Welcome...
Stewardship has become synonymous with sustainability. The stewardship reports of asset managers and owners underline their commitment to long-term value to end-beneficiaries and positive impact on society and environment. Its principles and objectives are well understood, but the practice of investment stewardship is constantly evolving, shaped by priorities, regulations and relationships.
As collaborative initiatives are used more widely to engage with major companies – and increasingly governments – trusted relationships between asset owners and managers are at the heart of effective stewardship.
And it is this partnership that will be centre stage in ESG Investor’s inaugural Stewardship Summit, as its programme explores the ways investors can work better together to deliver sustainable returns for beneficiaries and positive outcomes for economy, society and environment.
Since launch, ESG Investor has provided asset owners with in-depth news coverage and expert opinion on the development of investment stewardship and, with the Stewardship Summit, now brings those insight industry voices together in a single must-attend forum.
Sponsors
Supporting Organisations
Agenda - 10 May 2023
13:00
Event Open
Networking and Refreshments
13:30 – 13:35
Chair’s Welcome
Chris Hall, Editorial Director & Co-founder, ESG Investor
13:35 – 13:50
Opening Keynote: Whole Economy Transition – Why we Must Pull all the Levers
Active stewardship by institutional investors has a critical role to play in channelling finance to support the construction of a more sustainable economy. David Carlin, Head of Climate Risk at the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, sets stewardship in context of the broader efforts by the finance sector and policymakers to put climate and other systemic risks at the heart of business and investment decisions.
David Carlin, Head of Climate Risk, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative
13:50 – 14:05
Opening Regulatory Keynote: Finance for Positive Sustainable Change
Mark Manning will outline the UK regulator’s position on the current and future stewardship responsibilities of asset owners and managers, within the context of an evolving regulatory environment and risk landscape, and with reference to the FCA’s recent discussion paper, ‘Finance for Positive Sustainable Change’.
Mark Manning, Strategic Policy Advisor, Sustainable Finance, Financial Conduct Authority
14:05 – 14:55
Opening Panel: Partners in Stewardship
This panel will discuss the role of stewardship in supporting asset owners’ sustainable investment priorities and objectives, highlighting the growing importance of collaboration with peers and asset managers. Topics include:
• Role of stewardship in manager selection, oversight
• Practicalities of exercising ownership rights, including resourcing
• Escalated engagement: voting and transparency
• Measuring effectiveness and apportioning responsibility
Speakers:
Jacqueline Jackson, Head of Responsible Investment, London CIV
Emmet McNamee, Head of Stewardship, Principles for Responsible Investment
Paul Lee, Head of Stewardship and Sustainable Investment Strategy, Redington
Annabel Clark, Programme Manager, IIGCC
Moderated by:
Chris Hall, Editorial Director & Co-founder, ESG Investor
14:55 – 15:20
Fireside Chat: Stewardship Case Study from Leading Asset Owner
Valeria Piani, Head of Stewardship, Phoenix Group, will share her experiences on setting up a stewardship programme, engaging with investee companies, and collaborating with asset managers and other asset owners on climate and related themes.
Speaker:
Valeria Piani, Head of Stewardship, Phoenix Group
Hosted by:
Aaran Fronda, Editor, ESG Investor
15:20 – 15:45
Networking Break
15:45 – 16:35
Panel: Climate and Beyond
Net zero targets and portfolio decarbonisation have been the test bed for collaborative engagement, with encouraging but mixed results. This panel will consider the lessons to be learned as investors broaden their focus to integrate nature-related risks more thoroughly into their investment strategies. Key themes will include:
• Stewardship in the era of portfolio decarbonisation
• The future of collaborative engagement
• Post-GBF: Factoring in nature-related risks
• Role of policy advocacy and ‘systemic’ stewardship
Speakers:
Chandra Gopinathan, Senior Investment Manager, Sustainable Ownership, Railpen
Sofía Condés, Head of Investor Outreach, FAIRR Initiative
Patrick Peura, ESG Engagement Manager, Allianz, and Co-lead, Engagement Track, UN Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance
Leon Kamhi, Head of Responsibility and EOS, Federated Hermes Limited
Vibeka Mair, Senior Reporter, ESG Investor
16:35 – 17:25
Panel: Stewardship and the Social Agenda
2023 will see a significant rise in shareholder scrutiny of investee company policies across social themes, but concerns remain about how to effect change on human and workers’ rights via stewardship and engagement tools. This panel will consider themes including:
• Say on pay: Investor engagement on pay gaps
• Use of data and benchmarks to understand and address workplace risks
• Workers’ and human rights along the supply chain and in high-risk zones
• Balancing responsibilities to multiple stakeholders in a just transition and cost-of-living crisis
Speakers:
Nikki Gwilliam-Beeharee, Investor Engagement Strategic Lead, World Benchmarking Alliance
Charlotte Lush, Senior Research Manager, Workforce Disclosure Initiative, ShareAction
Will Martindale, Co-head of Sustainability at Cardano and Head of Sustainability at NOW: Pensions
Lindsey Stewart, Director of Investment Stewardship Research, Morningstar
Moderated by:
Emmy Hawker, Reporter, ESG Investor
17:25 – 17:50
Closing fireside chat: Impact & Lessons – FRC’s Stewardship Code
David Styles will discuss the impact of and lessons to date following the 2020 update to the FRC’s Stewardship Code and future plans to evolve the code in order to further encourage best practice, improve standards among investors and investees, and create a ‘market for stewardship’.
Speaker:
David Styles, Director of Corporate Governance and Stewardship, Financial Reporting Council
Hosted by:
Chris Hall, Editorial Director & Co-founder, ESG Investor
17:50 – 17:55
Closing Remarks
Chris Hall, Editorial Director & Co-founder, ESG Investor
17:55 – 19:00
Cocktail Reception
Hosted in the exhibition hall
Keynote Speakers
Speakers
Tickets
Asset Owners, Regulators & Not-for-profit
If you are a recognised as one of the above or believe you are categorised as a financial institution that manages deposits, please register. All registrations are vetted before confirmation.
Asset Managers & Service Providers
If you would like access to this event, please get in touch with the sponsorship team to discuss limited available opportunities: Ben Fitch – ben@esginvestor.net
£495 +VAT
Venue
etc venues St. Paul’s
200 Aldersgate
London
EC1A 4HD
Contact us
Sponsorship
Ben Fitch
Sales Director
ben@esginvestor.net
Event Programme
Chris Hall
Editorial Director
chris@esginvestor.net
Operations & Logistics
Mia Wong
Operations Manager
mia@esginvestor.net