Environmental, social and governance (ESG) data is increasingly useful in the investment world, but it is largely misunderstood in its purpose and capabilities. We will cover a brief history of ESG and sustainable investing, what kinds of strategies can be used to implement ESG criteria, some comments of the usefulness and shortcomings of ESG data, and how this information is being used in sustainable finance practices around the world.
Speaker Biography:
Jennifer (Jenny) Coombs is the Director of Client Success for Ethos ESG, part of ACA Global – ESG Data & Analytics team, deepening relationships with Ethos customers and helping financial advisors, asset managers and wealth managers build out competencies in ESG reporting and analysis. Prior to her current role, she was an associate professor at The College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado for six years, and now serves as an adjunct professor for ESG programs. She is the creator, lead author, and lead instructor for the Chartered SRI Counselor™ (CSRIC™) designation program, developed in partnership with US SIF, as the first professional financial education program in the United States exclusively devoted to sustainable investing.
Prior to joining the College, she worked in New York City for several Wall Street firms in such varied roles as technical and fundamental analysis, equity research, trading, and portfolio management. She has given two TED talks on the topic of sustainable and responsible investing: “Investing for a Better World: Using Wall Street to Implement Social Change” (November 2015 at TEDx Jersey City), and “Stopping the Rebuttal: Millennial Investors and the Future of Sustainability” (April 2018 at TEDx Clarkson University). She has also given presentations at and interviews on “Dollars & Change” with the Wharton Business School Radio on Sirius XM, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, The Society of Financial Services Professionals (FSP), The CFA Institute of New York, US SIF Annual Conference, The SRI (now ESG for Impact) Conference, Raymond James, and Advisor Group. Jennifer is often sought for her expertise on ESG education and market outlooks, and has been quoted in The New York Times, The AP, The Washington Post, Market Watch, Investment News, ESG Clarity, Money Magazine, Citigroup, Green Money Journal, Financial Advisor IQ, RIA Biz, Wealth Management, and Proactive Advisor Magazine.
Jennifer holds a Master of Science in Finance (MSF), is a member of the Advisory Board at ESG Clarity and serves on the education committee of US SIF’s Board of Directors. In 2021, she returned to her hometown of Brandon, Vermont.