Thematic Thoughts: food companies, sustainability and financial risk
Climate change is going to alter what can be grown where, and the yields that farmers can deliver. This is very likely to lead to higher prices. And yet current financial reporting by companies in the agricultural value chain doesn't really talk about this. This needs to change.
Sunday Brunch: the relevance of accounting for sustainability professionals?
Current financial reporting effectively ignores the investments that create the majority of a company's financial value - their intangible assets. This includes many environmental, social and governance factors. We need better disclosure on this, but how?
Sunday Brunch: key thoughts from 2024
Sustainable Investing is changing. Thoughts on the changes we have seen in 2024 and hopes for 2025.
Sunday Brunch: Innovation & why investing is forward looking
Yes, investing is about the future. Future profits and future cashflows. But the value of a company is also impacted by historic innovation shortfalls. Nespresso shows it can work - will Nestle work out how to repeat the wins this brings?
Sunday Brunch: 'dirty' investments and investor expectations
Yes, demand for some 'dirty' products might collapse in the future. But, to make a compelling case to investors, we also need to understand if this negative outcome is already reflected in the current share price.
Sunday Brunch: investible diversity
Diversity matters, but not the diversity you might think. It has become an accepted fact that there is a strong link between demographic diversity and financial returns. But it's not actually supported by rigorous analysis.
Sunday Brunch: audit - the risk hiding in plain sight
Audits matter. Much of the time investors don't get the data that underpins a company strategy. It's confidential. And so we rely on the auditor to check it. And this should include sustainability strategy. But, often it doesn't. That needs to change.
Sunday Brunch: clean electricity is possible, but politically tough
A clean, low carbon electricity grid is possible. And while the task of adding all of the renewables, batteries etc is challenging, the big barrier is political will and regulatory frameworks. Lets not pretend the route will be easy.
Sunday Brunch: Moving from ESG to competitive advantage
If we want companies to become more sustainable, we need to focus on the financial impacts of the transition. And we need to make the imperative for change clear - not just from society, but from governments and regulators.
Sunday Brunch: Might taking Anglo American private be good for sustainability?
Would taking a mining company private help with sustainability? Or could we achieve the same outcome with a material minority holding?
Sunday Brunch: Yes, its true, accounting really does matters
Accounting is the language of business - most investors would be lost without accounting numbers. And generally we need better sustainability related disclosures - a mining case study.
Thematic Thoughts: Change can happen faster than we think
Assuming business as usual is often the easy option. But often change happens faster than we expect. And this can expose the company to material risks.
