Esa Saloranta - Re-thinking The Future, Technology and Social Challenges, and The Role of Sustainable and Impact Investing
Episode 19, Sep 22, 2019, 08:20 AM
Esa Saloranta is Head of ESG and Sustainability Technology of eQ Asset Management. Esa is a thought leader in sustainable technology, ESG policy and integration, focusing currently on social responsibility, AI and digital transformation and managing EQ Blue Planet, a sustainable technology fund launched in 2015 which is one of the funds of EQ Asset Management in Finland.
Highlights:
- Evolution of eQ Blue Planet from a traditional energy utility fund into a sustainable fund
- How eQ’s investment process is different from others
- “I’m always looking for unrealised potential from sustainability drivers”
- “There is a general increase in awareness of sustainability and environmental issues over the last 12 months.”
- Significance of technology in energy and built environment, rise of connected devices and environmental impact of data infrastructures
- The challenge of impact measurement and importance of qualitative assessments
- Why it is key to understand the sustainability strategy of businesses as an impact investor
- How to avoid sub-optimal impact and having a balanced portfolio
- The ESG community is the most collaborative and open community in the financial sector
- Why we need to think about the future purpose of corporations
- Philanthropy by giving away part of their fee to BSAG - Baltic Sea Action Group
Time Stamp:
[02:40] What is impact investment?
[08:30] Climate change is also a social issue
[09:40] Future of work and role of data
[11:19] eQ Blue Planet, private equity and real estate funds in EQ Asset Management
[18:05] A smarter way than the funnel approach to investing
[26:40] How investors are approaching eQ
[27:25] Why focus on technology
[30:00] Logitech and Adobe, impact of video conferencing and mobile
[33:00] Qualitative assessments of impact
[44:30] Understanding strategy
[42:20] Augmented reality and construction
[42:45] How eQ Asset Management is collecting impact data
[47:40] Thinking about impact and pitfall of the ESG community
[49:00] BSAG - contributing to philanthropy as an impact fund
[53:25] Esa’s personal inspiration
[57:40] What makes a good impact leader?
Useful Links:
Esa Saloranta’s Linkedin
How to incorporate SDGs into your business - Fast Forward 2030
Find talent and careers with impact - Realchangers
Impact Leaders is produced by Podcast Publishing