Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy

Guest: Vanessa Gray Much of what's written critically about the fossil fuel industry focuses on the effects of climate change, but there are significant human rights and human health costs as well that don't get as much coverage. And the effects of the industry on Indigenous communities receive even less attention. Vanessa Gray is the divestment campaign coordinator with Indigenous Climate Action. Growing up on the Aamjiwnaang First Nation near Sarnia, Ontario's “Chemical Valley,” Gray witnessed first hand the serious effects unchecked industry can have on people's well-being, so much so that she built an app which allows members of her community to track the nearby polluting companies and even trace health symptoms back to specific chemicals these companies were using or manufacturing. On this episode of ‘Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,'Gray speaks with host Tim Nash about the push to divest from fossil fuels and the importance of reinvesting toward climate solutions. More information about “Chemical Valley” can be found here, and the Aamjiwnaang struggle here.

Guest: Avery Francis What do the terms "diversity," "equity" and "inclusion" (DEI) mean in a practical sense, and how can investors ensure that companies aren't simply ticking the box to earn points for a better environmental, social, and governance (ESG) score? “Work should work for everyone,” says Avery Francis. She is the founder and CEO of Bloom, a Toronto-based consulting firm that helps companies implement changes to improve productivity by making their workplaces more accommodating to all their staff. On this episode of ‘Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,' she talks with host Tim Nash about the “diversity debt,” and what workers can do if they want to find a job that better aligns with their values. Francis is also the host of Girlboss Radio.

Guest: Andria Barrett Canada's institutional banking system has been traditionally difficult to navigate for new immigrants to the country, leading many to utilize an informal, women-led savings collective based on the principle of mutual aid. Known as a "partner" in Jamaican culture, a "susu" in the Ghanaian community or a "hagbad" in Somali, a rotating savings and credit association (ROSCA) fosters a sense of community in many immigrant groups and opens doors to funding frequently not available elsewhere. In this episode of “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,” host Tim Nash speaks with Andria Barrett, a consultant and speaker at The Diversity Agency, and former president of the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce, about how ROSCAs work and why they're spreading beyond immigrant networks. More information at The ROSCA Federation.

Guests: Chandra Ramadurai and Tim Stoate According to a recent study, the transportation sector worldwide is responsible for approximately 16 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, while building and infrastructure account for 21 percent. Why then, does transportation receive 61 percent of all investment funding aimed at making it greener, while building and infrastructure receive only four percent? Is this an overlooked opportunity? Enter Chandra Ramadurai and Tim Stoate, the CEO and Vice President of Development respectively of Efficiency Capital, a spin-off from The Atmospheric Fund. In this episode of “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,” they talk to host Tim Nash about how they've turned financing greener building initiatives into economic success.

Guest: Anshula Chowdhury As more and more Canadians enter the sustainable investment realm, the most common question is, "How do I know my investments are having a net positive benefit?" This is where analysts like Anshula Chowdhury, CEO of Sametrica come in. In this episode of 'Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,' Chowdhury and host Tim Nash dig deep into how to accurately measure the massive growth in sustainable investing and social finance — including how AI figures in.

Guest: Victor Beausoleil When Victor Beausoleil  was growing up, his mother was instrumental in organizing the finances in the expatriate Saint Lucien community in Toronto. Today, as the executive director — or "steward" — of Social Economy Through Social Inclusion,  Beausoleil applies the same collective principles to help ensure diverse representation in the social finance ecosystem.

Guest: Sally Miller The food industry in Canada has been traditionally dominated by a handful of huge corporations, but small- and mid-level independent food producers are starting to have an increased market share. In this episode of 'Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,' host Tim Nash speaks to Sally Miller, executive director of the Fair Finance Fund about the concept of impact investing and how it's directly contributing to a more diversified and sustainable food system in Canada.

Guest: Melissa Shin Despite the rise in popularity of do-it-yourself investing, most people still find comfort working with a professional investment advisor. But how do you choose the advisor that's right for you? And how do you know that your advisor really “gets” responsible investing? In this episode of 'Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,' host Tim Nash speaks with journalist and editor Melissa Shin of Advisor's Edge and Investment Executive about how to find the right advisor and how to avoid those who are simply 'greenwashing' their investment opportunities. She suggests, among other tips, to use the Responsible Investment Association's online advisory tool to help you find the best person when it comes to managing your investments.

Guest: Tori Dunlap With a good background knowledge of money management instilled in her by her parents, Tori Dunlap resolved to save $100,000 by the time she was 25. With that goal achieved, Dunlap used what she'd learned to empower other women to manage and invest their money wisely. In this wide-ranging interview with host Tim Nash, Dunlap talks about her book "Financial Feminist," why women are less likely to invest than men and why she believes you're losing money every day you don't invest.

*This episode is a re-release, originally released Friday, Feb 18, 2022* Guest: Bruce Sellery, CEO of Credit Canada Many people are excited about responsible investing and eager to dive in. But there is some groundwork and approach that needs to be in place before you start. Bruce Sellery, CEO of Credit Canada and host of the “Moolala” podcast, joins host Tim Nash on “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy” to discuss the mindset of having money. As Bruce shares, the better you are about managing your money, the better you'll be able to experience more about what you love. Got a question about responsible investing? Tim is taking questions and will endeavour to answer them on a future episode of the podcast. Need something answered? Email info@goodinvesting.com Host Tim Nash is the founder of Good Investing and has been a leader in responsible investing, impact investing, and the green economy for more than a decade.

*This episode is a re-release, originally released Friday, Nov 5, 2021* Guests: Jessica Moorhouse, host of the More Money podcast, and Adria Vasil, managing editor of Corporate Knights magazine and author of the ecoholic book series On the premiere episode of the “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy” podcast, host Tim Nash speaks with Jessica Moorhouse, host of the More Money podcast, who helps us get into the mindset of a person at the start of their investment journey. He is also joined by Adria Vasil, managing editor of Corporate Knights magazine. Adria compares the rise of responsible consumerism to the rise of responsible investing. Host Tim Nash wants to help you understand how to invest responsibly. Join him every Friday to make sense of responsible investing.

Guest: Julie Segal With COP27 having recently wrapped, credible climate plans — both at the state and corporate levels — are once again at the forefront of investors' minds. Julie Segal is the senior program manager for climate finance at Canadian charity Environmental Defence. She just returned from the conference in Egypt and discusses the prevalence of corporate greenwashing and the report "Roadmap to a Sustainable Financial System in Canada," which she co-authored.

Guest: Chris Turner With the news flooded with stories of wildfires, unprecedented droughts and rapidly-shrinking glaciers, it can be tempting for even the most ardent environmentalist to throw up their hands in despair. Calgary-based author Chris Turner joins host Tim Nash on this episode of 'Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy' to provide some much-needed good news on the climate change front. In his latest book, "How to Be a Climate Optimist: Blueprints for a Better World," he highlights places around the globe that are making remarkable environmental progress.

Guest: Patricia Fletcher Last week, the Responsible Investment Association released the 2022 Canadian Responsible Investment Trends Report. This much-anticipated annual offering shows how the biggest investors are approaching responsible investing — currently a $3-trillion sum in Canada. In this episode of 'Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,' RIA CEO Patricia Fletcher joins host Tim Nash to unpack this year's findings.

Guests: Armine Yalnizyan and Darryl Brown With inflation spiking and a recession looming, it's a difficult time to be thinking about investing. In a frank discussion, economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers Armine Yalnizyan digs into the root causes of the country's current economic pain and the road ahead. On the back end of the episode, You&Yours Financial's Darryl Brown offers some practical tips for investors navigating turbulent times.

Guest: Sarah Keyes Environmental, social and governance metrics have been a going concern for investing for close to 20 years, but what do these metrics actually mean? And who determines how an investment qualifies as "green" or "sustainable?" Sarah Keyes is the CEO of ESG Global Advisors. In this episode of "Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy," she walks host Tim Nash through new and developing guidelines and ratings being set up for ESG investing. She believes that ESG funds are moving out of their awkward teen years and into adulthood — with all the growing pains that comes with.

Guest: Seth Klein, founder of Climate Emergency Unit Fighting climate change is the existential crisis of our times. Why can't we seem to coordinate en masse the same way we have with other crises of massive scale? When Canada entered World War Two in 1939, the country radically transformed its economy and its very society in a matter of months. In fact at its peak, one in 11 Canadians was directly employed in military production—and a similar number was actively fighting. Seth Klein is a lifelong activist, the founder of the Climate Emergency Unit and the author of "A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency." He argues the same type of mass mobilization needs to take place in this country to combat climate change.

Guest: Jonathon Porritt, Founder, Forum for the Future Jonathon Porritt, a noted environmentalist and writer, has been at the forefront of the British green movement for five decades. And though he acknowledges the environmental precipice the Earth is currently perched on, he also admits to a sense of hopefulness he hasn't felt in a long time. In this episode of “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,” Porritt talks about navigating that path between despair and hope and the work that his organization, Forum for the Future, is doing promoting the transition to a low-carbon economy.

GUEST: Lesley-Anne Scorgie, founder of MeVest For young people, investing can be daunting enough, but add the terms “ethical” or “sustainable” in front of it and it's enough to dissuade all but the most diligent first-time investors. Fortunately, personal finance guru Lesley-Anne Scorgie has a few tips and tricks for new investors to build their portfolios while not compromising their values. As the founder of MeVest, a financial educational company providing money coaching for Canadians, Scorgie has accumulated a wealth of valuable information tailored for new investors. In this episode of “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,” Scorgie recounts buying her first bond as a 10 year old with money she earned babysitting as well as navigating sketchy stock tips as a first-year university student, all while determining how to best keep her portfolio green.

GUEST: Alex Edmans, professor of finance at the London Business School Welcome to Season Two of “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy!” The guest to kick off our sophomore season is Dr. Alex Edmans, professor of finance at the London Business School, noted TED speaker and author of “Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit.” In this wide-ranging interview, Edmans expands on the book's opening sentence, “Capitalism is in crisis,” where he explains that the system may work well for corporations, but doesn't always trickle down to individuals — or the planet. Instead, Edmans believes that “growing the pie” does not necessarily exclusively mean increasing the profits, but enhancing social value as well. And if that's the case, does that change the commonly-accepted definition of environmental, social and governance, or ESG?

Coming October 21: Season 2 of Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy. This weekly podcast unpacks the environmental, social, and governance issues that companies need to tackle as investors like you demand more than just the bottom line. Host Tim Nash has been helping people understand how to invest responsibly for over a decade. When he started, few knew what sustainability, impact investing, ESG, CSR, or the transition to a low carbon economy really meant. Now responsible investing is a hot topic for new investors and seasoned traders alike. Listen and subscribe wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights Welcome to the final episode of season one of “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy.” Today host Tim Nash talks to Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights, the magazine for clean capitalism. Toby has spent over two decades helping Canadians understand that a sustainable economy is not only possible, it's also profitable. Host Tim Nash is the Founder of Good Investing and has been a leader in responsible investing, impact investing, and the green economy for more than a decade.

Guest: Darryl Brown, founder of You&Yours Financial Welcome to another episode of “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy.” We asked listeners for questions and they delivered! Host Tim Nash is joined by Darryl Brown, senior investment planner for Good Investing and founder of You&Yours Financial, to answer some of the pressing questions about responsible investing and personal finance. Host Tim Nash is the Founder of Good Investing and has been a leader in responsible investing, impact investing, and the green economy for more than a decade.

Guest: Mark Podlasly and Mike Carlson There's little doubt that Indigenous issues are front and centre in discussions about the sustainability of Canada's economy, but are responsible investors adequately considering that? What about the glaring gaps surrounding financial services where Indigenous peoples find themselves both underserved by financial institutions and underrepresented within the financial industry itself? To help us better understand the work that needs to be done, Mark Podlasly, director of economic policy for the First Nations Major Project Coalition, joins “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy” to talk about how responsible investors can do a better job of incorporating an Indigenous rights perspective into their investment approach. After the break, Mike Carlson, an independent financial planner, joins the podcast to talk about his work to build a network for Indigenous financial professionals. Got a question about responsible investing? Host Tim Nash is taking questions and will endeavour to answer them on a future episode of the podcast. Need something answered? Email info@goodinvesting.com Host Tim Nash is the founder of Good Investing and has been a leader in responsible investing, impact investing, and the green economy for more than a decade.

Guest: Joel Solomon and Ryan Collins-Swartz Today's episode returns our focus to the topic of impact investing, the strategy that seeks to generate financial returns while also creating a positive social or environmental impact. We hear from two leaders in the space. Our first guest is Joel Solomon, co-founding partner of RenewalFunds.com and author of “The Clean Money Revolution: Reinventing Power, Purpose, and Capitalism,” who talks about his lifelong journey as an impact investor. Our second guest Ryan Collins-Swartz, coexecutive director at Tapestry Community Capital, who speaks to the opportunity for non-profits and social enterprises to raise money via community bonds. Got a question about responsible investing? “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy” host Tim Nash is taking questions and will endeavour to answer them on a future episode of the podcast. Need something answered? Email info@goodinvesting.com Host Tim Nash is the founder of Good Investing and has been a leader in responsible investing, impact investing, and the green economy for more than a decade.

Guest: Bruce Sellery, CEO of Credit Canada Many people are excited about responsible investing and eager to dive in. But there is some groundwork and approach that needs to be in place before you start. Bruce Sellery, CEO of Credit Canada and host of the “Moolala” podcast, joins host Tim Nash on “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy” to discuss the mindset of having money. As Bruce shares, the better you are about managing your money, the better you'll be able to experience more about what you love. Got a question about responsible investing? Tim is taking questions and will endeavour to answer them on a future episode of the podcast. Need something answered? Email info@goodinvesting.com Host Tim Nash is the founder of Good Investing and has been a leader in responsible investing, impact investing, and the green economy for more than a decade.

Guests: Milla Craig, founder and president of Millani, and Ben Felix, head of research and client education at BWL Capital Today's episode looks at the financial performance of responsible investing. “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,” host Tim Nash starts with Milla Craig, the founder and president of Millani. Milla helps investors and companies understand how ESG risks and opportunities impact their bottom line. We also welcome Ben Felix, head of research and client education at PWL Capital and host of the “Rational Reminder” podcast. Ben talks about a few different reasons why responsible investments might have outperformed recently and cautions us that this might not always be the case. Host Tim Nash is the founder of Good Investing and has been a leader in responsible investing, impact investing, and the green economy for more than a decade.

Guest: Tariq Fancy, founder and CEO of The Rumie Initiative On a podcast called “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,” you would expect that our guests have very positive things to say about responsible investing. But in the interest of balance, host Tim Nash welcomes a guest who has some valid critiques of the way Wall Street is selling the concept. Tariq Fancy is the founder and CEO of The Rumie Initiative, a charity that makes digital learning more accessible. He used to work at BlackRock, one of the world's largest asset managers, which has been trying to position itself as a leader in sustainable investing.

Guests: Natasha Knox, principal of Alaphia Financial Wellness, and Mark Anielski, chief well-being officer at Anielski Management Does money make us happy? It can bring some to deep emotion and “psychological barriers” and a place of soul searching, questioning the difference one wants to make in the world and how money will get them there. Financial matters can even cause trauma. To explore this, Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy host Tim Nash talks to two fantastic guests. Natasha Knox, principal of Alaphia Financial Wellness, is a financial therapist who helps people move through deep emotions that serve as barriers to taking action on their financial plan. Mark Anielski, chief well-being officer at Anielski Management and host of The Economics of Well-Being podcast, explains the concept of genuine wealth and how governments need to start measuring what actually matters. Host Tim Nash is the Founder of Good Investing and has been a leader in responsible investing, impact investing, and the green economy for more than a decade.

Guest: Darryl Brown, founder of You&Yours Financial We all have subconscious or cognitive biases. This even carries over with our finances and investing. To explore this, Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy host Tim Nash talks to Darryl Brown, founder of You&Yours Financial and senior financial planner from Good Investing, about the top five behavioural mistakes responsible investors make. Host Tim Nash is the Founder of Good Investing and has been a leader in responsible investing, impact investing, and the green economy for more than a decade.

Guests: Coro Strandberg, president of Strandberg Consulting, and Joyce Sou, director for business development at B Lab U.S. & Canada If you roll your eyes at investment jargon like corporate social responsibility and environmental social governance analysis, then you'll love this episode of Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy. Led by host Tim Nash, we go looking for companies that are truly leading the way into a sustainable future. Coro Strandberg, president of Strandberg Consulting and co-founder of the Social Purpose Institute at United Way, tells us about social purpose businesses who are aiming higher than just profit maximization. Joyce Sou, director for business development at B Lab U.S. & Canada, tells us about the rigorous B Corp certification that helps separate true sustainability leaders from companies who are just paying lip service to the idea.

Guests: Jon Hale, director of ESG Strategy at Morningstar, and Mary Robinson, director of research and partnerships at the Responsible Investment Association Welcome to the first episode of Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy in 2022. Today, we examine the responsible investment marketplace by looking at supply and demand. To help us look at the supply side of the equation, we have Jon Hale, director of ESG Strategy at Morningstar, who speaks to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing and the common myths that people have about responsible investment funds. After that we have Mary Robinson, director of research and partnerships at the Responsible Investment Association, to share latest data about investor interest in responsible investing and speak to an important education gap that is holding back the flow of money.

Guest: Shad Kabango, Canadian rapper, broadcaster and investor Artist Shad Kabango is a rapper, broadcaster and host of “Hip Hop Evolution” on Netflix. He is also passionate about responsible investing, and joins host Tim Nash on “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy” to talk about the impact of arts and culture on the economy. “I try to think intentionally about how I'm participating in the world,” Shad says. “Like in the words that I put together in the songs that I put together in the other things, in projects I'm involved in for work, in my relationships and our financial life, my financial life, this money that I'm putting towards retirement is a big part of how I participate in the world.” This is the last episode of “Responsible Investing” for 2021. We will return on Jan. 10 after a holiday break. Happy holidays!

Guests: Shannon Lee Simmons, founder of New School of Finance, and Bridget Casey, founder of Money After Graduation It's not how much you invest. It is when you start investing. For many, understanding the difference and making the choice to invest even a small amount when you are young comes down financial literacy. Shannon Lee Simmons, founder of New School of Finance, and Bridget Casey, founder of Money After Graduation, have made careers out of communicating why young people need to start investing early. Host Tim Nash talks to both of them on episode six of “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy.”

Guests: Tonya Surman of the Centre for Social Innovation and Rudy Ruttimann of the Sketch Institute Real estate in Toronto is red hot, leaving a lot of prospective buyers out in the cold. So, how the heck does a non-profit buy real estate in downtown Toronto? The answer is something called a community bond. Add that to your bricks and mortar! Today on “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,” we talk with Tonya Surman, co-founder and CEO of the Center for Social Innovation, and Rudy Ruttimann, the founding director of Sketch Institute.

Guests: Bob Willard, founder of Sustainability Advantage, and Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and Atkinson Fellow on the future of workers This week on “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,” host Tim Nash with guests Bob Willard and Armine Yalnizyan are talking about the business case for sustainability and why companies and governments should be proactive about investing in social and environmental measures to maximize their profits and strengthen the economy.

Guests: Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency doctor and board member of the Global Climate and Health Alliance, and Heather Scoffield, the Ottawa bureau chief for the Toronto Star. If we are going to talk about responsible investing, we have to talk about climate change and what a better time than just after the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26. Today on “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy,” host Tim Nash talks to Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency doctor and board member of the Global Climate and Health Alliance, and Heather Scoffield, the Ottawa bureau chief and economics columnist for the Toronto Star. Dr. Howard and Heather were in Scotland for the conference and share their perspectives about COP26 and investing in the future.

Guests: Laura Zizzo, co-founder and CEO of Manifest Climate, and Adam Scott, executive director of Shift Action For Pension Health and Planet Health The second episode of the “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy” podcast is all about climate risk. We're hot on the heels of a global climate conference with big targets announced by governments, corporations and investors. But did these announcements really mean anything? What the heck is climate risk anyway? To help us sort through everything, Tim Nash speaks with Laura Zizzo, co-founder and CEO of Manifest Climate, and Adam Scott, the executive director of Shift. You'll walk away from this episode with a much clearer understanding of climate risk and how it impacts your investments. Host Tim Nash wants to help you understand how to invest responsibly. Join him every Friday to make sense of responsible investing.

  Guests: Jessica Moorhouse, host of the More Money podcast, and Adria Vasil, managing editor of Corporate Knights magazine and author of the ecoholic book series On the premiere episode of the “Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy” podcast, host Tim Nash speaks with Jessica Moorhouse, host of the More Money podcast, who helps us get into the mindset of a person at the start of their investment journey. He is also joined by Adria Vasil, managing editor of Corporate Knights magazine. Adria compares the rise of responsible consumerism to the rise of responsible investing. Host Tim Nash wants to help you understand how to invest responsibly. Join him every Friday to make sense of responsible investing.

Coming soon: Responsible Investing for a Sustainable Economy. This new weekly podcast will unpack the environmental, social, and governance issues that companies need to tackle as investors like you demand more than just the bottom line. Host Tim Nash has been helping people understand how to invest responsibly for over a decade. When he started, few knew what sustainability, impact investing, ESG, CSR, or the transition to a low carbon economy really meant. Now responsible investing is a hot topic for new investors and seasoned traders alike. Listen to this episode and subscribe at wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.