Post by Camille Pesin

This semester, in our Sustainable Finance course our team developed GreenMotion Global Fund, an ESG focused investment strategy centered on the transition toward sustainable mobility and low carbon transportation. Rather than relying on traditional ESG ratings, we wanted to answer a broader investment question: How can investors identify transportation companies that are genuinely committed to the climate transition and distinguish them from those relying mainly on ESG communication? To explore this idea, we built our own scoring framework across 5 pillars and 15 sub-criteria, with a pass threshold of 60/100, covering the global transportation value chain across aviation, rail, shipping, logistics, and mobility infrastructure in Europe, Asia and North America. Our framework combined several indicators, including: • Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions disclosure • SBTi alignment and credibility of transition targets • Capex allocation toward green technologies and low-carbon infrastructure • Carbon intensity and emissions trajectory analysis • Workplace safety indicators such as TRIR • Governance quality and transparency • Greenwashing risk assessment Across a global universe of 2,000+ transport equities, we screened down to 150 companies, and built a final portfolio of 30 positions (max weight 8%, min market cap $250M). Our three largest holdings are Siemens AG (5.86%), ABB Ltd (5.33%), and Expeditors International (5.33%). What made this project truly challenging was defending every methodological choice in front of our professor and an industry investor in a mock investment committee format. The experience strengthened my understanding of sustainable investing, portfolio management, and how ESG factors can influence both risk exposure and long-term value creation in capital markets. A huge thank you to our professor Matt Dearth, PhD, MSID and my teammates Justine Marques, Helena Touwaide and Solène Marteau for all the discussions, research, and hard work throughout the project. #ESG #SustainableFinance #PortfolioManagement #AssetManagement #InvestmentResearch #Finance #EnergyTransition #Transport #CapitalMarkets #NTU