“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead. In recent years, companies around the world have been increasingly turning to ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) initiatives in an effort to create responsible and sustainable organizational operations. The increasing focus on these issues has helped not only drive long-term environmental goals but also made business decisions more efficient and transparent. To this effect, many such as Soojin Lee, a finance expert who specializes in ESG and currently working with Bloomberg are taking an interest in this emerging field. Additionally, different educational institutes have also noticed this trend and are incorporating programs that focus on achieving good ESG ratings for businesses.
How Soojin Lee Got Affiliated in Bloomberg’s ESG goals
Soojin Lee has made a career out of championing ESG goals in finance. In an interview with the CSRwire, she highlights that with nine years of professional experience, she moved to London and joined the Financial Products Knowledge Group (now known as Financial Solutions Knowledge Group) where she was highly successful for three years. In 2018, Soojin made her way back to New York where she became Sales Manager and COO before joining the newly formed Sustainable Finance Solutions group at Bloomberg. The change marked a pivotal moment for Soojin who felt privileged to be working with Data, Engineering, UX, Sales, News and Research, Analytics Marketing and Communications teams alike. She aligned perfectly with what Bloomberg were striving for: making investments into their Sustainable Finance Solutions including expanding content provision for customers who were increasingly investing the ESG factors into their investment processes.
Companies Making Strides in ESG Implementation
To start with, PricewaterhouseCoopers is one of the four largest accounting firms in the world that announced its intention to incorporate thousands of new employees involved specifically in ESG compliance. This strategy is referred to as “The New Equation” whereby it will be looking for qualified candidates all across its global network. Harvard Extension School states that on a similar note investment giant Blackrock has also set out ambitious targets through their ‘net-zero’ goal where they pledge a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Even national banks like the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) are also taking steps to incorporate ESG factors into their business decisions by publishing annual reports that track their progress on sustainable finance commitments and net-zero emissions goals. Plus, as reported on their website, different programs, funds and cards from Royal Bank of Canada offer special initiatives for investors that are willing to invest in ESG compliant businesses.
Exploring ESG Degree Options at Leading Institution
Harvard Extension School offers six graduate certificates and a master’s degree program in sustainability, which aims to address climate change threats by preparing students for related roles within the public health sector. Sustainability Mag highlights that Chatham University offers its Master of Sustainability and Master of Business Administration Dual Degree – this programme combines faculty strengths from both sustainability school and MBA programmes allowing students to have access to equipment and resources across sectors, while giving them insight into business disciplines coupled with sustainability ethics. American University’s Kogod School of Business amplifies student experiential learning through its MS in Sustainability Management course by providing its location advantage at Washington D.C., where one can witness how sustainability policies affect businesses real-time.
Companies are increasingly turning to ESG initiatives and investments in response to changing public sentiment around sustainability and corporate responsibility goals. Furthermore, educational institutes are also assessing this change and are offering programs that enable them to instill their graduates with academic fundamentals and practical skills which are important for jobs in the sector.
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