Nuclear weapons and financial risk: rethinking investment exposure in an age of escalation
Nuclear weapons have never been just an ethical or security concern; they also represent a financial and systemic risk. As geopolitical tensions rise and the global arms race evolves, this becomes a more present dilemma than ever.
Date: November 19th, polyteknisk forening 08.30-09.30am, doors open at 08.00,
coffee and light refreshments
This event explores how investments tied to the nuclear weapons industry could expose financial institutions, asset managers, and investors to long-term instability, regulatory pressure, and reputational harm, and asks questions about how the world’s most destructive weapons intersect with global finance and what responsible investment means in the renewed nuclear age.
Opening remarks by Luke Kemp, followed by a panel discussion lead by Therese Nordhus Lien, nuclear weapons senior advisor in Norwegian People’s Aid.
Luke Kemp is a best-selling author, and a research associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. He has a background in human geography, international relations and economics, all of which he tutored or lectured in at the Australian National University (ANU). His research has been covered by media outlets such as the New York Times, the BBC and the New Yorker.
Grethe Lauglo Østern is acting head of the Policy Section in Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) and the editor of the research project Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor. Grethe has previously represented NPA on the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and worked in the International Humanitarian Law Unit of the Norwegian Red Cross.
Stian Ueland is the portfolio manager of DNB European Defence, investing in public equities across the aerospace and defence industry. He joined DNB Asset Management in 2021 after serving as a portfolio manager at Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM). Stian holds an MSc from London Business School and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Karolina Malisauskaite is a Responsible Investments Analyst at KLP Kapitalforvaltning. She is responsible for corporate governance and also focuses on weapons research. She joined KLP in 2022, following her tenure at Institutional Shareholder Services, where she conducted proxy research for the Nordic region. Prior to that, she worked as a consultant within financial services at Accenture.
