846. Insights: The current state of ESG in financial services

Our expert hosts Rachel Pandyan is joined by some great guests to talk about how ESG is being championed by financial services to create meaningful change, not just for our industry, but for the whole world. ESG is a term most of us have heard, and it became a buzz word, a catch-all term to represent climate-conscious action and social responsibility. However, it's not just a cultural zeitgeist. Issues around climate change, gender parity, and corporate culture have also become key political battlegrounds around the world. These issues matter, and they resonate with huge numbers of people. But what have we actually done to move the dial in making our industry, and our world, a more sustainable and equitable place? As banks and other financial services providers invest more and more into ESG programmes, we want to take a look at what our industry has done, and what it continues to do, as ESG becomes evermore important to customers. From new banks targeting environmentally-conscious Gen Z-ers, to how more established banks might implement the changes needed to build ESG into their culture, we are going to discuss how financial service providers are driving meaningful change, and the challenges they still face in doing so. This week's guests include: Lisa Stanley, co-founder at Good With Money and chief sustainability officer at Zero Gail Gallie, Co-Founder at Project Everyone Highlights from this episode: How far has ESG come in financial services? (04:08) "An ongoing inability at leadership level" (06:20) The long term impact of staying as we are (10:17) ESG is so much bigger than climate (13:00) ESG in investment landscape (17:13) Consumer-driven change (20:05) The impact of not caring about ESG (24:05) The tangible benefit to customers (28:00) The UN sustainable development goals (31:38) "The strength is in the collective" (36:22) What can we do? (38:33) --------------------------------------- Fintech Insider by 11:FS is a bi-weekly podcast dedicated to all things finance, banking, technology, and financial services.  Our expert hosts, with real industry experience, are joined by the biggest decision-makers, VCs, and reporters from across financial services including guests from Visa, Nubank, M-Pesa, Starling, and JP Morgan Chase to discuss the latest news, developments, and trends within the industry. Our weekly news show drops every Monday and tackles the biggest news stories, from acquisitions and launches, to regulatory changes and innovation. Then, every Friday our Insights show dives deeper into the hottest topics shaping the industry like web3 and BNPL. Whether you’re already immersed in the world of financial services, or just keen to learn more, this is the #1 podcast for you. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe and please leave a review Follow us on Twitter: @fintechinsiders where you can ask the hosts questions, or email [email protected]! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices