Looking to discuss a variety of topics with your peers? Join CFA Society Chicago for an informal moderated discussion on a different topic each month. Review the included materials and then join the conversation!

Moderators: 
Christian Artuso
Jon Morris

Discussion Materials: 

Oil and gas: to divest or to engage, that is the question
Brishni Mukhopadhyay, CFA, from the ESG Certificate Panel explores the investment decisions made around the Oil and Gas sector. Should you be choosing to divest or engage with Oil and Gas companies? Mukhopadhyay looks at both sides of the debate, whether divesment is a binary choice, where asset owners stand, and more. 

Geo-Economics Chapter 8: The Geopolitics of Renewable Energy
Abstract: The Interplay between Geopolitics, Economics, and Investments focuses on an emerging form of resource competition. As renewable energy is becoming an increasingly important part of our energy supply, access to the minerals used in batteries and solar cells, as well as the technology to build modern renewable energy applications, is becoming vital. The shift to renewable energy might also have some destabilizing economic effects on countries that rely heavily on the export of crude oil and other fossil fuels, triggering new geo-economic developments. How both oil exporters and oil importers can prepare for the rise of renewable energy and benefit from its opportunities is the focus of this chapter.

Direct Investments in Energy Infrastructure
Abstract: The catastrophic accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant accelerated the transition of the energy sector. Back then Axpo was focusing on development and construction of a new nuclear power plant in Switzerland. The shift in the public opinion and the political decision to exit the nuclear technology had a strong impact on Axpo. So how did Axpo managed to transform from a Swiss oriented power producer toward a recognizable renewable energy player? I will describe some case studies to outline the path we went and the future strategy of Axpo.