Entering this practicum, I found myself working in a sector that is not quite familiar to me. My academic and professional background has centered on international relations, security, and communications, but sustainability and investment haven’t been areas where I held direct experience or knowledge. That quickly changed at the start of this project, when our client introduced us to the foundations of sustainable investing and the role of corporate governance and ethics in shaping financial decisions. This exposure has been immensely valuable, as it bridges a space I had only understood conceptually: how financial institutions can influence social and environmental outcomes. Learning about fiduciary duty, stewardship duty, and the 'do-no-harm' principle has shown me how investment decisions are not isolated financial calculations but choices that reverberate across communities, stakeholders, and even global policy landscapes.
Our first deliverable asks us to explore legal and ethical considerations for investment decision-making, while also analyzing the implications of business externalities through the 'do-no-harm' principle. At first glance, this seemed intimidating because I lacked a background in finance or sustainability. Yet, the framework of the assignment has helped me see the connections to themes I do know well, such as accountability, transparency, and responsibility in global governance. Mapping positive and negative externalities, for instance, reminds me of evaluating policy trade-offs in international affairs: identifying winners, losers, and unintended consequences. Similarly, examining how firms integrate environmental and social risks into their investment processes resonates with broader questions of ethical leadership, whether to meet only the minimum legal requirements or to exceed them in pursuit of positive societal outcomes.
What I expect from this project is not only to become more versed in sustainability and investment practices but also to internalize the interdisciplinary thinking they require. The assignment has already challenged me to read legal frameworks, ethical theories, and corporate policies through a new lens. More importantly, it has encouraged me to think practically about how financial actors can systematically integrate values like fairness and harm reduction into their decision-making. This reflection has also made me more conscious of the language of 'externalities,' a term I once thought of as abstract economics but now understand as a way to account for the very real human and environmental consequences of investment. By approaching this first deliverable through both a theoretical and applied perspective, I am beginning to appreciate how concepts such as double materiality and stakeholder theory are not only academic ideas but operational tools. As I continue through this practicum, I hope to gain a stronger grasp of how sustainability metrics and governance frameworks can be embedded into corporate decision-making in a way that is rigorous, transparent, and forward-looking. This is a perspective I hope to carry forward into my broader professional journey, as I continue exploring the intersections between governance, private-sector engagement, and societal well-being.