”Diversity and inclusion in financial markets”, a fireside chat with Malin Malmström and SFL Center Vice-Director Lin Lerpold, Eva Halvarson at Andra AP-fonden, Johanna Raynal at Swefund, and Benedicte Faivre-Tavignot at HEC. Photo: SFL
Johanna Fager Wettergren, Head of Sustainable Finance at Finansinspektionen, what are your thoughts on the SFL Partner Day?
“I found the day very rewarding, with a mix of different perspectives and topical issues on the agenda.”
How did you find the structured discussions?
“Lively and engaged! The discussions benefitted from different perspectives from private industry, civil society, researchers, and regulators. Many good ideas on the potential scope for future research were brought to the table.”
What are your main takeaways?
“There were many takeaways, such as challenges and opportunities related to nature-related reporting. I also took a great interest in the initiative presented by SFL and The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency on a platform for sustainable finance.”
Erik Durhan at Öhman fonder, what are your thoughts on the SFL Partner Day?
“It’s always important to understand what is at the forefront in the sustainable research field and that there is a conduit into the financial sector. Right now, there is a lot of focus on new regulations and rules. Hence it is important that the new playing field reflects what creates the most impact. Here academia is important in ensuring that the sector measures the right thing and enacts change correctly.”
How did you find the structured discussions?
“Interesting, even though there is always a risk of the same message getting conveyed repeatedly. One thought that came to me was that there still is a disconnect between academia and the financial sector when it comes to the role of asset management and financing. The financial sector is an efficient conduit for change, but its whole reason for existence is to provide return and financing to its clients. The industry can only go so much beyond the regulatory environment it acts within.”
What are your main takeaways from the day?
“That most actors within the sectors are more or less in agreement on the correct path forward, to reduce the risk of green- and other variants of washing, but there is a need for course correction on this path. New regulation risks overwhelming the industry, and there should be some time for contemplation and forums to discuss what we already have, what more is needed, and if something needs to be changed or rolled back.”
Kent Eriksson, Director at SFL, what would you highlight from the day and the structured discussions?
“I think the Sustainable Finance Lab partner day turned out to be a very collaborative forum for researchers and partners. The discussions ranged from theoretical to practical, and some of the most discussed themes were governance, existing and new metrics for climate, social sustainability, and biodiversity.”
“Perhaps, what I found most important, was the commitment from partners and researchers to work together towards sustainability. In the discussions, it was evident that partners have developed their ability to integrate research into their work. It was also apparent that researchers have developed their ability to integrate the work of their partners into research. So, both researchers and partners have become better at working together. This ability is essential because sustainable finance needs to be science-based, and the partner day contributed towards further development of that science base. I look forward to seeing the outcome of a deepening dialog between partners and researchers of Sustainable Finance Lab in the future.”
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Photos from the Partner Day
