Agenda

09:30 – 09:55: Access to conference opens

09:55 – 10:00: Chairman’s welcome
Adam Cadle, Editor, Insurance Asset Management

10:00 – 10:30: Keynote Speaker: Addressing the ‘triple crisis’ COVID-19, climate change and biodiversity loss: an opportunity for sustainable investment?
Laura Kelly, Director, Shaping Sustainable Markets, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

COVID has wreaked havoc with the world’s economies. At the same time the climate and biodiversity crises are deepening and resources to combat climate change and nature loss are urgently needed. IIED has been looking at the opportunities for public and private investment to support greener and more inclusive COVID-19 recovery.

10:30 – 11:00: Investing in the energy transition 
Jennifer Boscardin-Ching, Client Portfolio Manager, Thematic Equities, Pictet Asset Management

As momentum builds to tackle climate change, governments worldwide, including the US, UK, EU, China and Japan, are planning huge programmes to tackle both the climate emergency and air pollution, through the transition from fossil fuels to zero-carbon alternatives. This will spur investments into the clean energy industry.

11:00 – 11:30: The future and growth of ESG integration
Sam Tripuraneni, Director and Lead Product Strategist for Commercialising BlackRock Sustainable Investing's (BSI) IP in EMEA

During this session, Sam Tripuraneni, Director and lead product strategist for BlackRock Sustainable Investing in EMEA, will discuss the impact of 2020 and changes in behaviour toward embedding ESG into portfolios, identify drivers of long-term return associated with ESG issues, integrating them throughout BlackRock's investment process, and creating solutions for our clients to achieve sustainable investment returns.

11:30 – 11:45: Comfort break

11:45 – 12:15: Asset Screening – how far can Trustees go?
Jae Fassam, Partner, CMS
Thibault Jeakings, Senior Associate, CMS

Jae and Thibault will look at the use of asset screening as part of the ESG toolkit and its place on the sustainability agenda. They will consider member and employer pressures on Trustees and discuss how they manage those pressures and discharge their fiduciary duty to act in members’ best interests and deliver on the pension promise.

12:15 – 12:45: Keynote Speaker: The reporting landscape and what to expect in 2021
Mardi McBrien, Managing Director, Climate Disclosure Standards Board

CDSB Managing Director Mardi McBrien will provide expert insight into the current state of play in sustainability reporting, as the space rapidly adapts to meet the need for a global set of standards. Mardi will highlight the challenges facing us as we look to meet the data gap in climate-related reporting, as well as what tools companies can use to enhance and adapt how they report. 

12:45 – 13:05: Lunch break

13:05 – 13:35: Keynote speaker: Wind energy projects in Europe: a sustainable investment
Giles Dickson, CEO, WindEurope

This session will give an overview of wind energy projects in Europe today, the benefits wind energy brings to the environment, Europe’s economy and local communities, and the role it will play in delivering the EU’s Green Deal and climate neutrality by 2050.

13:35 – 14:05: Gold and climate change – what, why and how?
John Mulligan, Director, Climate Change Lead and Market Relations, World Gold Council

John will summarise the current understanding on gold’s climate impacts and potential contribution to the mitigation of climate risks. This includes gold’s status and prospects on the path to a net zero carbon economy and its possible role as a risk mitigation asset in the context of various climate scenarios.

14:05 – 14:35: Our Sustainable Future; Emerging trends in sustainable investment
Sandra Carlisle, Senior Responsible Investment Specialist, HSBC Global Asset Management

In this session, we will focus on the future for sustainable investment looking beyond public markets to emerging opportunities in blended finance an natural capital.

14:35 – 15:05: Keynote speaker: Achieving impact: the next chapter in the story of responsible investment
Catherine Howarth, Chief Executive, ShareAction

Catherine will lay out a pathway for the future evolution of responsible investment practice, focusing on stewardship of public and private companies to drive their ESG performance.

15:05 – 15:10: Chairman’s roundup, conference close