New Metrics

#NewMetrics ’15:
How to Accelerate Climate Solutions through Investing

Think talking about investment is always boring? Think again: This had to have been the most highly charged workshop at New Metrics ’15.

By Dr. Taryn E. Fisher | Published 10 years ago | About a 2 minute read

Think talking about investment is always boring? Think again: This had to have been the most highly charged workshop at New Metrics ’15.

At first it appeared that the debate was personal among the facilitator, Paul Herman (HIP Investor), and panelists Jack Robinson (Trillium Asset Management) and Cary Krosinsky (PRI). Then it became clear – all are deeply concerned about imminent climate catastrophe and all are working furiously to identify the best solution, post haste. For example, is divestment from fossil fuels effective, or should action center on sustainable business practices or carbon tax policy?

Ironically, the stalemate about “what millennials want” was broken by a millennial in the audience who said, “I get divestment. Tell me how and where to invest.” Only moving from theory to practice will move the needle.

The biggest hurdle may in fact be human nature itself: change is hard – preserving the status quo seems cheaper and easier. Another big hurdle is the data vacuum. How can we know with certainty which actions are best, how much action is needed, and how quickly?

The point driven home in this workshop (and many others this week) is that waiting for good data is not a good idea, nor is worrying about the multiplicity of questions and the fragmented nature of emerging solutions.

Smart and passionate people can and do disagree. The smart and passionate people at New Metrics ’15 are, in myriad ways, rowing toward a common goal that’s beyond our line of sight: co-creating an economic future that ensures harmony between people and planet into perpetuity.