Hi, this is Morgan from NY branch.

On December 7th Americas Division held an ESG Education Lunch presented by a member of our Research Department, Anthony Venezia. The presentation took an objective look at the topic of ESG and the questions we should all be asking ourselves as we discuss it in business.

Fund managers like BlackRock and others, frequently talk about ESG’s benefits for investors, but are these firms claiming their products help make the world a better place without being able to provide any evidence? How are businesses ensuring that their investments are doing what Fund Managers are promising?

The presentation also examined the greater potential SEC oversight of ESG funds. These ideas are central to the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (“NZBA”). The presentation raises questions about:

• Banks true ability to influence their clients’ operations, which would make them greener and more sustainable.
• The lenders’ role in allocating capital to more renewable energy to halt climate change.
• If the pressure of lenders sufficient to bring about transformative industrial change on a global scale.
• Will our ESG ambitions put humanity in the fast lane, speeding us towards a green future.

40 employees attended the presentation, which is meant to get us all thinking about true ESG as we continue to make it a priority. We do not want to follow blindly with the trends but make a real commitment to making the world a better place. This means scrutinizing our practices and asking the tough questions.