Pri Podcasts

In this episode of the PRI podcast, the PRI’s director of investment practices, Toby Belsom speaks with Alex van der Velden of Ownership Capital. They discuss Alex’s journey to becoming a leader in the field of ESG integration in listed equity, his views on current practices and how they are evolving, and the challenges and opportunities that remain for investors looking to integrate ESG issues within their listed equity investments. Find a transcript of this episode here: https://bit.ly/3Bgkuei 

Drawing on insights from 2021’s AGM season, this PRI podcast episode dives into the subject of achieving meaningful outcomes through investor stewardship, particularly in the context of climate action and decarbonisation. The guest speakers share both academic and practical insights on the stewardship tools and practices at investors’ disposal when considering climate action as a systemic issue and from a universal ownership perspective.

In the sixth podcast of a series on the ESG in Credit Risk and Ratings Initiative, Sixtine Dubost (PRI) focusses with Barbara Cohen (Scope Ratings) and Shawn Keegan (Alliance Bernstein) on social factors, how they affect the probability of default of an issuer or of a bond issue and why their relevance is increasing.

PRI’s Jasper Cox speaks with Joanna Woods and Susan Burns about how climate change affects sovereign bonds through both physical risk and transition risk, and how investors can measure this.

Market practitioners discuss the reasons why, despite lagging compared to other fixed income sub-asset classes, investors in securitised products are sharpening their focus on ESG consideration. From regional differences between the US and European markets to the emerging of new ESG-labelled products, the podcast explores the drivers behind growing interest as well as the challenges that investors encounter as they begin to incorporate more systematically ESG factors in the evaluations of this sophisticated asset class.

In this episode of the PRI’s human rights podcast series, the PRI’s Nabylah Abo Dehman speaks to Jennifer Bates, an Amazon worker who played a key role in organising the union drive in Bessemer, Alabama and Corey Klemmer, Director of Engagement at Domini Impact Investments.   In this episode, Ms Bates reflects on her experiences of working for Amazon, the recent union drive and the result of the vote. In the second part of the podcast, Ms Klemmer shares her reaction to Ms Bates’ testimony, the allegations of union-busting at Amazon and describes how investors can engage with Amazon on current practices. Interested in the resources discussed in this episode? Ohman and Folksam letter to Amazon CWC Statement for Investors on the Union Election At Amazon’s Facility in Bessemer, AL Union Files NLRB Election Objections NBC New Report on Amazon Union Avoidance   All expressions of opinion of Ms. Klemmer reflect her judgement as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change. They do not constitute any form of

In this episode of the PRI podcast, our real assets lead, Simon Whistler, talks to Rick Alsop from WSP about climate risks and opportunities for real assets investors.

In this podcast, the PRI’s Carmen Nuzzo speaks with Farah Imrana Hussain who is Senior Financial Officer and works on Financial Products & Client Solutions at the World Bank Treasury. They discuss how sovereign bondholder engagement with debt management offices (DMOs) is evolving as a result of fixed income investor increasing focus on ESG topics.

In this episode of the PRI podcast, the PRI’s Felix Soellner, Senior Analyst and lead author in the PRI's SAM guides speaks with Moya Yip of the Local Government Superannuation Scheme. They discuss the crucial role asset owners have with their investment managers and how LGS has integrated ESG considerations in both their manager selection and ongoing monitoring practices. Moya also discusses LGS’s approach to active ownership through strong external investment manager partnerships.

In this podcast, the PRI's Carmen Nuzzo speaks with Claudia Gollmeier, Senior Investment Officer, Managing Director, Singapore, Colchester Global Investors and Chair of the PRI's Sovereign Debt Advisory Committee and Kristian Hartelius, Head of Quantitative Strategies, AP2, and member of the advisory committee.   They discuss how ESG factors feature in risk assessment and the role of sovereign bondholders’ engagement.

In this episode, the PRI’s Rebecca Chapman speaks with Michiel De Smet, Finance Initiative Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. They discuss the findings from a report released last year by the Foundation called ‘Financing the Circular Economy’, including the relevance of the Circular Economy for investors and how investors can support a transition to a more circular future.    Interested in the resources discussed in this episode? ‘Financing the Circular Economy’, Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2020) https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/our-work/activities/finance RI’s work on Plastics: https://www.unpri.org/sustainability-issues/environmental-social-and-governance-issues/environmental-issues/plastics

In this episode of the PRI podcast, the PRI’s Simon Whistler talks to Rick Walters from GRESB. They talk about the state of play of ESG data and performance in infrastructure, how better ESG data can drive stronger long-term thinking and performance, and explore whether too much of a focus on data can distract from the real world elements of infrastructure investing.

In this episode of the PRI podcast, the PRI’s Nikolaj Halkjaer Pedersen engages in a dynamic human rights focused conversation with Chris Newton, Executive Director of Responsible Investment at IFM Investors and Akiko Sato, Human Rights Lawyer and Japan Programme Coordinator at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. The podcast begins by grounding an investor’s understanding of human rights through analysing what human rights are, where they exist in relation to fiduciary duty and how they can be integrated into ESG considerations. It then explores the ways in which human rights are regulated across different geographies, how human rights considerations can be incorporated across asset classes and the importance of investor responsibility to enable and provide access to remedy. It concludes with the guests expressing their hopes and desires for the future of human rights in institutional investment. Read the PRI's flagship paper, Why and how investors should act on human rights

In this podcast, the PRI's Nathan Fabian introduces the new EU Platform on Sustainable Finance, explains the Platform’s purpose, activities and what signatories can expect in the months and years ahead.

In this episode of the PRI podcast, the PRI’s Nabylah Abo Dehman speaks with Sam Hepher from the Living Wage Foundation and ShareAction’s Rachel Hargreaves. They discuss the investor toolkit for the living wage recently launched in collaboration between their two organisations, why the living wage matters, and the practical steps investors can take to further this agenda. Interested in the resources discussed in this episode? Living wage investor toolkit

In this episode of the PRI podcast, Gail Whiteman, Professor of Sustainability, University of Exeter & Founder, Arctic Basecamp speaks with Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the PRI’s CEO, Fiona Reynolds. They discuss WBCSD and the PRI’s new collaboration created to redesign engagement between corporates and investors and to drive sustainability outcomes and value creation. The podcast explores the rationale behind this critical and unique collaboration and what it aims to achieve. 

In this episode of the PRI podcast, the head of the PRI's infrastructure workstream, Simon Whistler, speaks to Stanley Kwong from Aviva Investors’ real assets business about how they integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into their investment process.

Published on Earth Day 2020, in this episode, the PRI's Director of Climate Change, Sagarika Chatterjee, and Jason Eis, Executive Director of Vivid Economics, discuss a pioneering piece of research from the PRI, Vivid Economics and Energy Transition Advisors: the Inevitable Policy Response to climate change. They discuss what exactly the Inevitable Policy Response is; the potential impact on asset classes such as equities of not acting now on climate change; and what PRI signatories can do to integrate IPR thinking into their investments. Interested in the resources discussed in this episode? Read about the Inevitable Policy Response here Please note this episode was recorded before the Covid-19 outbreak in Europe

In the last episode in our series of modern slavery podcasts, the PRI's Head of Social Issues, Bettina Reinboth speaks with Anders Stromblad, Head of Alternative Investments and External Management at AP2. There are currently 40.3 million people in modern slavery today. To bring this number close to zero by 2030, and reach the Sustainable Development Goal target 8.7, we would need to reduce the number of individuals affected by 10,000 a day.    The risks of modern slavery are increasing due to changes such as climate change, automation and migration, as they disrupt global labour markets and value chains.   In this episode, Bettina and Anders discuss how AP2 is addressing modern slavery and human trafficking across its investments, and what private equity investors can do to tackle the issue. Interested in the resources discussed in this podcast? Blueprint for Mobilizing Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking: https://www.unpri.org/social-issues/a-blueprint-for-mobilizing-finance-against-slavery-and-traffic