""CFOs weren't even in the room," said Linda Giuliano, MBA '02, founder and CEO of BrightWorld ESG, recalling early in her career at a major investment firm when she raised sustainability issues for the first time. Over time, she said, demand from European and Australian clients, combined with better data, led investment teams to reconsider factoring climate risks into portfolios."
"Sarah Wolfolds , senior lecturer at the SC Johnson College, highlighted research by Assistant Professor , which found that certification alone isn't enough to build investor trust in green bonds; instead ongoing transparency is required to address concerns about greenwashing. Within organizations, Wolfolds added, progress requires cross-functional collaboration. Otherwise, she said, "sustainability practices won't achieve their full potential.""
A Cornell-convened panel during Climate Week 2025 emphasized finance as the bridge between climate science and business decision-making. Early investment teams often excluded CFOs and resisted sustainability integration until client demand from Europe and Australia and improved data prompted reconsideration of climate risks. Certification alone does not secure investor trust in green bonds; ongoing transparency is necessary to mitigate greenwashing concerns. Progress within firms requires cross-functional collaboration and embedding ESG information into analysts' existing tools to gain traction. The session also featured winners of the 2025 Finance for the Future awards, including Banco BV.
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