Author: Sureita Hockley

We reached out to leading experts in the ESG investing industry to find out their responses, and this is what we found…

QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?

ANSWERTonderai Njowera, Senior Partner, ImpactVest Global Advisory

ANSWERYes, it makes absolute sense! It aids in social esteem building, yielding collective long-term social, environmental, and economic dividends for those less exposed to opportunity and for the entire society, the global society.

QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?

ANSWERRupini Deepa Rajagopalan, Head of ESG Office at Berenberg

ANSWERIt is really simple in my view, investing in areas that have positive change indirectly also creates positive returns. Why? Because companies that advocate for issues such as social justice or promote social values, just means intrinsically they are built upon a culture that promotes long-term stability and even inclusion. Which is why I believe in investing in our values and coin the term “Finance with a heart”.

QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?

ANSWERKlarissa Nura, Research Analyst, ImpactVest Metrics

ANSWERIn a capitalist society, the allocation is the principle tool to create an equitable world for society and the planet where race, gender, economics and climate change is carefully considered.

QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?

ANSWEROlivia E. Knight, Racial Justice Initiative Manager at As You Sow

ANSWERInvesting in social justice is an investment in the future; corporations exist in a symbiotic relationship with the communities they serve and this relationship must be just and equitable to be healthy. Investors serve as a company’s liaison to the community and can exert a direct influence on corporate policies by promoting social justice. An investment in social justice is an investment in the community, and a healthy thriving community is essential to sustainable corporate success.

QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?

ANSWER Jennifer Priest, Content Strategist at Xactly Design & Advertising Inc.

ANSWERInvesting in social justice does make a difference…certainly to the lives of the people who benefit from improved situations. But there are also ripple effects into other areas. For example, in alleviating poverty, if individuals have more economic power they have more choice, and can buy products/services that are more sustainable vs what’s cheapest. Another thing to consider are the costs of allowing negative situations to continue (often hard to quantify, I admit).

QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?

ANSWERHarold Overholm, CEO at Alight

ANSWERInvesting in social justice can mean many things, but being from Sweden where education is free, I believe a fundamental investment in social justice is education accessible for all. The possibilities of childrens’ futures should not be dependent on for example the financial capability of their parents. Societies benefit from having that equal opportunity for higher education where everyone can go get a PhD (like myself)

We reached out to leading experts in the ESG investing industry to find out their responses, and this is what we found…

QUESTIONWind Power’s role in the renewable energy transition: what are the risks and opportunities?

ANSWERWendy Green– Principal Specialist, Low Carbon Energy Incubation Solutions by SASOL

ANSWERGreen hydrogen is critical for the decarbonization roadmap for many hard to abate sectors such as steel and manufacturing. The green hydrogen value chain uses electricity to deconstruct water into hydrogen and oxygen. Wind power is an excellent source of renewable power for green hydrogen plants, and is a major cost of green hydrogen.

QUESTIONWind Power’s role in the renewable energy transition: what are the risks and opportunities?

ANSWERPeter Fusaro, Founder, Wall Street Green Summit

ANSWERWind power has made tremendous strides in reducing its cost and is now globally deployed to fight climate change. Offshore wind is now ramping up with projects as varied as the US East Coast and Taiwan. Norway’s Equinor is deploying $50 billion for offshore wind projects by 2024. Germany’s Siemens has made technological breakthroughs in induction wind which does not have a gearbox and reduces operating costs. We are at the dawn of the golden age of wind power to be globally distributed.

QUESTIONWind Power’s role in the renewable energy transition: what are the risks and opportunities?

ANSWERMegahan Petersen, Management consultant and board advisor for ESG/Sustainability

ANSWERWind power will be essential in renewable energy investments. There needs to be a diversified renewable energy source mix for reliable delivery and wind is an essential part of that. Its cost structure provides an affordable entry into renewables which will be critical for any company or country that has committed to net zero or low carbon transition.

QUESTIONWind Power’s role in the renewable energy transition: what are the risks and opportunities?

ANSWERPooja Khosla, Executive Vice President Client & Product Development at Entelligent

ANSWERWe are living in the world of climate urgency. Where both speed and scalability matters. With wind power we have constraints both on speed and scalability.  Speed because it may take up to 10 years from project idea to project execution. Scalability because windiest sites are often far from the cities that consume most electricity.  The most recent energy crisis in Europe is attributed to The Wind Turbine fallouts. These fallouts are classic examples of hurdles that other nations could face as they ramp up their reliance on renewable power if the balance between speed and scalability is not met.

We reached out to leading experts in the ESG investing industry to find out their responses, and this is what we found…

QUESTIONAre you optimistic that we are making progress in ensuring that we will have clean, usable water in the future?

ANSWERTyler Wood, Director of ESG & Sustainability at Gravitas Carbotura

ANSWERI’m a naturally optimistic person but unfortunately we’ll be seeing mass migrations due to water quality and scarcity in our lifetimes within the United States. There are already examples we are seeing in other countries and this is just the beginning. We are making great progress with tremendous efficiencies and technologies, but not to the scale necessary. There is far too much water waste and ultimately not sustainable for our generations to come. 

QUESTIONAre you optimistic that we are making progress in ensuring that we will have clean, usable water in the future

ANSWERThomas Schumann, Thomas Schumann Capital

ANSWERI am an optimist. In answer to your question only Benjamin Franklin comes to mind: “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” (Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1746)

QUESTION Are you optimistic that we are making progress in ensuring that we will have clean, usable water in the future?

ANSWERMark Gero Partner GEA@27^TM Oceanic Carbon Capture Protocol

ANSWERNo, I am not.  In the distant future, maybe. In the near future having clean usable water for all is unlikely, if we continue in the direction we are going today. The very rich will have it…. eventually.  The masses will fight and die for it.

We reached out to leading experts in the ESG investing industry to find out their responses, and this is what we found…

QUESTIONWhat are the challenges and investment opportunities we face as we move toward electric mobility?

ANSWERKarl Brauer, Executive Vice President at CarExpert.com

ANSWERThe move toward EV mobility is inevitable, but the rate and timeframe of this shift will be difficult to predict. Multiple variables, including government incentives, fuel prices, infrastructure build out, battery costs, and the health of the economy, will all play critical roles. So while it’s clear we’ve moved from an “if” to a “when” scenario, the “when” will likely take 10-15 years. Keeping investment in EVs proportional to this shift over the next decade will be the challenge across the industry.

QUESTIONWhat are the challenges and investment opportunities we face as we move toward electric mobility?

ANSWERTonderai Leonel Njowera, Senior Partner, ImpactVest Global Advisory

ANSWERNew energy sources coupled with innovations in cloud computing technologies are changing the entire transport industry. Challenges are associated with the availability, sustainable extraction and distribution of mineral and other resources associated with electric vehicles and necessary associated infrastructure. However, as performance and safety improves and battery costs fall, sales of electric vehicles are growing with numbers increasing from approximately 3 million electric vehicles to over 1 billion by 2050, when 75% of passenger car activity (passenger-kilometres), would be provided by electric vehicles under the Remap Case.

ANSWERThis makes investments along the entire electric vehicles value chain bankable in the run up to a carbon neutral economy by 2050, for both current auto companies, energy companies and startups too.

QUESTIONWhat are the challenges and investment opportunities we face as we move toward electric mobility?

ANSWERLiubov Volkowva, PhD, MBA, MS; Energy Markets and Sustainability at CIMA Energy, Mitsubishi Corp.

ANSWERThe EV market has grown at about 60% per year globally, topping 2.1 million in 2019. While the COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary decrease in the use of vehicles and disrupted the automobile industry, it has boosted consumer interest in all-electric and hybrid electric vehicles (McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, March 2021). The key challenges and opportunities associated with the rapidly growing electric mobility market are changing consumer attitudes, drastically varying by region, EV charging infrastructure, regulatory changes, and battery technology and manufacturing, which primarily drive EV prices. In addition, the micromobility subsector, including electric bikes, scooters, and skateboards, with the $5.7 billion already invested since 2015, will continue expanding and present new opportunities for investors.

QUESTIONWhat are the challenges and investment opportunities we face as we move toward electric mobility?

ANSWERLiana LE, Junior Market Analyst at Kayrros

ANSWERI believe we are in the midst of a pivotal point in history for electric mobility, especially as we recover from a pandemic that left many of us rethinking our individual impact while we were locked up. The EV market is hitting full speed with growing consumer demand for electric vehicles that are equipped with innovative technology and automation. Investment opportunities will arise as more companies shift their portfolios and investments to focus on green tech and disruptive technologies. Tax incentives and subsidies will still make or break the challenge of EV infrastructure and operating costs. There are also concerns on supply meeting demand as we are seeing increasing costs of raw materials that are needed for batteries. In the end, with enough investments to further develop R&D in existing companies and as new startups arise to make electric transportation more feasible, we will inevitably reach the goals of shifting into an electric mobile world. 

QUESTIONWhat are the challenges and investment opportunities we face as we move toward electric mobility?

ANSWERJuliana Ennes, Communications and Strategy Development Consultant specialized in Renewable Energy

ANSWERWidespread adoption of electric vehicles in the United States faces challenges that go beyond what tax incentives can do. The public needs information.

ANSWERPeople and goods moving around the US by cars, trucks, trains, ships, airplanes and other vehicles account for 29% of the country’s GHG emissions. Over half of the transport-related emissions come from passenger vehicles and trucks with internal combustion engines.

ANSWERBoth public and private sectors aim at tackling this issue with electric vehicles. The Biden administration’s American Jobs Plan includes $174 billion towards encouraging Americans to switch to electric cars and trucks. In parallel, major car automakers have announced goals to phase out internal combustion engines. However, today EVs account for only 1.8% of new light-duty vehicles sold in the US.

ANSWERThere is a perception that costs are too high, even though studies show that albeit upfront costs are actually higher, in a lifetime of the vehicle this is offset by lower costs with maintenance and fuel.

ANSWERIt is true that batteries need more research and that the energy mix of the country and state where the car is being charged can elevate the carbon footprint of EVs. But studies show that even with coal and gas-power generation in the mix, EVs still can have a carbon footprint up to 40% lower than internal combustion engines.

ANSWERElectric vehicles are not a panacea and transport plans should still prioritize public transportation and bike infrastructure, but the switch is more than welcome and the technology is already there. 

We reached out to leading experts in the ESG investing industry to find out their responses, and this is what we found…

QUESTIONA Year Like No Other – What have we learned? How far have we come? What do we see ahead?

ANSWERCarolyn Eagle, Senior Product Manager, Sustainable Investment at FTSE Russell

ANSWERWhen the United States reentered the Paris Agreement, it signaled its commitment to the global decarbonization of the economy – net zero – by the middle of this century. But large institutional investors, most of whom are broadly invested across the entire economy, are left to determine how their portfolios can reach net zero by 2050. We’ve found that many large investors cannot simply divest from oil and gas companies – and some may not be willing to. Instead, their challenge becomes determining which companies – across all sectors – are most prepared for the transition to a decarbonized world.

QUESTIONA Year Like No Other – What have we learned? How far have we come? What do we see ahead?

ANSWERGwen Le Berre, Director of Responsible Investing at Parametric Portfolio Associates

ANSWERWhile some feared that ESG was going to be sidelined by the pandemic, we experienced the exact opposite with investors better appreciating the impact that systematic ESG risks can have on the entire market. With a renewed 2020 focus on diversity, inequality, and climate change, we are continuing to see investor interest go beyond equities and into the fixed income and liquid alternatives space.

QUESTIONA Year Like No Other – What have we learned? How far have we come? What do we see ahead?

ANSWERAlexeyErmakov – Impact driven entrepreneur, Co-Founder of Impala Hub

ANSWERWhat have we learned? Clearly, it may take a bit of time for a widely accepted and globally recognized impact measurement framework to be developed, evidence and verification of impact serve well when assessing impact opportunities.

ANSWERHow far have we come? Both conventional and unconventional financial players are more committed than ever to provide “responsible” capital and are on active search for new emerging opportunities with impact-driven activity/business. Yet exposure of micro, small and medium impact-driven enterprises remains limited and fragmented.

QUESTIONA Year Like No Other – What have we learned? How far have we come? What do we see ahead?

ANSWERNimet Vural – Business Student, Bogazici University; Istanbul, Turkey

ANSWERAs far as I know, the impact of Covid-19 in 2020 jeopardizes the progress of the 2030 agenda for UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Before the current crisis, Less Developed Countries (LDCs) were struggling to achieve the SDGs. The Socio-Economic impacts of the Covid-19 require an ever more forward-looking perspective to build a better and greener future.

ANSWERMeeting the UNSDGs financing objectives will require a coordinated, many-sided, response and the use of innovative tools and risk mitigation instruments. Blended finance can help to catalyze much needed additional resources for SDG-aligned projects that private investors would otherwise overlook. Blended Finance can leverage digital technologies, finance the ‘missing middle’ gap, and address market failures that prevent LDCs from financing their development needs and reaching the most vulnerable populations.

ANSWERThe latest data shows that too little private finance is mobilised for investment in LDCs. A decline due to the global economic recession and less public revenues risks endangering gains and beneficial trends that have been made in the past few years.

QUESTIONA Year Like No Other – What have we learned? How far have we come? What do we see ahead?

ANSWERSarmad Kashan ali- Pharm.d (Doctor of pharmacy) MBA

ANSWERI believe that the impact of covid.19 on the global economy, as well as environmental and sustainability related issues, are viewed in a similar perspective by the decision makers and provide insight and opportunities in this year like no other. In ESG Investing we have to focus more on green bonds, which provide the opportunity to invest in a lower risk instrument with a constructive purpose of creating good in the society. Companies, governments, and municipalities can develop a competitive edge and raise much-needed capital. Key investments should be in renewable energy, green buildings (energy-efficient buildings), water investments, agriculture investments, (Biofuel), and technology projects such as the use of broadband and its potential to reduce emissions.

ANSWERAll stakeholders should understand and folloow the EU taxonomy governed by universal rules and regulations for all countries. Violation of these regulations should require heavy fines to be paid to global environmental funds. Together we can conserve the resources for our future generations in order to make Earth a better place to live.