In a three-piece podcast series, experts from APG Asset Management together with external guests uncover and discuss some of the most important topics that are shaping the world of responsible investing. In this third episode, host Shahzad Memon (Portfolio Manager Responsible Investment Fixed Income at APG) discusses the delicate balancing act of pension investors between economy and ecology with Nikki Trip (Sustainability Specialist at AF Advisors) and Ronald Wuijster (CEO APG Asset Management).
This episode consists of three different segments. The first one identifies the balance between financial and societal returns. In this context, Memon notes that, when presented the choice, 62% of its participants think ABP – the largest pension fund of the Netherlands – should invest in cleaner energy with a 4% return rather than in fossil fuels with a 7% return; 38% prefers the opposite.
Not enough action
The second part of the podcasts focuses on the issue whether financial institutions are aware of their dependency on nature. “The realization is there, but does it always translate into actions? Not enough”, says Wuijster, who also chaired the Biodiversity Initiative of the World Economic Forum.
Advocacy is the third and last topic discussed in this episode, on which Trip states: “I don’t think activism is a dirty word. I consider it a positive word.” On her journey as a (corporate) activist, Trip learned that the different types of advocacy complement each other. “You need all different types of activism or advocacy to speak out, put topics on the agenda and to help the people who are in charge to change things.”
Listen to the entire podcast on Spotify or Soundcloud.