Climate change: An investor's perspective with Poppy Allonby

Climate change: An investor's perspective
MIT Energy Initiative Fall Colloquium with Poppy Allonby

Investors have an important role to play in the transition to a net-zero economy. Encouragingly, they are increasingly vocal about the need to address climate change and are making large commitments. For example, signatories to the Net-Zero Asset Owners Alliance and the Net-Zero Asset Managers initiative now total a staggering $10 trillion and $57 trillion in assets under management. But in practice, how can investors contribute to the transition to a net-zero economy?

In her talk, Poppy Allonby, a senior financial executive and former managing director of BlackRock, will discuss:

• What are the current trends in sustainable investing and what can we expect in the future?
• Can investors drive change by using their role as shareholders and asset allocators to challenge companies across all industries on climate? 
• What are the merits of different approaches - divestment versus engagement? 
• Investment risks and opportunities
• Looking forward: What should asset owners and asset managers be focused on?
   

This event will be in-person and is open only to the MIT community, which includes MIT faculty, staff, students, alumni, and MIT affiliates. To adhere to MIT’s in-person event policies, please register in advance and follow all instructions in the subsequent confirmation emails regarding Tim Ticket distribution and QR access codes. Please use an mit.edu email address when you register for the event. All MIT Covid-19 rules will be in place, and masks will be required in campus buildings.

About the speaker

Poppy Allonby is a senior financial executive with a passion for science, sustainability, and the energy transition. She is a former managing director of BlackRock where she spent over 20 years in various roles including 17 years as a senior portfolio manager responsible for managing multi-billion-dollar funds investing globally in companies across the traditional energy sector (e.g. oil and gas, utilities, energy infrastructure) and also those involved in sustainable energy and mitigating climate change (e.g. renewable energy, transport/mobility, energy efficiency etc.) Most recently, she was head of the Global Product Group (EMEA and APAC) where she was responsible for product strategy, development, structuring, and ongoing investment oversight for over 1,000 funds and approximately $970 billion assets. In this latter role, she played a critical part in developing and delivering BlackRock’s sustainable product strategy for its active investment business.

Allonby serves on the Board and Assets Committee for the Church Commissioners: one of the world’s largest charitable endowments and leading responsible investor. Between 2016-2017 she served as a commissioner for the Energy Transitions Commission. She was also recognizsed by the World Economic Forum as a “Young Global Leader.”

Allonby earned a degree in physics from Imperial College, London. She lives in London with her husband and two children.