Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement

43. The Purpose of Capital and the Nature of Value, with Jed Emerson

Wayne Visser

My guest this week is Jed Emerson, Chief Impact Officer, AlTi Tiedemann Global and author of The Purpose of Capital. He discusses how:

  • Impact investing, social return on investment, venture philanthropy, and blended value are related, reinforcing concepts and practices
  • ESG investing is not a new idea or practice, going back at least to the Mennonite shareholder activism in relation to the Dutch East India Company
  • The ethical investment movement has evolved from screened socially responsible investments and best in class approaches to ESG integration and impact investing
  • ESG investment has reached a critical mass, but the business risk-based approach (single materiality) resulted in perceptions of greenwashing
  • Stakeholder capitalism represents a shift in societal norms and expectations of business, but face significant resistance from incumbent vested interests

Key links
Jed Emerson (LinkedIn)
Blended Value (website)
AlTi Tiedemann Global (website)
The Purpose of Capital (book)
Mutualism (book)
Thriving (book)
I Like to Move It (poem)
Wayne Visser (website)
Wayne Visser (LinkedIn)