What if more people had solar panels than smartphones? What if ocean plastics had nearly vanished by 2005? What if an additional $2 trillion flowed into social and environmental solutions every year — not as charity, but as disciplined investment? These questions are not fantasies. They are economic thought experiments grounded in data, and they
For decades, Cheryl Smith has been a leading voice in sustainable finance—shaping strategies that align investment returns with social and environmental impact. As an economist and portfolio manager at Trillium Asset Management, she has championed the integration of ESG principles long before they were mainstream. In this conversation for GreenMoney’s Women & Sustainable Investing issue,
The need for expanded, upgraded, and more sustainable infrastructure is creating a range of high-quality investment opportunities. Population growth, demographic shifts, and technological innovation are driving demand for new systems. Existing assets need to be made more resilient to rising pressures from climate change, security threats, and less predictable usage. At the same time, infrastructure
According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the buildings and construction sector accounts for roughly 32 percent of global energy consumption and 34 percent of global CO₂ emissions. These numbers reveal a simple truth often overlooked in the climate conversation: if we want to secure a livable future, the built environment must be part of
