Plastics play an important role in modern life and economy. However, the associated waste - and the issue of marine plastic litter in particular - presents a mounting challenge for the environment and society.
In light of the growing public concern about plastics, and recent policy initiatives, investors with exposure to companies across the plastics value chain are prone to stranded asset risks linked to financial losses and reputational damage in a range of industries impacted by a looming plastics phase-out.
Investors have the opportunity to manage these risks if able to identify opportunities in innovative businesses and technologies, and encourage and monitor companies’ management of plastic-related challenges.
This webinar will explain how ESG research, data and insights can support responsible investors in considering plastic waste-related risks and opportunities in their investment decisions. In addition, it will give an overview of the current status of the regulatory environment and developments, and explain how ESG data can enable investors to manage risks and source opportunities related to plastics by using the Solactive ISS ESG Beyond Plastic Waste Index.
Expert speakers will explore the below topics:
What are current problems and challenges caused by plastics and why should the issue rise up the investor agenda?
What regulatory and policy initiatives are driving action on plastics?
Actioning ESG data: How the Solactive ISS Beyond Plastic Waste Index can help investors identify the leaders in addressing plastic waste and manage plastics-related risks.
Investor views: what are investors doing to address the mounting plastic pollution challenge and how can they improve their efforts?
Speakers:
Ronja Woestheinrich, ESG Analyst, ISS ESG
Cornelia Gomez, ESG Director, PAI Partners
Hernando Cortina, Head of Index Strategy, ISS ESG
Conrad MacKerron, Senior Vice President, As You Sow
Moderator: Elza Holmstedt Pell, Events Leader, Responsible Investor
The latest developments on the EU Action Plan: Part 4
This summer, the EU’s Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (TEG) gathered market feedback on its plans for a green taxonomy, green bond standards and low-carbon benchmarks.
To discuss the response and provide an update on the three initiatives – as well as the other parts of the Action Plan – RI will be joined by leaders from the TEG and the European Commission for a four-part webinar series.
The reports from TEG have taken centre stage over the summer, but there are lot of other moving parts in the EU Action Plan on Sustainable Finance. Martin Spolc, Head of the Sustainable Finance and Fintech unit in the European Commission's Directorate General for Financial Services (DG FISMA) oversees the Action Plan, and will provide an update on other important developments.
We encourage you to submit questions in advance, by emailing sophie@responsible-investor.com. Questions can be asked anonymously, if requested.
The latest developments on the EU Action Plan: Part 3
This summer, the EU’s Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (TEG) gathered market feedback on its plans for a green taxonomy, green bond standards and low-carbon benchmarks.
To discuss the response and provide an update on the three initiatives – as well as the other parts of the Action Plan – RI will be joined by leaders from the TEG and the European Commission for a four-part webinar series
Dr Steffen Hoerter, Head of ESG at Allianz Global Investors and a TEG member, will update listeners on the two low-carbon benchmark proposals: integrating ESG disclosure into mainstream indices and creating a dedicated regulatory framework for low-carbon products. He’ll explain how the feedback from the consultation might influence the group’s final report.
We encourage you to submit questions in advance, by emailing sophie@responsible-investor.com. Questions can be asked anonymously, if requested.
The latest developments on the EU Action Plan: Part 2
This summer, the EU’s Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (TEG) gathered market feedback on its plans for a green taxonomy, green bond standards and low-carbon benchmarks.
To discuss the response and provide an update on the three initiatives – as well as the other parts of the Action Plan – RI will be joined by leaders from the TEG and the European Commission for a four-part webinar series.
Aila Aho, an Executive Advisor on Sustainability at Nordea, and TEG’s green bond rapporteur, will discuss progress on the potential European GBS and what comes next. She’ll talk about the role of transition bonds in the standard, potential legislation and how the EU’s work fits in with existing green bond initiatives.
We encourage you to submit questions in advance, by emailing sophie@responsible-investor.com. Questions can be asked anonymously, if requested.
The latest developments on the EU Action Plan: Part 1
This summer, the EU’s Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (TEG) gathered market feedback on its plans for a green taxonomy, green bond standards and low-carbon benchmarks.
To discuss the response and provide an update on the three initiatives – as well as the other parts of the Action Plan – RI will be joined by leaders from the TEG and the European Commission for a four-part webinar series.
Nathan Fabian, Chief Responsible Investment Officer at the PRI and Chair of the Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance, will kick off the series with an update on the state-of-play for the green taxonomy. He’ll be discussing key take-aways from the public consultation and the latest in the ongoing political negotiations that run parallel to the TEG’s work.
We encourage you to submit questions in advance, by emailing sophie@responsible-investor.com. Questions can be asked anonymously, if requested.
Join us on 23 September at 4pm BST as we explore the topic of ESG integration in manager selection and monitoring. The webinar will feature industry experts from Aon and the San Francisco Employee’s Retirement System (SFERS).
As the effects of climate change shape our world, investors are coming under increasing pressure to integrate ESG into their processes. For asset owners who rely on external managers, it is vital to be able to understand and monitor the integration process. For those selecting funds on behalf of their clients, it is important to validate how ESG is being incorporated and if it is being done on a consistent basis.
Responsible Investor and Style Analytics are holding this webinar to discuss real examples of ESG integration, including a review of the key challenges faced and lessons learned from a public pension fund.
The speakers will also explore how ESG approaches differ between the US and the UK, the tools and practices developed to select and monitor fund managers, and how the industry can look at ESG alongside other traditional factors.
They will answer live audience questions at the end of the webinar.
Speakers:
Andrew Collins, Director of ESG & Responsible Investing, City and County of San Francisco Retirement System
Tim Manuel, UK Head of Responsible Investment, Aon
Bernie Nelson, President of Style Analytics North America
Moderator:
Tony Hay, Publisher, Responsible Investor
Sustainable finance and ESG integration are fast becoming a global preoccupation for the banking sector. As ESG reporting shifts from niche to mainstream and begins to have balance sheet implications, investors are raising challenging questions on how ESG performance is assessed, managed, and reported on across core banking business units. From corporate governance and board composition to loan portfolio credit quality, new data is driving a shift in approach to ESG integration and reporting across jurisdictions.
This unique webinar will dig into the details of how ESG risks and opportunities can have material impacts on bank balance sheets, investor returns and the long-term financial health of the global economy. The discussion will consider key ESG trends in the banking sector from the perspective of reporting banks, investors, and one of the world’s largest investment data analysts. Join us to learn how responsible investment and corporate governance policies are helping to raise professional and ethical banking standards, and how action on ESG themes is evolving in a time of market turbulence.
Speakers:
Daniel Klier, Group Head of Strategy and Global Head of Sustainable Finance, HSBC
Marisa Buchanan, Executive Director, Sustainable Finance, JPMorgan Chase
Simone Dettling, Banking Team Lead, UN Environment Finance Initiative
Sonja Gibbs, Managing Director, Global Policy Initiatives, Institute of International Finance
Panos Seretis, Head of ESG Research, EMEA, MSCI
Moderator: Hugh Wheelan, Managing Editor, Responsible Investor
Responsible Investor is proud to present a new edition in our sustainable finance webinar series focused on the global implications of the European Commission’s Sustainable Finance Action Plan, with updates on developments in Asia and North America. Coming after the G7 meeting in Biarritz, France at the end of August, this webinar will unpack the implications of the sustainable finance regulatory agenda for global investors.
As the world grapples with populist politics, worsening economic inequality, and the prospect of climate breakdown, this is a crucial time for sustainable finance policy to reorient global capital markets. Against a backdrop of macroeconomic risks, this unique webinar will consider how sustainable finance policy on three continents could impact the banking and asset management industries.
With the European Commission leading action on new rules covering investment mandates, sustainability definitions and green finance fiscal policy tools, this webinar will reflect on ‘the HLEG-effect’. Speakers will consider how sustainable finance regulation coming out of Brussels and Beijing could impact investors in North America and other parts of the world.
Speakers:
Barbara Zvan, Chief Risk & Strategy Officer, Ontario Teachers‘ Pension Plan and a member of the Canadian Government Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance
Michael Sheren, Senior Advisor, Bank of England and Co-Chairman of the G20 Sustainable Finance Study Group
Morgan Després, Deputy Head of Financial Stability at Banque de France and Head of the Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS)
Moderator:
Sophie Robinson-Tillett, Deputy Editor, Responsible Investor
Reflecting on the EU legislative changes in sustainable finance: How organisations and individuals can master the educational challenge?
While the EU's Action Plan for Financing Sustainable Growth and it's Technical Expert Group have made exceptional progress towards creating a financial market infrastructure that is conducive to a truly sustainable financial market, the exceptional amount, ambition and execution of the work have also led to an unprecedented educational challenge in the sustainable finance space
Prof. Hoepner, one of only two TEG members appointed in personal capacity, will share his reflections on the significant progress to date as well as the long term ambitions for taxonomy, trajectory & co. and explain how these can contribute to a conflict-free Capitalism
He will furthermore contrast Friedman's intransparent definition of risk with Markowitz' transparent one and explain why full risk transparency is crucial to measure and understand the merits of sustainable investing. Prof Hoepner is convinced that any investor practicing full risk transparency and accurate return per unit of risk measurement will deliver superior performance for clients and fully understand Fuerer's credo that "unsustainable investing is non-economic".
Finally, Andreas will give some very practical tips how organisations and individuals can master this significant educational challenges, both the challenge resulting from the exceptional recent progress on the area of green finance as well as the challenge originating from decades of intransparent risk definitions and other misunderstandings of standard finance.
Turning the risk of system collapse into an investable opportunity
Join us on this webinar to find out how investors are assessing ocean risks like acidification, biodiversity loss, and plastics pollution, and how leaders plan to align their portfolios with principles for a sustainable blue economy. Ahead of G20 and G7 meetings this summer, it is an important time for investors to discuss tools for mobilising private capital to support a sustainable, climate-secure Blue Economy. Speakers will also consider approaches to modelling the investment implications of the phase-out of fossil fuel-based plastics and other unsustainable activities.
The transition from a conventional, extraction-focused ocean economy to a sustainable, climate-secure Blue Economy is a tremendous economic and investment opportunity for all investors. This unique webinar will bring together leading investors to debate the risks and opportunities for profiting from ocean resources in a sustainable manner while unlocking long-term value into the future.
Speakers:
Charlotte Kaiser, Acting Managing Director, NatureVest
Margaret Kuhlow, Finance Practice Leader, WWF
Rolando Morillo, Senior Vice President, Rockefeller Capital Management
Anders Nordheim, Lead, Ecosystems and Sustainable Land Use, UN Environment Finance Initiative
Christof Rühl, Advisory Board, Crystol Energy
Moderator: Dennis Fritsch, Researcher, Responsible Investor