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Sustainability was the theme at June’s Women in Super lunch, where speakers from Mercer and Lend Lease took the audience – BlueChip included – through the case for sustainable investing and why it’s particularly relevant in the superannuation environment.
The first speaker, Jillian Reid, Principal of Responsible Investment at Mercer, pointed out that sustainable investing – or versions thereof – is by no means a new concept and can be traced back as far as the 1800s. She also highlighted the role (and short termism) of vested interests in framing discussion around ESG investing and the myth that returns and some kind of sustainability screening (for example, ‘fair capitalism’) are mutually exclusive (they’re not). On the contrary, she maintained, having some kind of sustainability screening to guide investing over the long horizons that typify many superannuation investments is basic risk management.
Second up was Anita Mitchell, General Manager, Sustainability, from Lend Lease, who made an equally strong case for sustainable investing in property. Using the marquee development on Sydney’s CBD harbourfront, Barangaroo, as the example, she pointed out the virtues of a sustainable approach from many different standpoints: for investors, owners, site users and the community.
For more on the sustainability in super lunch, including the Mercer presentation, see our blog.
