Investing In the Future: The Role of Business in the Fight Against Climate Change

Gabelli100 | Sep 26, 2022 | Gabelli School of Business

Since the Industrial Revolution, the economy has depended on industries that produce high amounts of carbon emissions. Now, scientists warn that we have just 30 years to reduce emissions to net zero to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change.

Bruce Usher, a Columbia Business School professor and author of Investing in the Era of Climate Change, discussed how businesses and investors can help to secure the future of humanity in this webinar co-sponsored by the CFA Society New York, the Gabelli Center for Global Security Analysis, and the Museum of American Finance. He proposed that companies that commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions will not only help protect the environment, but also benefit from increased profits.

In response to the recent pushback against environmental, social, and governance investing from politicians in support of high-emissions industries, Usher stressed that ESG investing is useful for monitoring a company’s environmental impact and a smart strategy for successful investing overall.

“ESG investing is knowing whether your asset is at risk from these factors, and what that company is doing about it,” he said. “In fact, there are plenty of legal scholars who have written that you’re not fulfilling your fiduciary duty if you ignore these factors.”