"Decarbonization is a team sport"
Climate change knows no borders. Hence it's fitting that Anastasia Petraki, who was born in Greece and also has a British passport, now works in Frankfurt. She currently holds the position of Head of Sustainability for Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe at the global asset manager Blackrock. Petraki approaches the subject with a research-based perspective.
Her education took her from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens to the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, and finally to the University of Bath. With an economic background, which at the time was not yet focused on ecology, the 41-year-old became the Head of Research and Statistics at the Investment Association in London, the British equivalent of BVI, in 2006.
A pivotal moment in 2018
During those years, the financial industry was not particularly environmentally conscious, and sustainability was still a niche topic. Anastasia Petraki, with her background in statistics, was well aware of the minuscule share of ESG funds in the total volume. "The pivotal moment for me and the industry came in 2018 when the EU adopted the Action Plan on Sustainable Finance," recalls Petraki.
In 2019, Petraki made the move to Schroders as the Sustainability Investment Director. "At some point, my professional life was completely dominated by sustainability. The topic is very tangible", explains Petraki. She cites examples such as climate change, human rights, and social factors. "These issues impact all of us, which is why I find this field so intriguing" What Petraki finds interesting is the need to address a variety of different subjects simultaneously within the sustainability domain.
A nuanced perspective
Since 2023, she has been working at Blackrock in the Opernturm building in Frankfurt, overseeing sustainability and ESG for Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe. In this role, she operates within the EMEA team for Sustainable and Transition Solutions and represents the firm on the BVI Sustainability Committee.
Her responsibilities involve shaping and monitoring the company's sustainability strategy, offering customers sustainable products and solutions, and staying attuned to market developments.
Anastasia Petraki advocates for a nuanced perspective on sustainability. She believes that "the pace of climate change depends on the path we take". The ESG expert sees decarbonization as a team sport that necessitates collaboration among numerous participants.
Achieve a balance of interests
"With the example of energy supply, we've seen that transitioning from one form of energy to another isn't something that can happen overnight. During this transition, a balance of interests must be found, the path needs to be fair and equitable to avoid social hardships."
The question of social compatibility is repeatedly one of her priorities. It determines how quickly and how successfully a transition takes place. Research shows that a well-organized shift towards sustainability is beneficial for all. Furthermore, it's apparent that sustainability and ESG are the areas Petraki resonates with the most in her current professional capacity.
