Webinars

As investors progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ESG data remains a critical tool for achieving these goals. This webinar will explore how investors can use ESG data in their efforts to align with the goals. The webinar will explore how investors can analyse ESG data through the lens of international standards and frameworks, how risk-focused ESG data can strengthen investors’ efforts to align with the goals, and the importance of an outside-in perspective when assessing whether companies walk their talk when it comes to alignment with the SDGs. The webinar will answer questions including: How can investors analyse ESG data through the lens of international standards and frameworks, including the UN SDGs How can risk-focused ESG data strengthen investors’ efforts to align with the goals? How can the UN SDG feature can help identify companies who reverse or hinder progress on any of the goals? The importance of an an outside-in perspective when assessing whether companies walk their talk when it comes to alignment with the SDGs Speakers: Alexandra Mihailescu Cichon, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, RepRisk Luba Protopopova, Executive Vice President of Products and Strategy, RepRisk David Harris, Group Head of Sustainable Business, FTSE Russell Moderator: Daniel Brooksbank, Head of Strategic Content, Responsible Investor

Responsible Company launches - The Your Questions Answered! - webinar series. In this first Q&A session, our audience got their questions answered in a special 50 minute Q&A session with The Church of England Pensions Board, Robeco and Trium Capital, an ESG-focused hedge fund. This webinar accompanies a panel presentation session called - A Teach in with The Investor Community (https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/14001/462361).

The banking sector has a unique ability to mitigate climate risks by withdrawing financing from carbon-emitters...or hasten the climate crisis by continuing to finance high-carbon activities.Currently, banks are choosing the wrong path: fossil fuel financing levels over the last five years remain dangerously high and show few signs of stopping. This reinforces the need for banks to establish effective policies that reverse this trend.But, it is also in investors’ core interest to engage strongly with the banking sector on its related financing activities. If bank capital is left to flow uninhibited to coal developers and oil and gas expansionists, investors could potentially see imminent stranded asset risks and physical climate risks impacting returns across their investment portfolios. Banks globally have made a timid start on climate action, with aspirational pledges to go net-zero by 2050. But these commitments invariably lack the policy changes needed right now to actually temper climate risks for investors. While many banks have adopted fossil fuel exclusion policies for project finance, only a few first-mover banks have adopted robust policies that address the core finance flows to fossil fuels like coal. That’s why there will be a raft of ambitious shareholder resolutions and director votes filed at major banks in the 2021 AGM season. In this webinar, Responsible Investor will explore the upcoming AGM season of investor action on banks.Questions the webinar will ask include:How can banks ensure they are meeting expectations on their net-zero commitments?What tough questions should investors be asking banks?What does ‘responsible’ investor-corporate engagement, including voting, look like in this sector?What opportunities are there this AGM season for investors to support banks in their focused transition to net-zero?Speakers: Amanda Starbuck, the Sunrise ProjectInvestor and bank speakers TBCModerator: Hugh Wheelan, Managing Director, Responsible Investor or Daniel Brooksbank, Head of Strategic Content.

ESG Investor Insights series - A Teach-in with investors: Part 1 - Investor Engagement What do companies need to know? The increasing number of ESG risks to investors alongside legislative impetus for ESG integration into investment and the development of themed sustainability strategies and products, means investors now regularly require companies to comprehensively report their ESG risks, opportunities and performance, and then discuss those factors with them via ‘investor-corporate engagement’ Investors say company ESG performance increasingly gives them insight into the quality of company management, the resilience of its products and processes, and its potential competitive advantage. But what does investor engagement shareholder activism and stewardship actually mean? What is the business case for doing so, and what outcomes are investors really seeking? How should companies respond? This teach-in will include an asset owner engagement case study, a review of a mainstream investment management shareholder campaign, and a hedge fund strategy. Speakers: Dr Stephen Barrie, Deputy Director, Church of England Pensions Board Peter van der Werf, Team Lead Engagement, Active Ownership, Robeco Joe Mares, Portfolio Manager, Trium Capital Moderator: Helen Wood-Gush, Senior ESG Consultant, Responsible Company

ESG is reframing the financial markets within the post-pandemic investment landscape. 2021 is expected to be pivotal, after 330 new ESG funds were launched YoY in 3Q20 (source: Bloomberg). Momentum will be matched by increased scrutiny, setting higher disclosure requirements for corporate and investors. How can investors build a sustainable portfolio in the post-pandemic financial environment, leveraging current opportunities while being considerate of long-term objectives and values? What corporates should focus on in order to attract investors’ interest? Which sectors, geographies and jurisdictions are better positioned for exciting investment opportunities? How quickly and efficiently is the regulatory framework adapting to meet calls for data harmonisation? What are the solutions available to investors and companies for meeting their sustainability standards and access to robust data sets? What is the role of Artificial Intelligence in data analysis and mining? Speakers: Diana van Maasdijk, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Equileap Niels Fibæk, CEO and co-founder, Matter Tomas Thyblad, VP Head of ESG Solutions, European Markets, Nasdaq Moderator: Giada Vercelli, Director, Fitzroy Consultant

The world’s biggest central banks are taking active steps towards driving real climate information and risk disclosure, and thinking through the incentives/disincentives in the monetary system for capital mobilisation to lower CO2 businesses, projects and investments. The Bank of England has confirmed its inaugural climate stress testing to take place in July 2021. The Bank of Canada is working on improving country-specific climate scenario modeling towards the end of 2021. And the green central banking group, the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) is amplifying its work across global jurisdictions. However, the challenges with disclosure, data and definitions remain, and there are calls for central banks to become more active by clearly focusing stimulus and allocating their own reserves towards the green transition. Responsible Investor, in partnership with MSCI, will explore the vital role of central banks in fighting the climate crisis by using their ability to standardise, regulate and mobilise capital in support of a sustainable net zero economy. Questions this webinar will ask include: How is Central Bank climate risk activity so far impacting the activity of corporates and investors? Will mandatory climate disclosure fill the data gap and enable central banks to get a comprehensive picture of climate change risk across the financial system? - What are the challenges here? How could monetary and micro/macroprudential policies be used to support the transition to a net-zero economy? Has the climate emergency convinced central banks to mobilise their own reserves for green investment/promotion? Speakers: Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer, Aviva Investors Chris Faint, Head of Division, Bank of England David Lunsford, Head of Climate Policy and Strategy, MSCI Moderator: Vibeka Mair, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor

Responsible Investor x FAIRR動物性食品企業の気候変動リスクを理解するUnderstanding the climate risks to animal-related food companies in investment portfolios日本政府の2050年ネットゼロ目標は、全世界の気候危機への対応の一環と言えるでしょう。こうした政策の変化は、投資家が保有するアセットを再検討し、ポートフォリオ上の気候関連リスクを十分に理解することの重要性が増していることも意味します。TCFD提言は、保有資産の気候リスクに関連する情報を検討し、更には石油・ガスセクターなどで既に見られるような、シナリオ分析の実施を可能にしました。しかしながら、投資判断に資する十分な情報を得るには、多くの課題が残っています。本ウェビナーでは、昨今の政策環境を踏まえ、気候変動に関わる複雑なリスクを検討するため、機関投資家が取っている様々なアプローチを検討します。特に、FAIRRイニシアティブと有識者をお迎えし、気候変動による変化に疑いなく晒されているセクターの1つである、動物性（タンパク質関連）食品企業を取り上げます。＜ディスカッションポイント＞- ポートフォリオ企業の気候変動リスクを理解するためにはどの様な情報が必要か？リスクの規模を理解し、対処するには何をすべきか？- 急速に展開する政策、規制環境で、CO2高排出セクターや企業における移行リスクはどれほどなのか？- 気候関連リスクのうち、最大の脅威はレピュテーションリスクなのか？- これらのリスクは、タンパク質関連食品企業にどう現れてくるのか？- これらのデータに基づく投資判断、議決権行使、エンゲージメントなど、責任投資家にとってのベストプラクティスとは？The Japanese government’s 2050 net zero CO2 emissions goal is a response to the global climate emergency. The policy shift and its implications mean it is crucial for investors to understand climate related risks in their investment portfolios to evaluate the assets they hold. The Taskforce for Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) has started to prompt investors to broadly assess climate risk information in their holdings, and then look at kinds of future scenario analysis that is carried out already in the oil and gas sectors. But, there are still many challenges ahead for full and meaningful disclosure from corporates.This webinar will explore the various approaches that institutional investors are taking to consider the complex risks associated with climate change in the light of policy responses. And with the FAIRR Initiative and other knowledgeable panellists, it will look specifically at the related climate risks of a large sector that is clearly exposed to change: animal-related (protein) food companies.本ウェビナーは英語音声、日本語字幕付きでお送りします。This webinar will be broadcast with English audio and Japanese subtitles.

Case study on the new wave of sustainability-linked loans. Dear Company, the fruits of your hard labour to achieve high ESG ratings and indices may be rewarded. Companies who do well in ESG indices and ratings will have access to ESG-linked capital which may present more favourable terms. But how difficult is it to access this capital ? What hoops do companies need to jump through? What internal and external resource is needed? What is the process for reporting and assurance for green bonds, social bonds and sustainability linked loans? Speakers: Heather Lang, Executive Director, Sustainable Finance Solutions, Sustainalytics Dr. Roland Mees, Director of Sustainable Finance, ING Bank Eugenia Onuschenko, Director, Corporate Finance, Polymetal International

Despite the pandemic, climate change remains on top of the investors’ agenda. The globe is heating up, stakeholders’ initiatives keep unfolding, regulators are stepping up. This webinar will focus on how investors can handle - and build on - this momentum to enhance their strategies and further help combat climate change in 2021. We will take a deep dive into how climate indices – with methodology developments in Physical Risk, Scenario and Scope 3 - enable investors to meet their return objectives whilst facilitating the shift towards a low-carbon economy. Specific topics will include: 2021 outlook on legislative and investor initiatives Why climate tilted indices work Study results – comparing the risk/ return profile between standard vs. climate benchmarks Speakers Rodolphe Bocquet, Global Head of Sustainable Investment, Qontigo Melissa R. Brown, Managing Director, Applied Research, Qontigo Laurent Deborde, Head of Equity Portfolio Management & Fund Selection, Groupe Caisse des Dépôts Viola Lutz, Deputy Head of Climate Solutions, ISS ESG Moderator: Daniel Brooksbank, Head of Strategic Content, Responsible Investor

Are the SDGs fit for purpose? The pandemic saw progress against the SDGs in five years reversed over 9 months. Are the present construction of the 17 SDGs and sub-goals sophisticated enough to manage interconnected ESG issues and severe global economic, environmental and social impact? Have the SDGs been a game-changer for responsible investment? How accessible is data related to the SDGs? Are companies aligning with the SDGs? For companies, what are the enablers, common barriers and potential solutions for SDG implementation? Is the SDG framework incentivising enough for the company and its value/supply chain to increase their work to effectively manage impacts and also create positive impacts? What is the current funding situation of the SDGs? Speakers: Niall O’Shea, Managing Director, Discern Sustainability Limited Robbie Miles, Portfolio Manager, Thematic and Sustainable Equities, Allianz Global Investors Eli Reisman, Associate Director of Product Management, Truvalue Labs, a Factset company Moderator: Helen Wood-Gush, Responsible Investor