Financial Strategies Pt 7 Geraldine F  Watson
Channel: Owen Crowley
Date: 2015-08-18

Geraldine F. Watson, Vice President for Finance and Operations, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, discusses the mission of the Fund, its commitment to integrating programmatic priorities in its investment management considerations, including market-like return and risk adjusted impact investments aligning with its mission, its decision to divest from fossil fuels and invest in clean technologies, which was announced at a press conference on September 22, 2014, the day before the UN Climate Summit, and the Fund's active participation in Divest/Invest Philanthropy.

Organized by 350NYC, the local affiliate of 350.org

Climate change is threatening our food and water supplies, economy, infrastructure, public health, and the future of NYC. The main cause of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), which trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. Our panel explored various financial strategies for keeping fossil fuels in the ground to prevent catastrophic climate change. Should individuals and institutions divest from fossil fuel companies? Or should they remain invested in these companies to influence their policies through shareholder activism?

Cosponsors include Responsible Endowments Coalition; United for Action (UFA); Green Sanctuary Committee CCNY, UU; Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition; Sierra Club, NYC Group; New York Society for Ethical Culture (NYSEC); West 80s Neighborhood Association; Food and Water Watch; Greater NYC for Change; Barnard Divest; the Investure Schools Coalition for Fossil Fuel Divestment; Seven Sisters Coalition for Fossil Fuel Divestment; 350Brooklyn; Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion (SAPE); Social Action Committee of Park Slope UMC; CUNY Divest; Beloved Earth Community, Riverside Church; Broadway Democrats; Three Parks Democrats; Village Independent Democrats; GreenFaith; Safe Energy Rights Group (SEnRG); NYU Divest; Bronx Climate Justice North; Grassroots Environmental Education; Green Education and Legal Fund, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, and Fossil Free & Green NY.