logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2022
54m 45s

The Changing Future of ESG Investing

Wood Mackenzie
About this episode

Today, we’re following the money. Where does investment go in order to build a zero-carbon future? Where does the money get used, and where does it not?

This week Ed is joined by Emily Chasan, Director of Communications at Generate Capital, and Shanu Mathew, Vice-President of Sustainable Investing and Net Zero Research at Lazard Asset Management.

There are now trillions of dollars of capital in the market, aligned with the goal of getting to net zero. But in the past few months we’ve seen a backlash from politicians, regulators and even in the investment industry itself. The idea of climate-focused investing has been under attack in a broader pushback against the concept of ESG investing. The gang examine why this is, how the landscape is changing and how we can solve the issue of short-term pressures competing with long-term climate goals.

Next up, we switch our focus to the billionaire Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes, and his bid to takeover legacy gas provider AGL in Australia. Is this the future of ESG investing?

Finally the gang examine President Biden’s use of powers under the Defense Production Act to boost clean energy. What are the implications of the government stepping in to try to direct the private sector to support climate goals?

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @theenergygang and let us know what you thought of today's episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 19
Petrostates, electrostates, and the energy transition. Gerard Reid of the Redefining Energy podcast visits the Energy Gang
Is the global transition to low-carbon energy accelerating or slowing down? One answer is that it depends where you look. In the US, energy policy has shifted away from support for low-carbon technologies, but China is continuing with record installations of solar, wind, and batt ... Show More
1h 3m
Aug 5
Planning the grid to meet future energy demand | A discussion on the future of the grid, AI, energy innovation, and delivering the electricity supply we will need in the coming decades
The grid “is designed for the core components - supplying electricity - but we are definitely pushing it to its limits,” says Melissa Lott, Partner for energy technologies at Microsoft*. The electricity grid has been described as one of the greatest achievements of human civilisa ... Show More
1h 11m
Jul 22
What will energy look like 5 years after the 'Big Beautiful Bill?' The Energy Gang report from 2030.
In this episode, we take a trip in a time machine, five years into the future. 2030 has been set as a deadline for many climate goals, and is a milestone for checking progress towards a low-carbon energy system. Ed Crooks, Amy Myers Jaffe and Melissa Lott imagine themselves five ... Show More
1h 14m
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
The Four Horsemen of the Energy Transition: Where’s The Money Going?
Solar, wind, hydrogen and nuclear – we need more investment in these renewables, but where can the money come from? In 2022, worldwide investment in renewables hit almost half a trillion dollars. Investment in solar – the largest sector - jumped 36% to 308 billion. Investment in ... Show More
55m 28s
Jul 2022
Money Talks: The backlash against ESG
One of the hottest areas of investing in recent years has been ESG: using environmental, social, and governance metrics as ways to assess potential investments. But the idea that you can make profits with purpose has recently come under pressure. Elon Musk has called ESG a scam; ... Show More
43m 43s
Jul 2022
Money Talks: The backlash against ESG
One of the hottest areas of investing in recent years has been ESG: using environmental, social, and governance metrics as ways to assess potential investments. But the idea that you can make profits with purpose has recently come under pressure. Elon Musk has called ESG a scam; ... Show More
43m 43s
Jan 2024
What Donald Trump’s return means for US climate ambition
Tom Steyer is a hedge-fund billionaire who made his money investing in distressed assets, including fossil fuel projects. He’s also an avowed climate activist and a major donor to US politicians seeking to tackle climate change. After a short-lived run for president, Steyer in 20 ... Show More
30m 45s
Nov 2022
Stephan Kessler: What Does the Future Hold for ESG Investing?
Critics of sustainable investing have said that Environmental, Social, and Governance strategies require investors to sacrifice long-term returns, but is this really the case? ----- Transcript ----- Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Stephan Kessler, Morgan Stanley's Global H ... Show More
3m 29s
Dec 2022
Two Indicators: The fight over ESG investing
"ESG" investing – Environmental, Social, Governance – has attracted a lot of attention from investors, and from Republican politicians who call it "woke investing." On today's show, what the fight over ESG reveals about the potential and limitations of sustainable investing. Subs ... Show More
21m 38s
Nov 2021
Silicon Valley and the climate crisis
As the world focuses its attention on climate, we’re looking to the money that could create real change. Venture capital is the type of financing that can take new ideas to the mass market and it’s finally looking to fund clean, green tech. First, to understand how start-ups go a ... Show More
18m 26s
May 2021
Jigar Shah Has $40 Billion. What Will He Do With It?
The US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office might be the most talked about -- and yet least understood -- part of the federal government’s efforts to support climate tech. It has already invested more than $35 billion in everything from Tesla's first big factory to the fir ... Show More
51m 19s
Jun 2023
2418: British Gas Zero: The Technology Building a Sustainable Energy Future
Andrew Middleton from British Gas Zero joins me on this episode of Tech Talks Daily.  Andrew plays a pivotal role in a venture dedicated to installing, managing, and supporting EV chargers, heat pumps, and smart home technologies. These innovations are helping pave the way to a d ... Show More
24m 33s
Nov 2022
Money Talks: The tech reckoning
Most of America’s biggest technology firms are having a bad time - and not just the ones who have been recently acquired by a mercurial billionaire. More than $1tn has been wiped from their market value in recent weeks. Is the sell-off just investor jitters? Or is it a symptom of ... Show More
35m 28s