The Greener Way

🌊 Can blue bonds deliver impact without sacrificing returns? ❓ Question: Impact investing is often associated with shares and private markets, but can bond investors also generate measurable environmental and social outcomes while still achieving competitive financial returns? ✅ Answer: According to Matt Lawton, head of impact fixed income and portfolio manager at T. Rowe Price, impact investin...

🏗️ Where is energy transition money really going? ❓ Question: As billions of dollars flow into the energy transition, where are investors putting their money, and which infrastructure assets could benefit most from the shift to a lower-carbon and more resilient economy? ✅ Answer: According to Nick Langley, head of real assets at ClearBridge Investments, the energy transition remains firmly on tr...

👩🏽‍🦱 How First Nations women are building economic power for future generations ❓ Question: How can investing in First Nations women help close Australia's prosperity gap and create stronger communities, businesses and future leaders? ✅ Answer: According to Rick Macourt, founder and managing director of First Nations Economics, First Nations women are often the backbone of their families, com...

🌳 Should banks stop financing deforestation in Australia? ❓ Question: What role do Australian banks play in deforestation, and how can financial institutions better manage nature-related risks within their lending portfolios? ✅ Answer: According to Max Hamra, corporate accountability analyst at the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), Australia's major banks are linked to significant defor...

🌏 Is climate tech the next big investment opportunity in Asia-Pacific? ❓ Question: Why are investors increasingly looking at climate technology, and what should Australian investors consider when assessing climate tech opportunities across Asia-Pacific? ✅ Answer: According to Ayush Kapila, co-founder and operating partner of Vitality Capital Partners, climate technology is becoming a major inve...

⚕️ Can hospitals cut emissions by 44%? The surprising case for reusing "single-use" medical devices ❓ Question: How can remanufacturing single-use medical devices help reduce healthcare waste, improve supply chain resilience and lower emissions without compromising patient safety? ✅ Answer: According to Daniel Vukelich, president of the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR), healthca...

🌿 Australia's climate capital challenge: Why investors want to spend billions but can't find enough opportunities ❓ Question: Why are Australia's largest investors struggling to deploy more climate capital locally, and what needs to change to attract the investment required for the country's net-zero transition? ✅ Answer: According to Rebecca Mikula-Wright, chief executive of the Investor Group...

🔥 Ethinvest: A call to make impact investing accessible for everyday Australians ❓ Question: Impact investing has matured significantly over the past decade, but many of the most attractive opportunities remain out of reach for everyday investors. What is changing in the impact investing landscape, and how can investors use both their capital and their shareholder influence to create positive en...

☀️ Super El Niño, AI and water scarcity: The investment trends that could reshape the ASX ❓ Question: How could a potential Super El Niño, rising temperatures and the rapid expansion of AI data centres create new investment opportunities and risks for investors over the coming decade? ✅ Answer: According to Claudia Kwan, managing partner and portfolio manager at North Star, investors are enterin...

🌿 Why investors may be overlooking one of the biggest risks in their portfolios ❓ Question: If the ocean underpins climate stability, food security, global trade and biodiversity, why has it remained largely absent from investment frameworks, and how can investors better account for ocean-related risks and opportunities in their portfolios? ✅ Answer: According to Sudip Hazra, director of the Fi...

🌱 Financial inclusion in the age of AI: Why access matters more than ever ❓ Question: As artificial intelligence transforms financial services, how can the industry use technology to improve financial inclusion, and why should sustainability professionals view access to finance as a core sustainability issue? ✅ Answer: According to Stuart White, executive director of business development at Imp...

🔥 Climate Investors Have a New Obsession: Energy Security ❓ Question: As geopolitical tensions rise, physical climate risks intensify and energy systems undergo rapid transformation, how are institutional investors approaching climate investing in 2026, and where do they see the biggest opportunities and challenges ahead? ✅ Answer: According to Lucian Peppelenbos, climate and biodiversity strat...

🌿 Why are batteries becoming one of Australia's most attractive renewable energy investments? ❓ Question: As governments introduce more supportive energy storage policies and Australia's electricity system continues to transition away from coal, what role do batteries play in renewable energy investing, and why are institutional investors paying closer attention to the sector? ✅ Answer: Accordi...

🌿 How are ESG fund managers using sustainability to make better investment decisions? ❓ Question: As ESG investing faces increasing scrutiny and evolving reporting requirements, how do professional fund managers integrate sustainability considerations into investment decisions without sacrificing returns? ✅ Answer: According to Mans Carlsson, head of ESG and co-portfolio manager at Australian f...

🌿 How can Australia catch up to the frontrunners in the green steel race? ❓ Question: As global demand shifts towards low-carbon industries and clean supply chains, does Australia have a realistic opportunity to move beyond exporting raw materials and become a leader in green steel manufacturing? ✅ Answer: According to Tim Buckley, founder and director of Climate Energy Finance, Australia has a...

🌿 Is greenwashing evolving into a new risk era driven by climate reporting and emissions targets? ❓ Question: As climate disclosure becomes mandatory and regulators crack down on misleading environmental claims, is greenwashing becoming less about marketing spin and more about governance, reporting and accountability? ✅ Answer: According to Dr Mark Siebentritt, executive director at Edge Impact...

🌿 Can committing just 1% of revenue help businesses drive meaningful environmental impact? ❓ Question: Can a relatively small commitment of 1% of annual revenue create measurable environmental outcomes, strengthen business performance and help companies embed sustainability into their long-term strategy? ✅ Answer: According to Kate Williams, chief executive officer of 1% for the Planet, the ans...

🌿 Can carbon recycling turn industrial emissions into profitable products? ❓ Question: Can captured carbon dioxide be transformed into valuable commercial products, and could this help heavy industries such as cement, steel and mining accelerate their path to net zero while creating new business opportunities? ✅ Answer: According to Sophia Hamblin Wang, co-founder and chief operating officer of...

🤖 Can good AI governance help companies become long-term winners? ❓ Question: How are Australian company boards approaching artificial intelligence, and can strong AI governance help companies create long-term value while managing emerging risks? ✅ Answer: Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming an investment issue rather than simply a technology issue. According to Sue Lyn Stubbs, associat...

Can responsible investors justify defence exposure? Question: Can investors responsibly invest in defence companies while managing ESG risks, and where should they draw the line? Answer: Defence investing has become increasingly relevant as global conflict and government spending rise, but it remains complex for ESG-focused investors. According to Jess Cairns, head of responsible investment at Alp...

Portfolio poison: How ignoring modern slavery risks your returns Question: Why does modern slavery persist despite Australia’s Modern Slavery Act, and what practical steps can investors and fund managers take to drive real change beyond compliance? Answer: Modern slavery remains a global issue, with an estimated 50 million people affected. Australia’s Modern Slavery Act has increased awareness but...

Is Your Portfolio Missing Out? The Green Bond Boom Explained Question: How have green bonds evolved, what risks and opportunities do they present for investors, and what are the biggest misconceptions about this asset class? Answer: Green bonds have grown into a US $2 trillion global market, with Europe leading but APAC and emerging markets catching up. According to Johann Ple, senior portfolio ma...

A conversation with Josh Gilbert, head of geospatial strategy, ISS STOXX Sustainability, on how geospatial intelligence is reshaping climate and nature risk analysis for investors. Data overload or data goldmine? Investors race to decode nature’s signals Question: How can geospatial tools help investors move from climate risk mapping to nature risk management, and what does this mean for investmen...

HALO trade: Why hard assets are the new gold for sustainable investors Question: What is the HALO trade, and why are asset-heavy companies suddenly attracting investor attention in the age of AI and decarbonisation? Short answer: The HALO trade (Hard Assets, Low Obsolescence) is reshaping investment strategies. According to Dierdre Cooper, companies tied to physical infrastructure (like grids, pip...

AI, Workplace Culture and Labor Rights: Why human capital risk is financially material This week on The Greener Way, host Michelle Baltazar speaks with Emily DeMasi, regional team lead - North America EOS at Federated Hermes, about why human capital risks, such as workplace culture, harassment and violence, labour rights, and supply chain conditions, are financially material for investors through...