Demographic megatrends: sustainability & investment — a conversation series with Dr Peter Matanle - Episode 2, Part 2
From research to application: how to read DEI signals using a three-tier lens to real inclusion
Across three episodes, James Doyle, from the Responsible Investment team at Evelyn Partners, sits down with Dr Peter Matanle, a leading authority on demographic and depopulation change, to explore how demographic shifts (ageing populations, shrinking workforces, and depopulation) are reshaping sustainability, along with the implications for biodiversity, equity and inclusion.
Depopulation refers to sustained population decline over many years, typically driven by low birth rates, ageing and net emigration.
NB: insights are based on emerging research and correlation / conclusions are tentative – further research is needed.
Investor playbook: metrics that matter for real inclusion - from recruitment to leadership
From research to application: how to read DEI signals using a three tier lens to real inclusion — recruitment, middle level progression and senior leadership — plus why tapping disabled and neurodiverse talent might be a capability advantage in ageing societies.
Peter outlines practical indicators - contract types, access to training and investment, promotion and retention patterns, and decision making representation - and discusses why these matter more than headline rations, the limitations of this emerging research and need for longer-run evidence, and that investors should look beyond performative diversity to see whether equity truly bridges to inclusion.
Key themes discussed:
- Practical DEI metrics for investors and signals for organisation resilience
- Three-tier framework: recruitment, middle level - progression, senior roles/leadership
- Disability and neurodiversity as potential strategic talent pools
- Inclusion correlated as potential performance driver in shrinking labour markets, though research is emerging and further evidence is needed
