The announcement this week by Blackrock will be replicated over the entire financial services sector over the coming years. Those who adopt early will continue to have a serious advantage, so long as they can produce data for their clients showing how and where their money is having impact.
Stories are fine, but not nearly enough, as the SEC's investigation into ESG funds will no doubt determine.
As we like to say at iPAR:
Data without stories are soul-less, but
Stories without data are useless.
R. Todd Johnson*
*Todd is the founder and CEO of iPAR, Inc., an impact management,
transparency and data analytics software platform designed to facilitate the
deployment of capital to create and encourage human flourishing. Built by The
CAPROCK Group, a multi-family office that deploys more than $1 billion for
impact, iPar is designed to assess, visualize and report impact, initially for
fund managers and their investors.
Previously, during 29 years as a lawyer, partner and leader at Jones Day, Todd founded the Firm’s Northern California presence and served as the founder and Global Head for its Renewable Energy and Sustainability practice, where he served companies, funds, family offices, multi-family offices and nonprofits focused on renewable energy, sustainability, and models designed to help our planet and its people to flourish.
Todd serves on the Boards of Directors of Activate Global (a fellowship and incubator program affiliated with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Lincoln Labs at MIT) and ImpactAlpha.
The views expressed in this column are solely Todd’s personal views, not the views of Jones Day or its clients, and the information provided as to his affiliation with Jones Day is solely for purposes of identification and may not and should not be construed to imply endorsement or even support by Jones Day of the views expressed herein. © R. Todd Johnson, 2020. Business for Good(SM) is a service mark of Integrity Ventures LLC. The thoughts, ideas and words expressed in this column are the property of R. Todd Johnson and may not be otherwise used or reprinted without express permission from Todd.