Program

JUNE 28-29, 2022 | NEW YORK, AT PIER SIXTY

ALL TIMES ARE IN (EST). PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

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Tuesday, June 28th, 2022

8:30am to 9:30am

Registration, Breakfast & Expo

Break

Lobby/Olympic/Terrace

9:30am to 9:40am

Welcome to GreenFin

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

9:40am to 10:00am

What Is an ESG Score for?

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

Accurate and reliable ESG ratings are key for sustainable investing to allocate capital toward long-term value creation and impact. But the credibility of third-party raters has taken a hit due to their disparate methodologies and information sources. Moreover, there is ample confusion in the market about what ESG ratings actually measure and mean. What will it take to create consistent, credible, and reliable ratings that allow the ESG space not just to grow, but to deliver?

10:00am to 10:20am

In Conversation With Wellington Vice Chair & Head of Sustainable Investment Wendy Cromwell

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

Wellington Management believes that through stewardship, ESG integration and informed, active ownership they can improve investment outcomes for their clients. Wendy Cromwell serves as head of sustainable investment, setting the research agenda and strategies for the firm’s sustainable investment practice, and as vice chair, where she is a senior member of the firm’s management team. Come hear what the $1.4 trillion dollar asset manager is doing to uncover market inefficiencies via sustainable management in conversation with Mindy Lubber, president and CEO of leading sustainable investor network Ceres.

10:20am to 10:40am

Corporations and Economic Justice: Beyond Pledges, Toward Progress

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

Since the murder of George Floyd in 2020, corporations have begun to wake up to the importance of demonstrating their commitment to the key social issues of economic and racial justice, like supporting opportunities for Black homeownership, Black entrepreneurship and Black education. Learn how leadership companies are staying true to their pledges, making substantive progress in uplifting underserved communities and how organizations like CEO Action for Racial Equity are working to identify, develop and promote scalable corporate best practices to address systemic racism and social injustice.

10:40am to 10:45am

Introducing the GreenFin 22 Emerging Leaders

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

The Emerging Leaders program aims to elevate, cultivate and support the next generation of leaders representing Black and Indigenous communities, as well as other people of color, who are driving the transition to a sustainable financial system. The program creates a pathway into the sustainable finance and investing industry for students and early-career professionals who face barriers to entry in the field, and wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend GreenFin 22.

10:45am to 11:05am

Can the ISSB Actually Fix ESG Standards?

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

The ESG investing space has been mired in the alphabet soup of standards used to convey information on sustainability performance. A wide range of stakeholders are asking for coherency and consistency in sustainability reporting at the scale needed to successfully give credibility to the fast-growing ESG investing marketplace.

The International Sustainability Standards Board was established in 2021 to develop a global baseline of sustainability disclosures. The group hit the ground running in 2022 with the launch of a consultation on its first two proposed standards. What is the ISSB’s vision for delivering a comprehensive set of standards that can accelerate corporate sustainability, and where are we now?

11:05am to 11:30am

A Discussion With the Experts: TCFD, SEC and GFANZ

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

The sustainability space is more active and dynamic than ever. Key regulators across the world are beginning to home in on climate disclosure, including three proposals from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which seek to bring transparency and credibility to ESG investments. Coalitions like the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) are uniting the financial sector to push for a net zero reality in the real economy, and frameworks like the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) are serving a critical function in getting financial markets to provide the clear, comprehensive and high-quality information needed to achieve net zero.

For all the activity in this space, there is commensurate noise. This panel will dig into what is really at stake behind these rapid developments, with a group of experts who have deep experience behind the scenes.

11:30am to 12:00pm

Networking Break & Expo

Networking

Olympic/Terrace

12:00pm to 1:15pm

Green Building and ESG, What You Need to Know

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

The market-based green building movement is transforming global real estate, creating thousands of certified assets that are more efficient, less polluting and healthier for their occupants. This track record has earned the green building movement top billing in the rapidly evolving world of ESG and sustainable finance. Certified green buildings are a central part of ESG strategy for many companies using rating systems such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED to achieve their environmental performance goals, while providing superior workplaces and positively engaging communities and supply chains. Green buildings are specified for use by approximately one-third of green, sustainable and climate bonds. Explore this pivotal moment in the evolution of the industry and new opportunities to leverage green building as part of a comprehensive ESG and sustainable finance strategy. Gain insight into efforts to transform the world’s largest asset class.

This roundtable is sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

From Soup to Consommé — How the Sustainability Disclosure Landscape Is Simplifying

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

For years, companies and investors have sought simplification of the sustainability disclosure landscape. The International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) exposure draft standards –– published just four months after the IFRS Foundation established the ISSB in response to market calls for simplification –– are a significant step in delivering a global baseline of sustainability disclosure for investors. Come learn about how the ISSB is building on the work of SASB, The International Integrated Reporting Framework, CDSB, TCFD and others. And, most importantly, how you can get involved.

Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Web3: The Future of Trust and Transparency in Sustainable Finance

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

Web3 technologies have enormous potential to help the world meet its climate goals. These technologies bring trust and transparency into sustainable finance, eliminate the epidemic of “greenwashing,” enable improvement projects to progress more quickly and reduce unnecessary complexities that block progress in the ESG space. Web3 technologies can also play a crucial role in fulfilling mandatory reporting requirements, especially as disclosure regulations are becoming more stringent and defined. Join us for a roundtable discussion with DevvESG executive Mike DiPetrillo. He will provide timely, real-world examples of how Web3 can improve sustainable finance by increasing the visibility of underlying data, helping to unlock the “traditional” offset and project registration process so that it’s integrated seamlessly into real-world financial markets, and de-risking capital investment into emerging green projects and technologies.

This roundtable is sponsored by Devv.io. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rule: What’s Next, and What Does It Mean for Your Organization?

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reviewed comments they received up until May 21, 2022, to inform the next steps in their proposed climate disclosure. Ceres, the leading sustainable investor network, will relay what it has heard about what comes next and how it will impact your work. In this open discussion, you are invited to share your comments and questions on different elements of disclosure: Scopes 1, 2 and 3, Greenhouse Gas Protocols, TCFD, and more.

Carbon Accounting: Tackling the Scope 3 Challenge

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

Numerous studies show that an organization’s Scope 3 emissions can make up a majority of its overall emissions footprint. Everyone is someone else’s Scope 3, and we’re all struggling to get a handle on that impact. Even the U.S. government is assessing its own Scope 3 risks by publicly listing its top 100 suppliers by spend and documenting whether or not these suppliers are taking any action. How can we all help to accelerate the measurement, management and disclosure of Scopes 1, 2 and 3? Join this roundtable conversation with Mike Wallace, senior vice president of strategic market engagement at Persefoni.

This roundtable is sponsored by Persefoni. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Environmental Disclosure for Public Authorities: Scaling Up CDP’s New Initiative

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

Public authorities – airports, seaports, transit authorities, housing authorities, water and power utilities and government-owned enterprises – run critical systems used by millions of people each day, but most have yet to disclose their environmental impact, risks, and actions. CDP is launching a new initiative to engage public authorities in environmental disclosure. How can we reach the 20,000+ public authorities in the U.S. and Canada through disclosure at the pace required by climate science?

ESG 2.0: Delivering For Shareholders Too! New Opportunities to Differentiate on “S”

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

ESG is under attack and getting lambasted by some as “woke capitalism.” Impact measurement is fluffy in its current form and valid criticism is mounting, pushing companies to make a false tradeoff between purpose or profit. But, the real tradeoff is between the short term and the long term. Long-term oriented companies deliver higher returns on all shareholder dimensions and stakeholder interests align over the long term. It’s all about execution: identifying a corporate societal purpose, embedding it in strategy, and anchoring it in the few ESG dimensions that are most relevant.

While little high ground remains on the E of ESG, new ways to differentiate are emerging on the S. We will discuss the public’s views and expectations of corporations today –– their role in society, what social issues are currently being prioritized, and how companies are actually handling them well. Come to this Roundtable lunch to join two seasoned experts for an interactive discussion on how improved execution in these areas helps you succeed!

Staying Ahead of New ESG Rules: A Practical Roadmap Toward 2025 and Beyond

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

By 2025, businesses will have experienced some big changes in the ESG regulatory landscape. It starts with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate-related disclosure requirements and will move quickly to human capital. But it won’t stop there. The first deadlines are a year away, but the decisions and actions companies make in the next six months will set the foundations for success. Ensuring organizations are focused on the most relevant ESG issues for them, and have time to track progress, will be critical to their success.
In this session, delegates will learn what standard setters such as the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board consider best practice to identify goals, set a strategy and begin deploying tactics that integrate ESG into business strategy early to gain a competitive advantage. The session will reveal how, in a real-time world, continually monitoring changes in ESG issues and risks can be achieved using technology — reducing the impact on resources, while enhancing the data that informs business decisions ahead of the deadlines.

This roundtable is sponsored by Datamaran. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

From Requirement to Action: Solving the Complexities of ESG Data

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

Compliance reporting is here to stay, and it's growing. How can we solve the challenges of ESG reporting? Join Schneider Electric for a conversation about the importance of capturing data and best practices that your organization can implement today to prepare for the growing demands and complexities. The worldwide regulatory compliance for corporations to disclose their environmental, social and governance (ESG) footprint is skyrocketing, as governments across the globe are taking serious action to transform their economies. Meanwhile, ESG assets are on track to exceed $50 trillion by 2025 –– more than a third of all global assets under management. Investor pressure to report on ESG performance is not letting up. With these mandates comes challenges but also many opportunities. Join us for lunch, and walk away with our newly released Guide to Corporate ESG Reporting so you can begin taking action today.

This roundtable is sponsored by Schneider Electric. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Getting Granular on Greenwash

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

ESG is an umbrella term in the investment industry that is, as practiced in its current form, more art than science. Importantly, it has become clear that using ESG data or marketing a fund, index or portfolio as “ESG aligned” does not necessarily mean the underlying investments are sustainable. During this roundtable, we will review the origins of sustainable investing –– with a focus on its evolution within the data market –– and the misuse of Milton Friedman’s theories about stakeholder capitalism. We will also explore current tension points around what is, or is not, greenwash, like Tesla’s ineligibility for a space in the S&P 500 ESG index, HSBC Asset Management’s Stuart Kirk’s candor on climate risk and the role of guns, gas and other controversial investments in a sustainable portfolio.

Upcoming Changes in Sustainable Investing and Why They Are Critical for the Economy

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

Venture capital will play a critical role in underwriting the next wave of businesses globally. For a startup, VC funds infuse not just capital but also provide indispensable guidance on how to build a truly scalable business. Incorporating ESG practices early on will help build sustainable businesses that will prove commercially viable while creating a lasting impact. We will explore what responsible investing means within the VC remit and how we should look to introduce ESG factors for this asset class.

On ESG Education: How Is Sustainability (Not) in the Curriculum?

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

It is imperative that investors, finance practitioners and university graduates understand the sustainability theme and the climate meta-trend. A new generation of teaching and learning is evolving to help those working in investment and finance to meet the need for upgraded skills, new frameworks and testing theories in practice. How is teaching on finance, investment and sustainability meeting the need? And what is needed to develop the necessary skills faster, better and sooner?

How Can Investor Relations Build Effective Partnerships With ESG and Sustainability Teams?

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

Questions on ESG from investors have been increasing in frequency, volume and complexity. Many Investor Relations (IR) teams are struggling to keep up with the rising expectations and are having a hard time efficiently coordinating with internal teams to support disclosure requests and investor calls. What are the current leading practices that IR and other finance teams should consider when building an effective program, disclosure strategy and investor events? What are some key learnings on how to build the right internal relationships and processes across the finance function and other internal teams to enable success?

ESG or "Woke Capitalism?” How Responsible Investors Can Navigate Toxic Polarization

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

Catastrophic climate change is a systemic crisis. But so too are social media, political dysfunction and growing anxiety that are all driving us further into intractable camps that can’t communicate. Polarization appears particularly stark in the United States, but the inclination to frame complex issues in binary terms is global. We are “experiencing a catastrophic loss of diversity that threatens the resilience not only of democracy, but also of society,” and research shows that C-suites are sorting into political camps.

What should businesses and investors be doing to counter toxic polarization and misunderstandings? Join a roundtable discussion with Alison Taylor, executive director at Ethical Systems, advisor to BSR and adjunct professor at NYU Stern School of Business, to explore.

How ESG Creates Stronger, More Resilient Companies

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

The private sector has an important role to play in confronting climate change and other challenges, particularly in discovering and supporting new investment opportunities. For example, over the last few years the organizations working to tackle climate change have broadened from primarily governments and CSOs to now include corporations and investors of all types. Companies and investors are also increasingly focused on DEI. How do firms such as Blackstone create value for their investors through ESG practices?

Aligning ESG With Public Policy: Meeting Expectations, Maximizing Efforts

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

Public policy critically affects the ability of investors to generate long-term, sustainable returns and create enduring value.

In the 2022 proxy season, nearly 100 shareholder resolutions are related to corporate and political influence. While investors demand transparency, some companies may be underutilizing this powerful tool to achieve social goals. This roundtable discussion with Independence Point Advisors will cover investor expectations, how corporations are reacting to shareholder engagement on matters of public policy, and share frameworks for thoughtfully connecting ESG with public policy.

The Economic Potential of Advanced Recycling

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

As industries continue to shift away from fossil fuels and toward sustainability, many consumer packaged goods companies have pledged to sell goods that have less impact on the environment. As a result, the demand for circular plastics is rapidly increasing, but capacity announcements are not yet on pace with demand growth. Advanced recycling technologies offer one potential solution. Advanced recycling can expand the types of plastics that are recyclable and produce plastics that are suited for high-value applications, such as medical and food packaging. Join a roundtable discussion about the economic and environmental potential of advanced recycling and how these technologies fit into a larger roadmap to build a circular economy for plastics.

Lunch, Roundtables & Expo

Lunch

Olympic/Terrace

*Please note that Round Table lunches will be held separately in Majestic/Oceanic

How Do Stock Exchanges Drive Sustainable Finance?

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

Stock exchanges are uniquely positioned at the nexus of investors, companies, and regulators. As such, they are well suited –– and motivated –– to spur sustainable finance forward. But how do they account for and balance the needs of these three key stakeholders while operating as a profitable institution themselves? And how do they continue to operate the transparent, equitable, and accessible capital markets?

Net-Zero Ambitions and Near-Term Target Setting in the Financial Services Industry

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

Nearly 500 banks, insurers and asset managers globally have pledged to net-zero emissions across their investments by 2050. This roundtable session will gather sustainability executives and other relevant stakeholders for a candid, thoughtful and informal discussion about the challenges and realities for financial services firms setting –– and achieving –– near-term emissions reduction targets that limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and that are consistent with the 2050 target set by the Paris Agreement.

This roundtable is sponsored by Manulife Financial. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Why Philanthropy Is No Longer Enough to Address Global Water Challenges

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

For years, we’ve relied on philanthropy to fund projects to address global water challenges. But faced with the enormity of the problem, a growing cohort of corporations has come to realize that philanthropy alone will not enable us to reach our goals. We need to maximize our collective impact and embrace a bolder, more purposeful approach. So, how do we get there? One way is by investing in water equity impact funds. Like traditional investment funds, water equity funds enable companies to invest capital and earn interest income. But unlike traditional funds, water equity funds support a great cause: microfinancing of water-related projects for vulnerable communities. Plus, they amplify collective impact in a way that philanthropy alone cannot. Interested in learning more? Join our roundtable discussion to learn how businesses can work together to drive meaningful collective action toward a water positive future.

This roundtable is sponsored by Ecolab. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Navigating the Organizational Challenges of ESG Integration

Round Table Lunch

Majestic

The journey to ESG integration in business operations, roles and responsibilities is never a straightforward path. ESG has started from many different organizational units, but the challenge now becomes how does a company completely integrate ESG into the culture, mindset and practices? With the increasing demands from key stakeholders including investors, clients/customers, regulators and employees for authenticity and transparency into a company’s commitment to ESG, the infrastructure and resources to support this transformation can be both daunting and rewarding. This roundtable discussion will allow participants to share how their organization has approached this challenge; and how they are evolving their ESG integration to meet these demands as well as uncover new opportunities. Join a roundtable discussion with Kim Paris, senior vice president of ESG programs at Bank of America, to hear BofA’s journey and engage with other company leaders.

This roundtable is sponsored by Bank of America. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

1:15pm to 1:30pm

Transition

Break

Olympic/Terrace

1:30pm to 2:30pm

The Climate Report of Tomorrow

Breakout

Majestic

What should a global financial institution's 2030 sustainability report say? What actions must financial institutions have taken (and reported on) between today and 2029 to put them on a path to achieving their 2050 net-zero goals? This panel of sustainable finance practitioners will map the history of the future, discussing what sustainability reports will need to look like. The session will explore what activities firms should report and highlight best practices in the market today. Panelists will also outline the challenges they currently face in reporting, as well as cases where sustainability reporting exercises have influenced corporate strategy.

Building Bonds Better

Breakout

Oceanic

Companies and countries around the world are increasingly issuing sustainable debt to fund solutions to pressing environmental issues. Standardizing reporting from issuers will help investors to identify the best actors, and progress is underway globally on this front. As with so many themes in the sustainable finance space, increased adoption of sustainable debt instruments is a success, but only if we can clearly define our terms and draw appropriate boundaries. How can we ensure that the ESG principles that underpin green debt remain credible and effective so the sustainable finance space can not just grow, but stick?

The Secret Life of ESG Ratings

Breakout

Aquitania East

For all the hue and cry about ESG company ratings, there isn’t much known about how they’re compiled and used — and what they even mean. If ESG ratings are primarily designed to help investors assess risk, how are they different from conventional company ratings? Join GreenBiz Chairman and Co-founder Joel Makower and a panel of investors and analysts for a look under the hood of the ESG rating machine.

How Financial Institutions Can Align With the Paris Agreement

Breakout

Aquitania West

To avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, investment and lending must fund and finance a resilient, prosperous and dignified zero-carbon future. The Science Based Targets initiative, the leading organization enabling the private sector to set emissions reduction targets grounded in climate science, has developed a framework for financial institutions to align their lending and investment activities with the Paris Agreement. You'll hear from one of the architects of that framework, as well as two private-sector professionals with deep expertise in emissions measurement and target-setting.

2:30pm to 3:00pm

Networking Break & Expo

Networking

Olympic/Terrace

3:00pm to 4:00pm

Counting Carbon and the Credibility of "Green" Capital

Breakout

Oceanic

With the meteoric rise in net-zero commitments and “green” capital raises by corporations and financial institutions, investors and consumers are wondering if these statements are credible. Do “green” labels actually accelerate the flow of capital to companies and projects seeking to improve our climate future? This session will examine why specific “green” financial products and labels are ineffective and why counting carbon levels the playing field for investors and consumers alike.

The Future of Finance: Digital, Green and Decentralized

Breakout

Aquitania East

The impact of blockchain and decentralized finance on the banking, investor and corporate communities will be transformative –– and it’s not some distant concept. The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) system will begin its three-year migration to blockchain in November. Many central bankers are advocating for blockchain-based climate risk disclosure to better ensure transparency and validity of data and move toward closer-to-real-time information for decision making, and the emergence of central bank digital currencies across the world is quickly accelerating. What does the unfolding of decentralized finance mean for financial institutions, investors and companies? And what about government and central bank initiatives on digital assets and currencies? This session will provide examples of projects utilizing crypto-based technology to improve ESG impact.

ESG Expertise: Raising the Bar for Boards

Breakout

Aquitania West

Firms are assessed by customers, civil society, policy-makers and employees –– present and prospective alike –– on their credible intentions and actions to shift their business model toward sustainability. Research has demonstrated that the overwhelming majority of corporate boards, especially in the United States, do not possess the necessary acumen to address financially material ESG issues. The growth of ESG has left many corporate boards unprepared. What are the skillsets and governance structures boards need to successfully navigate the new terrain?

4:00pm to 6:00pm

Opening Networking Reception

Networking

Olympic/Terrace

Wednesday, June 29th, 2022

8:00am to 9:00am

Breakfast & Expo

Break

Olympic/Terrace

9:00am to 10:00am

Investor-Grade ESG Data as Market Medicine

Breakout

Oceanic

As sustainability disclosure standards evolve, so must the reliability of ESG data to meet the high degree of rigor and integrity demanded by investors. Companies are rapidly retooling their governance, controls and assurance processes to accommodate the injection of ESG data into every level of the corporation from risk oversight and M&A decisions at the board level to contracts up and down the value chain. This session will look at how companies are reducing reporting siloes and bringing financial rigor to data. Investors will learn what to look for in sustainability governance at portfolio companies as well as the different levels and flavors of assurance.

Integrating Sustainability Within the Finance Function

Breakout

Aquitania East

The finance function plays an essential, and frequently underappreciated, role in delivering a company’s sustainability strategy. Specifically, the finance team is uniquely positioned to integrate environmental and social factors within business decision-making and to provide the information needed for management, investors and other stakeholders. This session will explore how sustainability is being embedded within organizations by finance teams and provide illustrative examples of finance-led sustainability integration.

Water: A Rising Tide on the Corporate Agenda

Breakout

Aquitania West

The global water crisis is both an economic and humanitarian crisis — an unmitigated risk to global supply chains, profits and the well-being of communities and populations around the world. Through the U.N. Global Compact, CEO Water Mandate and the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC), a growing cohort of corporations recognize that philanthropy alone won’t suffice to solve the global water crisis. They see themselves as playing an increasingly material role in the innovation, collaboration and delivery of investment capital needed to solve the escalating crisis. Leading voices tackle the increased role corporate water investments have in driving meaningful collective action toward a water-positive future.

Greenwashing and Greenwishing in the Decisive Decade

Breakout

Majestic

The recent flood of capital into ESG, climate and sustainability investment funds is worth celebrating. But with that flood has come increased concern about the opportunities for greenwashing across the climate finance sector. The regulatory environment for ESG investing is changing quickly across jurisdictions. What are firms doing to avoid greenwash and instead get their firms and funds on track to deliver and demonstrate sustainable outcomes in the real economy?

10:00am to 10:30am

Networking Break & Expo

Networking

Olympic/Terrace

10:30am to 10:40am

Acting Now on Net Zero: A Conversation With Mark Carney

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

Transitioning the global economy to net-zero emissions may be the most Herculean task modern society has faced. To sustain a healthy society, strong economy and dignified life on earth, there is no other viable option.

Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England now serving as the United Nations’ Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, is leading the net-zero transition from the frontlines. In partnership with the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign, Carney launched The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) to unite net-zero financial sector-specific alliances with assets totaling $130 trillion at their disposal.

Join the conversation, hosted by Watershed co-founder Taylor Francis, to hear from Carney about the financial sector’s progress on the path to net zero. With just eight years to 2030, Carney will address the biggest obstacles to achieving net zero and how we can surmount them.

10:40am to 11:00am

Navigating the Climate Transition in Finance: A Conversation with Sarah Bloom Raskin

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

Climate change is not a future state but rather our current reality. Economic risks posed by climate change will only increase, but measuring and mitigating the economic costs of a changing climate is a work in progress.

Sarah Bloom Raskin served as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury during the Obama administration and sat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors prior to that. Bloom Raskin, currently a law professor at Duke University, has invaluable and unique experience in making the case to account for climate risk in the core of our financial system. Join this conversation to hear what she has learned from a decade of continuous public service, and where we are now in the climate transition.

11:00am to 11:20am

The Just Energy Transition: A Framework for Company Action

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

The energy transition is an economic, political and existential imperative. But it can't be done without recognizing and acting on the ethical imperative to develop and grow wealth for nations and communities left behind in modern development. Global business has a major role in realizing the transition to a clean economy, justly. This session will cover how the Just Transition Framework can be used to support company action on the energy transition that accounts for justice, not just gigawatts.

11:20am to 11:40am

Visible Leadership on the Path to Net Zero

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

What kinds of companies are investors like Carbon Direct, which makes direct investments into leading carbon removal and utilization firms, and Bank of America, one of the largest green debt financiers in the United States, focusing their attention on? Hear some examples of what Bank of America is doing on the ground in this space and insights into the real economy transition from within the Global Financial Alliance for Net Zero and the Net Zero Asset Owners Alliance financial institutions’ transition plans.

11:40am to 12:00pm

In Conversation with State Street CEO Ron O’Hanley

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

State Street, among the world’s largest asset managers and custodian banks, is working to utilize its scale and reach to do its part in transitioning the capital markets to support the clean economy transition. Learn about what the firm is prioritizing and acting on in this pivotal year for ESG and sustainable finance, with Ron O’Hanley, State Street CEO, in conversation with GreenBiz Editorial Director Heather Clancy.

12:00pm to 12:20pm

Public Benefit Corporations: The Corporate Form for a Sustainable Future

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

Delaware Public Benefit Corporations (PBCs), as distinct from Certified B Corps or Benefit Corps, have moved from the “impact” shadows to mainstream capital markets. There are now 19 publicly traded PBCs and hundreds of rapidly growing private companies that have employed this form. A confluence of factors has contributed to their popularity, including investors with a focus on benefiting broader stakeholders in addition to shareholders and increasing profitability.

But how do boards and management teams balance their fiduciary duties to shareholders with their defined public benefit and consideration of stakeholders? Will the PBC ultimately be used to accelerate energy transition and a move to net zero, particularly for more traditional industries? And, will PBCs successfully withstand increased investor scrutiny in the shifting capital markets and retain their valuations?

12:20pm to 12:30pm

Data and AI in the Age of Radical Transparency

Keynote

Majestic/Oceanic

If we’re going to make global capital markets responsive to social, ecological, and climate concerns, we’re going to need vast amounts of high-resolution, real-time, and high-quality data. Fortunately, we’re in the middle of a sensor revolution wherein new streams of real-time data from the ground, air and space are making changes on Earth more transparent than ever. New generations of satellites monitor every crop, forest, and city –– everywhere and every day –– to provide unprecedented transparency into daily operations of companies and governments globally.

In this keynote, we will take a tour of how these new data feeds will reshape our understanding of ESG risks and opportunities and the behavior of markets around the world.

12:30pm to 1:45pm

Lunch & Expo

Lunch

Olympic/Terrace

1:45pm to 2:00pm

Transition

Break

Olympic/Terrace

2:00pm to 3:00pm

ESG, Meet SEC: What You Need to Know

Breakout

Majestic

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with Chair Gary Gensler at the helm, has been unequivocal in its intention to bring transparency and credibility to ESG investments in the U.S. There are now three significant proposals in play: ”The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors,” “ESG Disclosures for Investment Advisers,” and “Investment Companies and Amendments to the
Fund Names Rule” to include funds indicating that investment decisions incorporate one or more ESG factors.

There is now little doubt that the SEC means business in its aim to crack down on how ESG funds are compiled and marketed. How are companies and investors going to be able to adopt the new disclosure requirements into existing frameworks? And what needs to be done to meet new climate disclosure requirements?

Value Chain Live: Following the Money From Ambition to Impact, and Back

Breakout

Aquitania East

Private Markets: Capital Arbitrage or Climate Progress?

Breakout

Oceanic

An existential climate crisis, a war in Europe and a global pandemic can cause even the most seasoned private equity investor to rethink ‘business as usual.’ Done well, private equity has played a crucial role in modernizing economies and helping companies to restructure efficiently away from the short-termist glare of public markets, and has kept capitalism focused and efficient.

Despite a record year, the $5.3 trillion private equity industry is under pressure to use its influence for impact. PE’s largest investors, institutional investors, are questioning PE’s traditional focus on returns to the exclusion of almost everything else as risky and out of touch. But is it? And what does that mean? Private equity has never been about ‘doing good,’ but it has been very effective at changing capitalism. Can it do it again?

3:00pm to 3:15pm

Transition

Break

Olympic/Terrace

3:15pm to 4:15pm

Investing in Gender and Climate: Why, Why Now and How

Breakout

Aquitania West

Investing with a gender and climate lens is simply smart investing. The approach promises to amplify impacts and returns by uncovering new investment opportunities, mitigating risk and improving decision-making. It's also an important lever for achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and U.N. Sustainable Development Goals by 2050. Women today are disproportionately impacted by many elements of climate change and suffer from a lack of gender equality. But women’s leadership, employment and consumption are also vital for delivering environmental sustainability and resilience. Across sectors, in both developed and emerging markets, this session will explore what we can learn from pioneers in this space to help investors hit the ground running and understand how to bring this approach into the financial mainstream.

ESG: The Evolving Role of the Auditor

Breakout

Aquitania East

What is the current state of the ESG assurance landscape? What is the role of the auditor now and how will it change over the next few years? Public company auditors have an important role to play in the assurance landscape. Just like the audits of public company financial statements, third-party assurance from a public company audit firm enhances the reliability of ESG information presented by companies to investors and other stakeholders.

How Banks Should Engage Clients on Energy Transition

Breakout

Oceanic

Many large banks are setting net-zero commitments and 2030 targets to support them, but it is unclear how these targets will be achieved. Business imperatives and the risk of leakage makes a divestment approach problematic, so the best alternative is for banks to engage with their clients and help them transition to low-carbon business models. But, the tools to do this are different from what banks have used in the past. There are a variety of approaches including providing advice or resources, changing pricing structures, developing new products such as transition bonds or limiting capital availability for certain companies or projects. While the largest banks have begun to formulate strategies in this area, most banks are still struggling to do so, and this session will help them focus their efforts on best practice approaches.

Investor Relations and the Next Wave of Sustainability Integration

Breakout

Majestic

The cross-functional role played by investor relations (IR) officers is enabling them to understand what’s going on with corporate ESG strategy and to use their platforms to communicate externally with the investment community. Increasingly, IR will be tasked with strategic narrative design: framing how a company’s impact on society is in fact a form of material intangible value for investors to consider as part of research and valuation processes. Learn more from IR excellence –– teams that are highlighting the alignment between business success and a broader purpose. In this session, sustainability professionals can learn how to best partner with IR and how to articulate their work as driving societal and shareholder value.

4:15pm to 4:30pm

Transition

Break

Olympic/Terrace

4:30pm to 5:30pm

Getting Ready for Nature-Related Financial Disclosures

Breakout

Aquitania East

More than half of the world’s economic output is moderately or highly dependent on nature. How can we manage the associated business risks and opportunities?

The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is an essential tool for addressing this question. For the past two years, science, finance and business stakeholders at TNFD have drafted a risk management and disclosure framework to shift global financial flows toward nature-positive outcomes. Once operational, the framework will allow financial institutions and companies to incorporate nature-related risks and opportunities into their strategic planning, risk management and asset allocation decisions.

How will this new initiative impact your organization? What do you need to do to get ready? Get a behind-the-scenes look at TNFD and learn from companies and financial institutions currently piloting its draft framework.

Finance as a Key Driver in Supply Chain Progress

Breakout

Majestic

Modern supply chains are complex, as the past two years have reaffirmed. Banks play a critical role in providing financial solutions that can drive progress in reducing a company’s Scope 3 supply chain footprint. How exactly does a sustainable supply chain finance program work to drive progress? And what role can a bank play in working with its clients to make these programs most effective?

This session will explore how leading companies are working with banks to address improvements in their supply chain, when it comes to both environmental and social impacts. The panelists will also address how to develop strong internal stakeholder relationships between the sustainability function, finance and procurement, and how to create shared goals across those functions that can help advance a company’s ESG commitment.

The ESG Talent War

Breakout

Oceanic

The skills required by a successful ESG leader at a financial institution are an emerging mix of climate and DEI knowledge, investment savvy and consultation capabilities. And depending on whether the hiring company is an investor, fund, public company or private company, the expectations can be even more specific. Combine the increasing need for ESG leadership with The Great Resignation trend, and you have the perfect ingredients for a serious talent war. This session will provide hands-on insight into what it takes to find, hire and retain qualified candidates in 2022.

Aligning Retirement Funds With ESG Goals

Breakout

Aquitania West

Higher education institutions, foundations and nonprofits are taking great strides to reduce their climate impact and foster inclusive environments on campus. But, a “blind spot” still exists between an organization’s impact goals and their retirement investments. It’s also a blind spot for many employees who are unaware of how and where their retirement assets are invested.

Many retirement funds invest in companies with poor track records on the environment, diversity and racial justice. Failure to offer ESG investment options is not only a significant risk to these institutions and their beneficiaries, but is an opportunity for the asset management and investment advisory communities. How are groups like the Intentional Endowments Network (IEN) working to catalyze the more than $1 trillion in 403(b) in assets to support the transition to a clean and just economy?

5:30pm to 7:00pm

Networking Reception

Networking

Olympic/Terrace