After a brief hiatus since our fall series on sustainability at the Olympics, Table Stakes is back—and not a moment too soon. In a time when ESG headlines are swirling with uncertainty, backlash, and bold political shifts, we’re here to shine a light on the real momentum powering sustainability forward. This week’s episode kicks off our new biweekly series, unpacking the key takeaways from Veerless’ A Climate of Opportunity report and what’s happened in the six months since President Trump took office for a second time. From resilient governors to rebellious mayors, supply chain pressure to Gen Z firepower, we’re breaking down why ESG is far from dead—and how the work continues, with purpose.

We launched Table Stakes because we believe responsible, sustainable leadership isn’t optional—it’s, well, table stakes. And in a world where sustainability sometimes feels like it’s under attack from every angle, we think it’s more important than ever to tell the real stories behind the noise.

Our January report, A Climate of Opportunity: ESG in a Second Trump Administration, predicted that despite political headwinds, ESG efforts wouldn’t just survive—they’d adapt and thrive. Six months in, that’s exactly what we’re seeing. State-level leadership is surging. Global regulations like the EU’s CSRD are moving forward. And corporations? They’re holding the line, because customers, employees, and supply chains are demanding it.

In this relaunch episode, Veerless CEO Marcy Twete delivers a fast, funny, and fact-filled update on the state of ESG right now—and why the momentum we’re building matters more than ever. We’ll be releasing new episodes every two weeks featuring timely topics, guest interviews, and honest conversations about what it takes to lead responsibly in 2025 and beyond.

If you’ve been looking for a little hope, a little data, and maybe a little humor to go with your sustainability strategy—welcome back to Table Stakes.

Shownotes

The list below details any key topics, issues, articles, notes mentioned in today’s show.

• 📘 Veerless Report: A Climate of Opportunity: ESG in a Second Trump Administration
• 📰 Electrek Article: Since the US doesn’t have a real federal gov, mayors step in for intl climate talks (June 19, 2025) Read the article on Electrek
• 🌍 EU CSRD & Global ESG Regulations European Commission: CSRD Overview
• 📉 Brookings Institution: Trump’s First-Term Environmental Rollbacks Brookings Environment Tracker

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