Unveiling the Green Blood in Society's Veins #4

Here, sustainability is and it will always be the hottest topic. But what do I mean by green blood? Let's start with Henri Poullain's quote from the 1621 book Traitez des Monnoyes (Johnson, 1996):

"As meat is the nourishment of the body, the nerves and ligaments enable it to move, and blood gives it life and use; the same with money which in the state is the meat which nourishes, the nerves which move it and the blood which gives life and vigor to all its members by means of price, flow, and circulation of specie."

When the body is not nourished, the risks of disease arise. Metaphorically, the same happens in society. According to the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) (2017), green finance is defined as the financial flows directed towards sustainable development. And that's the green blood of society's veins.

Sustainable finance is a fascinating professional area. Currently, I am working at the Fundação CEPERJ, where I work with ICMS Ecológico, a sustainable public finance policy. It promotes the financial compensation for the environmental performance of the Municipalities of Rio de Janeiro. And I am enrolled in the Green Finance Hub. It's great to take time to research, reflect, and contribute by sharing knowledge with you on this topic. It's something I plan to talk about in the forthcoming newsletters.

Recently, I read a post from Gilad Regev. During a transaction, a billionaire stopped to debate with his yacht designer about how to extend his yacht by four meters just because another billionaire’s yacht was two meters longer than his. Gilad decided to leave his investment banking career to pursue something more meaningful, to dedicate his life to fighting the climate crisis. It's an inspiring story. I resonate with him because I love finance and business, but I can't give up on purpose and impact.

Sustainability extends beyond risk reduction; it can also maximize profits. It's strategic. Green financing is the only way to make sustainable development a reality. Now I would love to know your opinion: what area needs more investment?

References

Johnson, J. THE MONEY=BLOOD METAPHOR, 1300–1800. The Journal of Finance. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.1966.tb02961.x

Regev, G. (2025). The moment I decided to leave investment banking. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7352257645644292096/

United Nations Environment Programme. (2017). Green financing. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/regions/asia-and-pacific/regional-initiatives/supporting-resource-efficiency/green-financing