Agenda
08.30 - 08.55: Registration and refreshments
08.55 - 09.00: Chairman’s welcome
Richard Howitt, Strategic Advisor on Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, Business and Human Rights
09.00 - 09.30: Opening keynote speaker - Climate Crisis and Change
Rt Hon Baroness Northover
The impact of climate change is widely recognised. Governments are increasingly regulating to ensure that business and the financial sector play their part in addressing this crisis. The Financial Services Bill currently going through Parliament reflects this in future regulation. The Government says it wants the City of London to be “world leading” in green finance. ESG standards are coming to the fore. The direction of travel is clear.
09.30 - 10.00: ESG Opportunities in the Securitized Market
Malea Figgins, ESG Research - Securitized and Structured Products, TCW
The Securitized market offers a growing opportunity set for ESG debt and ESG dedicated strategies. The collateral based nature of Securitized products allows investors to target the underlying green, social, and sustainable qualities of the physical assets and loans. The opportunity set reflects a variety of environmental and social solutions that support climate mitigation and adaptation, energy efficiency, affordable and inclusive housing, and more equitable lending. From a security perspective, investors can source opportunities that are ESG-labeled (i.e. green, social, sustainable), “unlabeled green” where we’ve identified green collateral across different securitized sectors that do not have a label but where the majority of the collateral reflect green assets, and finally TCW has developed criteria to identify traditional Agency MBS pools with strong social and sustainable characteristics in order to focus on the most-affordable pools of assets within the broader GSE lending landscape. Furthermore, there are a number of critical engagement opportunities in securitized which range from helping the market expand and evolve by working with issuers to promote best practice standards, actively engaging with key stakeholders and industry groups, and pushing for better quality and access to data.
10.00 - 10.30: The challenge of transitioning to a sustainable future
Adam Johnson, Senior Client Portfolio Manager, Pictet Asset Management
Transitioning to a sustainable future is complex and challenging, but essential. A successful transition requires a holistic approach; investing purely in companies that have already made the transition and whose services and/or products already have a positive impact doesn’t solve the whole problem. Investors need to look at the entire value chain, for example, electric vehicles need lithium, nickel or cobalt for their batteries and even the most energy-efficient new building requires cement and steel. By purely focusing on companies that have transitioned, investors are missing out on the chance to engage with the laggards who will benefit most from improving returns and re-valuations, in addition to have the greatest impact.
10.30 - 11.00: Gold – what’s it good for?
John Mulligan, Director, Market Relations & Climate Change Lead, World Gold Council
John Mulligan, Climate Change Lead at The World Gold Council will seek to address many of the perceptions and misconceptions regarding gold’s credentials as a responsible and sustainable asset, whilst discussing the challenges and opportunities for further social and environmental progress and impact.
11.00 - 11.15: Coffee break
11.15 - 11.45: The NT's approach to sustainability in the endowment:
Alice Bordini Staden, Investment Committee Member, Stewardship Lead, National Trust
1. Decarbonisation: how the portfolio is evolving.
2. Stewardship: stewardship practices within IIGCC and CA100+ and case study of a corporate engagement.
3. Scaling up climate solutions: how we manage this book, examples.
11.45 - 12.15: Defining impact
George Latham, Managing Partner, WHEB Asset Management
A new economy is emerging, driven by a shift towards a low-carbon and sustainable future. Companies that contribute to this new economy will be those that succeed in the long term. Investing in them benefits your clients and a wider society. At WHEB Asset Management we aim to fulfil moneys purpose by investing in companies that have a positive impact on society and the environment. Our Sustainable Impact strategy, a global growth mid cap equity strategy, only invests in companies that are solving sustainability challenges. As a specialist boutique manager solely focused on sustainable investing learn how we approach impact and what this can mean for your clients.
12.15 - 12.45: Here for the how: Finding solutions to tackle the transition
Ewa Jackson, Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Client Solutions, BlackRock
In recent years, we have been made more aware of the risks and opportunities around ESG integration. It’s now time for action. Hear Ewa Jackson, Head of EMEA Sustainable Client Solutions, deep dive into the "how". How do we tackle the E, the S and the G? How can we leverage the toolkits available to investors and how can we use data and transparency to overcome challenges?
12.45 - 13.30: Lunch break
13.30 - 14.00: Keynote speaker - Impact Investing: a mega trend
Bella Landymore, Policy and Strategy Director & Joint Interim Chief Executive, Impact Investing Institute
Bella will outline how impact investing fits into the sustainable investment landscape, why it’s relevant to delegates, and what it can look like in practice. She will address some of the misconceptions and challenges, and will draw on the work of the Impact Investing Institute to bring it to life.
14.00 - 14.30: Green energy credit: financing the European energy transition
Scott Lawrence, Partner, Glennmont Partners
The energy transition will require trillions of dollars of investment in the coming decades. Green energy credit can support this transition and offer a stable income stream and an absolute return. Join us in this session where we will discuss the need to invest in the European energy transition and how investors can benefit from investing in infrastructure credit in today’s high inflationary and rising interest rate environment.
14.30 - 15.00: Closing keynote speaker - Stewardship for responsible investment
Simon Rawson, Director of Corporate Engagement & Deputy CEO, ShareAction
Responsible investors have increasing stewardship ambition. Simon will share ShareAction’s latest research on stewardship practice today and outline expectations from investors over the upcoming AGM season.
15.00 - 15.05: Chairman’s roundup and close of conference
15.05 - 16.05: Drinks reception
