Chris Ito and Georges Dyer go “beyond carbon” to discuss topics relating to climate change, net zero, ESG, DEI, justice and the benefits and challenges of sustainable investing.
Episodes
Episode 12
Jeff Gitterman: Pragmatism over Polarization in Long-Term Investing
Sustainable investing veteran, Jeff Gitterman, joins hosts Chris and Georges to discuss bridging divides in ESG investing and climate change debates. Jeff advocates pragmatism – finding common ground between proponents and skeptics. Key highlights include investment opportunities in climate solutions like infrastructure, recognizing physical risks as warning signs, and widening the sustainable investing tent to diverse viewpoints. While addressing challenges, Gitterman underscores the necessity of open dialogue, consensus-building, and reframing ESG around stakeholder capitalism over political divisions. Listeners gain insights into navigating complexities, advancing sustainable investing through understanding, and meeting investors where they are.
Episode 11
Presidio Student Insights: A Winning Pitch from the Next Generation of Sustainable Investors
In this episode, hosts Chris Ito and Georges Dyer engage in a captivating conversation with a trio of students from Presidio Graduate School, who were members of the team that emerged victorious in the IEN’s 2023 Student Corporate Engagement Challenge in the Graduate category. The challenge encourages students to pitch an investment in a publicly traded company, coupled with a shareholder engagement strategy. The conversation focuses on their investment pitch for First Solar and its groundbreaking thin-film cadmium telluride technology, offering a more sustainable alternative to traditional solar panels.
Episode 10
Ian Fuller: Unlocking Diversity for Alpha and Impact Investing
This episode features Ian Fuller, CEO and Co-Founder of Westfuller Advisors, a minority and women-owned investment advisory firm and Outsourced CIO dedicated to impact investing. Georges and Chris talk with Ian about his personal journey from New York’s Lower East Side to Wall Street as context for Westfuller’s mission to drive change through ethical investments, and challenging traditional notions of money’s role in building a sustainable future.
Episode 9
Dr. Michael Greenstone: Decoding the social cost of carbon and the carbon offset market
In this episode, Chris and Georges do a deep dive into the economic implications of carbon emissions with one of the world’s leading climate finance experts, Dr. Michael Greenstone. As a former chief economist for President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, Dr. Greenstone played a pivotal role in developing the “social cost of carbon.” The trio discusses the significance of understanding the economic cost of carbon emissions and the tools policymakers have at their disposal to combat climate change.
Episode 8
Elysabeth Alfano: Reaching Net Zero through Plant-based Innovation
In this episode, Georges and Chris delve into the world of plant-based foods and explore the potential of this burgeoning industry with Elysabeth Alfano, a renowned expert at investing in companies that innovate with plants to produce animal-free products for sustainable consumption. Elysabeth discusses the health, environmental, and ethical implications of this dietary shift and shares her insights on the role of plant-based foods in mitigating climate change.
Episode 7
Tom Soto: Diversity in Asset Management Meets Carbon Negative Investing
Georges and Chris talk with impact investor Tom Soto on his trajectory from civil rights activist to a leader in environmental technology and renewable energy, including his new fund strategy that enhances biomass plants using forest standing deadwood to create 24-hour dispatchable power that is fully renewable and net carbon negative.
Episode 6
Spotlight on Methane: Satellite Technology and Emissions Detection with Mark Kriss
Georges and Chris sit down with Geofinancial Analytics CEO Mark Kriss and take a birds eye view on detecting methane emissions from space, mapping those emissions to oil and gas asset owners and driving methane management accountability and reporting transparency.
Episode 5
Jenna Nicholas: Climate Finance, Green 401(k)s & Community Empowerment
Georges and Chris have a wide-ranging discussion with impact investment trailblazer Jenna Nicholas, who takes us on her career journey through climate activism, community-informed impact investing and climate finance in 401(k) retirement plans.
Episode 4
Brent Suter: Pitching for the Planet
Chris and Georges talk climate and curve balls with major league baseball player Brent Suter. The discussion centers around how athletes can use their platform to raise awareness of environmental issues.
Episode 3
ESG and Sustainable Investing the Sun Devil Way
Chris and Georges talk with Arizona State University CIO Jeff Mindlin about the journey to align investment practices with the sustainability goals and commitments of a large public university.
Episode 2
Endowments and Investor Responsibility: UVIMCO’s Journey
Chris and George talk with UVIMCO’s Cornelia Horner for insights on how one of the largest and most well-respected endowment managers committed to and is implementing a responsible investment strategy.
Episode 1
Taking Inventory: The State of Sustainable Investing
In their inaugural Beyond Carbon episode, Georges Dyer and Chris Ito reflect on COP27 and discuss what makes them hopeful, and skeptical, about the future of sustainable investing. They also provide a preview of future episodes.
Hosts
Chris Ito – CEO, FFI Holdings
Chris is the CEO and CIO of FFI Advisors and a member of the board of its parent company FFI Holdings. Drawing upon his 30 years of experience in the financial services and asset management industries, Chris conceived and managed the launch of FFI Energy Transition Strategies, a family of thematic strategies that provide investors with exposure to the structural shift currently occurring in the global economy. He is currently the Co-chair of the Advisory Board of the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at The Ohio State University.
Georges Dyer – Co-Founder & Executive Director, IEN
Georges Dyer is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Crane Institute of Sustainability, and leads its flagship initiative, the Intentional Endowments Network (IEN), which supports endowments in aligning investment policies with institutional mission, values, and sustainability goals. For over 20 years he has been engaged in solutions-based, whole-system approaches to sustainability. Georges serves on the Board of Change Is Simple, a non-profit bringing project-based sustainability education into classrooms in eastern Massachusetts.
Subscribe to Future Podcasts
Beyond Carbon
Risks created by climate change are complex and multi-faceted. The intersection of science, policy, changing societal norms, notions of equity and politics makes projecting and then solving the climate crisis challenging.
This podcast unpacks climate change and climate justice through the lens of finance and investing, helping to inform institutions and everyday savers on what it means to adopt sustainable policies. Best practices are evolving and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to determining the best path.
Our hosts, Georges Dyer and Chris Ito will hold discussions with thought leaders from a range of disciplines that will help investors form their own opinions on how to allocate capital in a more sustainable fashion.
