Wall Street's Green Bond Warrior: From Creating GB Principles to Financing the Energy Transition | Marilyn Ceci, JP Morgan (#040)

SRI360 | Socially Responsible Investing, ESG, Impact Investing, Sustainable Investing

The world of finance has proven that it has the power to drive the global decarbonization effort and advance interest in ESG investments. ⁤⁤Learn how this is happening with one of the architects of the Green Bond Principles.
⁤Today's guest is Marilyn Ceci, a titan in the world of sustainable finance. ⁤She started in interest rate sales at JP Morgan, making her way to Head of ESG Debt Capital Market, and is now the Managing Director and Senior Advisor to the Center for Carbon Transition. ⁤
⁤With over three decades of experience, Marilyn spearheaded ESG debt capital market growth and co-authored the Green Bond Principles, a cornerstone in the development of the green bond market worldwide. She also steered JP Morgan to become the #1 Global Sustainable Bond Underwriter multiple years in a row.
⁤Marilyn is a major force in driving the global sustainability agenda forward, earning her several awards and recognitions such as Wall Street's Green Bond Warrior by Reuters and GlobalCapital's Top Most Impressive Green/SRI Investment Banker. ⁤
In this episode, I dig into the origins of the Green Bond Principles and their evolution. ⁤⁤Marilyn also shares how green bonds differ from traditional bonds, the role of bonds and fixed income in driving long-term ESG impact, and more. ⁤
⁤Join me in this powerful discussion on the transformative power of green bonds and how Marilyn’s work is sustainably financing the carbon transition.
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Show notes
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About the SRI 360° Podcast: The SRI 360° Podcast is focused exclusively on sustainable & responsible investing. In each episode, I interview a world-class investor who is an accomplished practitioner from all asset classes.
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Key Takeaways:
Intro (00:00)
Meet Marilyn Ceci (02:31)
An overview of JP Morgan and their ESG debt strategy (07:48)
From interest rate sales to kickstarting the green bond market (12:07)
Incentives for issuing a green bond vs. a traditional bond & examples (23:36)
Insights on co-authoring the green bond principles & their evolution (29:50)
The role of bonds and fixed income in driving long-term ESG impact (39:25)
Supporting biodiversity, stakeholder engagement, & greenwashing (45:18)
Marilyn’s take on the new European green bond regulation (51:27)
Marilyn’s role at JP Morgan's Center for Carbon Transition (55:14)
The future of fossil fuel-related projects at JP Morgan (01:03:24)
Experience with teaching at Duke University (01:04:58)
Rapid fire questions (01:06:48)

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Additional Resources:
JP Morgan's Center for Carbon Transition
JP Morgan's Carbon Compass Overview
JP Morgan's Carbon Compass Methodology
JP Morgan’s 2023 Climate Report
Planet Tracker Green Washing Report

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