A Sustainable Future

Is ESG outperformance coming to end? Is an ESG asset bubble brewing? Listen to Jason Mitchell talk with Abraham Lioui, Professor of Finance at EDHEC Business School, about his latest paper, Chasing the ESG Factor. In this deep-dive episode, the two discuss how investors may be mispricing ESG, the implications of identifying ESG risk premia and why more rigorous approaches are absolutely essential to understanding ESG in the context of quantitative finance.

What does climate risk represent to the US financial system? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Commissioner Rostin Behnam, Acting Chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, about how the CFTC is thinking about climate risk, what those implications mean for derivatives markets and why well-developed carbon and carbon offset markets will support the transition to a net zero economy.To read the full transcript of this episode here.Commissioner Ross Behnam is Acting Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As sponsor of the CFTC’s Market Risk Advisory Committee, Chairman Behnam led the development of the report, Managing Climate Risk in the US Financial System, published in September last year. Previously, he was a senior counsel to Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) at the Senate Agricultural Committee, focusing on p

How do corporate boards work? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Dambisa Moyo, international economist and author, how the nature of board oversight is evolving, what that means in the context of greater pressure on socio-environmental issues and why calls to reform capitalism ultimately mean a turn towards a multi-stakeholder model and away from traditional shareholder-centrism.We're giving away copies of Dambisa's new book. Tag Man Group on social media with a comment about your thoughts on this episode or send your thoughts to podcasts@man.com to potentially win a free copy.You can find a full transcript of this episode here.

The ability to absorb risk and be truly ‘additional’ in the world of impact investing sets development finance institutions apart from markets. Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Nick O’Donohoe, CEO of CDC Group, on how institutions are providing much-needed liquidity and capital during the pandemic and why investor action on climate and the Sustainable Development Goals (‘SDGs’) is vital to advancing the development agenda.In this far-reaching episode, Nick discusses the roots of impact investing, the popularisation of impact investing and the SDGs, the dearth of venture capital that’s needed to support young entrepreneurs and digital businesses, and how DFIs can move towards higher risk projects.You can find the full transcript of this episode and more information about responsible investing at Man Group here.

What does the race to net zero carbon emissions represent for the investment community? And how can investor network initiatives like the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (‘IIGCC’) develop meaningful investment frameworks to support it?Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Faith Ward, Chief Responsible Investment Officer at Brunel Pension Partnership, why it’s so important for investors to work alongside government, corporates and civil society to reach net zero if we’re going to make the Paris Agreement a reality. For more information visit www.man.com/maninstitute/responsible-investment This podcast was recorded on 23 Feb 2021.

How will the climate agenda change under the new Biden administration? Listen to Jason Mitchell talk with Alice Hill, Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment at the Council on Foreign Relations and former special assistant to President Obama, about how the White House will govern on climate through regulation and executive orders; what opportunities exist to reframe climate change as a national security issue; and why the US must rebuild its leadership position in climate security. For more information visit www.man.com/maninstitute/responsible-investment This podcast was recorded on 9 Feb 2021.

Is ESG investment performance one of luck or skill? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Campbell Harvey, Professor of Finance at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, why purported claims around ESG performance are perhaps misguided, how the academic world is grappling with statistical evidence, and what makes a systemic risk like climate change so compelling for future research. For more information visit www.man.com/maninstitute/responsible-investment This podcast was recorded on 6 Jan 2021.

Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, discusses how the state, markets and the community have fared through the pandemic, the forces reshaping community, and how we can address inequality. For more information visit www.man.com/maninstitute/responsible-investment This podcast was recorded on 19 Dec 2020.

How can companies become effective forces for good? Former Unilever CEO Paul Polman joins Jason Mitchell on this episode of ‘A Sustainable Future’ podcast to discuss his new foundation Imagine and its mission to help businesses fight inequality and climate change.In this far-reaching conversation, Paul talks through how the multi-stakeholder model is driving a rethink of traditional shareholder-centrism and why strong leadership is vital not only in steering through the current crisis, but also long-term sustainability issues like climate change.   For more information visit www.man.com/maninstitute/responsible-investment This podcast was recorded on 9 September 2020.

How is the State of Illinois embedding sustainability factors into its investment process? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Rodrigo Garcia, Deputy State Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer for the Illinois State Treasury, how sustainability is driving his allocation and diversification process, what the implications could be for the Department of Labor rule proposals around ESG and why it’s vital to improve access to capital to address the disproportional socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. For more information visit www.man.com/maninstitute/responsible-investment This podcast was recorded on 9 September 2020.