In this episode, Karel Nierop discusses the investment opportunities of the next phase in the energy transition with Bert Stuij, Manager National Programs/Energy at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and Sonja de Ruiter, Head of Fund Management at Triodos Investment Management.

The war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have made energy independence once again a top priority for Europe. The pattern looks familiar: we saw the same initial reaction after Russia invaded Ukraine but the momentum dropped soon thereafter, and the past years have even been quite tough for the renewable energy sector. Is the current situation different?

What is needed to propel the energy transition into the next phase where it will really drive a green future for Europe? Which bottle necks need to be addressed, which technologies are needed, and how can investors help scaling them? Tune into this episode to learn more!

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In this episode, we take a closer look at the impact potential of impact investing in small and midcap companies. Podcast host Rosl Veltmeijer sits down with Alex Sokolowski, Head of Investor Relations at Corbion, and Dimitri Willems, Fund Manager of the Triodos Pioneer Impact Fund to discuss the role small and midcap companies play in a world where sustainability and ESG are under severe pressure, how important they are in driving positive change and what challenges and opportunities they are facing.

Key topics discussed in this episode include:

• How important are small- and midcap companies in driving positive change in society? 
• Are there sufficient investment opportunities in this segment for impact investing? 
• Does the current ESG backlash influence the strategy of a company like Corbion? 
• What effect does the changing regulatory landscape, for instance regarding the mandatory sustainability reporting and supply chain due diligence, have on companies like Corbion and impact investors such as Triodos Investment Management? 
• What are the differences in engagement strategies between mainstream investors and impact investors? and how effective is engagement?

Read more about impact investing in small- en midcap companies here

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In this episode, Karel Nierop assesses how financial institutions are progressing on their emissions reduction targets with Nicky van Dijk, Lead Researcher for the Climate Court Case against ING at the Dutch NGO Milieudefensie, and Sven Renon, Sustainability Researcher at Triodos Bank.

Following the ESG-backlash, financial institutions have abandoned their voluntary climate commitments en masse. Triodos Bank recently also revised its climate strategy and no longer claims to be net zero in 2035. The bank also left the Net Zero Banking Alliance. So where do we stand? Is the financial sector still on track to reach the goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement? Has Triodos given up on climate? Or has the time come for more rigorous action?

This is a follow up from the podcast on bank’s climate commitments we recorded in 2024: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0jawpf3a08cuEuyTZK5YFh?si=0pJHIMdXT72SVNRzUF-Glw

Learn more about Scope 3 emissions here: What are Scope 3 emissions and why do they matter? | The Carbon Trust

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In this episode, Rosl Veltmeijer discusses first experiences applying the EU Green Bond Standard in practice with Joop Hessels, Executive Director and Head of Sustainable Markets at ABN-Amro and Jeroen van Herwaarden, fund manager of the Triodos Euro Bond Impact Fund.

The EU Green Bond Standard is a new standard for use-of-proceeds bonds. Like any other bond label, it is a voluntary standard introduced by the European Commission as part of the broader EU Action Plan. Launched in December 2024 with the purpose of stimulating green investments, it has been tested for almost a year now. A good moment to evaluate how it works in practice with two specialists. Joop Hessels looks at the EU GBS from an issuer perspective whereas Jeroen van Herwaarden approaches the topic from the investor angle.

This episode is a follow-up on a previous podcast we did on the EU Taxonomy and the EU Green Bond Standard: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4lOww9NohwzUmIN9wH2faS?si=yKCkdUL3Qv-kkNIXKGt5bw

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In this episode, Rosl Veltmeijer sits down with Matt Goodwin, Head of Sustainable Investing at the Global Child Forum, and Sjoerd Rozing, portfolio manager Future Generations at Triodos Investment Management, to explore the concept of Child Lens Investing from the perspective of online safety for children.

Children are our future - future consumers, workers, innovators and caregivers. Yet, despite their significance, their interests are often overlooked in economic and financial decision-making. Investors play a crucial role in shaping the world that future generations will inherit. By applying a child lens to investing, they can move beyond short-term returns and focus on building a sustainable, inclusive and thriving global economy.

Read more about the concept of Child Lens Investing in this handbook: Investor Handbook Child-Lens Investing

More about Global Child Forum can be found on their website: globalchildforum.org

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In this episode, Karel Nierop explores the intriguing landscape of blended finance with David Kuijper, CEO of The Association of European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI) and Judith Santbergen, Fund Manager of the Hivos-Triodos Fonds, a blended finance instrument avant-la-lettre.

Kuijper explains what blended finance entails and how it is needed to get important transitions going, especially in emerging markets. Santbergen elaborates on Hivos-Triodos Fonds' ability to do smaller transactions, focusing on SMEs in high impact sectors in emerging markets. Tailored to meet investors’ requirements - be it fiduciary or regulatory - blended finance can open new markets and offer diversification.

Despite the difficulties in scaling up, both guests see strong opportunities for blended finance. Given the demographic developments with Europe ageing and declining in population while the global south is young and growing, combined with Europe’s enormous amount of pension savings, there is an urgent need to transition European private capital to emerging markets. Blended finance facilities can help change the direction of private capital flows, for example in sectors where blended finance has proven to work like renewable energy and resilient infrastructure.

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In this episode Karel Nierop sits down with Kayoko Lyons, Director of Investments at the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and Tim Crijns, Portfolio Manager Financial Inclusion at Triodos Investment Management to explore the world of financial inclusion.

Tim explains how microfinance works, why the actual risks are often lower than perceived, and how local economies show strong resilience. Kayoko shares her investment journey, highlighting the crucial role of financial services in economic development and encouraging new investors to be bold, start small and do something. Together, they discuss future trends, the role of technology, and the importance of maintaining a strong impact mission. The episode closes with practical insights into how investors can contribute responsibly to expanding global financial access.

More information about the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart: Welcome to the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus | Bringing Christ's love to the world

More information about the benefits of backing financial services in emerging markets: The benefits of backing financial services in emerging markets

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The geopolitical storm we are in has accelerated a development that was already visible for some years: a fierce backlash on ESG. In this podcast, Rosl Veltmeijer discusses the implications of this backlash with Lewis Johnston, director of policy at ShareAction and Triodos economist Joeri de Wilde. Together they analyse the events and circumstances that led to the ESG backlash and try to answer the question if we are witnessing a structural shift away from ESG investing or only a temporary setback.

Read Joeri's column 'No shift away from sustainability' here: BlackRock never really had sustainable ambitions, more and more citizens do

Find out more about the activities of ShareAction here: ShareAction | Harness the power of investment

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In this episode, Karel Nierop discusses how we can make finance work for nature instead of against with David Diallo, founder of Berlin-based startup goodcarbon, and Mareike Hussels, product development manager for Nature-based Solutions at Triodos Investment Management. The term Nature-based Solutions pops up in the news more and more often but is also still a bit vague for most people. Triodos recently made a commitment to provide at least EUR 500 million in investments, loans and contributions to the Nature-based Solutions sector by the end of 2030 as part of its biodiversity targets. The IPCC ranks certain Nature-based Solutions among the most promising ways to tackle the climate crisis.  

But what are Nature-based Solutions exactly? Why is the IPCC so enthusiastic about them? And do they represent an interesting investment case? These are the questions that are addressed in this podcast.

Read more about Triodos' commitment to the Nature-based Solutions sector here: Triodos Bank nature-based solutions commitment

More about the partnership with goodcarbon can be found here: investment Hivos-Triodos Fonds: goodcarbon

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In this episode, Karel Nierop discusses the challenges and opportunities of an energy system under construction with Ronald Huisman, Professor for Sustainable Energy Finance at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam (amongst others), and Kay van der Kooi, Senior Investment Manager at Triodos Investment Management.

The energy transition in Europe is in full swing. A main component is the electrification of many processes: from transport and heating to highly energy-intensive industrial processes. This means a large buildout of both generation and consumption of electricity. While the process of electrification is taking up speed, the energy system, which was designed with fossil fuels in mind, is squeaking and creaking. Examples include waiting lines for electricity connection in construction projects and negative energy prices during peak electricity production. Will the initial success now threaten to undermine the energy transition?

Interested in learning more about this topic? Read Kay van der Kooi's blog on net congestion here: What’s the hold-up? On the Ins and Outs of Grid Congestion

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