Stanford Faculty Senate Encourages Move Toward Net-Zero Emissions

David Colin Burke guides Selby Lane, LLC, and has an extensive leadership experience in the global capital investment sphere. A guest lecturer with the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, David Colin Burke previously oversaw endowment allocations on behalf of the institution.

The Stanford Faculty Senate approved a multi-part resolution in November 2020 designed to accelerate momentum toward a target of transitioning to net-zero or negative greenhouse gas emissions across operations and endowment investments. Eighty-nine percent of senators cast affirmative votes, and the focus will now turn to transitioning endowment divestments away from fossil fuels and toward industries that are helping to achieve the emissions goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.

The Stanford Faculty Senate’s overwhelming approval came despite some senators' concerns that meeting target dates for the “at least net-zero” emissions goal was aspirational rather than concretely achievable at the pre-set time. The target date set for direct and indirect-on-campus emissions is 2030, while the “other indirect emissions” net-zero date is 2040. 

A Look at the UVA McIntire School's Master of Science in Commerce

David Colin Burke leverages more than 25 years of experience in venture capital and private equity to serve as the chairman and CEO of Selby Lane LLC. A graduate of the University of Virginia, David Colin Burke remains involved with the institution as a lecturer with the UVA McIntire School of Commerce.

The McIntire School of Commerce offers a master of science in commerce, which is geared toward engineering, liberal arts, and science majors. Over the course of this 10-month graduate program, students work collaboratively to learn skills in fields such as business analytics, finance, government, management, and marketing. In addition to pursuing studies on the Charlottesville, Virginia, campus, students can participate in an immersive international learning experience while completing their degrees.

In 2019, The Economist ranked this master's program No. 1 among U.S. management programs and No. 6 worldwide. The program was also ranked No. 2 on the list of the Top 25 Best Value Master's in Management Programs by valuecolleges.com in 2020. 

The Positive Impact of Social Entrepreneurship

An experienced investment professional and attorney, David Colin Burke serves as the chairman and CEO of Selby Lane LLC. Experienced in managing assets in excess of $20 billion, David Colin Burke also works to promote social entrepreneurship.

Social entrepreneurs seek out innovative business ideas with the goal of improving society. A hallmark of social entrepreneurship involves connecting with customers beyond the buying and selling aspects of economic transactions. The goal of this type of work is to effect positive change that benefits people or whole communities, as opposed to operating with a singular focus on sales figures and stock prices.

One way to turn a problem into a business opportunity is by protecting or improving the environment. For instance, a refinery in India that was struggling with pollution problems had the idea to convert the wasteland around its facility into a mango orchard. The orchard now grows more than 200 different species of the fruit and has beautified the community. 

The Federal Reserve Increases Loan Access for Small Businesses

With an extensive background in venture capital and equity investments, David Colin Burke leads Selby Lane LLC as the chairman and CEO. Knowledgeable about international capital markets, David Colin Burke follows economic trends closely. In late 2020, the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) widened the borrower pool for a support program for businesses and nonprofits that are financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crain’s New York Business reported in November 2020 that the Fed took a step to assist small businesses by reducing its Main Street Lending Program’s minimum loan size from $250,000 to $100,000. This action increased loan access for small businesses that are trying to remain afloat amid the pandemic. As of early November, only $3.7 billion of a potential $600 billion had been dispersed since the program started in July. In addition, the Fed altered the fee structure in ways that incentivized banks to make loans of under $250,000.

The Fed traditionally has an array of tools at its disposal for exerting impact on markets, such as obtaining more mortgage-backed and Treasury securities and entering into extended purchase commitments designed to decrease long-term interest rates. It can also pledge to maintain lower short-term rates to target such issues as unemployment and inflation. Additionally, a ceiling can be set on long-term interest rates through yield-curve control.