Banking on Sustainability

Christian Fioretti ’20 grew up in Menlo Park, California, with nature-loving parents who stressed the importance of living sustainably. Given the regular wildfires and droughts in the Bay Area, Fioretti saw the effects of climate change up close. But as a kid, he did not wilt from existential dread: After watching a video about the impact of overfishing, a concerned Fioretti picked up litter at recess.

His focus today is a little larger than a playground. Today, Fioretti is part of the Sustainable Solutions Group at the international bank ING, a group that helps to “directly provide capital to lend toward sustainable projects and green projects,” he says. One example is a green loan, where eligible proceeds from the loan are allocated for purposes that have positive environmental impact, such as the construction of a solar farm.

“My favorite part of the job is learning about the different sustainability- related projects that are going on,” Fioretti says. “The different types of climate technology— clean technology.”

Fioretti is also looking into “grid optimization technology” due to the increased use of artificial intelligence. “With AI, we’re going to have to expand the grid,” he says, since AI requires enormous amounts of energy to function. 

As the environment grows volatile, even destructive, businesses are wise to embrace sustainability measures as a “future-proofing” tactic, he says. Luckily, companies are taking climate change seriously, he adds: “I see so many people committed to making this work.”

Oberlin was a perfect place to turn his concerns into a career; in fact, he credits the college for putting him “on that path of caring about the environment. When you’re a student at Oberlin, you learn about sustainability. You learn about the importance of climate change.” As an economics major and sociology minor, those topics naturally found their way into classes; favorites included Environmental Economics and Environment and Society.

In his four years as an Oberlin student-athlete, Fioretti balanced rigorous academics and high-stakes athletics. He scored over 1,000 points during his basketball career and stands second all-time in assists—all of which helped guide the basketball team to a 15-12 record (and a North Coast Athletic Conference playoff game win) during his final year.

After graduation, Fioretti earned a master’s degree at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom, where he studied management and international business while playing basketball for the school and taking more sustainability classes. Fioretti became an analyst at Bridge House Investors, an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainability advisory firm that works with the private equity sector.

Today, he still plays basketball, although his most memorable assists now happen off the court. Having been at ING for a little over a year, Fioretti is hopeful about the future. “I’m learning from really intelligent and motivated people,” he says. “The wider picture motivates me on a day-to-day basis.”

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2025 Oberlin Alumni Magazine within the feature "Rooted In Purpose."