The nexus between gender & climate finance

Last week, I spoke on a panel at the Future of Impact Summit where we reflected about the nexus between gender and climate finance.

"Climate" is a complex hyperobject. This means that it's particularly difficult for our brains to understand it. You can't touch it, you can't see it as a unit and you can't possibly claim to understand all its causes and effects.

Currently, nobody is equipped to track the totality of interdependencies that lead to climate impacts across economic sectors and geographies. And yet - investments, policies and business activities are starting to be linked to data that can paint a picture of their positive or negative effect on the climate.

At TT Impact Strategies, TTI's strategy unit, we leverage complex climate risk scenario planning to understand not only the current impacts of climate on a business, but also how this intersects with areas like geopolitics and what it means for the entire sector and for the business model that a company operates through. Over the next three to five years, the financial consequences of climate change across most industries will intensify.

This is also where the topic of gender comes in. More than ever before, diversity is needed in order to paint a better picture of what is going to happen to a business, industry or country. As the previous Chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) Jack Welch used to say, "the team that sees reality the best wins".

So what does it take to see this complex reality in the best way possible? Different types of backgrounds, different expertise areas, different geographical focuses, different data points, different stakeholders, different motivations, different experiences. And obviously - different genders. This is a major one. There is so much value that has already been quantified about the positive impact of gender diversity on businesses, sectors and countries. There is way more value than that still left to unlock.

At TT Impact Strategies, TTI's strategy unit, we leverage complex climate risk scenario planning to understand not only the current impacts of climate on a business, but also how this intersects with areas like geopolitics and what it means for the entire sector and for the business model that a company operates through. Over the next three to five years, the financial consequences of climate change across most industries will intensify.

This is also where the topic of gender comes in. More than ever before, diversity is needed in order to paint a better picture of what is going to happen to a business, industry or country. As the previous Chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) Jack Welch used to say, "the team that sees reality the best wins".

So what does it take to see this complex reality in the best way possible? Different types of backgrounds, different expertise areas, different geographical focuses, different data points, different stakeholders, different motivations, different experiences. And obviously - different genders. This is a major one. There is so much value that has already been quantified about the positive impact of gender diversity on businesses, sectors and countries. There is way more value than that still left to unlock.