Blog - High Meadows Institute, Inc.

Chris Pinney In 21st century governance challenge

Political corporate social responsibility creates new challenges for bank boards

If we are to make serious progress on the journey to address systemic challenges such as climate change and manage the transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy, the active support of the global banking industry is essential. Called systemically important financial institutions for a reason, global banks now manage an estimated $370 trillion in worldwide assets, which are expected to grow to between $500 trillion and $550 trillion in the next decade. It is not surprising in this context that there is now an expectation for global banks to play a greater role in addressing a wide range of social,…

High Meadows Institute In Press release

Banks and their boards need a more strategic approach to responding to societal issues

Leaders of global corporations and financial institutions are facing heightened expectations to play a role in addressing a wide range of social, political, and environmental challenges, including climate change, racial justice and equity, geopolitics, and politically sensitive issues. The largest global banks, whose systemic importance has garnered the attention of regulators and activists, face particular scrutiny.

Allison Kostka In ESG

System change investing – A new approach to ESG

The world is changing, and it’s changing quickly, as we face global systemic threats, from climate change to inequality to loss of biodiversity. Even as investors looking to finance a transition to a more sustainable future focus on these challenges, many recognize that ESG strategies alone will not be enough because they fail to address the root causes of the problems – the economic and political systems that underpin society. According to Kevin Dixon, Founder of Global System Change, ESG strategies are flawed because they set up a paradox – they ask companies to voluntarily stop harming the environment and…

Chris Pinney In ESG

Should AI be an ESG priority?

The potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to profoundly disrupt our economy and society, from AI bots that can replace jobs on the factory floor, to drafting lawsuits, writing screenplays and composing music, is becoming increasingly clear. As a recent Goldman Sachs report noted, while AI could add to labor productivity growth and boost global GDP by as much as 7% over time, it will also severely disrupt labor markets, posing new challenges. According to the report, two-thirds of jobs in the US and Europe could be automated and around the world, as many as 300 million jobs could be impacted….

Allison Kostka In Business leadership in society

Disney, Bud Light and Corporate Activism

Businesses today face increasing pressure from their stakeholders, from employees to customers to investors, to take on a “political” role and speak out on the pressing social issues of the day. But companies that do so often walk a fine line and struggle to navigate how to do it right. Two recent media stories, those of Disney and Bud Light, are illustrative of how this can play out, and what the challenges can be to both speaking out and staying silent. For Disney, it began last year when CEO Bob Chapek initially refused to take a public stance on Florida’s…

Chris Pinney In Climate

Achieving Net Zero Goals – Time to Focus on the Human Capital Challenge

While there is currently a lot of attention focused on the financial capital required to transition to a net zero, low-carbon economy, there has been far less focus on the human capital skills and development needed and this may in fact be the most important challenge facing us when it comes to achieving net zero. Key human capital deficiencies that we currently face include: Addressing the skills gap – The numbers are challenging. In the energy sector alone, the International Energy Agency projected in its seminal report, Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, that the…

Chris Pinney In Business leadership in society

Why corporate leadership is critical to progress on sustainable supply chain management

There is no question that a global framework of strong laws and regulations would be the best way to ensure sustainable supply chain practices. In a fractured global economy, however, with few worldwide or enforced sustainable supply chain standards, progress on better practices will continue to require corporate leadership backed by consumers and the public. In the past…

Chris Pinney In ESG

Antitrust and the pushback on ESG

As the rhetoric on the pushback against ESG in the U.S. heats up, the question now is: does this challenge have a legal basis or is this just about politics? From a legal standpoint, it is becoming clear that the anti-ESG advocates may in fact have a powerful tool in the form of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which generally prohibits agreements between competitors that unreasonably restrain trade and other forms of unilateral business conduct that may have an anticompetitive effect. Of specific concern here is whether participation in ESG initiatives and coalitions that are shaping markets or excluding specific industries…

Allison Kostka In ESG, Sustainable investing

Notes from RI USA 2022

From navigating new SEC regulations to setting net zero targets to managing an increasing divisive political discourse around ESG, 2022 has brought many new challenges to the field of sustainable investing and catalyzed new debates on where it is heading. On December 6 and 7, sustainable finance and ESG investment professionals from across North America gathered in New York City for Responsible Investor’s 14th annual RI USA conference to discuss developments and best practices for hot-button issues from human rights and biodiversity to net zero and the role of Big Tech. Some of the questions raised in the panels included:…

Allison Kostka In Review

Purpose + Profit: How Business Can Lift Up the World
A Review

Can business do good while doing well? This was the question George Serafeim set out to answer over a decade ago, when he first began his research into understanding the impact of business on society. At the time, ESG issues were seen as “soft” and business leaders were skeptical that contributing to social change would do anything but hurt their bottom line. But the more he looked at the data, the more Serafeim realized the question was not “can it be done?” but “how?” In…

Blog Categories