Todd Cort on the links between sustainability metrics and financial performance*

In this new ESG Quick Takes episode, host Isabel Verkes speaks to Yale University’s Todd Cort on the links between sustainability metrics and financial performance.

Despite various studies over the past decade showing a correlation between financial returns and ESG performance, do we have sufficient data showing the causal links explaining that relationship? Dr. Cort discusses some of the challenges around ESG and financial materiality, and how the debate is continuing to evolve.

Faculty Director of Yale University’s sustainability program, Dr. Cort works at the intersection of sustainability and investor value. Over the course of 20 years, in consulting and academia, he has applied a scientific and economic lens to corporate social and environmental responsibility (or sustainability) in order to identify the tools, mechanisms, metrics and indicators that create the greatest value for investors, businesses and society.

Damilola Ogunbiyi on Clean Energy in Emerging Markets

Energy access and clean energy development in emerging markets will be at the forefront of COP28 this year. In this episode, ESG Book’s Isabel Verkes speaks to Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (UN SRSG) for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. Ahead of COP, listen to Damilola’s expert take on why there is a lot to win on clean energy access in emerging markets, and why we have many reasons to be hopeful.

For more info on Sustainable Energy for All, click here.

 

The next ESG reporting challenge

In this latest ESG Quick Takes podcast episode, ESG Book’s Isabel Verkes speaks to Tata Consultancy Service’s Navin Rauniar about how multi-sector and emerging market companies approach ESG differently. How can sustainability data be more standardized? What are the limits to that standardization – given the different business environments across the globe? Nav shares his observations, including those based on his work leading sustainability within TCS and the Tata Group.

ESG as common sense

In this latest ESG Quick Takes podcast episode, ESG Book’s Isabel Verkes speaks to Georg Kell, Founding Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact. In this episode, Georg tells the story of the creation of the Global Compact, which he established as the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative, and discusses the evolution of ESG as well as the trends that will shape the future of the sustainability and net-zero transition.

ESG Quick Takes 10 – Making an impact through climate VC investing

Peter Fox-Penner is a partner and Chief Impact Officer at Climate VC firm Energy Impact Partners (EIP), where he directs all ESG and impact measurement, helps EIP’s portfolio companies to improve their ESG performance, and collaborates with EIP’s limited partners to accelerate their clean energy transitions. He is also a founding member of Project Frame, a coalition of leading PE firms developing impact reporting guidelines, and co-founder and senior fellow of the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability.  He is also a Senior Advisor to the Brattle Group. 

He previously served as a Senior Advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.

He has served on the boards and advisory boards of numerous companies, including EOS Energy Storage (EOSE), Gridpoint, the Global Energy Group (GHG), and Lighting Retrofit, Inc (now Envocore).

Peter now serves on the global leadership council of the World Resources Institute and on the advisory boards of Mobility Impact Partners, the Rail Electrification Council,  and the Boston University IMAP program, a collaboration between industry and academia to improve ESG metrics

To learn more from Peter’s views, his book Smart Power: Climate Change, the Smart Grid, and the Future of Electric Utilities (Island Press, 2010) and its sequel Power After Carbon: Building a Clean, Resilient Grid (Harvard University Press, 2020) give a detailed and fascinating insight on the energy system in its complexity. His research has been widely cited, including in one Supreme Court decision.

Peter’s firm, EIP is a lead investor of ESG Book.

DISCLAIMER

ESG Book, registered with Companies House under Company No. FC035689 and UK establishment no. BR020774, and with registered office at Fifth Floor, Jamestown Wharf, 32 Jamestown Road London, NW1 7BY, is the UK branch of ESG Book GmbH, a limited liability company organized under the laws of Germany, with registered number HRB 113087 in the commercial register of the court of Frankfurt am Main, and having its seat and head office at Zeppelinallee 15, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

PROFESSIONAL ADVICE – This podcast is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. If professional advice is required, services of a competent professional should be sought. THIRD PARTY INFORMATION – Certain information contained in this podcast has been obtained from sources outside ESG Book. While such information is believed to be reliable for the purposes used herein, no representations are made as to the accuracy or completeness thereof and none of ESG Book or its affiliates accepts any responsibility for such information. RELIANCE – ESG Book makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, and accepts no liability for any loss, of whatever kind, howsoever arising, in relation thereto, and nothing contained herein should be relied upon. TRADEMARK – “ESG Book” and other words or symbols in this document that identify ESG Book products and services are product and service marks of ESG Book. Other words or symbols in this document that identify other parties’ goods or services are the trademarks or service marks of those other parties. VIEWS EXPRESSED – Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the speaker, and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of ESG Book. ENQUIRIES – Any enquiries in respect of this podcast should be addressed to ESG Book or its affiliates.

ESG Quick Takes 8 – COP27 Debrief: What investors should know.

COP27 meetings in Egypt just wrapped up last week, and much has been discussed. Alex Money, was at COP27 and has the latest for us. He is with Oxford University, leading the Innovative Infrastructure Investment (in3) program, after a long career in fund management. We speak with Alex to understand what we should take away from this COP, and how this links with sustainable investing. Despite the many conversations among world leaders, critics point out the risk of too much talk and too little action on financing the transition in the face of climate change. Where has progress been made this COP? What is still left on the table? Alex is the one to tell us.”

DISCLAIMER

ESG Book, registered with Companies House under Company No. FC035689 and UK establishment no. BR020774, and with registered office at Fifth Floor, Jamestown Wharf, 32 Jamestown Road London, NW1 7BY, is the UK branch of ESG Book GmbH, a limited liability company organized under the laws of Germany, with registered number HRB 113087 in the commercial register of the court of Frankfurt am Main, and having its seat and head office at Zeppelinallee 15, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

PROFESSIONAL ADVICE – This podcast is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. If professional advice is required, services of a competent professional should be sought. NOT AN OFFER – The information on this podcast is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice nor a recommendation to buy, sell or otherwise transact in any investment. THIRD PARTY INFORMATION – Certain information contained in this podcast has been obtained from sources outside ESG Book. While such information is believed to be reliable for the purposes used herein, no representations are made as to the accuracy or completeness thereof and none of ESG Book or its affiliates accepts any responsibility for such information. RELIANCE – ESG Book makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, and accepts no liability for any loss, of whatever kind, howsoever arising, in relation thereto, and nothing contained herein should be relied upon. VIEWS EXPRESSED – Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the speaker, and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of ESG Book. ENQUIRIES – Any enquiries in respect of this podcast should be addressed to ESG Book or its affiliates.

 

ESG Quick Takes 5: All the Problems with ESG Investing

For episode 5 of our ESG Quick Takes podcast, we explore ESG from a capital market perspective.

Guest description:

Mark Zurack teaches investing courses at Columbia Business School, and Cornell University, including ESG investing. Prior to this, Zurack worked at Goldman Sachs for 18 years where he started Goldman’s equity derivatives business and led its international expansion. His capital markets background gives him an interesting take on ESG, which we discuss in this podcast.

 

 

DISCLAIMER

ESG Book is the trading name of Arabesque S-Ray GmbH, UK Branch. Arabesque S-Ray GmbH, UK Branch, registered with Companies House under Company No. FC035689 and UK establishment no. BR020774, and with registered office at Fifth Floor, Jamestown Wharf, 32 Jamestown Road London, NW1 7BY, is the UK branch of Arabesque S-Ray GmbH, a limited liability company organized under the laws of Germany, with registered number HRB 113087 in the commercial register of the court of Frankfurt am Main, and having its seat and head office at Zeppelinallee 15, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

NOT AN OFFER – The information on this podcast is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice nor a recommendation to buy, sell or otherwise transact in any investment. RELIANCE – ESG Book makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, and accepts no liability for any loss, of whatever kind, howsoever arising, in relation thereto, and nothing contained herein should be relied upon. CONFIDENTIALITY – This podcast has been prepared on a confidential basis solely for the use and benefit of the recipient. No confidentiality nor privilege is waived nor lost by any error in transmission.  If you are not the intended recipient (or have received this communication in error), you must not read, copy, forward, nor print this communication nor any attachment, use them for any purpose, nor disclose their contents to any other person. VIEWS EXPRESSED – Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the guest speaker, and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of ESG Book. ENQUIRIES – Any enquiries in respect of this podcast should be addressed to ESG Book or its affiliates.

ESG Quick Takes 3: Can crypto be sustainable?

In this episode of our Sustainable Finance Quick Takes podcast, we talk about the efforts around making crypto more sustainable. Our guest is Doug Miller who is working on renewable energy solutions for crypto miners and exchanges. Doug’s work is also with the Crypto Climate Accord, a private sector-led initiative for the crypto community that recently published a reporting guidance for emissions and energy usage from crypto. For more context behind the debate on crytpos’ sustainability, see this FT interview with Doug, and the Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index.

Guest description:

Our guest for Quick Takes episode #3 is Doug Miller. Doug has had several roles in the renewable energy space, combined with blockchain. After four years at Energy Web developing blockchain solutions for energy transition needs, he recently became deputy director at the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) and is a co-founder of Zero Labs, a new startup grown out of Energy Web. Zero Labs will proceed to build a public tokenized renewable energy marketplace to boost market access, starting with crypto buyers. Check his twitter for the latest updates.

DISCLAIMER

ESG Book is the trading name of Arabesque S-Ray GmbH, UK Branch. Arabesque S-Ray GmbH, UK Branch, registered with Companies House under Company No. FC035689 and UK establishment no. BR020774, and with registered office at Fifth Floor, Jamestown Wharf, 32 Jamestown Road London, NW1 7BY, is the UK branch of Arabesque S-Ray GmbH, a limited liability company organized under the laws of Germany, with registered number HRB 113087 in the commercial register of the court of Frankfurt am Main, and having its seat and head office at Zeppelinallee 15, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

NOT AN OFFER – The information on this podcast is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice nor a recommendation to buy, sell or otherwise transact in any investment. RELIANCE – ESG Book makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, and accepts no liability for any loss, of whatever kind, howsoever arising, in relation thereto, and nothing contained herein should be relied upon. CONFIDENTIALITY – This podcast has been prepared on a confidential basis solely for the use and benefit of the recipient. No confidentiality nor privilege is waived nor lost by any error in transmission.  If you are not the intended recipient (or have received this communication in error), you must not read, copy, forward, nor print this communication nor any attachment, use them for any purpose, nor disclose their contents to any other person. VIEWS EXPRESSED – Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the guest speaker, and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of ESG Book. ENQUIRIES – Any enquiries in respect of this podcast should be addressed to ESG Book or its affiliates.