Economic Inequality: Impacts, Drivers, and Investor Responses

Economic Inequality: Impacts, Drivers, and Investor Responses

December 16, 2025 · 40 min · Season 2 · Episode 15

About this episode

Nathan Fabian discusses rising economic inequality and its implications for long-term investors with expert guests.

In this episode, Nathan Fabian , Chief Sustainable Systems Officer at the PRI, examines rising economic inequality and why it poses a material, systemic risk for long-term investors. He is joined by Delaney Greig (Director of Investor Stewardship, University Pension Plan Ontario), Emma Douglas (Sustainable Investment & Stewardship Lead, Brightwell; BT Pension Scheme), and David Wood (Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School). Together, they explore how inequality affects economic stability, corporate performance, long-horizon portfolio returns, and what asset owners can do to respond. Overview Ten years after the adoption of the SDGs, inequality is increasing across major economies. The top 1% now holds over 40% of global wealth, and widening gaps in income, labour rights and access to opportunity are shaping economic and political outcomes. The guests discuss: Why inequality is a non-diversifiable, systemic risk How it undermines growth, resilience and productivity The implications for diversified investors The interplay between inequality, climate, nature and social outcomes How asset owners can use stewardship, integration and policy engagement to address…

People in this episode

Host: Nathan Fabian

Guests: Delaney Greig, Emma Douglas, David Wood

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PRI, University Pension Plan Ontario, Brightwell, BT Pension Scheme, Harvard Kennedy School

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