Investing IN Change

Paul and Emile talk through recent ESG news, including the pushback the SEC has gotten from Republicans in Congress over its climate disclosure rule and how that fits into the larger trend of the anti-ESG movement. Then Emile talks with Dan Garrett, assistant professor of finance at Wharton School, about his research on the financial consequences of Texas’ anti-ESG legislation.

Emile and Paul talk about Emile's takeaways from the recent US SIF Forum held in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. Emile interviews Ivy Jack, head of equity research at NorthStar Asset Management, about the role of racial justice and community investments in wealth management.

Emile Hallez and Paul Curcio discuss the highlights of ESG Clarity’s latest sector report on health care. They’re joined by Carole Laible, CEO at Domini Impact Investments, who offers her insights on how Russia’s war in Ukraine is affecting ESG across different sectors.

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Join Emile Hallez and Paul Curcio as they break down the SEC’s proposal and what it means for companies' climate disclosures Later, Emile Hallez connects with Green Century’s president, Leslie Samuelrich, to talk Out Loud about emissions reporting and engaging with companies in a changing world of shareholder proposals.

Join us for the latest stories and insight from ESG insiders

Investors and advisers are more interested than ever in putting their money to work to better the planet and the people living here. While there's lots of talk about "making sure your money aligns with your values," there's very little talk about how to actually to do so. Where does one find the data on environmental impact, carbon emissions, social justice, diversity, community impact, biodiversity protection (or harm) and all the other critical ESG metrics when making an investing decision? What does that data look like? How should one weigh those metrics against basic financials? In short, how does one actually go about ESG investing?

Larry Fink’s annual letter to CEOs this year caused a stir with his assertion that while BlackRock partakes in sustainability and social justice work, it is neither an environmentalist nor is it "woke." This episode focuses on intention vs. action in the ESG movement and whether it's important to be an idealist to successfully execute these practices. Rachel Robasciotti, founder and CEO of Adasina Social Capital, joins Steve to discuss these points and more. Do you have to be woke to invest in ESG? The answer might surprise you.

Often referred to as a distant problem, one that can be solved at a later date with an incredible, yet-to-be invented technology, climate change is here, we caused it, and it’s bad. The next decade will decide the global thermostat for generations. Dr. Kimberly Nicholas, author of the powerful book "Under the Sky We Make," breaks down the overwhelming scientific consensus on human-caused climate change and discusses with Steve the extreme urgency of the situation. They go into detail on the surprising power of individuals to affect change, and the need for the global wealthy (hint, that’s not just billionaires they’re talking about) to take responsibility for their carbon output right away. What role do financial advisers play in all this? A lot, it turns out.

When considering how the fight against climate change will take place, the private sector's role is often questioned. What should businesses do, how should they go about making changes and who should be responsible for it? It's necessary for business leaders to take charge of their companies' mitigation policies and practices, so on this episode, Steve chats with Jennifer Steinmann of Deloitte about the current thinking of C-suite executives. Do they understand the need for change, do they have the ambition, and are they taking needle-moving actions?

Mark Schoeff Jr., InvestmentNews' Washington reporter, joins Steve for a quick update on the ESG regulatory process at the SEC and DOL. Danielle Burns, vice president and head of business development at CNote, chats with Steve about how investing in local communities, one person at a time, is the key to closing the wealth gap. CNote intentionally focused on getting money to underserved groups, especially BIPOC women business owners. She shares her personal journey to impact, CNote's innovative business model of channeling institutional and investor dollars alike into CDFIs, and why her focus has always been on helping the individual.