For the economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis to be durable and resilient, a return to ‘business as usual’ and environmentally destructive investment patterns and activities must be avoided. Unchecked, global environmental emergencies such as climate change and biodiversity loss could cause social and economic damages far larger than those caused by COVID-19. To avoid this, economic recovery packages should be designed to “build back better”. This means doing more than getting economies and livelihoods quickly back on their feet. Recovery policies also need to trigger investment and behavioural changes that will reduce the likelihood of future shocks and increase society’s resilience to them when they do occur. Central to this approach is a focus on well-being and inclusiveness. Other key dimensions for assessing whether recovery packages can “build back better” include alignment with long-term emission reduction goals, factoring in resilience to climate impacts, slowing biodiversity loss and increasing circularity of supply chains. In practice, well-designed recovery policies can cover several of these dimensions at once, such as catalysing the shift towards accessibility-based mobility systems, and investing in low-carbon and decentralised electricity systems.
Sustainability Digital – Sept 2020
Building back better
Sustainability Digital – Sept 2020
China ESG risk: the next unknown
One of the most important, upcoming challenges at CalSTRS is how the fund should evaluate Chinese investments from a human capital and environmental standpoint, says Chris Ailman, chief investment officer at the giant pension fund.
Sarah RundellSeptember 25, 2020
Sustainability Digital – Sept 2020
Sustainability lacks global solidarity
Princeton University Professor of International Affairs, Stephen Kotkin explains why large global investors and multinationals can lead on sustainability but national governments fail.
Sarah RundellSeptember 21, 2020
Sustainability Digital – Sept 2020
How to integrate the SDGs
Integrating the SDGs involves analysing investee companies' core business, the products and services they sell, and mapping that to the SDGs. Two investors, APG and Schroders, outline the indepth process.
Sarah RundellSeptember 18, 2020
Sustainability Digital – Sept 2020
Coca-Cola and Robeco talk engagement
In an intimate case study this session at the Sustainability conference profiles the relationship between Robeco and CocaCola and how investor engagement has helped prioritise sustainability issues and drive long-term growth through a focus on the circular economy.
Sarah RundellSeptember 17, 2020
Sustainability Digital – Sept 2020
Nordhaus calls for carbon tax
International negotiations like the Paris Agreement no longer work. The world needs a new framework supporting a carbon tax with both carrots and sticks to encourage participation, says William Nordhaus, Sterling Professor of Economics, Yale University and 2018 Nobel Prize winner in Economics.
Sarah RundellSeptember 17, 2020
Sustainability Digital – Sept 2020
Bridgewater’s three dimensional approach
In a rare insight into the portfolio construction process at Bridgewater, the head of investment research, Karen Karniol-Tambour discusses how to shift from only looking at risk and return to adopting a three-dimensional model that incorporates impact.
Sarah RundellSeptember 16, 2020
Sustainability Digital – Sept 2020
Ford Foundation’s impact strategy
The Ford Foundation outlines its ability to achieve impact and returns and announces plans to invest for impact in public markets in the next 18 months. Elsewhere, renown impact investor Pictet Asset Management explains how impact investment is becoming more mainstream.
Sarah RundellSeptember 15, 2020