
ESG Investing, Climate and the ‘Widening Gyre’
First off, let me say that I’m only an occasional reader of Epsilon Theory (ET), a website launched almost 10 years ago by investment manager Ben Hunt. ET provides newsletters with commentaries on finance, markets, politics, and popular culture. In their writings, Hunt and his colleagues refer frequently to the concept of the “Widening Gyre”.

Managing Expectations: Our Take on COP27
Nearly seven years on from the historic Paris Climate Accords, COP27 made clear that these annual meetings convened by intergovernmental organizations appear unlikely to play a significant role in limiting global temperature rise to below 1.5°C. To be fair, the conference in Egypt built consensus on some key issues – the landmark deal on

Breaking Down the Inflation Reduction Act with Chris Ito
The transition away from fossil fuels to a low-carbon economy is a consistent focus among sustainable and responsible investors. The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act promises to meaningfully affect that energy transition, so the CEO of FFI Advisors, Chris Ito, joins the Ethos ESG podcast to discuss the provisions of the legislation, their implications for

The Inflation Reduction Act and the Green Premium
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has passed the Senate. The bill provides $369 billion to support clean energy and fight global warming in the form of investment, tax credits and loans across a spectrum of areas, but its significance and impact can go well beyond the dollars. While the bill contains certain provisions for the

Earth Day 2022: Investing in a Net Zero Future
With Earth Day upon us, the theme this year is Invest in our Planet™. Event organizers have made it clear that all facets of our society must take action to tackle the challenges of climate change—this includes the business world, government authorities, and most certainly, the investment community. This mission could not be closer to

Net Zero and the Conundrum for Public Pension Plans
In February of 2022, Senate Bill 1173 was introduced in the California legislature that would require its public pension plans to divest from companies in The Carbon Underground 200TM (CU200) on or before July 1, 2027. In March, the Board of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) voted to oppose the bill while acknowledging

It’s 2022: There is No Planet B
2021 was a climate debacle. Tied for being the 6th hottest on record, there were 20 weather/climate disaster events in the United States alone, the most events ever, with losses exceeding $1 billion. The global statistics are equally startling with radical climate events upending human lives in China, Europe, and Africa. To avoid the worst

The Race to Net Zero: Aligning the “How” and “Why”
The race to Net Zero by 2050 is on, and participating institutional investors are asking “how do we get there?” Many investors have the inclination to go directly to implementation and select one (or a combination) of the four main approaches that have emerged: investment, divestment, shareholder engagement, and carbon offsets. Choosing the right approach

Exxon Announcement Likely to Increase Scrutiny on Net Zero Ambitions
The mere mention of the name elicits opposite emotions. There are those who believe that fossil fuels are a necessity for future economic prosperity, and those who believe that they need to stay in the ground. Last week, the company announced a net zero ambition[1] that was quickly panned by those who are working to

Net Zero: Great Unifier and Energy Transition Facilitator
For years, asset owners have been divided on the most effective decarbonization strategy: some have favored shareholder engagement, while others have opted for fossil fuel divestment. Indeed, we at FFI Solutions have felt this division since 2014, when activists adopted our Carbon Underground 200 (CU200) exclusionary screen as a standard for being fossil free. For

Our Take on COP26
COP26 is right around the corner. The scientific consensus has become increasingly clear: in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, society must act urgently to decarbonize the global economy and to transition the energy and transportation sectors from fossil fuels to clean energy. At FFI, we believe that this transition will happen,

The Long and the Short of Carbon Accounting
To download this piece, click here. The meaning of “net zero” for investors is still evolving, and while there are no generally accepted standards, frameworks are emerging to help guide investors. The Net-Zero Asset Owner’s Alliance[1], The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)[2] and The Investor Agenda[3] provide frameworks for investors to achieve net-zero portfolios. While those

Some Reflections on the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report
This week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body devoted to assessing the science behind human-induced climate change, released its Sixth Assessment Report; the news coverage about it has been hard to miss. The release of the report comes as the effects of wildfires and extreme weather are wreaking havoc in every

Net-Zero Portfolios: 10 Frequently-Asked Questions
In Brief Over the past year, we have had many in-depth discussions with a wide range of institutional investors and other stakeholders about transitioning to more sustainable investment portfolios. As the interest and adoption of sustainable investing continues to grow, so too has the focus on climate change and the quest for achieving global net-zero

The Energy Transition: Taking A Hard Look At The Oil And Gas Complex
In his latest piece for Forbes Business Council, CEO of FFI Advisors and member of the Forbes Business Council Chris Ito examines how recent developments in oil and gas may be precipitating the energy transition. Read the article in Forbes: The Energy Transition: Taking A Hard Look At The Oil And Gas Complex.

The Role of Investors in the Race to Net Zero
What net zero exactly means for investors is still evolving. As an organization, FFI believes that net zero is more of a philosophy than a standard.

The Road To Net-Zero: Accelerating The Energy Transition
Chris Ito, CEO of FFI Advisors and member of the Forbes Business Council, outlines how developments in wind, solar, and energy storage are precipitating our journey to net zero. Read the article in Forbes: The Road To Net-Zero: Accelerating The Energy Transition.

Earth Day 2021, Net Zero, and the Energy Transition
The theme of Earth Day 2021 is Restore Our EarthTM. According to the event organizers, this theme “focuses on natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems” and “rejects the notion that mitigation or adaptation are the only ways to address climate change.” As a company that devises solutions

The Value of Shorts in a Responsible Investment Strategy
GameStop. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect name, and metaphor, for a company used by wallstreetbets, the subreddit group, to “game” the financial system and make a run at “fortress Wall Street”. This community of traders drove up GameStop’s stock price, not primarily out of a sentimental love for this brick-and-mortar retailer, but most

Investing In 2021: The Full Realization Of The Energy Transition
Chris Ito, CEO of FFI Advisors and member of the Forbes Business Council, gives his thoughts on investing in the energy transition in 2021. Now that 2021 is officially underway, investors will be evaluating the risks and opportunities presented by an anticipated post-pandemic world and a new Biden administration. I am confident that one of

ESG Investing, Climate and the ‘Widening Gyre’
First off, let me say that I’m only an occasional reader of Epsilon Theory (ET), a website launched almost 10 years ago by investment manager Ben Hunt. ET provides newsletters with commentaries on finance, markets, politics, and popular culture. In their writings, Hunt and his colleagues refer frequently to the concept of the “Widening Gyre”.

Managing Expectations: Our Take on COP27
Nearly seven years on from the historic Paris Climate Accords, COP27 made clear that these annual meetings convened by intergovernmental organizations appear unlikely to play a significant role in limiting global temperature rise to below 1.5°C. To be fair, the conference in Egypt built consensus on some key issues – the landmark deal on

Breaking Down the Inflation Reduction Act with Chris Ito
The transition away from fossil fuels to a low-carbon economy is a consistent focus among sustainable and responsible investors. The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act promises to meaningfully affect that energy transition, so the CEO of FFI Advisors, Chris Ito, joins the Ethos ESG podcast to discuss the provisions of the legislation, their implications for

The Inflation Reduction Act and the Green Premium
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has passed the Senate. The bill provides $369 billion to support clean energy and fight global warming in the form of investment, tax credits and loans across a spectrum of areas, but its significance and impact can go well beyond the dollars. While the bill contains certain provisions for the

Earth Day 2022: Investing in a Net Zero Future
With Earth Day upon us, the theme this year is Invest in our Planet™. Event organizers have made it clear that all facets of our society must take action to tackle the challenges of climate change—this includes the business world, government authorities, and most certainly, the investment community. This mission could not be closer to

Net Zero and the Conundrum for Public Pension Plans
In February of 2022, Senate Bill 1173 was introduced in the California legislature that would require its public pension plans to divest from companies in The Carbon Underground 200TM (CU200) on or before July 1, 2027. In March, the Board of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) voted to oppose the bill while acknowledging

It’s 2022: There is No Planet B
2021 was a climate debacle. Tied for being the 6th hottest on record, there were 20 weather/climate disaster events in the United States alone, the most events ever, with losses exceeding $1 billion. The global statistics are equally startling with radical climate events upending human lives in China, Europe, and Africa. To avoid the worst

The Race to Net Zero: Aligning the “How” and “Why”
The race to Net Zero by 2050 is on, and participating institutional investors are asking “how do we get there?” Many investors have the inclination to go directly to implementation and select one (or a combination) of the four main approaches that have emerged: investment, divestment, shareholder engagement, and carbon offsets. Choosing the right approach

Exxon Announcement Likely to Increase Scrutiny on Net Zero Ambitions
The mere mention of the name elicits opposite emotions. There are those who believe that fossil fuels are a necessity for future economic prosperity, and those who believe that they need to stay in the ground. Last week, the company announced a net zero ambition[1] that was quickly panned by those who are working to

Net Zero: Great Unifier and Energy Transition Facilitator
For years, asset owners have been divided on the most effective decarbonization strategy: some have favored shareholder engagement, while others have opted for fossil fuel divestment. Indeed, we at FFI Solutions have felt this division since 2014, when activists adopted our Carbon Underground 200 (CU200) exclusionary screen as a standard for being fossil free. For

Our Take on COP26
COP26 is right around the corner. The scientific consensus has become increasingly clear: in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, society must act urgently to decarbonize the global economy and to transition the energy and transportation sectors from fossil fuels to clean energy. At FFI, we believe that this transition will happen,

The Long and the Short of Carbon Accounting
To download this piece, click here. The meaning of “net zero” for investors is still evolving, and while there are no generally accepted standards, frameworks are emerging to help guide investors. The Net-Zero Asset Owner’s Alliance[1], The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)[2] and The Investor Agenda[3] provide frameworks for investors to achieve net-zero portfolios. While those

Some Reflections on the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report
This week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body devoted to assessing the science behind human-induced climate change, released its Sixth Assessment Report; the news coverage about it has been hard to miss. The release of the report comes as the effects of wildfires and extreme weather are wreaking havoc in every

Net-Zero Portfolios: 10 Frequently-Asked Questions
In Brief Over the past year, we have had many in-depth discussions with a wide range of institutional investors and other stakeholders about transitioning to more sustainable investment portfolios. As the interest and adoption of sustainable investing continues to grow, so too has the focus on climate change and the quest for achieving global net-zero

The Energy Transition: Taking A Hard Look At The Oil And Gas Complex
In his latest piece for Forbes Business Council, CEO of FFI Advisors and member of the Forbes Business Council Chris Ito examines how recent developments in oil and gas may be precipitating the energy transition. Read the article in Forbes: The Energy Transition: Taking A Hard Look At The Oil And Gas Complex.

The Role of Investors in the Race to Net Zero
What net zero exactly means for investors is still evolving. As an organization, FFI believes that net zero is more of a philosophy than a standard.

The Road To Net-Zero: Accelerating The Energy Transition
Chris Ito, CEO of FFI Advisors and member of the Forbes Business Council, outlines how developments in wind, solar, and energy storage are precipitating our journey to net zero. Read the article in Forbes: The Road To Net-Zero: Accelerating The Energy Transition.

Earth Day 2021, Net Zero, and the Energy Transition
The theme of Earth Day 2021 is Restore Our EarthTM. According to the event organizers, this theme “focuses on natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems” and “rejects the notion that mitigation or adaptation are the only ways to address climate change.” As a company that devises solutions

The Value of Shorts in a Responsible Investment Strategy
GameStop. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect name, and metaphor, for a company used by wallstreetbets, the subreddit group, to “game” the financial system and make a run at “fortress Wall Street”. This community of traders drove up GameStop’s stock price, not primarily out of a sentimental love for this brick-and-mortar retailer, but most

Investing In 2021: The Full Realization Of The Energy Transition
Chris Ito, CEO of FFI Advisors and member of the Forbes Business Council, gives his thoughts on investing in the energy transition in 2021. Now that 2021 is officially underway, investors will be evaluating the risks and opportunities presented by an anticipated post-pandemic world and a new Biden administration. I am confident that one of