Anyone who’s experienced New York City during the UN General Assembly and Climate Week can attest to the madness and concentration of so many important and relevant discussions on sustainability, development and impact (as well as hype). With high hopes and low expectations, here’s what we took away. 

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Renewed Appetite for Tangible Solutions to Sustainability

We had the opportunity to discuss the future of sustainability, the importance of impact verification, and CGM’s marketplace at the Devex Summit (see the recording here to hear what CEO Greg Spencer shared). It's clear to us that the appetite for tangible solutions to advance corporate sustainability and leverage capital to create real impact and increase enterprise value is at an all-time high. CGM is seeking to do just this, continuing our 23-year journey to leverage capital markets for the common good. We also joined the International Foundation for Valuing Impact event in NYC to learn more about how Impact-Weighted Accounts can chart a hopeful course for corporate sustainability, cutting through the noise of ESG by delivering tangible data on impact in monetary terms.

Watch the Devex Summit Recording

The Lagging Role of AI in Impact

There was much hype in NYC around the potential for AI to affect our future for good. With promises of increasing global GDP by 7% over the next decade, there is naturally a frenzy of activity to harness and leverage it. Yet, many are concerned about its potential to exacerbate inequality and reduce opportunities for marginalized communities. Disappointingly, only 1% of AI investment is going toward initiatives with an impact first objective. It’s time for more redemptive use cases of one of the world’s most transformative technologies.

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Women of Action

“Women of Action” were everywhere in NYC spanning corporate leadership, social enterprise, government, finance and development. We attended an event by the Female Quotient and were impressed and encouraged with the lineup of female panelists leading the airline, software services and nonprofit industries. We need more Women of Action like Amelia DeLuca of Delta Airlines, Sunya Norman of Salesforce and Erin Gore of World Central Kitchen leading in these industries if we hope to create a sustainable future where no one is left behind.