Jochen Wermuth, co-founder of Wermuth Asset Management, brings a level of depth and honesty on how environmental policy directly affects individuals. He shares the stories of growing up near Chernobyl and later his experiences in Northern Russia amidst an oil spill. Jochen shares his pain-points in the impact world and the candid conversations he has with his children about allocating their inheritance to impact. Jochen has a deep desire to make an impact in all areas of his life and to be the most effective he can be through a life of honesty and modesty.
In this episode, Jochen talks about:
- How environment policy had a big impact on the individuals near the Chernobyl Disaster [1:39]
- His eye-opening visit to Northern Russia in 2011 that led to a realization that oil has a way of killing people in a brutal fashion [4:50]
- Failure in the early years of impact investing [8:45]
- The pain points of impact investing, particularly his disappointment in human nature [12:20]
- Paying the cost of climate change and his desire to scale thinking around climate solutions [21:10]
- Candid conversations with his children around the future of their inheritance [24:30]
- Becoming more effective by living modestly [28:31]
- His negative perceptions of the rich and wealthy based on his German heritage [30:00]
Resource Links
- Wermuth Asset Management Asset management with a focus on high risk-adjusted financial returns alongside positive environmental impact
- Greenpeace Using non-violent creative action to pave the way towards a greener, more peaceful world, and to confront the systems that threaten our environment
- Fridays for Future A youth-led and -organized movement to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis
