The new sustainable theory of investing Speakers: Jay Youngdahl, East Bay Express and Harvard Fellow at the Institute for Responsible Investment; (Responder) Ed Church, Institute for Environmental Entrepreneurship Wall Street investment activity is premised on a view of a theory of finance called, “Modern Portfolio Theory” (MPT). Due to lack of an alternative, even many green investment companies rely on MPT. But MPT is based on a selfish view of utilitarian interests in which the investments of an individual or enterprise are looked at out of societal context, and measured only by short term financial returns. Strict adherence to MPT forecloses most sustainable and green investment strategies and MPT has failed even as to what it promises. Hear from a panel working on a new replacement theory that is fascinating as well as nationally important, and which puts sustainability and people’s true needs at the heart of investment strategies. |