Agenda

Downloadable presentations:

Dominic Byrne - Making a positive impact
Dr Rachel Melsom - Tobacco: reviewing the growing financial risks
John Mulligan - Gold, Climate Change and ESG Principles – Implications for Institutional Investors
Justine Vroman - Global Sustainable Credit
Raj Shant - Sustainable income investing

08:30 – 08:55: Registration and Refreshments

08:55 – 09:00: Chairman’s welcome
Butch Bacani, Programme Leader, UN Environment's Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative

09:00 – 09:25: KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Simon Howard, Chief Executive, UKSIF
Simon Howard will discuss what SRI developments will shape the UK pensions environment and why the investment developments they reflect must and will spread further. He will call for active Government support for SRI in the UK in order to help pensions funds and to build on the position the industry has built by its efforts. He will say that our aim should be to make the UK the undisputed world leader in this area for the benefit of pensioners, the industry, and let’s not shy away from it, our children and the world at large.

09:25 – 09:50: Global Sustainable Credit
Justine Vroman, Senior Investment Manager, Global Sustainable Credit, Pictet Asset Management
- How properly assessing a company's environmental, social and governance credentials gives credit investors an edge
- How to select issuers with strong financial sustainability and ESG credentials to navigate the credit cycle and ESG risks
- Credit management requires a customised ESG approach.

09:50 – 10:15: Sustainable income investing
Raj Shant, Portfolio Manager, Global Equity, Newton Investment Management
In this session, we will explore whether investing sustainably is compatible with using your portfolio to generate an income, why we believe it is important not to strive for an unsustainable level of income, and how engagement with companies can lead to better outcomes for investors.We will outline three key considerations that fund managers should apply to all sustainable investments. These include analysing a company for both its economic durability and approach to material externalities such as climate change and use of plastics, and assessing its business model for risks, opportunities and a level of sustainability.

10:15 – 10:40: Positive impact, sustainable wealth
John William Olsen, Fund Manager, M&G Investments
Impact investing through listed equities provides the opportunity to create attractive, long-term financial returns while also doing measurable good for society and the environment. It does so by investing in companies that provide solutions to the most pressing global challenges, such as climate change, pollution, poor health and inequality. It is based on a dedicated framework for identifying and measuring impact, inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

10:40 – 11:05: Tobacco: reviewing the growing financial risks
Dr. Rachel Melsom, Director UK & Europe, Tobacco Free Portfolios
A short presentation discussing the decreasing appeal of tobacco as an investment, the increasing impact of regulation and litigation, and the growing financial risk of ongoing investment in tobacco. A summary of key reasons why to consider a move away from investment in tobacco, alongside key global pension funds, banks and insurers.

11:05 – 11:25: Coffee Break

11:25 – 11:50: The Legal Perspective: Climate change’s influence on company boards and their shareholders
Joanne Etherton, Lawyer, ClientEarth
There are significant risks facing companies not effectively assessing and adapting to climate change. Looking through a legal lens, this session will highlight some examples of how climate litigation is already disrupting the ‘business as usual’ approach to investment in some sectors. It will also examine whether investors should be using their assets and engagement strategies to help bring about the necessary changes if our financial economy is to survive the challenges posed by climate change.

11:50 – 12:15: Gold, Climate Change and ESG Principles – Implications for Institutional Investors
John Mulligan, Director, member and Market relations, World Gold Council
John discusses how the gold market has adapted to demands for greater responsibility, transparency and action on a range of sustainability issues. His presentation also considers how recent research on gold’s climate change impacts may have significant implications for investors of scale seeking to better understand portfolio risk in the context of the transition to a low-carbon economy.

12:15 – 12:40: Sustainable Finance models for Charities and how ESG, social investment and PRI can help this
Mark Salway, Director of Sustainable Finance, Centre for Charity Effectiveness, Cass Business School
In this session we will explore charity business models and understand how these are driven from income and expenditure perspectives. Mark will then help consider how ESG, PRI and social investment can help create new business models for the future – and with impact at its heart.

12:40 – 13:05: Sustainability: integrating risks of the future
Belinda Gan, Product Manager, ESG, Schroders
As trustees consider new regulation requiring them to incorporate ESG into their investment principles, recognition of the risks posed by unsustainable business practices continues to grow. How can future sustainability risks be taken into account? How can the social and environmental impact of companies be measured?

13:05 – 14:00: Lunch

14:00 – 14:25: Making a positive impact
Dominic Byrne, Deputy Head of Global Equities, Aberdeen Standard Investments
Is it possible to generate financial returns at the same time as investing to support positive environmental and social outcomes? The presentation will cover how the benefits of impact investing can be measured, both in terms of investment performance, and environmental and / or social impact. Through the use of examples, Dominic will illustrate how the integration of environmental, social and governance considerations into the investment process allows mainstream investment and contribution to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. He will demonstrate how to achieve the double bottom line of strong financial returns and positive impact.

14:25 – 14:50: Pensions for the Next Generation: Communicating What Matters  
Lauren Peacock, Senior Campaigns Officer, ShareAction
It is frequently argued that trying to engage people with pensions is a lost cause. The low engagement levels of today’s workplace pension members certainly tells us that the ways in which the system is currently seeking to engage them is not working. However, it may not be telling us that engagement is a lost cause. The typical pension communications are legalistic and jargon heavy, and they fail to resonate with people emotionally. But evidence suggests people do care about where their money goes. Responsible investment could be the answer.

14:50 – 15:15: The activist tsunami 
Robert Blood, Founder and Managing Director, SIGWATCH
Vocal and well organised activist groups are having an outsize effect on sustainability investment and on investment practice in general. Not only are they trying to drive sustainability criteria into mainstream investing, they are making entire asset classes toxic through intense negative campaigning. To avoid being swamped by the activist tsunami, we need to understand their agendas.

15:15 – 15:40: KEYNOTE SPEAKER
David Rule, Executive Director, Insurance Supervision, Bank of England
David Rule, Executive Director of Insurance Supervision at the Bank of England, will give the regulator’s perspective on sustainability in finance, including the financial impact of climate change. As a financial policymaker, the Bank of England’s focus has been on climate-related risks to the stability of the financial system. This includes the physical risks of climate change and the transition risks associated with the shift to a low-carbon economy. In October 2018, the PRA published a draft supervisory statement for banks and insurers which sets out expectations regarding firms’ approaches to managing the financial risks from climate change. David will discuss some of the key points set out in this consultation for insurers and the PRA’s plans in this area for 2019.

15:40 – 15:45: Chairman's Closing Remarks
Butch Bacani, Programme Leader, UN Environment's Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative

15:45 Onwards: Drinks Reception and Networking