Invested: The OMFIF Podcast

OMFIF’s survey of global public pension and sovereign funds revealed there is clear appetite among public investors to increase allocations to environmental, social and governance assets. But a major barrier, noted by 75% of respondents, is insufficient data or information. Adnan Memon, chief operating officer and head of data & analytics at Citi Business Advisory Services, joins Nikhil Sanghani, OMFIF’s managing director of research, to discuss the data challenges, as well as opportunities, facing ESG investors.

They explore the specific data hurdles regarding ESG investing, how investors are using data differently when considering sustainable assets and the future of ESG as a distinct asset class. They also look into the benefits of a deeper understanding of supply chains, which often isn’t limited to ESG-related risk management.

Find more details in Adnan Memon’s article, which was featured in our Global Public Pensions 2022 report.

Eric Usher, head of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, joins Emma McGarthy, head of OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute, to discuss how the UNEP is supporting the financial sector through the challenges of increasing disclosure and reporting requirements, transition planning and impact investment strategies. They discuss how the financial sector can scale up sustainable capital and asset allocation, the need to engage policy-makers to introduce further regulatory practices for the real economy’s transition as well as the rising focus on nature finance.

For a more in-depth examination of disclosure requirements, transition finance and regulatory expectations, join us in London on 22-23 March at our annual SPI symposium. To see our confirmed speakers and to register to attend, click below.

https://www.omfif.org/spisymposium2023/

OMFIF Economist Taylor Pearce and Chief Economist Neil Williams delve into what to look out for in the year head in this lightning round podcast. They cover the monetary and fiscal balance for governments and policy-makers, the resulting impacts on growth, currency and asset (re)allocation and heightened geopolitics.

Siegfried Ruhl, hors classe adviser to the director-general for budget at the European Commission, talks with Clive Horwood, OMFIF’s managing editor and deputy CEO, about the European Union’s borrowing plans for 2023. He discusses the new unified EU-Bonds funding approach, efforts to improve liquidity in EU debt, the role of primary dealers and the continued commitment to green bond issuance.

Neil Williams, chief economist, OMFIF, joined Antonio Curia, senior executive director of Wimmer Family Office, to provide a quarterly update on macroeconomics and a relevant view from policy-makers around the globe.

While COP26 revolved around what needs to be done to secure global net zero by 2050, COP27 focused on how to move from pledges to implementation. Mobilising finance is critical to delivering urgent action and has become one of the key aims of Egypt’s COP27 presidency.  This year’s climate summit intended to amplify the voices of developing countries and raise the topics of sovereign debt for nature and climate investment, reducing the cost of green borrowing, scaling up financing for both adaptation and resilience, loss and damage, and ensuring a just transition.

 

In this podcast, OMFIF’s Sustainable Policy Institute Head Emma McGarthy talks to Alex Michie, Head of Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), on the key outcomes of COP27, the state of climate finance and moving from commitments to tangible action, GFANZ framework for transition planning and driving co-operation, convergence and forging the path to COP28.

As they head into the new year, what are the primary concerns for public asset owners? Where should they expect continuities from 2022, and where will there be divergence? How will they adjust to the new reality of higher risk, more uncertainty and more a volatile macro environment? 

Max Castelli, head of strategy and advice, global sovereign markets, UBS Asset Management, joins Taylor Pearce, economist, OMFIF, to discuss these key questions and delve into diversification, inflation, quantitative tightening, environmental, social and governance concerns and other priorities for reserve managers in 2023.

Sinan Yilmaz, account and content manager at OMFIF, sits down with Lewis McLellan, editor of the Digital Monetary Institute, to discuss everything related to FTX and its downfall. Including, but not limited to the domino effects, if MiCa would have prevented this, and how Enron compares to Enron in the early 2000's.

If you have any requests, ideas or questions for our speakers, do drop us an email at enquiries@omfif.org. 

Jana Velebova-Harvey, senior portfolio manager in the emerging markets team at BlueBay Asset Management, speaks to Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, on the issuance conditions for emerging market sovereigns in 2022 and the outlook for the year ahead.

Velebova-Harvey talks about the challenges EM sovereigns have faced in accessing the primary market, innovative environmental, social and governance-themed debt restructuring such as debt for nature swaps and carbon-backed bonds, and Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery.

Wenbin Wong, head of GrabFin Singapore, and Lewis McLellan, editor of the Digital Monetary Institute, discuss ‘buy now, pay later’ — a rapidly growing form of consumer lending. The ease of use and accessibility that BNPL offers could make it a valuable tool for economic empowerment, but as consumer exposure grows, it is vital that regulators keep a close eye on unintended outcomes in the marketplace. This podcast explores the benefits that BNPL can bring for individuals, particularly in south east Asia, who are underserved by traditional banking services, as well as the recent Singapore BNPL code of conduct, which could provide a framework for other jurisdictions looking to keep their burgeoning BNPL markets safe.