Matthew Weatherley-White is an impact investment advisor at The Caprock Group, but his personality and his passion for life stretch far beyond his day-job. He’s as interested in hiking in the mountains and in crafting a lifestyle, as he is to reshaping markets for the better.
He’s inquisitive and he’s a deep thinker, and most importantly he’s not afraid of telling it how it is.
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On this episode…
We covered a lot of ground, we went far broader than just impact financing. We dug into the political stalemates that both the US and Australia are facing in trying to deal with climate change. Matthew spoke passionately about the potential for capitalism to be re-oriented towards environmental resiliency, and to move beyond its very narrow focus of profit-maximisation.
And he weighed into the debate on whether investors in public markets can influence the companies they buy, he didn’t hold back, but he did offer his advice on the levers that might just sway these big, listed companies to steer more towards sustainability and long-term thinking. And Matthew’s analysis of Larry Fink’s annual letters was a really useful insight into one perspective on how the world’s largest asset manager is trying to drive a focus on sustainability.
My key takeaway this week…
Matthew says that capitalism is an excellent “optimisation mechanism”, but currently it’s optimising for profitability.
Instead, let’s recalibrate the system to optimise for environmental resiliency. It’s evolution baby!
Good Future’s Good Books
Go Rin No Sho – The Book of Five Rings
By: Musashi Miyamoto
“It’s a book about the Shinto/Buddhist version of The Art of War. It’s way more humble, it’s really personal. I’ve read his biography as well, but it’s a really short and dense and you read small sections. It’s about how you can interact with your own life basically.
I think of it as one of the world’s first self-help books.”
By Amor Towles
“It’s about this aging Russian aristocrat who just happens to be out of Moscow during the Bolshevik revolution and he’s surprised to find himself a prisoner and live his entire life gradually shabifying old hotel in Moscow. And he reflects on Russia and his life.”
Anthony Doerr
“This one I wish I’d written myself. It’s by a neighbour here in Boise. It’s a random nod to Japanese Samurai literature.”
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