Hosted by: Dr. Kate Wylie (Doctors for the Environment Australia)

Episode Summary

In this episode of the General Practice Webinar Catchup Podcast, we dive into the intersection of finance and planetary health. Originally hosted by Doctors for the Environment Australia (https://www.dea.org.au/), this session explores how medical professionals—and the general public, can use their money as a tool for good.

Dr. Kate Wylie is joined by experts in financial planning, climate analytics, and shareholder activism to discuss how to harness the power of money to drive climate solutions. The panel debunks the myth that ethical investing means lower returns, explains how to spot "greenwashing" in financial products, and reveals how even small shareholders can force massive corporations to act on climate change.

Meet the Guests

• Andrew Gaston: Financial Advisor and Managing Director of Accord Financial Solutions. A former Reserve Bank employee, Andrew specializes in ethical investment and is a member of the Ethical Advisory Cooperative.

• Rohan Hamden: Director of Banking at Jupiter Intelligence, a global provider of science-based climate resilience analytics. He works to help banks understand climate risk and redirect finance toward resilience.

• James Alexander: Senior ESG Manager at Six, a brokerage platform. James leads shareholder activism work, helping organize investors to file resolutions that push companies toward better climate practices.

Key Topics & Takeaways

1. The Myth of Sacrificing Returns Andrew Gaston shares data from the Responsible Investment Association showing that ethical investments often perform comparably to, or even better than, unconstrained portfolios over time. He emphasizes that you do not have to give up financial gains to invest ethically.

2. How to Screen Your Investments

• Negative Screening: Excluding harmful sectors like fossil fuels, weapons, or tobacco.

• Positive Screening: Actively seeking companies involved in renewables, waste reduction, and new technologies.

• The "ESG" Trap: Andrew warns investors to look "under the hood." Some funds claim "ESG integration" but still invest in fossil fuels by simply applying a price loading rather than excluding them entirely.

3. The Economic Inevitability of Renewables Rohan Hamden argues that we are nearing "peak carbon growth" and that the economics of coal no longer stack up. He notes that renewable energy and battery storage are becoming the cheapest options, and financial markets are naturally shifting toward sustainable finance not just for ethics, but for survival and profit.

4. The Power of Shareholder Activism James Alexander explains how Six helps retail investors combine their power. In Australia, it takes 100 shareholders to file a resolution at a company's AGM.

• Case Study: The panel discusses a campaign targeting QBE Insurance to disclose their exposure to climate risks and fossil fuel underwriting.

5. Divestment vs. Engagement The panel discusses the two main strategies:

• Divestment: Moving your money away from banks and funds that fund fossil fuels (e.g., switching banks).

• Engagement: Holding a small number of shares in "bad" companies to vote at AGMs and force them to change their behavior.

Resources Mentioned

• Market Forces: A tool to check if your bank or super fund is investing in fossil fuels.

• Six: An ethical investment platform...