The Sustainability Story

In this episode of the Sustainability Story podcast, host Nicole Gehrig welcomes Dr. Carmen Nuzzo, executive director of the Transition Pathway Initiative Centre (TPI Centre) at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The conversation centers around the TPI Centre's mission as the academic partner of the global investor initiative, highlighting the TPI tools, which provide independent, authoritative research and open-access data on corporate, bank, and sovereign entities’ progress in transitioning to a low-carbon economy. Carmen explains how investors can leverage these tools to assess sustainability efforts and make informed decisions in their investment strategies. Join us for insights into the vital role of data in driving sustainable investment practices.

Host Deborah Kidd, CFA talks with Monika Freyman, CFA, Vice President of Sustainable Investing at Addenda Capital, about the challenges asset owners and asset managers face when aiming to protect portfolios from the financial impacts of climate change. Monika shares practical advice on developing a comprehensive investment policy, measuring and managing the complexities of climate risk, and balancing climate goals with fiduciary duty. She emphasizes the importance of adhering to fiduciary duty fundamentals by ensuring that investment practices remain sound when integrating climate considerations.

Dean Hand, Chief Research Officer at the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), dives into the transformative world of impact investing. He clarifies its definition and addresses common misconceptions while highlighting how the market has surged in the last 15 years. Dean discusses the importance of integrating financial goals with measurable social and environmental outcomes. He also navigates the complexities of impact measurement and the role of regulation in enhancing transparency. Discover how investing can genuinely contribute to solving global challenges!

Listen in as Dr. Jane Thostrup Jagd, Director of Net Zero Finance at We Mean Business Coalition, and Josina Kamerling, Head of EMEA Regulatory Outreach at CFA Institute, discuss the necessity of integrating sustainability departments within companies, particularly in collaboration with financial teams. The challenge lies in ensuring that knowledge about sustainability extends beyond mere compliance and reaches all levels of the organization. There is a call for greater openness from financial professionals towards sustainability agendas. The conversation also touches on the readiness of investors to comprehend and utilize new sustainability reports, highlighting a current gap in understanding that needs to be addressed for effective implementation in the future. #Sustainability #SustainabilityStory #NetZero #EURegulations

In this episode of the Sustainability Story, host Deborah Kidd, CFA, talks with Dr. Aniket Shah, Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainability and Transition Strategy at Jefferies Group, LLC. Aniket leverages his work across academia, public policy, and financial markets to provide unique insights into the energy transition roadblocks and the three keys to overcoming them. He shares his insights on profiting from investment opportunities in climate technologies and why climate adaptation investments deserve special focus.

In this episode of the Sustainability Story podcast, Nicole Gehrig, Director of Global Industry Standards at CFA Institute, is joined by Lindsey Stewart, CFA, Director of Stewardship Research and Policy at Morningstar Sustainalytics. Together, they explore key themes in the realm of stewardship. Lindsey shares his insights on how institutional shareholders are approaching proxy voting and engagements that focus on environmental and social issues. Key topics covered include say on climate votes, the influence of proxy advisors, collaborative initiatives, and the significance of voluntary stewardship codes. The discussion highlights how regulatory differences in Europe and the US impact the prioritization of sustainability themes by investors on both sides of the Atlantic.

In this episode of "The Sustainability Story," co-host Josina Kamerling welcomes Nels Italo, Director of Product Strategy for Regulatory Solutions at FactSet. They delve into Nels' diverse background, from working in signals intelligence in the US Navy to becoming a corporate M&A attorney before focusing on financial service regulations. The conversation highlights the complexities of global financial regulations and the challenges faced by investors in understanding diverse accounting standards. Tune in to gain insights on navigating buy-side regulatory requirements in a global financial landscape.

In this episode of the Sustainability Story, host Deborah Kidd, CFA, interviews Paula DiPerna, author and Special Advisor to the CDP. In her book, Pricing the Priceless: The Financial Transformation to Value the Planet, Solve the Climate Crisis, and Protect Our Most Precious Assets, Paula offers a compelling argument for the need to assign economic values to nature’s essential resources. Paula takes us on a journey through history, world travel, case studies, and financial theory to demonstrate how bringing natural assets onto corporate and sovereign balance sheets, investing in resource-linked financial instruments, and putting a price on carbon are the keys to combating global warming and preserving the Earth’s resources.

Josina Kamerling and Leena Linnainmaa, Secretary General of Directors' Institute Finland, and Chair of ecoDa’s Advocacy Committee, have a conversation on the impact of the proposed new EU rules on corporate governance and due diligence on European companies and their board of directors.

In this episode of The Sustainability Story, host Andres Vinelli interviews Marcos Buscaglia, an economist and author of Beyond the ESG Portfolio: How Wall Street Can Help Democracies Survive. Marcos discusses the impact of capital markets on funding democracies and autocratic regimes, emphasizing the importance for investors to consider democracy amidst global democratic decline. He highlights the interconnectedness of countries and how a democratic decline in one nation can have repercussions worldwide. Marcos' insights shed light on the role of capital markets in shaping political landscapes and the need for ethical investment practices.