Octo REWIND: HOT TOPIC - Temperature Check - Climate Change

Octo host John Lappin was joined by James Sym, of the PVT equity team at River & Mercantile, along with Asim Javed, a Senior Investment Manager with Alpha Beta Partners. The debate explored a number of key topics off the back of how portfolio managers see the landscape shifting as companies – and indeed investors – increasingly take account of that fundamental need to be mindful of the environment. Panellists were asked whether three months after COP26 had convened in Glasgow, had they seen any meaningful shift in sentiment, either on the buy or the sell side? The opinion appeared to be that whilst the summit was definitely a step on the right direction, rather than it being a critical turning point, it was more a case of an event that galvanised opinions. Evidently the mood here has been changing for the last five years or so and many are already taking the necessary steps to reposition their holdings. The fact that the evolving investment criteria now reaches far beyond climate alone and instead encapsulates various impact measures was also notable. Many of these qualities are reflective of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, so whilst carbon emissions are a key part of these, they also sit along side a range of other factors including improving education, working towards gender equality and the elimination of poverty. The pace with which this new investment landscape is developing remains eye catching, but there’s still work to be done to ensure that the best outcomes can be delivered seamlessly and efficiently.