Putting Purpose into Practice

By Lindsay Patrick
Published July 23, 2021 | 12 min watch

Explore key takeaways from the RBC sponsored session – Putting Purpose into Practice, at the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit Global. Lindsay Patrick, Managing Director and Head of Strategic Initiatives and ESG, RBC Capital Markets and Melanie Adams, Vice President and Head of Corporate Governance and Responsible Investment at RBC Global Asset Management sat down with Lee Ballin, Head of Business Development for Sustainability at Bloomberg NEF to discuss how RBC is driving sustainable outcomes and integrating ESG factors into our businesses as well as highlighting ESG trends, challenges and opportunities going forward.

RBC Capital Markets’ approach to sustainability

At RBC Capital Markets, we drive sustainable outcomes through the integration of ESG across the business – integrating ESG into the advice and solutions provided to clients. We provide clients with a holistic and strategic range of solutions.

Recent trends in corporate sustainability – Taking control of the ESG narrative and the rise in the “S” factor in ESG

Over the last 12 months, many companies have taken a comprehensive review of their operations and developed their own ESG strategy and targets – allowing them to proactively communicate to the market and their stakeholders.  By doing so, these corporates have had significant access to a variety of sustainable finance tools, products and solutions.

The pandemic also served to shine a light on the inequality in today’s society and the need for collective action across governments, companies, financial institutions, and even consumers to respond to these complex issues. In order to take a holistic approach to address ESG factors, successful companies have considered all three factors as part of their ESG strategy.

ESG Opportunities and Challenges for 2022

With focus on ESG and sustainability continuing to grow at an exponential rate, there is the expectation of continued development of more consistent disclosure frameworks. There will also likely be a progression in terms of regulatory requirements for ESG reporting standards for companies and asset managers in key jurisdictions.

Looking ahead, we expect a further acceleration and deepening of the sustainable finance market and issuance levels. Companies are continuing to advance the articulation of their ESG strategy and set sustainability goals and commitments, supporting their ability to access this rapidly innovating market.  Importantly, our clients are often receiving positive reinforcement on their progress on ESG issues from their stakeholders – including their employees, boards, management teams, alongside their investors.

While climate change will likely continue to be an area of focus, there could be more attention paid to areas such as  biodiversity, nature based solutions, the circular economy, and diversity, equity and inclusion.


Lindsay Patrick

Lindsay Patrick
Head, Strategic Initiatives and ESG


BloombergCorporate PurposeESGESG factorsLindsay PatrickRBCRBC Capital MarketsSustainabilitySustainable FinanceSustainable Outcomes