In 2015, eliminating global poverty was named #1 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals by the UN. Despite major multinational efforts in the years since, poverty remains a major challenge for global leaders to define, measure, and ultimately eradicate – a challenge that Citi is helping clients meet head-on, thanks to innovative poverty indexes that guide capital where it's needed most. We chat with Jason Channell, Head of Sustainable Finance within Citi Global Insights and Jamie Coats, president and CEO of Wise Responder, to learn about the multidimensional metrics that help governments and companies address global needs in a realistic, holistic way.
The views expressed herein are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or its affiliates. All opinions are subject to change without notice. Neither the information provided nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. The expressions of opinion are not intended to be a forecast of future events or a guarantee of future results.
Citibank N.A. and Wise Responder are not affiliated and are independent companies. The speaker’s views are their own and may not necessarily reflect the views of Citi or any of its affiliates.
Bio: Jason Channell: Global Head of Sustainable Finance, Citi Global Insights
Jason Channell, Managing Director, Citi Research, is Global Head of Citi’s Sustainable and Responsible Investment research team. Throughout his career Jason’s research has covered many sectors, in particular spanning the energy spectrum of utilities, oil & gas, and alternative energy, and he has been highly ranked in the Institutional Investor, Extel and Starmine surveys. Prior to joining Citi in 2011, he worked for Fidelity Investments and Goldman Sachs. His knowledge has led him to present to numerous governments, policymakers, and regulators around the world on energy policy, including members of the US Senate Energy & Finance committees in Washington, as well as at various UN fora. Jason is the lead author of some of Citi’s most-read thought leadership reports on energy, most notably the ‘Energy Darwinism’ GPS series which gained significant traction with institutional investors, corporates, governments and supranationals around the world, culminating in its presentation to the United Nations, with Jason chairing the related session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Jason features widely in the international media in print, on-line, and on TV. Jason holds a degree in Engineering Science and Management from the University of Durham.
Bio: Jamie Coats, President and CEO, Wise Responder
Jaimie was born in London and had a privileged background, being sent to the private high school Eton and attended Harris Manchester College, Oxford. He is left handed, dyslexic and struggled with school which has given me a life-long appreciation for minorities. He rails against the “right-handed, linear, text based thinkers” who control our education system and make him “others” feel stupid! He started my volunteer work in his teens working with severely handicapped children.
His father, Ivor Coats, told him of a story when he was prisoner of the Germans in 1945 that has greatly influenced him. His father, was in a parked train containing ill and badly wounded prisoners. He feared that overnight many prisoners would freeze to death so he, missing a foot, crawled in front of the train to demand blankets for the freezing prisoners. When a German soldier threatened to shoot him, he told the soldier that he was a British Officer and demanded to speak to a German Officer, who was summoned. Blankets were provided. His father’s message was that if you have rank or status use it for the least.
In his early twenties a couple of high school friends died and my mother was severely ill. From these experiences I decided that life is too short to not make a difference everyday. At that time I started writing poetry as way of guiding what I do in life. I write poetry to know what I truly think and feel.
In 1991 I moved to Boston. I have had career that spanned economic development, social investing, and non-profit management. From 2006 to 2018 I worked for an order of Episcopalian monks, the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, who have a monastery in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. I helped the monks close a loss making publishing business, rebuild their monastery that was falling down, build up their endowment and launch a new online publishing initiative that has worldwide reach. I learned how to build a thriving economy for the monks built on giving away their wisdom and kindness. (To learn more about my work for the monks read this article.)
In 2010 my older sister, Emma, was found dead at foot of a cliff after disappearing from the Warnford Hospital in Oxford, UK. This had profound impact on me. I maintain a website to celebrate Emma’s life and art. At Emma’s funeral I said, “go tell the story that must be told and let it touch the hearts of all throughout the world.” I determined that I would work for women’s equality, opportunity for women, and economic justice.
