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By: Andrew Catsimanes, Copywriter • Production
Key Takeaways
Against the backdrop of Hampton Court Palace, CEOs, financiers, and executives from energy, agriculture, and commodities trading gathered - —not for ceremony, but for strategy. While the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), founded by King Charles III, provided the setting, the real story was in the deals being made and the direction capital is heading. No longer waiting for governments to lead on sustainability, the private sector has begun making the tough choices, backed by real money.
Oscar Schaps, Division President for Latin America at StoneX, has seen plenty of sustainability conferences where the talk never turns into action. "I've been to a lot of sustainability events, but this one was different—people weren’t just talking, they were actually making commitments and taking action," he said.
Decisions weren’t about if companies should invest in sustainability—they were about how fast they could move, and which strategies would deliver the most attractive returns. With trillions of dollars already flowing into clean energy, carbon markets, and sustainable supply chains, the companies jockeying for first-mover advantage are hoping to define the market for years to come.
Schaps continues to focus on the shift from “carbon as expense,” viewing StoneX’s network of 58,000 commercial clients as providing a clear opportunity to “turn carbon into a viable asset within supply chains."
That insight is a cornerstone of StoneX’s strategy for turning carbon markets into real business opportunities by connecting producers and polluters.
StoneX’s position is that companies that figure out how to manage and trade their emissions effectively won’t just meet compliance standards, they’ll create new revenue streams and competitive advantages.
By exploring the turn to innovative financial mechanisms like debt-for-nature swaps and climate-smart commodities, StoneX is positioning itself as a key player in the evolving climate finance landscape.
The energy sector is facing its most difficult transition yet. Shipping and heavy industry are moving beyond fossil fuels, but the question is how. While large numbers of companies still consider LNG as a bridge fuel, a growing number are skipping straight to hydrogen and next-generation alternatives. The decisions made today will determine who leads and who gets left behind.
As the executives in attendance have made clear they’re moving past a short-term-fix mentality and are increasingly focusing on long-term, green energy investments.
"These are tough but necessary choices," Schaps said. "It's market forces, not regulations, that are driving the shift."
Schaps and StoneX were front and center in a conversation that caught many by surprise, promoting the growing sense that sustainability is no longer “just about energy.” Agriculture is in the crosshairs, too. At a roundtable on coffee and cocoa markets, it became clear that supply chains aren’t just going green—they’re becoming investment opportunities. Farmers who prove their sustainability credentials will have access to new financing and higher-value markets.
With deep ties to Brazilian agriculture, Schaps explained how the company has helped producers track the carbon-negative footprint of coffee farms—an eye-opener for many in the room. The message that emerged from the summit was clear: sustainability isn’t a burden, and it isn’t just a regulatory requirement. It’s a business strategy. The companies making the biggest moves now aren’t waiting for government mandates. Instead, they’re intent on reading where the market is going to get ahead of where the money will flow.
As Schaps says, with the “staggering” money flows into climate solutions, "this isn’t a side project anymore. This is the future of business."
Discover how StoneX’s full suite of carbon solutions can help you navigate carbon markets, implement decarbonization strategies, and monetize the benefits of climate mitigation.
Visit the StoneX Carbon page
---Written by: Andrew Catsimanes
---Expert: Oscar Schaps, Division President for Latin America at StoneX
The subsidiaries of StoneX Group Inc. provide financial products and services, including, but not limited to, physical commodities, securities, clearing, global payments, risk management, asset management, foreign exchange, and exchange-traded and over-the-counter derivatives. These financial products and services are offered in accordance with the applicable laws in the jurisdictions in which they are provided and are subject to specific terms, conditions, and restrictions contained in the terms of business applicable to each such offering. Not all products and services are available in all countries. The products and services offered by the StoneX Group of companies involve risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Full Disclaimer. This content is not intended for residents of any particular country, and the information herein is not advice nor a recommendation to trade nor does it constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any financial product or service, by any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation. Please refer to the Regulatory Disclosure section for entity-specific disclosures. No part of this material may be copied, photocopied or duplicated in any form by any means or redistributed without the prior written consent of StoneX Group Inc. The information herein is provided for informational purposes only. This information is provided on an ‘as-is’ basis and may contain statements and opinions of the StoneX Group of companies as well as excerpts and/or information from public sources and third parties and no warranty, whether express or implied, is given as to its completeness or accuracy. Each company within the StoneX Group of companies (on its own behalf and on behalf of its directors, employees and agents) disclaims any and all liability as well as any third-party claim that may arise from the accuracy and/or completeness of the information detailed herein, as well as the use of or reliance on this information by the recipient, any member of its group or any third party.
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