Keeping Climate Real: Lessons from Notable Alumni
At this semester’s Changemaker Speaker Series, the conversation around climate action felt refreshingly grounded in reality. The event featured Anne Finucane, who began her journey as an art major before shifting to English at UNH—and eventually rose to become the first female Vice Chair of Bank of America’s American and European divisions. In conversation with Dr. Jennifer Jenkins, Chief Science Officer at Rubicon Carbon and a fellow UNH alumna, Anne shared candid reflections on what it means to drive environmental change from within the world of finance and business.
She began by reminding students that their degrees do not define their destinies: “You will probably evolve into something else,” she said, offering hope to anyone who feels climate change lies outside their field of study. Her own career illustrated that sustainability is a mindset that spans every sector, from art to economics.
Throughout the discussion, Jenn prompted Anne to unpack how capitalism and sustainability intersect in the real world. Anne’s answers were pragmatic and unsentimental, rooted in decades of experience leading within corporate systems. “From a company perspective, it’s cheaper to use renewable energy, it costs more to get there, but once you do, it’s much cheaper and more reliable,” she explained. For Anne, the business case for sustainability is clear: “Business involvement in sustainability is either part of their mission, or it’s managing risk, because it’s inevitable.” Her insights reframed environmental responsibility not as a moral accessory, but as a core driver of long-term growth and stability.
Anne also spoke to the global politics of climate action, contrasting how “in the U.S., we have politicized climate. In Europe, it is a fact and therefore we just have to do it.” Her realism resonated deeply especially with the students eager for tangible direction. She closed with a simple but powerful call: “Hope, verify, and do your part.” For many, Anne’s message transformed climate change from a distant crisis into a challenge we can meet through collective effort, clear communication, and courage to act.
