September 22, 2019

19: Esa Saloranta - Re-thinking The Future, Technology and Social Challenges, and The Role of Sustainable and Impact Investing

1 hour 2 minutes

Esa Saloranta is Head of ESG and Sustainability Technology of eQ Asset Management. Esa is a thought leader in sustainable technology, ESG policy and integration, focusing currently on social responsibility, AI and digital transformation and managing EQ Blue Planet, a sustainable technology fund launched in 2015 which is one of the funds of EQ Asset Management in Finland.

Highlights:

Evolution of eQ Blue Planet from a traditional energy utility fund into a sustainable fund

How eQ’s investment process is different from others

“I’m always looking for unrealised potential from sustainability drivers”

“There is a general increase in awareness of sustainability and environmental issues over the last 12 months.”

Significance of technology in energy and built environment, rise of connected devices and environmental impact of data infrastructures

The challenge of impact measurement and importance of qualitative assessments

Why it is key to understand the sustainability strategy of businesses as an impact investor

How to avoid sub-optimal impact and having a balanced portfolio

The ESG community is the most collaborative and open community in the financial sector

Why we need to think about the future purpose of corporations

Philanthropy by giving away part of their fee to BSAG - Baltic Sea Action Group

Time Stamp:

[02:40] What is impact investment?

[08:30] Climate change is also a social issue

[09:40] Future of work and role of data

[11:19] eQ Blue Planet, private equity and real estate funds in EQ Asset Management

[18:05] A smarter way than the funnel approach to investing

[26:40] How investors are approaching eQ

[27:25] Why focus on technology

[30:00] Logitech and Adobe, impact of video conferencing and mobile

[33:00] Qualitative assessments of impact

[44:30] Understanding strategy

[42:20] Augmented reality and construction

[42:45] How eQ Asset Management is collecting impact data

[47:40] Thinking about impact and pitfall of the ESG community

[49:00] BSAG - contributing to philanthropy as an impact fund

[53:25] Esa’s personal inspiration

[57:40] What makes a good impact leader?

Useful Links:

Esa Saloranta’s Linkedin

eQ Asset Management

eQ Blue Planet

Beyond Meat

Metrikus

Impact Cubed

Adobe & Sustainability

Zoom & CEO Eric Yuan on IPO

Baltic Sea Action Group

Jack Bogle of Vanguard

Reid Hoffman’s podcast - “Masters of Scale”

Connect with JP Dallmann on Linkedin, Twitter, or Instagram.

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Impact Leaders is produced by Podcast Publishing

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By JP Dallmann

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