Policy decisions shape investability, market resilience and long-term returns. In a fragmented global economy, what role should investors play in engaging with governments as part of their stewardship approach?
Nathan Fabian, Chief Policy & Research Officer at the PRI, is joined by Jane Ambachtsheer, Chief Sustainability Officer at BNP Paribas Asset Management. Together, they explore how investors can engage policymakers in an evidence-based, financially relevant way, from transition planning and taxonomies in Asia-Pacific to system-level risks and real-economy policy.
The conversation also examines asset-owner expectations, stewardship and collaboration, asking how investors can contribute market insight without drifting into partisanship - and what the responsible investment community needs to deliver reliable outcomes for its clients.
Detailed coverage:
Asia-Pacific policy is moving from frameworks to implementation
Jane and Nathan discuss transition planning, decarbonisation roadmaps and taxonomies in Japan and China, where investor-policy dialogue is increasingly pragmatic and focused on tools that improve decision-making.
Four megatrends are reshaping investment risk
Jane outlines four megatrends - geopolitics, the environment, innovation and demographics - and why investors need to consider both individual and interconnected system-level risks.
Financial policy and real-economy policy are two sides of the same coin
The conversation explores how investor engagement can span disclosure and taxonomy rules as well as economic policies that influence technology, transition pathways and capital deployment.
Investors can contribute evidence, not partisanship
Nathan and Jane discuss why long-term investors can provide market insight on investability, risk and resilience while maintaining a financially material and objective basis for policy engagement.
Policy engagement needs clearer asset-owner expectations
Jane reflects on how policy work can be harder to measure than corporate engagement, and why stronger mandates, case studies and accountability can help asset owners assess what managers are doing.
Stewardship and policy engagement should reinforce each other
Company engagement can reveal transition barriers and opportunities that investors can bring to policymakers, while policy positions should remain consistent with voting and corporate stewardship.
Credibility and collaboration will define what comes next
The episode closes with four priorities: local expertise and credibility, authentic collaboration, a whole-value-chain perspective and stronger demand from asset owners for focused policy engagement.
Chapters:
00:00 – Asia-Pacific: from policy frameworks to implementation
03:15 – Four megatrends shaping investor risk and opportunity
06:34 – Linking financial-sector policy with the real economy
08:55 – How large investors decide where and how to engage
14:37 – Why investors are not passive policy takers
16:52 – Asset-owner expectations and measuring policy engagement
21:18 – Client interests, universal ownership and system-level risks
23:10 – Connecting company stewardship with policy reform
25:47 – The roles investors should play in policy engagement
29:15 – Credibility, collaboration and the future of policy engagement
Disclaimer:
This podcast and material referenced herein is provided for information only. It is not intended to be investment, legal, tax or other advice, nor is it intended to be relied upon in making an investment or other decision. PRI Association is not responsible for any decision made or action taken based on information on this podcast. Listeners retain sole discretion over whether and how to use the information contained herein. PRI Association is not responsible for and does not endorse third parties featured on in this podcast or any third-party comments, content or other resources that may be included or referenced herein. Unless otherwise stated, podcast content does not necessarily represent the views of signatories to the Principles for Responsible Investment. All information is provided "as is" with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy or timeliness, or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. PRI Association is committed to compliance with all applicable laws. Copyright © PRI Association 2026. All rights reserved. This content may not be reproduced, or used for any other purpose, without the prior written consent of PRI Association.
