Club Of Rome Salon: Change Finance

Enabling the transformation of financial markets and the economy
Speaker:
Peter Blom - Former CEO, Triodos Bank; Member of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Central Bank
Dr. Mariana Bozesan - Award-winning Integral Investor; Serial Entrepreneur; Author (“Integral Investing: From Profit to Prosperity”)
Dr. Daniel Dahm - CEO, United Sustainability Group; World Future Council; Member, VDW; BMW Foundation Responsible Leader
Welcome Remarks:
Dr. Frank Niederländer - Member of the Board, BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt & Bundesinitiative Impact Investing
Jörg Geier - Member, Club of Rome and Program Chair, ANSC (Moderation & Curation)
About this Salon
The Club of Rome, a global think tank, has been committed to the sustainable future of humanity since 1968, focusing on major trends against the background of long-term and interdisciplinary thinking. The purpose of this salon series carrying its name is to highlight areas where systemic changes can make a significant difference for a better future.
How can we create a financial system that is more just and sustainable? This debate focuses on two key aspects: “Change Finance” sheds light on how current financial frameworks ought to change to support transformation while “Finance Change” focuses on how to finance the transformation.
What are alternative ways of designing a system that allows for the integration of science-based targets (such as incentives to reduce CO2 emissions)? An increasing number of financiers - pension funds, venture capitalists, banks, and citizens alike - would like to see their investments or loans not only to support adequate returns but also to make a positive difference to the world we live in, environmentally and socially.
What kind of regulation is necessary to support investments in innovative solutions that are not only smart but also sustainable? The EU with its green deal and sustainable finance reform seeks to address the regulatory dimension. However, as of 2 February 2022, the European Commission has included “specific nuclear and gas energy activities in the list of economic activities covered by the EU taxonomy” declaring them as „green.“ How can we foster a debate that takes change on a systems level to heart and facilitate the implementation of fundamental changes accordingly?
Peter Blom, former CEO of Triodos Bank, Executive Committee Member of the Club of Rome and current Supervisory Board Member of the Dutch Central Bank will draw on his rich experience as a banker to emphasize why there need to be alternative perspectives on the overhaul of the financial system.
Dr. Mariana Bozesan, award-winning integral investor and serial entrepreneur and Club of Rome member, will elaborate on current structural misalignments, which lead investors and businesspeople to a dilemma in which they must choose between profit and impact; between traditional, for-profit-only models on the one hand, and multiple-bottom-line structures with a positive social or environmental impact on the other.
Dr. Daniel Dahm has been at the forefront of the sustainability movement since the early 1990s. His scientific education and entrepreneurial background provide him with unique basis. He has held leading positions in scientific institutions and various civil society organizations. In 2010, he founded United Sustainability Group, a consulting and investment firm targeting the renaturation and regeneration of natural ecosystems.
The speakers’ impulse statements will be followed by a conversation moderated by Jörg Geier to further explore the topic.