Investing IN Change

Our own Natalie Kenway, global head of ESG Insights, joins Steve on the podcast to share her observations and feelings live from Glasgow, Scotland, at the COP26 event. Natalie gives a Week One update on some of the big financial announcements, the incredible energy of the city and the event, and the amazing feeling of being a journalist again, back on the road.

Morningstar's global director of sustainability research, Hortense Bioy, joins Liz and Steve for a wide-ranging conversation focused on the differences between the well-established ESG markets of the EU and Asia, and the relative newcomer, the United States. Regulatory variations between the three markets are also discussed, especially how those regulations will impact the markets.

The Department of Labor recently released its long-awaited proposal detailing the use of ESG funds and methods in retirement plans. InvestmentNews' Emile Hallez joins the podcast to discuss what this means for ESG, 401(k)s and plan participants. We also speak with Careen Abb, SDG and impact program lead for the U.N. Environment Program Financial Initiative, about the long-running program's work to bring banking, insurance and investing into the sustainability space.

The successful companies of the future will operate with sustainability and equality built into their foundations. Those future companies will be built by the entrepreneurs of today. In this episode, Liz and Steve have a conversation with lifelong educator and entrepreneur Mike Chodroff, who is launching a new fellowship to train the next generation of sustainable business creators. We also hear from a current entrepreneur (and former guest on the pod) Laura Zapata, whose solar power offset company, Clearloop, was just acquired by Silicon Ranch.

As Congress works on the infrastructure bill, a new $11 million impact investing project launched in New Mexico, led by RBC Global Asset Management, aims to support under-resourced communities, including providing access to home ownership, small business support and health care services. Ron Homer, the firm’s chief impact investing strategist, said this new collaborative – the Local Impact Fixed Income Targeted Investment New Mexico, or LIFT NM – incorporates a group of eager investors keen on helping to ease the inequities caused by the pandemic.

Despite the enormity and importance of the climate crisis facing humankind, the leaders of Climate Week NY showed a remarkable sense of hope and optimism. One other common thread among all panels was that if the economic transition to net zero is not done in a just and equitable way, it will not be done at all. Liz and Steve attend Climate Week NYC in person and also interview Dickon Pinner, global head of sustainability for McKinsey & Co.

Climate Week NYC kicks off Sept. 20 and Helen Clarkson, the CEO of host Climate Group, joins the podcast to describe some of the week's 500 events aimed at "getting things done." She tells Liz and Steve about the need to start making changes to avoid the most catastrophic climate impacts. Clarkson also describes some refreshing optimism on this global issue.

SDG #17 Partnerships for the goals. This final UN SDG is quirky. The writers conclude this 2030 Agenda by stating that the previous 16 goals won’t be achieved without global participation. More specifically, developed nations will need to support less and least developed countries. Esther Pan Sloan, United Nations Capital Development Fund’s head of partnerships and policy, tells Liz and Steve that Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on aid going to the least developed countries — and just as needs grew.

SDG #16: Promote peace and justice. Conflict, insecurity and limited access to justice stand in the way of sustainable development, and in 2019, a record 75.5 million people were fleeing war, persecution and conflict. Entrepreneur George Taylor, after a particularly tragic gang-related shooting, decided to try to instill peace in his community – and beyond. In 2017, Taylor created TRU Colors, a for-profit brewery in Wilmington, North Carolina, that employs rival gang members. He and TRU Colors community manager Ant describe how the brewery makes the firm’s social mission of preventing violence economically sustainable.

SDG #15: Life on land. Human land use has altered 75% of the Earth's surface, creating a tight squeeze for the flora and fauna of our wilderness. Our thriving economy depends on a healthy biosphere, and investors are becoming more and more aware of the important role they'll play in restoring and sustainably managing our forests, rivers and mountains. Annalisa Tarizzo from Green Century Capital Management joins the podcast to discuss how her shareholder advocacy is pushing companies to adopt more sustainable and environmentally friendly supply chain policies.