NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Hear from BNP Paribas Asset Management, Mercer, ShareAction and The Economist at the next edition of our Sustainability Week Insight Hour webinar series, ESG investing: a spotlight on the ‘S’ on December 15th.

The coronavirus pandemic has placed a bright light on the ‘S’ in ESG, as investors call on companies to do their bit to protect the health and wellbeing of their employees. But how can investors effectively embed the social factor into their decision-making? How can social factors be defined, measured and quantified. How can robust data be generated? How can standardised criteria be developed?

Speakers:

• Jane Ambachtsheer
• Catherine Howarth
• Sarika Goel
• Rachana Shanbhogue

Time: 2:00 PM GMT | 9:00 AM EST

Over 100 years ago, Thomas Edison was granted a patent for a nickel-zinc (NiZn) battery. Unfortunately, numerous technical problems prohibited the commercial success of utilizing this type of technology. But the landscape started to change around 2000, when nickel-zinc battery technology again became a focus of intensive research due to certain advantages over other battery types. Today, NiZn offers big advantages in energy and power density, maintenance cost, environmental safety, and recyclability.

Nickel-Zinc batteries have direct uses in a wide range of applications including heavy trucking, remote telecommunication, data centers, and renewable energy. This technology is uniquely positioned to disrupt the $50+ billion conventional lead-acid battery market and the rapidly growing $30 billion lithium market. To stay ahead of these trends in the market, investors need to better understand innovative battery technologies.

This Boundless webinar features ZincFive Founder and CEO Tim Hysell, zinc battery expert Ian Whyte, and Boundless Research Analyst Andreas van Giezen, who will present our Climate Impact Assessment of ZincFive. Don’t miss this fascinating discussion on why this type of zinc battery is on the rise.

Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST

This webinar will present findings from one of the first randomized evaluations of a digital cash transfer program during the pandemic, the case of the VAT Compensation program in Colombia. Researchers Juliana Londoño-Vélez (UCLA) and Pablo Querubín (NYU) will present on the evaluation design and the study’s findings. Olga Lucia Romero (National Planning Department, Colombia) will discuss the study’s policy implications and how policymakers are utilizing such empirical findings to assess the impacts of government assistance during COVID-19 and plan for long-term economic recovery. Finally, Rebecca Rouse (IPA Financial Inclusion Program) will moderate a discussion and Q&A following the presentations.

Time: 11:00 AM EST