Exploring the 'Do No Harm' Principle - A Philosophical Approach Towards Sustainability

As part of my SIRI practicum, I am working with a global alternative investment fund that manages $48 billion in assets. The firm is publicly listed and possesses a distinguished track record within the financial services industry.

For an individual aspiring to build a career at the intersection of finance and sustainability, this represents an exceptional opportunity for hands-on experience. The project's areas of focus are particularly compelling, as they offer the potential not only to generate a positive societal impact but also to enhance our client's triple bottom line: People, Planet, and Profit.

Before elaborating on the project's specifics, I would like to provide some personal background to establish the context for my profound interest in this particular engagement.

I am a two-time founder and social entrepreneur. At the age of 14, I co-founded IGCSE Pro with the mission to democratize access to educational resources. Today, the platform serves over 650,000 students across 190 countries. My second venture involved co-founding Niger’s first sustainable tea company, which created a commercial bridge between Niger and the United States through the export of organic, responsibly sourced herbal teas. I share these experiences not for self-aggrandizement, but to illustrate a foundational principle that guides my career aspirations: my primary objective is not to secure a lucrative position on Wall Street, but rather to create tangible, sustainable, and positive impact by maximizing stakeholder value and embodying the change I wish to see in the world.

While my stated goal of working in sustainability and finance might evoke images of a conventional corporate role with limited real-world impact beyond performative sustainability reports, my perspective is quite the opposite. I view finance as a critical instrument for enabling sustainable outcomes, a necessity in a global system built upon the flow of capital. To me, money is an abstract construct - a tool designed to facilitate transactions and influence societal behavior in a predictable manner.

How does this philosophy connect with the SIRI practicum and our project? This question brings me to our client.

Last week, during New York Climate Week, our team had the opportunity to meet with our client in person. The meeting was a transformative and deeply inspiring experience that fundamentally altered my perspective on sustainability and reinforced a vision I have held for a decade. Our client demonstrated a commitment that transcends the mere creation of financial value or the maximization of shareholder returns. They spoke of the numerous ironies and hypocrisies encountered throughout their career as a sustainability professional—a sentiment to which I could strongly relate. My own observations of New York Climate Week, with its high-profile events, suggested an emphasis on public relations rather than a genuinely intentional approach to systemic change.

Our client is actively questioning the prevailing decision-making frameworks that govern the sustainability field. What ethical considerations must be integrated when applying the principle of 'do no harm'? How is the imperative to avoid negative externalities, as a consequence of business activity, being addressed on a global scale? These were among the profound topics discussed. Until that point, my perspective on sustainability - particularly since commencing my graduate studies in Sustainability Management at Columbia - had been largely filtered through a financial lens. The discourse among my peers is often focused on securing employment and navigating the industry, with the ability to contribute to positive change being framed primarily by financial incentives. This meeting prompted a significant shift in my own perspective.

It is a privilege to study sustainability in a formal academic setting. In many parts of the world, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), sustainability is not explicitly embedded into the economy. However, I would argue that from a purely environmental standpoint, LDCs are perhaps the most sustainable nations. The absence of large-scale industrial activity correlates with fewer greenhouse gas emissions, less demand for electricity, and lower rates of environmental exploitation. While metrics concerning quality of life, infant mortality, and political stability may be less favorable than those in the Global North, this lower level of development inherently results in a smaller ecological footprint. This is a complex position open to debate, but it underscores a crucial point: the metrics for impact are not exclusively financial.

Consequently, our project is not a conventional financial analysis but rather a philosophical exploration centered on the 'do no harm' principle. I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and approach ethical decision-making and sustainability from this entirely new perspective. I am grateful to the instructors for this opportunity and look forward to making the most of this practicum.