ESG Summit: ESG at the heart of governance

Welcome and introduction

The Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland

Keynote address: where now after COP26?

COP26 brought landmark commitments by governments, financial institutions and standard-setters to leverage the financial sector to support the transition to a net zero economy. This session will explore the FCA’s role in supporting the delivery of these commitments and a successful market-led transition to a more sustainable economy.

Speaker:
Sacha Sadan, Director of ESG, Financial Conduct Authority

ESG: the new governance – Steering ESG changes in the boardroom

Governance professionals are taking the lead on ESG matters, placing them at the heart of the board agenda. This session will explore how governance professionals can be the catalyst in moving ‘conversation’ to action to ensure that ESG is the heart of the company’s culture?

Interview with:
Susan Stenson, CEO, Independent Audit Limited led by Diligent.

Interviewer:
Nathan Birtle, Senior Vice President of Sales, EMEA, Diligent

Breakout Sessions - Raising the standard: reporting on ESG

Option 1
Impact of TCFD for larger entities
From April, the UK will be the first G20 country to make it mandatory for businesses to disclose the climate related risks and opportunities they face, in line with Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations.

We will hear from organisations about how they’ve risen to the challenge – and the response from investors.

Panellists:
Phil Fitz-Gerald, Director, FRC Lab
Matt Timmons, Partner - PwC, Entity Governance and Compliance
Charlotte Thomas, Senior Manager - Legal, Entity Governance and Compliance, PwC

Option 2
Small is beautiful - unlocking the benefits of embracing ESG
The race towards ESG compliance is often characterised as one for large, listed businesses, their investors and stakeholders. But what about other organisations? In this session, we reflect upon what financial, reputational and other benefits stand to derive from embracing ESG, and how best to unlock them.

Speaker:
Lorence Nye, Head of Policy, Quoted Companies Alliance

Networking break

ESG ratings cutting through the greenwash and the growth of ESG funds

ESG and stakeholder engagement – activism

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) has become a focal point of stakeholder scrutiny and are holding businesses to account for their environmental and social impacts. Join our panel of experts who will discuss the risks associated when stakeholders start holding organisations accountable as well as some analysis on the emerging ‘Say on Climate´matter where some institions want listed companies to put a shareholder advisory vote at each AGM.

Speaker:
Deborah Gilshan, Independent Advisor, Investment Stewardship & ESG Founder, The 100% Club
Natasha O’Connor, Senior Director of Research, Product and Process (EMEA & LatAm) Glass Lewis
Florian Sommer, Vice President - Corporate Governance and ESG, MSCI Inc.

The right person for the job

As ESG has risen to the top of many an organisational agenda, so demand has grown for expertise to help inform boards as to what they should be doing, and support their efforts in getting there. That expertise, though, is still often thin on the ground. We look at what boards can do to fill the gap.

Speaker:
Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO, Beyond Governance

“S” is for “social”

The public narrative around ESG is often framed as one of how organisations respond to the problem of climate change. But that “S” in “ESG” stands for “social” – which covers a lot of different challenges and opportunities. This session will highlight two opportunities for achieving the “S” in “ESG”. During this session, Dr Christine Chow will talk about HSBC Asset Management’s white paper “Future of Work: Investors’ expectations of Ethical AI in Human Capital Management (launch 7th April 2022) and Adrian Smith will discuss the newly expanded Dormant Assets Scheme, enabling investment and wealth managers, investment and pensions firms and corporations to use dormant assets to benefit social and community initiatives.

Speaker:
Dr Christine Chow, Head of Stewardship, HSBC Asset Management
Adrian Smith OBE, Chief Executive, Reclaim Fund Ltd

Networking break

How can effective governance contribute to the global drive to transition to net zero?

Governance professionals and Company Secretaries need to prepare for how the consequences of the climate crisis might affect their role and the organisations they work for. How can effective governance contribute to the global drive to transition to net zero? This session will help you consider how you ensure the governance over your organisation’s programme is appropriate and transparent.

Speaker:
Carolyn Clarke, Founder, Brave Consultancy

Workshop: the fantastic five of ESG

In every activity there are the “musts”, the things you absolutely must do if you’re going to make an impact. In this interactive workshop we try to identify what we call our “fantastic five”, five key takeaways that organisations of any stripe and size can put into practice today.

Speakers:
Matt Timmons, Partner - PwC, Entity Governance and Compliance
Charlotte Thomas, Senior Manager - Legal, Entity Governance and Compliance, PwC

End of Conference