The Green Dream

 Not all ethical investments are created equal. In this episode, we go deep into the world of green and sustainable bonds with David Gallagher, Head of Australian Fixed Income at Artesian. Prior to joining Artesian, David spent 9 years in the United Kingdom working for Deutsche Bank and RBS. David has a Master of Applied Finance from Kaplan and won the Dux Award in the process. 

 David shares how fixed income can fund real-world solutions — from affordable housing to climate resilience — while delivering competitive returns. We explore various impact bonds, how Artesian are working on growing the green (and blu...

This interview is with George Bishay and Murray Ackman from the Regnan Credit Impact Trust team. In this discussion we demystify impact bonds, with some real life stories about the positive social and environmental impact that bonds can provide. 

George’s investment management career spans over 30 years with Regnan’s parent Pendal and its predecessor firms. He has also worked across numerous fixed income, credit and money market portfolios in fund management, credit analysis and dealing roles in that time. George holds Bachelor and Masters degrees in Business, and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.

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This interview is with Tim Crockford, who leads the Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions team. In this wide ranging discussion we cover Trump 2.0, investing in climate adaptation as well as mitigation, smart grids, water leaks, AI, EV’s, innovative Indonesian banking, and other positive impact investments. 

 Tim co-founded the Hermes Impact team in 2016 and managed the Hermes Impact Opportunities Equity Fund from its launch in 2017. He joined Hermes in 2009, later becoming lead portfolio manager of the ESG-integrated Hermes Europe ex-UK Equity Fund. Before that, he was an analyst at both Sourcecap International and Execution Limited. Tim was rais...

I always enjoy my conversations with the team at NorthStar Impact Funds, and this interview with Claudia Kwan is no exception. Claudia has a thoughtful and passionate perspective on impact investing - it’s not about ticking boxes or keeping up appearances, it’s about solving real-world problems by investing in innovative companies offering practical, viable solutions. We get to the heart of Impact Investing, which fundamentally is about creating positive impact whilst making an investment return. Refer Impact case study on SciDev here

Claudia has over 15 years of experience as a business and investment professional with exte...

An Ethical Investment Week 2024 interview: 'What type of ethical investor are you?'

It’s been 3 years since we had a chat to Australian Ethical about their ethics, and they have grown substantially since then. Today we’re excited to interview Persephone Fraser, who is the (Acting) Ethical Stewardship Lead at Australian Ethical. In addition to the Stewardship role, she performs ethics research to define AE’s sustainable investment universe. She is responsible for assessing investments against the Australian Ethical Charter, evaluating the impacts of industries and investments on people, animals and the planet. 
 
 She is also r...

Today’s interview is with Madeleine Huynh, ESG Analyst and Assistant Equities Analyst at Perennial Partners. This is our second Green Dream interview on the Better Future Fund, with the first being a discussion with Damian Cottier in September 2022 called ‘Aligning Profit with Purpose’, if you’d like to go back and have a listen. In this discussion, as well as talking about the fund holdings I wanted to focus on the work that is being done behind the scenes on reducing emissions, combatting modern slavery and prioritising women’s leadership, at both board and executive levels. 

 Maddie joine...

In this discussion with Tom King of Nanuk Asset Management we venture into the heart of the nuclear debate. Nuclear energy is an enigma…on paper, it presents itself as a low-emission ‘knight in shining armour’ solution against climate change. However, as we delve into the details, we confront the stark realities – the main challenges are the huge financial burden and the formidable competitors in the form of low cost renewable energy sources. We explore whether nuclear power is the solution we've been seeking, or merely a diversion from more economical and efficient renewable alternatives. It's time to strip away the...

Today, our focus turns to property. Andrew Cole is Head of ESG at Charter Hall, a prominent Australian property group that is once again highly rated 2023 Global Real Estate Benchmark (GRESB) rankings. GRESB is widely considered to be the leading ESG assessment for real estate, providing a reporting framework for property portfolios and measurement  of sustainability performance. It assesses an eye watering 7.2 trillion USD of gross asset  value under management across  74 countries, and it offers an assessment of like for like environmental performance at the asset and entity level for property energy, emissions, water and waste.

 So how...

It’s been two years since my first chat with Nick Edgerton – and it’s clear that creating positive impact is still at the core of his decision making, and also that he still has his infectious enthusiasm for sustainable investment. 

Nick is a Portfolio Manager with the Sustainable Funds Group at Stewart Investors. Nick joined the team in 2012, and he is the lead manager of the Worldwide Sustainability strategy. Previously, Nick worked as an analyst, consultant, public servant, and academic in sustainability and economics. You can find my first interview with Nick, ‘Antarctica, Coconuts, Microbes and Yoghurt’...

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can” Arthur Ashe. 

Welcome to a special episode of The Green Dream, where we dive deep into the heart of this year's Ethical Investment Week theme: "Building a sustainable legacy." Our guest today is the inspirational Claire O'Rourke. She is a campaigner, communicator and behavioural change expert working to transform Australia into a global leader in climate solutions. She is also the author of the new book, 'Together We Can.'

In this episode, we'll explore how Claire's work aligns perfectly with the core ethos...

This episode is fairly unique, because we’re talking about a new film release and ethical investment stock picks in the same conversation, and that’s because our interviewee has two careers – one in film, and one in investment. 

 Mark Forstmann has written and produced a new film called Climate Changers, which follows Tim Flannery’s search for leadership on climate change. In it, Tim travels the world meeting leaders past and present in the hope of finding answers to his questions about the future. It is currently being  screened at selected film festivals, with a full rele...

David Blood is considered by many to be one of the pioneers of sustainable investment management. Almost 20 years ago in 2004, David created Generation Investment Management alongside Al Gore, the former Vice President of the United States, and they now manage around $43bn USD. 

 We don’t normally talk about performance on this podcast, but I will make an exception for this fund. Since inception of the Generation Global Share Fund in October 2007, 15 and a half years, the fund has returned 9.9% pa, almost 3% better than the benchmark, which has returned 7.05%. This is an important example - don’t let an...

There’s not many fund managers that can say they can trace their origins back to a pub in Melbourne in 1840, 183 years ago! At that time, a group of eight people formed a friendly society to look after the health and wellbeing of its members. Since then, Australian Unity has continued to grow as a member-owned company, offering their members and customers health, wealth and care services.

Matthew Moore is the Head of Responsible Investment and Stewardship at Australian Unity. He joined them in January 2022 from Uniting Financial Services, where he held the role of Head of Et...

In today's ruthless world of organised crime, the best criminals aren't foolish enough to steal money out of banks. They wear tailored suits, carry briefcases, and discreetly slip money into banks. 

In ethical investment we often talk about ‘ESG’, ie the Environmental, Social and Governance impacts created by an investment. Environmental and Social impacts are pretty easy to understand and quantify, but the ‘G’ often takes a back seat. How do we assess whether a company is run ethically, and ensure that it acts in the best interest of its stakeholders?

Nathan Lynch’s book, The Lucky L...

Founded in 1998, Impax Asset Management (Impax) is a London based specialist asset manager, investing in the opportunities arising from the transition to a more sustainable global economy. Impax has pioneered sustainable investment and today is one of the largest investment managers dedicated to this area. Impax seeks to invest in higher quality companies with strong business models and governance that demonstrate sound management of risk whilst being able to adapt intelligently to changing conditions (See Video link: The Next Economy – The Sustainable Economy).   

In this interview I discuss Impax’s Sustainable Leaders Fund with Sinéad Rafferty, Senior...

In Ethical Investment Week 2022 we are highlighting the important work that is being done behind the scenes to create positive impact and improve corporate behaviour. So in this episode I am talking to Alex Hillman - a long term client and ethical investor, who works at ACCR. The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility are a philanthropically funded shareholder activist group. Self described as a Corporate Watchdog, they believe that limiting global warming to well below 2°C is in the interests of shareholders. Their mission is to deliver changes to the strategies of major listed companies, in Australia and globally, t...

What are cave dwelling Troglodytes? Is it a coincidence that places of cultural significance often seem to be in resource rich areas, for example the planned Yeelirrie Uranium mine? Why should your Financial Adviser be aware of these issues? Join us for this special Ethical Investment Week 2022 interview with Kado Muir.  

 It’s a year since my last podcast discussion with Kado, and a lot has happened in that time. In response to the Juukan Gorge incident, the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance was formed. In late 2021, Kado helped produce a Toolkit for Investors, designed to contribute to t...

Damian Cottier,  Portfolio Manager of the Perennial Better Future Trust (IMPQ),  says that Sustainable Investing is about more than just avoiding ‘Sin’ stocks. It’s about exploring what truly constitutes a truly sustainable investment and ensuring there is a strong alignment between profit and purpose.

It’s also about allowing investors access to the transition to a more sustainable and better future. A case study that we talk about is Calix, an industrial solutions company dedicated to solving global sustainability challenges. Their projects include separating carbon dioxide in the lime and cement production process (an industry responsible for around...

WHEB Asset Management is not really a household name here in Australia, and nor are many of the companies that they invest in. Yet for many years, the WHEB team has made it their mission to invest with a focus on creating positive impact, which they have done successfully. Their 2021 impact report has just been released (WHEB-Final-Impact-Report-2021) and I would encourage you to check it out because it really leads the market in demonstrating the positive impact created by the fund, and importantly also mentions some of the areas where the outcomes aren’t yet perfect. It’s this tran...

PIMCO (Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC) is one of the largest fund managers in the world, managing more than $2 trillion (USD) in assets for investors and focusing on active fixed income management. In this interview I discuss PIMCO’s ESG Global Bond fund with Tina Adatia, executive vice president and product strategist in PIMCO’s London office. 

Previously, Tina was an account manager focusing on the Middle East and North Africa region.  She joined PIMCO in 2004, has 17 years of investment experience and holds an undergraduate degree in economics and actuarial science from the University of Southampton.

 The...

In this episode I interview the author of a book called ‘The Rich Greenie, financial strategies for living well while saving the planet’. Stuart Barry is the owner and Senior Adviser at Tas Ethical, a Hobart firm which is part of our Ethical Investment Advisers licensee group. 

Stuart has almost 40 years experience in the industry, is a Certified Financial Planner and holds a Masters of Business Administration and Bachelor of Business. He has actual hands-on experience in the complexities of the global financial markets, having worked in Hong Kong and South Korea for investment firms, as well as he...

Have you ever wondered about super and investment funds that claim to be ethical or sustainable, but you suspect they might not be true to label?

In today’s episode I talk with Chris Lang about Leaf Ratings, which aim to eradicate green (& ‘rainbow') washing! You can find the web page at www.leafratings.org. 

Leaf Ratings are based on surveys done by Financial Advisers in the Ethical Advisers Co-Operative, and they aim to rate a fund in terms of its suitability for an average ethical investor. Each super and investment fund gets a rating out o...

In this discussion with Greg Liddell,  Director of Responsible Investments at BetaShares, we talk about the active management of passive funds that is going on behind the scenes by the BetaShares team. The sustainability focused Exchange Traded Funds (ETF's) that we focus on in this interview aren't actively traded, but are run like index funds, with an ethical overlay. 

However for Greg & the BetaShares Responsible Investment Committee, they actively deal with a range of issues relating to the companies held in these portfolios, and will engage with those companies via dialogue and voting to make their voice he...

Andy Gracey describes Australian Ethical’s funds as more than just “feel good” investments, having won a number of awards over the years. They are long term focused, and seek opportunities in growth areas with a sector specialist approach, whilst guided by their ethical charter (as I discussed with Stuart Palmer in Episode 3 of this podcast). 

Andy has worked in investment management for over 20 years. In 2003 he set up his own equities research business undertaking research services for a number of ASX listed companies and institutional investors, before joining Australian Ethical in December 2004. Andy assumed full portfolio managem...

In this discussion with Kerry we explore Impact Investing: a style of investment dedicated to intentionally doing good and contributing to solutions. We discuss the ‘ABC’ of ethical investing and explore the idea that capitalism rewards companies that make positive contributions both socially and environmentally. We talk about taking the measurement of impact to the next level, as well as a range of topics including regenerative agriculture and food, investing in renewables in Australia and thinking like a private equity investor. 

Kerry has advised or invested in equities since 1992. He co-founded Perennial Investment Partners in 1999, which achieved stron...

In this interview I talk to a fellow Financial Planner, my colleague Karen McLeod. Career wise, we have a fair bit in common - like myself, she is an Authorised Representative of Ethical Investment Advisers, is a member of our Investment Committee, is accredited by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) as a Certified Financial Adviser, is a member and former Chair of the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op, and has made the FS Power50 list of the 50 most influential Financial Advisers in Australia. 

 Karen has run her own practice in Brisbane since 2009 and is actively involved in all issu...

Hello and welcome to our special Ethical Investment Week (EIW) podcast! The theme for EIW 2021 is Wayfinding for ethical investment. In its simplest definition, wayfinding is about observing the natural world in order to work out your location, orient yourself towards your destination, set a course to get you there, then dynamically respond to signs as you journey. Wayfinding is as relevant for our times as it has been throughout history. By drawing upon ancient wisdom, modern wayfinders hold insights that can make a big difference for ethical investors and a sustainable future. On that basis, who better to...

This interview is with Kate Temby of Affirmative Investment Management. I was keen to talk to an Impact bond manager to demystify the world of bonds, particularly those that can help communities or transform infrastructure in a sustainable way. We explain some of the jargon, talk about ‘Waci’ budgets, and discuss how it’s possible to create a positive social and environmental impact with bonds, without comprising returns. Their global bond fund holds about 110 bonds, representing over 2,000 projects across 136 countries. 

Kate has 29 years’ industry experience, including Co-head of Asia Pacific Institutional Sales, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Research Sales at...

In this podcast I interview Dr Stuart Palmer, the Head of Ethics Research at Australian Ethical. Stuart evaluates the impacts which companies’ products, services and operations have on people, animals and the environment. So if you ever wondered why a particular company is or isn’t in Australian Ethical’s portfolios, Stuart is your man. He is the gatekeeper of Australian Ethical’s charter, a list of 23 principles that have been part of the company constitution since 1986. The charter not only guides all of their investments, but also underpins all elements of Australian Ethical’s business…it effectively filters out companie...

 I recorded this interview whilst the 2021 Tokyo Olympics were underway, which was fitting because Tom King won a gold medal for sailing at the Sydney Olympics and was later awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to sport. It's not uncommon to apply skills acquired in the sporting arena in the business world, and Tom talks about there being some particularly strong parallels with sailing and investment. He says that sailing at the top level becomes "a decision making game played in a very dynamic environment against a large group of competitors". So i...

It was great to have this chat with Nick Edgerton – his enthusiasm for sustainable investing is infectious, and whenever I talk to him I get the feeling that there’s no cutting corners in terms of creating positive impact economically, socially and environmentally. It was a wide ranging discussion, from Antarctica, to coconuts, yoghurt, EV’s, taxes and a lot in between – I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did!

 Nick is a Portfolio Manager with the Sustainable Funds Group at Stewart Investors. Nick joined the team in 2012, and he is the lead manager of the Wo...