16.12.2024Inaugural Lecture by Zacharias Sautner

"The Value of ESG: Where and Why it Matters" on 16 December 2024

Prof. Zacharias Sautner is a Professor of Sustainable Finance at the UZH Department of Finance and a senior chair at the Swiss Finance Institute (SFI). Prior to moving to Switzerland, he was Professor of Finance at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, where he headed for many years the finance department.

On December 9, 2024, Zacharias Sautner, Professor of Sustainable Finance, delivered his inaugural lecture in the auditorium of the University of Zurich. The opening speech was given by Professor Harald Gall.

Title: “The Value of ESG: Where and Why it Matters”

Sustainable finance addresses whether and how investors should incorporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria when providing money to companies, for example in the form of loans or equity. In his inaugural address, Prof. Zacharias Sautner shares his views on how (and how not) sustainable finance can create financial value for investors AND contribute to a more sustainable future. He illustrates his points by focusing on climate change and biodiversity loss, two of the biggest ESG challenges for investors.

Professor Sautner began his engaging lecture by addressing four common misunderstandings in the field of ESG investing. He reminded us of the importance of grounding ESG investing in fundamental principles of finance. He then explained how ESG can generate value, described what an ideal ESG fund looks like (provocative!), and discussed three key challenges for ESG investing ahead. If you're interested, we recommend watching the podcast of his speech.

"Capital(ism) is part of the problem, but also part of the solution."
-Zacharias Sautner