Episodios
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This week on the podcast I’m excited to be joined by Hampus Jakobsson, his career to discover climate-tech has been a wild ride so far and he has a great knack for story-telling, so I’m sure you’re going to enjoy this one.
Hampus is based in Sweden, and he started out as an entrepreneur, bouncing from Sony-Ericsson to Blackberry, building software in the early days of mobile phones, and as he grew to appreciate the incredible power of capital to make big changes in the world, he was slowly drawn to investing.
He resisted opportunities to switch to VC for a long time, but eventually he shifted his views, and he ended up working with some of Europe’s most progressive VCs, but in 2019, when he suggested they explore climate-tech investing, they shook their heads, despite having invested in a swag of wildly innovative startups, they couldn’t get their heads around the idea of investing in climate.
Since then, things have changed dramatically, and climate-tech has emerged as one of the fastest growing themes in early-stage investing.
Hampus Jakobsson went on to launch his own VC fund, it’s called Pale Blue Dot, and has so far invested in some 40 startups, across a range of themes and business models.
In this episode Hampus is really generous with his stories and his insights. He explains his methodology and process for identifying those outlier founders that have, not only an audacious business idea to change the world, but also, the tenacity and grit to push past the obstacles and execute on it.
Hampus has had a dizzying career so far, but after listening to this one, I’m sure you’ll agree that he’s just getting started. He has energy, and a sharp intellect and a passion for climate solutions that’s infectious.
So with that said, let’s get to the episode.
You can find all the show notes and links on the website at Johntreadgold.com.
Enjoy the show! -
We’ve long heard the arguments for how and why Australia should be a leader in renewable energy and decarbonisation, and finally, in the 2024 budget, we saw the Treasurer take decisive action, and chart a course for Australia to become a clean energy superpower.
Of course we’re not there yet, but on the show today I’m joined by Tim Buckley, an esteemed climate commentator who says the latest batch of government funding is a decent down-payment, on a clean-energy future for Australia.
I’m excited to have Tim Buckley with us today, there’s no-one better to help us decipher the climate outcomes from the latest budget.
Tim is the founder and director of Clean Energy Finance, a think-tank that’s laser-focussed on research and advocacy to accelerate the decarbonisation of the Australian economy.
He’s worked in finance for more than 30 years, and was previously the Australasian Director of the global Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
Early in his career he worked at Macquarie group in equity research, and since then he’s been Head of Equity Research in Singapore at Deutsche Bank, and Managing Director, Head of Equity Research at Citigroup.
You can find all the show notes and links on the website at www.Johntreadgold.com
Plus, that’s where you can sign up to my newsletter, your regular feed of impact investing and climate-finance news, as well as fresh startups and investment deals.
Sign up, and follow along.
Enjoy the show! -
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Today’s guest is Clara Barby. She’s been a central player in the impact investment sector for decades. Early on she worked at Acumen, she then moved on to Bridges Fund Management, and she’s currently Senior Partner at Just Climate which was spun-out of Generation Investment Management, the sustainable investment firm launched by none other than Al Gore.
Along the way she’s also helped develop standard setting organisations like the Impact Management Project (the IMP) and the global sustainability accounting body, the ISSB.
Clara’s resume really is quite staggering. There were lots of avenues and tangents that we could have gone down, so we really just scratched the surface today.
We speak about the advancements in the world of ‘Climate-impact investing’ in terms of both the climate-tech companies that are creating disruptive new industrial technologies. But we also get really practical as we explore the emissions measurement models they use at JustClimate to look forward, and forecast, the ‘emissions avoidance’ potential of a company.
This moves beyond the typical approach of relying on backward looking measures of scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. It represents important progress in GHG accounting, and has huge potential as a driver of returns as it unearths exciting new leaders in the new climate-led industrial revolution.
You can find all the show notes and links on the website at www.Johntreadgold.com
Plus, that’s where you can sign up to my newsletter, your regular feed of impact investing and climate-finance news, as well as fresh startups and investment deals. Sign up, and follow along.
Enjoy! -
On the podcast today I have Anjali Nelson, she’s General Manager of Operations at GreenCollar, an environmental markets developer that’s leading not only Australia, but the world, in developing nature-based solutions to combat both climate change and biodiversity loss.
This is the fourth episode in our series of conversations exploring opportunities to ‘invest in natural capital.’ And it was a great opportunity to unpack the structures and benefits of carbon credits, but more importantly, to hear about how this market based mechanism is evolving, to offer benefits beyond just carbon removal, and steer capital towards the conservation and restoration of biodiversity.
GreenCollar has been a pioneer in the space for a long time now, and they’re not slowing down, developing new products and methodologies like Reef Credits, and the new Nature Plus biodiversity credits.
And of course GreenCollar is the sponsor of this series. I’ve followed the progress of this company since its early days when the team earned the backing of some heavy-weight impact investors. It was a moment that shifted my perspective, showing me that environmental markets are both a vital part of the clean energy transition, but also, a potent business sector, with huge growth potential. They proved me right on both counts, and it’s great to have them on board as a partner.
You can find all the show notes and links on the website at www.Johntreadgold.com.
Plus, that’s where you can sign up to my newsletter, your regular feed of impact investing news, as well as fresh startups and investment deals. Sign up, and follow along!
Enjoy the show! -
Today we’re approaching the topic of investing in biodiversity, by speaking to Nigel Sharp, he’s a farmer, but he’s also a businessman and a fund manager. And over the past two decades he’s been a pioneer in the ‘Business of Biodiversity’.
Nigel is a pioneer in this space, the Tiverton investment vehicle has developed a whole range of agricultural projects on land holdings all over Australia, and all with the regeneration of biodiversity at their core.
But that’s not all. He seeded the Dragonfly venture fund, to support early stage climate-tech and regen-ag startups. And, he founded the Odonata Foundation, an environmental charity working to save species from extinction.
Now before we dive into the episode I want say a big thank you to the sponsor of this series, and that’s GreenCollar.
GreenCollar is a developer and innovator of environmental market solutions, they recognise the power of putting a financial value on nature, as an incentive to drive sustainable land management, cleaning up our waterways and avoiding further loss of biodiversity and animal species.
Since launching more than a decade ago, the company has become Australia’s largest developer of nature-based carbon credit projects, and they’re pushing the market forward with schemes like ‘Reef Credits’, which target improved water quality at The Great Barrier Reef.
And their latest innovation is NaturePlus, a new form of biodiversity credits that aim to protect and restore ecosystems around the world. They’re measuring biodiversity outcomes on the ground, with a scientifically rigorous and verifiable methodology, that puts a value on natural capital, to enable investment in the conservation of high value ecosystems.
Reach out to the team at www.GreenCollar.com.au to find out more.
Plus, you can find all the show notes and links on the website at www.johntreadgold.com.
And you can also sign up to the newsletter, to get the notifications on the latest podcast episodes, as well as practical insights about the evolution of impact investing.
Enjoy! -
The past decade has seen huge progress in the way companies analyse their exposure to carbon emissions, but far less effort has been put into understanding the complex interactions companies have with nature, and the risks this poses for investors and the health of our environment.
If we’re to have a hope of reaching net-zero, we need to reverse the trends of biodiversity loss and incentivise companies to assess the risks and opportunities around natural-capital.
On the podcast today we have the perfect guest to discuss this topic, I’m joined by Tony Goldner, he’s the CEO of the TNFD, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, an organisation that was established to try and solve this very problem.
The big news is that this week Tony and his team have published the final version of the TNFD Recommendations. It’s a framework that will give companies and investors alike a clear and uniform model for putting nature on the balance sheet.
Tony’s worked at the helm of the TNFD since it was founded two years ago. He’s originally from Australia, he now lives and works in Europe, and he’s had a fascinating career that spans foreign affairs with DFAT, he’s worked in global finance, he’s been a consultant, and now he’s pulling it all together to convene a mix of stakeholders across the globe and across industries.
It really was a thrill to speak to Tony on such a big week for the TNFD, the recommendations have only been live for a few days, and so in this conversation I did my best to offer a broad overview of the final recommendations, and practical actions to help us integrate them.
And of course this episode is part of a broader series that’s exploring how we can shift our economy to be ‘nature-positive’, so be sure to subscribe so you can follow along.
And a company that’s been central to the ‘nature positive’ mission is GreenCollar, which has come on board to be the sponsor of this series.
GreenCollar is a developer and innovator of environmental market solutions, they recognise the power of putting a financial value on nature, as an incentive to drive sustainable land management, cleaning up our waterways and avoiding further loss of biodiversity and animal species.
Since launching more than a decade ago, the company has become Australia’s largest developer of nature-based carbon credit projects, and they’re pushing the market forward with schemes like ‘Reef Credits’, which target improved water quality at The Great Barrier Reef.
And their latest innovation is NaturePlus, a new form of biodiversity credits that aim to protect and restore ecosystems around the world. They’re measuring biodiversity outcomes on the ground, with a scientifically rigorous and verifiable methodology, that puts a value on natural capital, to enable investment in the conservation of high value ecosystems.
Reach out to the team at www.GreenCollar.com.au to find out more.
And, you can find all the show notes and links on the website at www.johntreadgold.com.
And that’s where you’ll also find the Good future newsletter. Your source of insights and updates about the world of impact investing. You’ll stay up to date on trends, you’ll get access to the latest podcast episodes, and you might just get an early lead on the most exciting and high impact companies and funds.
Enjoy the episode!! -
On the show today we have Rachel Lowry, she’s Chief Conservation Officer at WWF. In this episode she explains why investors need to care about the growing biodiversity crisis, and the challenges of measuring and conserving natural capital.
It says a lot about the sustainable investment movement that finally, conservationists and financial services are working together. To identify hotspots of risk, and establish sustainable models of capital allocation that can drive positive, measurable outcomes.
Rachel is a passionate environmental advocate, but more than that, she’s focussed on solutions, and in this episode we dig into the practical actions that all investors can take to better align their portfolios with the goals of our economy becoming ‘Nature positive’ by the end of the decade.
This is the first in a series of episodes exploring the concept of ‘natural capital’, and to get us there, we have the support of a new Good Future sponsor, GreenCollar.
GreenCollar is a developer and innovator of environmental market solutions, they recognise the power of putting a financial value on nature, as an incentive to drive sustainable land management, cleaning up our waterways and avoiding further loss of biodiversity and animal species.
Since launching more than a decade ago, the company has become Australia’s largest developer of nature-based carbon credit projects, and they’re pushing the market forward with schemes like ‘Reef Credits’, which target improved water quality at The Great Barrier Reef.
And their latest innovation is NaturePlus, a new form of biodiversity credits that aim to protect and restore ecosystems around the world.
Reach out to the team at GreenCollar.com.au to find out more.
You can find all the show notes and links on the website at johntreadgold.com.
And that’s where you’ll also find the Good future newsletter. Your source of insights and updates about the world of sustainable investing.
You’ll stay up to date on trends, you’ll get access to the latest podcast episodes, and you might just get an early lead on the most exciting and high impact companies and funds.
Enjoy the episode! -
We’re moving from theory to practice with Ben Krasnostein and Dr Jodi York from Kilara Capital.
They’re an impact investing powerhouse and today, we’re digging into the models and frameworks they employ, but more importantly, how their impact approach can help to both drive-down greenhouse gas emissions, while also boosting financial returns.
Ben is founder and managing director of the investment management firm, Kilara Capital. He was born and bred in Melbourne, and after a stint in legal practice he found himself drawn towards business, investing and doing deals. He opened the doors to Kilara in 2017.
And Dr Jodi York is Chief Impact Officer, she joined the team in 2020. She’s originally from San Francisco and she found herself in Melbourne via a stint in New Zealand.
These two are the ideal guests for this, the third episode in my podcast series exploring the current inflection point that’s seeing impact measurement and management frameworks harmonise and consolidate and for investors that means it’s now easier than ever to use impact principles when allocating capital.
Kilara has recently published its inaugural impact report, and we’ll dig into the very progressive models they used to compare their impact performance to a global baseline. As well as the impact hurdle that commits the firm to reduce C02e emissions by 15%, with a hit to the firm’s carry if they don’t achieve it.
This was a really great conversation, packed full of practical insights about leading impact practice in Australia.
And to go even deeper on the topic: this episode will be part of my IMM Special Report that’s coming soon, so sign up to my mailing list at www.Johntreadgold.com, so you don’t miss it.
A quick disclaimer, nothing in this podcast is financial advice. Please do seek your own professional advice before making investment decisions.
Enjoy! -
In today’s episode we’ve got Sarah Gelfand on the show, she’s Managing Director of BlueMark, an impact verification business that was spun-out of consulting firm Tideline.
She works with the world’s leading impact investors, to verify their impact results across both their management practices and their impact performance. And most recently she authored a report called ‘Raising the Bar’, which attempts to improve the quality of impact reports, which is vital, as there’s more being published than ever.
Sarah has her finger on the pulse of leading practice in impact measurement and management. Her clients are some of the world’s leading impact players, and as a consultant she gets to ‘look under the hood’ of all sorts of investors that are all at different stages of their impact journey.
She offers lots of great insights in this conversation, helping us understand how various impact frameworks fit together, the importance of being guided by a central strategy, as well as her hopes for the emergence of more reliable impact data to help us move beyond rhetoric and to drive better impact performance.
This was the second episode in my series of discussions exploring the current state of Impact Measurement and Management, and how the harmonisation of leading frameworks represents a powerful inflection point.
I’ll pull all of the key insights together into a special report that will be released in due time.
To be sure you don’t miss it, sign up to my newsletter on my website www.johntreadgold.com that's where you’ll find the show notes, as well as more details about me and my business.
Enjoy the episode! -
We talk a lot about impact investing on this show, and while we tend to focus on the deals and the companies, we often gloss over the more challenging process of impact measurement and management.
Right now is an important time to explore these issues, because the structures of impact investing are at an inflection point. The market has realised the importance of using consistent systems, and the frameworks are starting to consolidate, they’re harmonising.
Today we have Dean Hand on the show to help us explore impact measurement and management, she’s Chief Research Officer at the GIIN (the Global Impact Investment Network), and she’s had long experience with impact reporting, both at the GIIN, which is a pivotal player in developing these impact measurement and management systems.
In this episode Dean explains both the origins and the utility of the leading frameworks that the GIIN manages. But we also explore the broader alphabet soup of frameworks, standards and principles that are out there.
And, on this important topic, I want to take the research further. So I’m going to take the insights from this episode with Dean, and from the next few episodes with other leading practitioners, and pull it all together into a special report.
It’ll have input from global leaders in the space, with case-studies highlighting leading practice in the market.
It should be out soon, but if you don’t want to miss it sign up for my newsletter, and you’ll get it in your inbox as soon as it’s released.
You can sign-up on my website at www.johntreadgold.com and of course that’s where you’ll find all the show notes from the podcast, and all my other various writings and work.
Enjoy! -
If there’s one person you want to speak to, to get the lowdown on everything impact investing in Australia as well as round the world, it’s Rosemary Addis.
She’s been a guest on the show before, and it’s great to have her back to talk about everything from Australia’s new government, the growing pains facing ESG investing, how impact will integrate with the global disclosure rules, as well as her new venture, Mondiale Impact.
Rosemary has been pivotal to the development of sustainable finance, she co-founded Impact Investing Australia, she’s our representative on the G8’s Social Impact Taskforce, and she has her ear to the ground on the trends and innovations in this rapidly developing world of impact finance.
For all the show notes jump on to my website at www.johntreadgold.com
And if you’d like to leave a review, iTunes is the best place for that, because it helps more people find the show.
Enjoy -
This episode is a little different, because Cory Ames interviews me.
Cory hails from San Antonio in Texas, he hosts the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation podcast, and when he invited me back onto his show, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to share it with you all. To offer a different perspective on my work, my ideas, and how the Good Future podcast has evolved.
You’ll hear a lot more of my voice in this episode than usual, but I did try to turn the questions back to Cory, to dig into the social enterprise sector in the US and understand the opportunities and challenges he’s seeing to drive positive change, through business and innovation.
Now this is a different format for me, so please do let me know what you think. I’m always open to feedback, so feel free to send me an email, all the details are on my website at www.johntreadgold.com.
I’m really eager to hear from you all, you can also reach out to me on my personal LinkedIn page, as well as the Good Future Instagram account.
Enjoy! -
This week, I’m speaking to Reece Proudfoot, he’s Head of Innovation & Impact Investment at WWF Australia.
That’s right, the charity with the Panda as it’s logo, that’s worked hard for decades on conservation and saving animal habitats. They’re going beyond their projects in the field and they’re also investing in systems change by supporting high-impact enterprises.
And that’s what we’re all about here on the Good Future podcast, I’m your host John Treadgold, and I’m asking the big questions about the business of sustainability, the new economy, and how your spending and investment decisions can have an impact.
Reece found his way to WWF as a campaigner, but he knew all too well the challenge of raising awareness as the world has grown noisier, as well as raising money when people have so many worthy causes in front of them.
Like all good startup founders, he made a pivot, and helped launch Panda Labs, WWF’s impact accelerator program. Since them they’ve seeded and grown enterprises like OpenSC, a supply chain platform that tracks food sources on the blockchain.
And more recently, the business ImpactIO, which brings people together around a central challenge, and then links project leaders, with both supporters and investors.
Their most recent Challenge is called Innovate to Regenerate and it’s a partnership with Damon Gameau who has released a new short film, all about bringing people together to Regenerate Australia.
Now I’m sure you’d hear Reece talk about it, so let’s get into it.
All the links and show notes are on my website at www.johntreadgold.com, and if you’d like to leave a review, which would be greatly appreciated, you can do that over on Apple podcasts.
Alright here’s my conversation, with Reece Proudfoot, here we go! -
Rachel Halpern is the newly installed Head of Sustainable at asset consulting firm Jana.
Now asset consultants like Jana have an important role for big investors like super funds and insurance companies. They analyse and recommend which investment managers would be a good fit for their portfolios. And now, with the addition of a head of sustainability, it becomes very clear that ESG and Impact are essential considerations for institutional investors.
It was useful to explore the business of asset consulting, to understand the role it plays in advising Australia’s biggest investors, and how they’re integrating sustainability issues into their analysis.
When we dug into Rachel’s background it becomes clear why she’s a great fit for this new role. And we discussed the skills that are most useful if you’re trying to shift your career towards ESG and the new world of sustainable finance.
Have a listen, I really enjoyed this one. You can find all the links and show notes on my website at www.johntreadgold.com
Enjoy my conversation with Rachel Halpern. -
Liza McDonald is head of Responsible Investment at Aware Super, one of Australia’s largest super funds, which means she and her team are not only responsible for the retirement savings of millions of Australians, but they also have shareholdings in companies all over the world, which gives them an opportunity to engage, and maybe even influence these companies to make positive change.
Aware Super is not only leading in being one of the largest funds in Australia, it’s also leading in terms of its approach to sustainability. They committed to net-zero last year, they’ve divested from coal, and they’re expanding their impact investment footprint.
I spoke to Liza about all these topics and more. She was generous in helping us understand her investment and analysis approach, as well as her philosophical view of using investment capital to drive change.
We also dug into how Aware Super works with outside fund managers. We discussed the criteria they look for in terms of ESG and sustainability, and their plans to bring more of it in-house.
And, a small update on some of the numbers mentioned in the conversation. When we discuss Aware’s Impact investment portfolio the current status is 14 assets, valued at $2.9 billion.
I really enjoyed this one: I hope it offers insights to both the retail crowd, who are looking for a super fund that’s aligned with their values, as well as institutional investors who are keen to understand what Aware Super looks for in their ESG mandates.
You can find all the links and show notes on my website at… www.johntreadgold.com
Enjoy -
Sally Mccutchan has been a vital leader and catalyst for the growth of impact investing in recent years. After a career in investment banking and consulting, she took on the role of CEO of Impact Investing Australia, an organisation dedicated to catalysing growth in the sector.
We go deep in this one, we discuss Sally and the team’s hard work to try and get an impact wholesaler off the ground in Australia. That’s a work in progress, and Sally explains the huge opportunity there.
But we also look forward, and dig into the exciting news that Sally will be bringing the hugely influential Bridges Fund Management to Australia. They’re already raising their first private equity fund, and running the impact ruler over companies poised for growth.
Bridges was originally founded, in the UK, by Sir Ronald Cohen and Michelle Giddens, they’ve both been guests on the show previously, so you can wind back and hear more about their journeys and the work they do.
So let’s get into it.
You can find all the show notes on my website at www.Johntreadgold.com, and, if you enjoy this one please do jump onto Apple Music and leave me a review, because that will help more people find the show.
Enjoy! -
This week is the final episode in this series of conversations that explores impact investing in listed equities.
Impact investing has a long history in private markets, but when it comes to investing in public companies that are listed on a stock exchange, it’s a lot harder, to measure your impact, and to influence the companies you’re investing in.
Seb Beloe was an early guest of the show, and he’s back to tell us more about his fund, which is called the WHEB Sustainable Impact Fund. He’s head of Research at WHEB Asset management, and he’s a deep thinker about companies and their impact on the world.
We go beyond talking about metrics and frameworks, to explore the nature of the companies that are leaders in the space. And, when it came to the prickly issue of additionality, the discussion went deep, Seb has some very clear views on the issue.
And, I’d like to introduce you to the sponsor of this series and that’s, the ACCR, the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility. The ACCR engages with companies as a shareholder, advocating for them to improve their environmental and social practices, and in the process make the company more sustainable.
You can get all the show notes at www.johntreadgold.com
Enjoy -
We’re continuing our series that explores how an investor can have impact in listed equity markets.
Impact investing has a long history in private markets, but when it comes to investing in public companies that are listed on a stock exchange, it’s a lot harder, to measure your impact, and to influence the companies you’re investing in.
Tim King is here to talk about his approach to impact at Melior Investment Management. Tim is chief investment officer, he has deep experience in wrangling equity markets, and as you’ll hear today, he’s applied his broad research and analysis skills to measuring impact and driving positive change.
Melior certainly focus on identifying the most high impact companies in Australia, but they also appreciate the importance of leading large, well-known companies in their transition towards impact, in adopting renewable energy, and re-aligning their corporate purpose beyond the narrow metrics… of financial reports, and towards broader societal outcomes.
The sponsor of this series is ACCR, the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility. The ACCR engages with companies as a shareholder, advocating for them to improve their environmental and social practices, and in the process make the company more sustainable. It’s no easy feat, but through a modest holding of shares, and with the help of a high-performing team, they put forward shareholder resolutions that focus on positive social and environmental outcomes.
They’re a group of pragmatic lawyers and finance experts, and by utilising shareholder resolutions, they approach some of Australia’s biggest companies in a forum they can’t ignore.
Now to put a resolution forward, at least 100 shareholders in a company must come together. So, if you hold shares in ASX-listed companies and want to be involved in holding them to account on their environmental and social impacts, then let ACCR know about it. Head to www.accr.org.au/shareholders to get involved.
They’re independent, not-for-profit and they’re taking action for more sustainable businesses in Australia.
Alright, let’s get going, here’s my conversation, with Timothy King.
Enjoy -
Impact investing has a long history in private markets, but when it comes to investing in public companies that are listed on a stock exchange, it’s a lot harder, to measure your impact, and to influence the companies you’re investing in.
Today, I’m speaking with Tim Crockford, all about the Regnan Global Equities Impact Solutions Fund.
Tim is head of Equity Impact Solutions, he’s based in the UK, and he has a unique approach to analysing companies, and to measuring impact. He and his team go to remarkable lengths to explore not only companies of interest, but examining the market, and indeed the complete supply chain that surrounds the problem they hope the company is working to solve.
They use the problem as the baseline, and work to find the organisations that are best positioned to solve it.
Tim is really passionate about this stuff, and I hope you get as much out of this conversation as I did.
I’d also like to introduce you to the sponsor of this series and that’s, the ACCR, the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility. The ACCR engages with companies as a shareholder, advocating for them to improve their environmental and social practices, and in the process make the company more sustainable. It’s no easy feat, but through a modest holding of shares, and with the help of a high-performing team, they put forward shareholder resolutions that focus on positive social and environmental outcomes.
They’re a group of pragmatic lawyers and finance experts, and by utilising shareholder resolutions, they approach some of Australia’s biggest companies in a forum they can’t ignore.
Head to www.accr.org.au/shareholders to get involved.
Now Tim was kind enough to go into a lot of detail about his approach, and so I do need to emphasise that, as always, nothing in this podcast is financial advice. Please do seek your own professional advice before making investment decisions.
All the show notes are at www.johntreadgold.com
Enjoy -
This month, I’m exploring how we can have impact by investing in public markets.
Impact investing has a long history in private markets, but when it comes to investing in public companies that are listed on a stock exchange, it’s a lot harder, to measure your impact, and to influence the companies you’re investing in.
My guests are all pioneering investment managers that all have their own strategies; and their foundational philosophies for pursuing impact are unique.
This week, it’s Kerry Series, and his fund the Inspire Australian Equities.
Kerry’s worked across the length and breadth of equities management in Australia, but it’s launching his own equities fund that I feel he’s found his groove. The firm is based in Sydney and they focus solely on the Australian Stock Exchange, they’re doing pioneering work in identifying high-impact companies, while also engaging with them to do even better.
So much so that they’re the first Australian listed equity product to be certified as ‘impact’ under RIAA’s updated RI Certification, assessment framework.
But First, I’d like to introduce you to the sponsor of this series and that’s, the ACCR, the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility. The ACCR engages with companies as a shareholder, advocating for them to improve their environmental and social practices, and in the process make the company more sustainable. It’s no easy feat, but through a modest holding of shares, and with the help of a high-performing team, they put forward shareholder resolutions that focus on positive social and environmental outcomes.
They’re a group of pragmatic lawyers and finance experts, and by utilising shareholder resolutions, they approach some of Australia’s biggest companies in a forum they can’t ignore.
Now to put a resolution forward, at least 100 shareholders in a company must come together. So, if you hold shares in ASX-listed companies and want to be involved in holding them to account on their environmental and social impacts, then let ACCR know about it. Head to www.accr.org.au/shareholders to get involved.
They’re independent, not-for-profit and they’re taking action for more sustainable businesses in Australia.
I really enjoyed this conversation, and I hope you get a lot of out of it. We dive deep into Kerry’s investment approach, and so I do need to emphasise that, as always, nothing in this podcast is financial advice. Please do seek your own professional advice before making investment decisions. Catch the full disclaimer at the end of the episode.
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