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
Sep 30
How can the grid help AI, and how can AI help the grid? Live from NYU at New York Climate Week, featuring leaders from Nvidia and Amazon | Energy Gang Live from Climate Week
Recorded in front of a packed room at NYU’s Kimmel Center during Climate Week NYC, Ed Crooks and Amy Myers Jaffe moderate a debate on the high-stakes topic of AI and energy. They dig deep into the questions raised by the surge of investment in data centers: what it means for grid ... Show More
1h 8m
Sep 26
What do China’s climate commitments mean for energy?
For COP30, the international climate talks in Brazil in November, the countries of the world are supposed to roll out their new Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs: their commitments to cut emissions. China’s NDC is particularly eagerly awaited: it is the world’s largest ... Show More
50m 41s
Sep 25
Everyone is talking (again!) about a coming revival in nuclear power. What needs to change to make it happen? | More from New York Climate Week
At Climate Week NYC continues, the hottest topic is the question of how to meet growing demand for electricity while cutting emissions. In New York State, electricity use is expected to increase by 25% over the next 15 years. To meet that demand, the state plans to add tens of gi ... Show More
47m 50s
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