Diane-Laure Arjaliès says the most efficient and cost-effective ways to be climate resilient and transition away from fossil fuels is to restore ecosystems.
Based on her research as Founder of Ivey’s Sustainable Finance Lab, Arjaliès, Associate Professor, Managerial Accounting and Control, said there are issues with how capital is being allocated, and there needs to be a shift towards nature-based investments in climate adaptation.
This was one of the main themes discussed during a recent panel event co-hosted by Ivey and the Canada-U.K. Chamber of Commerce called “Financing the Climate Transition."
The event held at Canada House in London’s famed Trafalgar Square, was moderated by Dean Sharon Hodgson and featured an engaging discussion among panellists Arjaliès, Pyarali Jamal, MBA '98, U.K. Lead ESG & Sustainable Finance, dss+; and Andy Chisholm, MBA '85, LLD ’23, Board Director, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).
Chisholm said there needs to be even more accelerated efforts at transitioning towards a more sustainable financial system, and we are currently “going through this hugely messy period, and a status quo which has to be broken.”
However, Chisholm remains optimistic about the future, and encouraged by Ivey’s emphasis on sustainability.
“The future leaders, the ones that are going to be living with this most significantly during their careers, are really starting off with a grounding in this,” said Chisholm. “And starting off with a sense of urgency and a sense of possibility."
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