Keith MacMaster is a PhD candidate in law, focusing his research on sustainable finance, and is interested in finding new financial structures to fund sustainable projects. Deeply engaged in the finance industry, Keith primarily concentrates on issues of environmental frameworks and the need for new investment and insurance products to support this industry. His research takes an interdisciplinary approach using corporate/securities law, finance, and international environmental law. The ultimate goal is to create new legal structures to incent environmentally and socially responsible business practices. There are currently two lines of research questions. The first question examines the nature of current financing practice (equity and debt) and its role to encourage or hinder the use of Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) due diligence, especially in the mining field, both terrestrial and on the deep seabed. The second question will explore the metrics used by insurance companies on the potential risks of environmental damage on these projects. It will then provide recommendations as to improved financing and risk metrics to use when funding (or not funding) potentially hazardous projects.
Keith’s LLM research in Responsible Investment Law examined the need for enhanced material disclosures in the regulatory documents of corporations, and recommended licensing changes to retail financial advisors. Prior to his LLM, Keith graduated with an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in 2007 and subsequently led the green strategies team, including leading the real estate and carbon neutral strategies for one of Canada’s largest banks. Keith is a licensed investment and insurance advisor and understands today’s clients and the need to switch to a sustainable future.
