Phineas Glover is head of ESG Equity Research for Asia Pacific, at Credit Suisse. It’s a job that didn’t exist some ten years ago, and today, he’s a leading source of up to date information on the environmental and social issues that are having material financial impacts on companies.
It’s no longer just about earnings, or profit margins; the world’s biggest investors are now playing close attention to issues and themes beyond just the financials.
Their clients are demanding oversight of sustainability issues, they want impact investment options suitable for institutional investors, and they don’t want to give up profits in pursuit of purpose.
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On this episode…
We went deep to explore the true nature of sustainable investing, beyond ESG. We explored how the acronym ESG no longer represents the approach of the most progressive sustainable investors. As Phineas says, it’s not about ESG, it’s about sustainable competitive advantage.
It’s about exploring the risks of a company’s operations through a lens that is wider than ever before. There are now far more factors that could disrupt your business than previously. And investors can assess the competitive landscape, and indeed the physical landscape, to get a very firm read on your future prospects.
My key takeaway this week…
“We’re no longer dealing with the long shelf-life issues, where five years ago you talked to a fund manager, there would be a degree of equivocation, ‘that’s all well and good’. And ‘that’s very interesting’, ‘but come back to me when you think it’s going to impact sectors and stocks’.
That was kind of the reality of the situation, but I think what’s fundamentally shifted is that those themes are now really having such a big bearing on those fundamentals, in terms of sectors and stocks.”
Good Future’s Good Books
How to avoid a climate disaster
By Bill Gates
“I think everyone’s been reading it, but it really is a great way to de-mystify what we’re facing in the world today. And the pathways and technologies to get there. Give it a go, it’s really clear and easy to read.”
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