1. Who has had the greatest impact on sustainable investment over the last twelve months?
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- There are so many great investors who have been committed to RI for years, but Larry Fink stepped up this year, at last. His letter at the start of the year means companies who previously felt they could ignore responsible investors as a noisy minority are now really feeling the pressure.
2. Where have you seen the biggest change in your day-to-day role over the past three months?
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- I have recently started focusing more on reducing the emissions of our real estate portfolio in line with our 2050 net zero commitment. I’ve been going back to my sustainability consulting roots, which makes a nice addition to the bulk of my work engaging public equities on climate change.
3. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your thinking around sustainable investment?
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- Even during peak lockdown global emissions only dropped a maximum of 20%, showing that structural, policy and technology-led decarbonisation is required to tackle the bulk of emissions; personal lifestyle changes can only go so far. This has emphasised the importance of the responsible investor voice at COP 26 and in ensuring government stimulus packages have “green” strings attached.
4. What would you like to see change within the sustainable investment landscape over the coming years?
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- More uptake of ESG issues from Asian and EM investors, and greater ambition from the major asset managers.