greener business practices.

Ophélie joins Simon and Moriah in looking at how these regulatory shifts could affect investment strategies, corporate transparency, and Europe’s long-term economic competitiveness, and whether companies really see sustainability reporting as a burden on business. 

Key Topics Discussed:

• The interconnection between the CSRD, CSDDD, and the EU Taxonomy with SFDR and MiFID
• How proposed changes could reduce corporate sustainability data and impact investors
• The risks of regulatory uncertainty and the need for a stable sustainability reporting framework
• The global context: Is the EU facing an ESG backlash, and what are the implications for sustainable finance?

Guest Speaker:

• Ophélie Mortier, Chief Sustainable Investment Officer, Degroof Petercam Asset Management (DPAM)

Resources & Further Reading:

• Green Central Banking: https://greencentralbanking.com/2025/02/26/eu-sustainability-omnibus-proposal/ 
• EU Commissions Omnibus Proposal: https://commission.europa.eu/news/commission-proposes-cut-red-tape-and-simplify-business-environment-2025-02-26_en 
• Ophélie Mortier joins investors in warning that the Omnibus package weakens EU sustainability disclosures, harming investment and economic competitiveness:
• https://www.unpri.org/news-and-press/investors-warn-omnibus-package-could-weaken-eu-sustainability-disclosures-harming-investment-and-economic-competitiveness/13023.article

Connect With Us:

• Follow Green Central Banking on Linkedin, Bluesky and X 
• Subscribe to the Sustainability Omnibus Podcast on Apple and Spotify
• Contact us at [email protected]

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review! Join us next time where we look into how financial institutions are responding to the shifting landscape of EU sustainability regulations.

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Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Sustainability Omnibus Podcast, brought to you by Green Central Banking. This podcast, presented by award-winning journalist Moriah Costa, and author of Wealth of Nations and former chief Europe commentator for the Wall Street Journal Simon Nixon, will help you understand the complexities of the EU’s simplification agenda on sustainability reporting. At a time when transparency, stability, and certainty are needed more than ever, we’ll be talking to experts who will help untangle what’s happening and why.

In this first episode, Moriah and Simon speak with Richard Gardiner, Public Policy Lead at the World Benchmarking Alliance, to explore the EU’s Omnibus Proposal and its potential impact on the sustainable finance framework. With key legislation—including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and EU Taxonomy—facing revision, we discuss what’s at stake for businesses, regulators, and financial markets.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The EU Omnibus Package: What it is and why it’s happening
• CSRD, CSDDD, and the EU Taxonomy: Understanding their role in sustainability reporting and the wider goals of the European Green Deal
• The political and economic drivers behind the proposed revisions
• The financial risk of deregulation: Why central banks and investors care about sustainability data
• The global implications: Could the EU lose its leadership in sustainability standards?

Resources & Further Reading:

• Green Central Banking: https://greencentralbanking.com/2025/02/26/eu-sustainability-omnibus-proposal/ 
• EU Commissions Omnibus Proposal: https://commission.europa.eu/news/commission-proposes-cut-red-tape-and-simplify-business-environment-2025-02-26_en 
• Richard Gardiner and Giuseppe Cioffo in the Financial Times’ Sustainable Views: https://www.sustainableviews.com/eu-omnibus-is-no-way-to-lead-the-global-economy-c09ea111/ 
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Connect With Us:

• Follow Green Central Banking on LinkedIn X or Bluesky
• Subscribe to the Sustainability Omnibus Podcast on wherever you get your podcasts.
• Contact us at [email protected]

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review! Stay tuned for our next episode, where we dive deeper into how investors are navigating the EU’s evolving sustainability landscape.

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