Sustainability in Finance: Idealism or Imperative? – WIBF Bristol

 On Tuesday 10 March, Women in Banking & Finance brought the Bristol community together for an evening exploring one of the most important questions facing the financial sector today: is sustainability in finance idealism — or an imperative?

Hosted by Rathbones Greenbank and organised by the WIBF Bristol team, the event brought together professionals from across the financial services sector for an open and thoughtful discussion about how sustainability is shaping investment decisions and the future of finance.

With a full room and strong engagement throughout the evening, the event demonstrated something we often see across the WIBF community: when people gather in person to discuss the issues shaping their industries, the conversations quickly move beyond theory into practical insights and real experiences.

An expert panel

The panel brought together senior investment professionals with decades of experience in responsible and sustainable investing:

• Clémence Chatelin, Chartered Financial Planner, Ovation Finance Ltd and Founder of Goodstock

• Nicola Day, Deputy Head of Greenbank, Rathbones Greenbank

• Laura Hobbs CFA, Senior Investment Director, Rathbones Greenbank

Camilla Stowell, Chief Executive Officer, Wealth, Rathbones Group and WIBF Leadership Council member opened the event via a pre-recorded video.

The discussion was expertly moderated by Lucy Lepore CFA, Investment Manager at Rathbones Greenbank, and Deputy Co-Chair, WIBF Bristol and Southwest Region. Lucy guided the conversation through both the opportunities and the tensions that sit at the heart of sustainability in finance.

From headlines to reality

One of the themes that quickly emerged was the gap between headlines and the practical realities of responsible investing.

Sustainability and ESG have become highly visible topics in the financial sector, but translating ambition into meaningful action is complex. Panellists explored how investors and financial professionals can distinguish between genuine progress and superficial claims, and what responsible investing looks like when applied in real portfolios.

The conversation also highlighted the growing expectations from clients and investors, particularly younger generations, who are increasingly asking how their money is being used and what impact their investments have on the world around them.

Collaboration and collective action

Another strong theme throughout the evening was the importance of collaboration across the industry.

Driving meaningful change in financial systems cannot be achieved by individual organisations acting alone. Instead, it requires professionals, institutions and regulators working together and being willing to challenge existing norms.

Events like this play a valuable role in creating those conversations –  bringing together people from different organisations, roles and career stages to share ideas, perspectives and challenges.

Data, technology and the sustainability gap

The panel also discussed one of the practical challenges facing sustainable finance today: the lack of consistent and reliable sustainability data.

Currently only a relatively small proportion of companies report comprehensive emissions data across Scope 1, 2 and 3. Without better data, investors face real challenges in analysing and comparing sustainability performance across businesses.

Emerging technologies such as AI may play an important role in helping close this gap by improving data collection, analysis and transparency — enabling investors to make more informed decisions.

Changing perceptions

One particularly interesting insight raised during the discussion touched on the social dynamics around environmental behaviours.

Research suggests that activities such as recycling or adopting eco-friendly practices are sometimes perceived as more “feminine”, which can unintentionally discourage wider participation. It was a reminder that achieving sustainability goals is not only a financial or regulatory challenge, but also a cultural one.

The power of community

Perhaps one of the most valuable aspects of the evening was the opportunity for the community to reconnect.

In-person events continue to provide something that online conversations often struggle to replicate: human connection. They create space for relationships to develop, ideas to spark and collaborations to begin.

For WIBF, these moments are an important part of how we build and sustain a vibrant professional community.

Thank you

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to Rathbones Greenbank for hosting the event and supporting this important discussion. And thank you to  Smartworks Bristol, who help unemployed women get the coaching, clothing and confidence that they need to secure employment, who also came along.

Our thanks also go to the excellent panel for sharing their expertise and perspectives, and to Lucy Lepore for moderating the conversation and organising the evening.

Finally, thank you to the WIBF Bristol team, including Deborah Wilson, Rebecca Jarrett and Amy Shaw and everyone involved in bringing the community together.

Their work is helping to re-energise WIBF activity in the South West and create opportunities for professionals across the region to connect, learn and support each other.

If you’d like to join WIBF  and get involved with the Bristol / South West team, you can find out more about membership here. Or, get in touch if you would like to get involved by emailing [email protected].