Episode 20: The role finance plays in moving us towards a sustainable future with James Alexander, CEO, UKSIF

“The role of marketing is critical. Marketing what is real rather than the image you want to create!” In this episode James really sets the record straight on just what sustainable finance is and the role finance and financial investment plays in moving us towards a sustainable future. With over 270 members within UKSIF (UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association), James leads a fast growing membership committed to growing sustainable and responsible finance in the UK. Collectively the membership is responsible for managing approximately 10 trillion pounds of investment. A significant amount - and of course, money talks. James discusses how business is changing, how employee and customer expectation is shifting, and how we are all starting to take ownership of the role we play in creating a sustainable future, the impact of our work, and indeed how we manage and invest our money. James tells us that when we talk about ‘sustainability’ there’s often a number of interpretations as to what it is - but one thing we can all be clear on is what ‘unsustainable business’ looks like. And the fact is that business is changing, we’re reinventing the definition of a company - it’s innovate or die. And those businesses that choose to ignore the warnings, will be unprofitable if they don’t change. We talk GreenTaxonomy, pensions, stewardship, circular economy and service driven economy, values and the role of an investor. Inspirational, balanced, honest and informative… all we can advise is tune in! You don’t want to miss this. You can find more information about UKSIF via https://uksif.org/ - and any comments, questions, ideas, suggestions related to the podcast, Get in touch.   Due to the COVID19 situation, our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.