Chris Ito of FFI Solutions and Georges Dyer of Intentional Endowments Network go “beyond carbon” to discuss topics relating to climate change, net zero, DEIJ (diversity, equity, inclusion & justice), ESG and the benefits and challenges of sustainable investing.
Episodes
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Brent Suter: Pitching for the Planet
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Chris and Georges talk climate and curve balls with major league baseball player Brent Suter. The discussion centers around how athletes can use their platform to raise awareness of environmental issues.
Guest
Brent Suter, Colorado Rockies, LHP
Background
Brent Suter is starting his eight season in major league baseball and his first for the Colorado Rockies.
Brent is a left-handed relief pitcher, a self-proclaimed “tree-hugger” and board member of Players for the Planet. He uses his voice and position as a professional athlete to promote sustainability in the clubhouse and in the community.
Conversation
Chris, Georges and Brent discuss the divisions in our society and the role athletes can play in helping bridge those divides including climate change.
Brent goes deep on the activities of Players for the Planet while also delving into the activities that teams and leagues can play in incorporating sustainability into their operations. He also shares his involvement with community-based programs like the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, where he spent his first 7 big-league seasons.
There’s a little something for everyone, including references to NIL, carbon offsets, the Bengals' DE Sam Hubbard, and how you don’t need to throw a mid-90s heater to be an effective major league pitcher.
For more information regarding the activities of Players for the Planet: https://www.playersfortheplanet.org.
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
ESG and Sustainable Investing the Sun Devil Way
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Chris and Georges talk with Arizona State University CIO Jeff Mindlin about the journey to align investment practices with the sustainability goals and commitments of a large public university.
Guest
Jeff Mindlin, Chief Investment Officer of ASU Enterprise Partners
Background
Arizona State University is known globally for its leadership in sustainability, having been a founding member of the Intentional Endowment Network and the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3).
Investment assets in ASU’s endowment are managed by the Foundation and are overseen by ASU Enterprise Partners. The ASU Foundation has steadily been working alongside ASU to elevate sustainable, responsible, and impact investing approaches into the endowment strategy. The ASU Foundation’s current investment priorities are centered on climate and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Conversation
Chris, Georges and Jeff discuss a topics that range from the governance of the Foundation to implementation through the use of an outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO).
Jeff shares perspectives on how various university stakeholders are involved in shaping policies via the ESG Sub-Committee. He also provides insights on the benefits of launching an ESG strategy through a separate pool of assets, the role of hedge funds in implementing climate strategies, and the incorporation of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) factors.
For more information, see the highlights from ASU’s impact report released earlier this year: https://www.intentionalendowments.org/asu_investing_report
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Endowments and Investor Responsibility: UVIMCO’s Journey
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Chris and George talk with UVIMCO’s Cornelia Horner for insights on how one of the largest and most well-respected endowment managers committed to and is implementing a responsible investment strategy.
Guest
Cornelia Horner, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Communications Lead at the University of Virginia Investment Management Company (UVIMCO).
Background
Colleges and universities are at the forefront of education and research on issues such as sustainability and climate change. Not surprisingly, endowments of those institutions are being engaged, often pressed, by its stakeholders to align investment strategies with the beliefs and carbon neutrality commitments of the university at large.
UVIMCO has always considered environmental, social, and governance issues as part of its due diligence process for investments, but prior to 2021, had not formalized such practices in its investment policies. UVIMCO recognized the growing need to address climate change more directly and to align with the University of Virginia’s ongoing leadership and commitment to sustainability.
Conversation
The discussion ranges from policy development to implementation, and the practical challenges of aligning ESG, net zero and DE&I with the endowment’s primary responsibility of generating returns to support the broader university mission.
Cornelia describes the benefits and challenges of establishing policies that integrate ESG broadly, and climate and DE&I specifically, into what is a proven investment process for selecting managers.
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Taking Inventory: The State of Sustainable Investing
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Friday Nov 25, 2022
In their inaugural Beyond Carbon episode, Georges Dyer (Intentional Endowments Network) and Chris Ito (FFI Solutions) reflect on COP27 and discuss what makes them hopeful, and skeptical, about the future of sustainable investing. They also provide a preview of future episodes.
Highlights include news and activities across the investment landscape that both support and give pause to the notion that sustainable investing will continue its growth trajectory.
Supporting factors:
The increasing number of institutions who have committed to “do something” whether it be engage, divest, integrate ESG, align portfolios with net zero targets, or incorporate DEIJ.
Significant momentum in market-driven shifts, - the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in the US.
Challenges slowing implementation:
Lack of common, generally accepted definitions for the various approaches to sustainable investing. The recent anti-ESG attacks highlight the lack of understanding.
Data quality and reliability that preventing investors from taking action.
Uncertainty around whether sustainable investing is going to help long-term risk-adjusted performance.
Future Episodes - Guests (and perhaps skeptics) that will give perspectives on these and other debates that are emerging among capital allocators:
Ecomodernism vs. environmentalism.
Green growth vs. de-growth.
Are carbon capture technologies a solution or greenwashing?
What about carbon offsets?
And are fossil fuel companies really transitioning?
Beyond Carbon
Risks created by climate change are complex and multi-faceted. The intersection of science, policy, changing societal norms, notions of equity and politics makes projecting and then solving the climate crisis challenging.
This podcast unpacks climate change and climate justice through the lens of finance and investing, helping to inform institutions and everyday savers on what it means to adopt sustainable policies. Best practices are evolving and there is no one size-fits-all approach to determining the best path.
Our hosts, Georges Dyer and Chris Ito will hold discussions with thought leaders from a range of disciplines that will help investors form their own opinions on how to allocate capital in a more sustainable fashion.