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Frankly Speaking - A Podcast on Responsible Business

Frank Bold
European Union
CSRD
Sustainability Reporting
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive
Sustainability
European Sustainability Reporting Standards
ESRS
Sustainable Finance
Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive
SFDR
Due Diligence
Living Wages
Degrowth
European Grid Package
Brussels
Product Level Disclosure
CSRD (corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive)
Japan
United Nations Guiding Principles On Business and Human Rights
Double Materiality

Frankly Speaking is a double award-winning podcast on responsible business by Frank Bold - 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... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes112Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

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Latest Episodes

How does the field of responsible investment compare to a decade ago?

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Nathalie Dogniez, chair of Eurosif and Independent Director of The Director’s Office, and Julian Toth, Executive... more

What have been the most significant improvements in business and human rights over the past 15 years, and what has lagged behind?

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by John Morrison, founder and former CEO of the Institu... more

Just last week, the European Commission published its draft Delegated Regulation on the revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards. What does this mean for EU business?

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Simo... more

Current financial accounting methods are responsible for causing environmental and social harm across the world – but how can this be remedied?

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Richard Howitt was joined by Jeremy Nicholls, co-founder and former... more

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Recent Guests

Nathalie Dogniez
Chair of the European Sustainable Investment Forum (Eurosif); Independent Director on fund manager boards
Eurosif
Episode: #112 Nathalie Dogniez & Julian Toth: What Is the Current State of Responsible Investment?
Julian Toth
Investment Manager at Responsible Investors; Soulmates Ventures; Director at Czech Sustainable Investment Forum
Soulmates Ventures; CzechSIF
Episode: #112 Nathalie Dogniez & Julian Toth: What Is the Current State of Responsible Investment?
John Morrison
Former chief executive of the Institute of Human Rights and Business; long-time advocate for business and human rights
Institute for Human Rights and Business
Episode: #111 John Morrison: Why Sustainability Will Come Back Stronger
Simon Braaksma
Global Head of Sustainability
Royal Philips
Episode: #110 Simon Braaksma & Filip Gregor: New EU Company Sustainability Standards Just Released - What Now?
Jeremy Nicholls
Founder and longstanding chief executive of Social Value International
Social Value International
Episode: #109 Jeremy Nicholls: Why Accountants Aren't Saving the World
Andreas Beckmann
Regional Chief Executive for WWF in Central and Eastern Europe; Chair of WWF's Committee for Global Partnerships and Corporate Engagement
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Episode: #108 Andreas Beckmann: The Role of Business in Nature Restoration
Finn Schufft
Policy Advisor on Corporate Accountability
Germanwatch
Episode: #107 Finn Schufft & Emirali Karadoğan: What the German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) Shows About Due Diligence Law in Practice
Emirali Karadoğan
Researcher and trade union expert
Tez-Koop-İş trade union (Turkey)
Episode: #107 Finn Schufft & Emirali Karadoğan: What the German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) Shows About Due Diligence Law in Practice
Tereza Fialová
Frank Bold Responsible Energy section
Frank Bold
Episode: #106 Alina Laszlo-Orth & Tereza Fialová: How the EU Grid Package Will Impact the Business Energy Transition

Host

Richard Howitt
Host of Frankly Speaking, guiding and moderating discussions on policy, governance, and responsible business in a regulatory context

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 48 ratings
  • Very interesting for sustainability and esg good debate seekers

    If you're on the hunt for a podcast that stimulates your intellect and sparks insightful debates on sustainability and ESG, look no further. I recently stumbled upon this podcast that has not only captured my attention but has also become a staple in my playlist for its contents and speakers.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LolitadePalma
    Italy3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the show's rigorous, thoughtful debates on sustainability and ESG topics.
Guests are consistently high-caliber and provide practical insights for implementing regulation in business.
The discussions offer clear links between policy developments and corporate strategy, making complex topics approachable.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#215
Ireland/Business

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#80 Sébastien Mandron: CSRD is Already Redesigning Corporate Sustainability in France
Q: How did you get into sustainability, and what drew you to CSRD specifically?
Sébastien explains that sustainability work emerged from a long-running transformation mindset, with CSRD presenting a major new reporting framework that forces companies to make concrete transition plans and address questions upfront, not just in theory. He emphasizes the learning curve and the practical need to engage with the rules rather than avoid them.
#82 Kate Lewis & Francesca Mangano: How Supply Chain Due Diligence Can Work For All
Q: What is your response to the CSDDD and what's potentially happening to it?
ETI supports meaningful legislation aligned with UNGPs but is concerned about watering down scope and enforcing mechanisms. It should cover entire value chains, be clear and enforceable, and avoid mere procedural requirements.
#82 Kate Lewis & Francesca Mangano: How Supply Chain Due Diligence Can Work For All
Q: Francesca, can you give a very practical example of how your procurement practices have improved a garment worker's life?
We now bring suppliers to the table as equal partners in critical path planning, including discussing costs, payment terms, risk foresight, and elasticity. This collaboration has linked purchasing decisions to workers' livelihoods, improved wage monitoring, and fostered direct supplier engagement to advance responsible production across the supply chain.
#82 Kate Lewis & Francesca Mangano: How Supply Chain Due Diligence Can Work For All
Q: So Francesca, you must have found some obstacles internally as you've tried to deliver that approach and you must have overcome them. Tell us a bit about those obstacles and how you've overcome them.
There was initially little dedicated sustainability function, so it required time to show why responsible business is important and how it aligns with core goals. Over eight years, awareness grew that sustainability is interconnected with overall strategy, governance set the mandate, and cross-department collaboration became essential for implementing responsible purchasing and engaging suppliers as equal partners.
#86 Bernard Gouw & Jo Chidley: Will Every Company Become a B Corp?
Q: Bernard, what does the changes look like from a company perspective with the new standards and why are they important?
Bernard discusses continuous improvement, the requirement for cross-cutting performance across environmental, social, and governance topics, and the benefits of a framework that makes it easier to communicate and drive reform across the business and its suppliers.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Interests
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Frequently Asked Questions About Frankly Speaking

What is Frankly Speaking about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful program focused on ESG, responsible business, and sustainability reporting, with conversations that connect policy developments, regulatory reforms, and practical implementation across industries. Recent episodes center on EU sustainability standards (ESRS and CSRD), due diligence in global supply chains, governance and board oversight, nature restoration, and the evolving role of finance in driving responsible outcomes. A distinctive trait is the mix of policy experts, NGO leaders, industry practitioners, and researchers who offer grounded, experience-based perspectives on how regulations translate into real-world business practice. This combination makes it useful for listeners who want to understand how regulatory change sha... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Frankly Speaking?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Frankly Speaking:

1. All Things Sustainable
2. Brussels Playbook Podcast
3. Voices - Conversations on Business and Human Rights from Around the World
4. Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast
5. Economist Podcasts

How many episodes of Frankly Speaking are there?

Frankly Speaking launched 4 years ago and published 112 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Frankly Speaking?

Recent guests on Frankly Speaking include:

1. Nathalie Dogniez
2. Julian Toth
3. John Morrison
4. Simon Braaksma
5. Jeremy Nicholls
6. Andreas Beckmann
7. Finn Schufft
8. Emirali Karadoğan

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