Sustainable Finance

Meet Talice Sagerer, Sustainable Finance Consultant at the United Nations Global Compact CFO Taskforce on a mission to make the world a better place one day at a time. The work that Talice and her team at the UN are doing are crucial steps exploring the combination of finance, technology, and sustainability. It is rare that I combine my personal and professional life in this way but I am honored to call Talice one of my best friends and I'm beyond proud of the work she is doing.

I invited Talice on the series to discuss sustainable finance - a topic that, in her words, "gives companies the unique opportunity to stop doing business as usual" and shift to more sustainable practices. In her work, Talice helps CFOs channel millions of dollars in investments towards progressing on the seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, she is focused on goal number thirteen - Climate Action.

As the climate crisis escalates, countries, companies, and consumers are all making urgent changes. Consumers are advocating with their wallets, buying from environmentally friendly companies and putting pressure on corporations to speed up their sustainability efforts. It's clear that we all have to do our part to protect the planet. The impact Talice and her partners are making with sustainable finance is an essential step in moving the needle.

Watch our conversation and read the full interview below to learn more.?

#TechTuesday Highlight #102:?Talice Sagerer, Sustainable Finance Consultant, United Nations Global Compact CFO Taskforce

How/why did you get into your space?

I? got into my space for very personal reasons. I was raised in a third world country where there was a severe lack of opportunity and resources. This influenced my choices later in life to pursue a job with an organization, like the UN, that has a far enough reach to make an impact on the lives of people like myself. I wanted to be a part of accessing untapped potential that can bring about change and innovation for people and planet when given the right opportunity. This is the essence of the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and what they set out to do. For example SDG 4, Quality Education, and SDG 7, Access to Clean and Affordable Energy are all SDGs that can bring forth opportunities in underserved regions all over the world.

What role do you play in the tech ecosystem and why is that role important?

Technology is the key to solving global sustainability challenges. New technology and innovation is required for industries to change the way they do business throughout their value chain. Technology plays a very important role; without it, we would have no choice but to continue doing business as usual. We are now seeing natural disasters become more frequent and more devastating. It is clear we can no longer continue down the path we are on. A good?example of the type of change we are working towards is innovation in the renewable energy space, which has created new ways for businesses to stay profitable while simultaneously lowering their carbon footprint.

How has technology impacted your industry and why is this important??

Technology is a major driver in the sustainability space. New technology creates unique opportunities for industries to make a just transition and do business in ways they haven’t thought about before. During the industrial revolution, coal and fossil fuels helped the global economy thrive. Coal-powered technologies helped American workers become the most productive in the world but that growth came at a high cost and? the environment is calling in its receipts. We’ve only just begun to realize long-term negative impacts of the industrial growth.

What do you believe is the most exciting tech trend for 2021 (as it relates to your industry)?

One of the most exciting tech trends in 2021 is Carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS). Instead of?focusing solely on decarbonizing the major industrial commodities behind plastics and cement, we can also consider safely capturing the carbon emitted when these commodities are produced. Carbon capture and storage allows industries to capture carbon at its source, compress it, and move it to a suitable permanent storage site. The technology not only has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions—it can also mean more money if the CO2 can be used profitably to make other products.

Another exciting trend is floating Solar, a new offshore technology with very promising growth potential. Floating solar panels remove the use of soil while still allowing the capture of energy from the sun. It is a great alternative for regions coping with a lack of available land. On top of this, floating solar panels perform better than in-ground installations, which is a win-win for sectors and countries coping with limited real estate.

Who is a person that inspires you in the space and why??

Marie Morice, head of the UNGC Sustainable Finance Team. Her passion and enthusiasm to drive change for people and the planet by way of the 17 development goals and the 2030 agenda is truly inspiring.? Her energy and drive keeps me motivated when our team is faced with the enormous challenge of working in a space that is fairly underdeveloped and slowly evolving.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into your space??

My advice would be to make sure sustainability is something you're truly passionate about. Making an impact in the sustainability space is a herculean effort that can sometimes seem so much bigger than you - it’s overwhelming. Your desire and drive to create meaningful impact will keep you motivated in moments?when the enormous amount of effort you're putting in seem to yield minimal results.

Anything else?

I would like people to know more about the work we do on the CFO Taskforce. We have a team of truly dedicated individuals that pour themselves into the work they do. We truly believe our contribution to the sustainable finance market is a way to have a significant impact in the sustainability space and encourage other CFOs, impact investors and the like to get on board.

#fintech #womenintech #finance #innovation #tech #technology #financialservices #sustainability #sustainablefinance #climatechange #climatecrisis #UNSDG #UNsustainabilitydevelopmentgoals

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Have thoughts on this week’s trends or questions for me or Talice? Post your thoughts in the comment section or share them on Twitter. Please include the hashtag #techtuesday and mention me @ScarlettSieber! Until next week.???

You can connect with Talice on LinkedIn.

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