5 years ago, not many people knew what ESG was, now it’s become a household phrase.

In this episode, Vis sits down with Eric Lee, Vice-President at Aligned Climate Capital, and discusses the emergence of the sustainability industry. Eric shares his thoughts on green bonds, Aligned’s decision to invest in ChargeNet, and how his original aspirations to become a doctor, led to a career in sustainability. Eric shares how Aligned Climate Capital’s investments are not just based on environmental outcomes, and how it is essential to consider an asset holistically.

Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(02:01) The development of ESG over the last 5 years

(03:15) Why did you choose to minor in business?

(05:45) How did you discover your passion in finance even though you studied biology?

(08:40) What was the climate capital landscape like in 2016 and how it has grown

(12:05) What made you decide to change from an industry-agnostic impact investing background into a more sustainability-focused fund?

(13:22) Eric’s role at Aligned Climate Capital

(15:12) What do you do to prevent greenwashing at Aligned Climate Capital?

(17:35) What is Aligned’s stance on climate infrastructure and how do you assess these assets?

(20:40) How do you take part in stewardship activities in these companies Aligned invests in?

(22:40) When evaluating companies, do you purely look at the environmental impact, or do you consider other aspects e.g. social governance?

(23:53) Investing in ChargeNet. Why did Aligned pick EV’s rather than other areas (e.g. hydrogen, wind and nuclear), and what are your thoughts on EV’s and how they are sourced?

(27:12) Overview of global ESG trends, and how these impact different parts of the world

(29:55) Eric’s thoughts on green bonds and social bonds

(31:32) What can young professionals concerned about sustainability do to help companies achieve these sustainable goals?

(34:00) Will sustainability be overshadowed by other topics like cryptocurrency?

(36:15) Speed round!

(40:34) Conclusion