Interview, Fireside Chat, Conference Presentation
Jean Case, CEO of The Case Impact Network and Chairman of the National Geographic Society
- The number of countries hosting active National Geographic grants is projected to grow dramatically over the next one to two years.
- While 2030 climate targets are expected to remain important, a short-term step back in commitments is anticipated within the next year due to global events.
- Acceleration in climate action is forecasted to occur as CEOs, particularly young founders, recognize the necessity of collaboration to achieve targets, despite near-term caution.
- Long-term optimism persists regarding climate alignment progress, even as the Ukraine crisis is expected to speed up renewable focus and pull forward short-term renewable investment.
- Impact investing is expected to shift from the outskirts to the center, with the SEC proposing continued regulations on transparency and measurement as ESG scrutiny increases.
- Diverse teams are projected to outperform based on data from firms like Deloitte and McKinsey, driving investment decisions through performance rather than solely social justice motivations.
- A strategic shift in the oil and gas sector is expected from divestment to high engagement, involving pressure on companies to change their practices.
- Young women and next-generation investors (Millennials and Gen Z) are projected to have an outsized impact on ESG as they receive massive wealth transfers and are expected to fire traditional wealth advisors, with 70% of young women and young people inheriting wealth anticipated to do so.
- Next-generation companies are expected to be the primary drivers of future innovation and benefit, prompting established corporations to scramble to accommodate their changing preferences.
- Startups in the renewable space are anticipated to usher in a new era of lower carbon footprints across various sectors.
- Greenwashing poses an existential risk to the movement if investors discover investments are not genuine, necessitating a set of standards and measurement.
- Bias in the market regarding female-led enterprises is expected to be eventually overcome as data becomes undeniable, leading to systemic change where young women see women ahead of them in executive roles.
- Disruption to 2030 climate targets is expected in the coming year, yet they remain crucial to staying in place.