The just approach to the net-zero transition would ensure we leave no one behind

In this episode we cover findings from our Thinking Ahead paper, 'The 'S' of ESG- moving from interest to action', the Just Transition Finance Challenge and much more with two different, special guests.

We speak to both Annika Brouwer Sustainability Specialist at Ninety One, a global asset manager with emerging markets roots and a Thinking Ahead member. And Sarah Teacher joint, interim CEO at the Impact Investing Institute, launched in 2019 to accelerate the growth and improve the effectiveness of the impact investing market.

Resources mentioned:

1. 2022 World Inequality Report
2. The 'S' of ESG | moving from interest to action
3. Just Transition Finance Challenge

The Global Pension Assets Study estimates global pension fund assets across 22 major pension markets (the P22), which at the end of 2022 had estimated pension assets of USD 47,861 bn.

In this special bonus episode, we chat with Anastassia Johnson and Jessica Gao, researchers at the Thinking Ahead Institute about key figures from the study, core themes from the year and challenges for the year ahead.

Articles and papers mentioned:

1. World Inequality Report 2022
2. The Innovator's DNA
3. Global Pension Assets 2023

Marisa Hall, Co-Head of the Thinking Ahead Institute, joins as guest host, with Isabella Martin to reflect on the team's research highlights set against a year of challenges.

They cover many topics ranging from thought leadership, the future of work and systems thinking to the just transition, biodiversity and global trends in the investment industry.

The article mentioned is Why Curiosity Matters, featured in the Harvard Business Review.

There has never been more focus on the ramifications of climate change and yet it seems that the investment industry is not acting swiftly or definitively enough to address them. This month we chat to Tim Hodgson, Co-head of the Thinking Ahead Institute (TAI), and Jeff Chee, who is the Global Head of Portfolio Strategy at WTW about the climate transition and its risks for investors.

As we step into creativity, we also chat to Susanna Basso, Creative Director of Climate Culture, about the power of storytelling to drive climate action and shift culture.

Marisa Hall, Co-head of the Thinking Ahead Institute, and Roger Urwin, Co-founder, discuss the key data points from the 'Global top 300 pension funds' report. In addition to covering overarching trends in the industry and the direction of travel.

Stewardship and engagement have grown in scope and scale and are now buzzwords in the investment industry. We chat to Adam Gillett, Head of Sustainable Investment and Eleanor Mahmoud, from the SI team at WTW about its challenges and opportunities.

Resources:

Make My Money Matter ad- #DeliverTheTruth about your pension and deforestation

Introducing our new podcast series Investing for Tomorrow. This month we chat to Marisa Hall, Co-head of the Thinking Ahead Institute, and Roger Urwin, Co-founder of the Institute, about hybrid working and how it will affect the investment industry and organisations into the future.

Additionally, we chat to Hugo from The Fisheries in London about how to design collaborative workspaces.

The Global Pension Assets Study estimates global pension fund assets across 22 major pension markets (the P22). These geographies now total a record US$56.6 trillion in pension assets and account for 76% of the GDP of these economies. The study, conducted by WTW and the Thinking Ahead Institute since the 1990s, includes an analysis of the seven largest markets (the P7): Australia, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, Switzerland, UK and US comprise 92% of total pension assets, unchanged from the previous year.

Marisa Hall, Co-Head of the Thinking Ahead Institute, talks about the power of culture in navigating climate-related risk and opportunities. 

In episode two of our series covering the 1.5 ˚C working group papers, Liang Yin and Matt Stoughton-Harris explore how much of the climate crisis the investment industry owns and the critical role that private investment will play in achieving asset owner’s net-zero goals.  In order to successfully achieve such goals, the investment industry must understand the role it must play by directing private investment appropriately.

To further explore the themes discussed in this podcast, please read the working group paper: More primary investment: How much of the climate problem does the investment industry own, and what should it do about it? .