THINK
Move a Billion Dollars
You run a large pension fund. Do you divest, engage, or invest in solutions? A decision activity with real trade-offs.
- Type
- Activity
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Length
- 12 min activity
In the episode, Professor Krosinsky argues that moral divestment has largely failed, while strategies that pair real returns with real impact have worked. He points to large asset owners as the place where billions actually get moved.
This activity puts you in that chair. You are responsible for other people's retirement savings and you also want to help the climate. Pick the option you would defend, then see what it optimises for and what it risks.
THE FUND
You are the chief investment officer of a public pension fund that holds savings for hundreds of thousands of teachers, nurses, and civil servants. Your duty is to pay their pensions. Your board also wants the fund to play its part on climate.
DECISION 1 OF 2
The fund holds shares in several large oil and gas companies. What do you do?
DECISION 2 OF 2
You have new money to invest. Where does it go?
Cary's argument is that money moves when it can do well and do good at the same time. You do not have to agree, but notice how much of the decision rests on evidence about what actually changes company behaviour.