How ESG priorities are changing?

As the momentum behind ESG continues to grow, so too does the challenge of keeping up to date with growing regulatory and market demands.

This year, in the context of global market volatility and continued supply chain disruption, companies in Europe need to respond to these demands in a way that also meets the short and medium term financial needs of their business.

The ESG Integration Forum – Autumn 2023 is designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge to ensure you’re ready to meet investors’ expectations and make ESG central to your business strategy.

Agenda

08:00 AM
Registration, breakfast and morning networking

08:50 AM
Welcome to the ESG Integration Forum – Autumn

09:00 AM
What 2024 has in store: ESG trends to prepare for
Our opening session takes a birds-eye view of the constantly evolving world of ESG, inviting our expert speakers to share their predictions for the year ahead. This session will situate the context for the forum and prepare delegates for a deeper dive into the current ESG landscape throughout the day.

• Reflect on the key ESG takeaways of 2023 including supply chain challenges, increased shareholder scrutiny, the impact of ESRS adoption and the future of AI integration
• Hear about the wider regulatory landscape, how it’s set to evolve over the coming year and how it will alter your disclosure requirements
• Learn where investor sentiment currently stands on ESG and which issues shareholders really want to know more about

David Alfrey, lawyer, Clifford Chance
Peter Munro, head of investor relations & sustainable finance division, EIB
Jan Sohlmann, senior management ESG investor engagement, Bayer

09:45 AM
ESG Compliance: Balancing priorities in a dynamic regulatory environment
The European Commission released its much-anticipated ESRS guidance in July and with the UK Sustainability Disclosure Standards and France’s Say on Climate Law, companies face a complex task when it comes to sustainability reporting and data collection. This panel will offer a high-level approach to understanding the myriad differing and converging regulatory standards that exist for public companies across Europe and how to navigate them. Join this session for an update on the latest changes and take a fresh look at how your IR team is balancing different compliance priorities

• Learn how to remain focused and consistent on your specific ESG narrative amid multiple varying frameworks
• Get to grips with what data your company needs to be collecting, synthesizing and sharing with stakeholders
• Learn how to navigate varying regulations such as ESRS, UK Sustainability Disclosure Standards and France’s Say on Climate Law

10:15 AM
Morning refreshments and networking break

10:45 AM
Crafting your ESG comms: How to decide on, distill and deliver your message
With sustainability reports growing exponentially, the question of what ESG information to share with stakeholders is a pressing one. This panel will discuss how to prioritize the right messaging and how to craft it into a simplified, yet persuasive narrative

• Learn how to select the most relevant and material ESG information for your stakeholders
• Discover which tools can help you distill your ESG information into a concise, clear, and consistent message
• Discuss when and how to deliver your ESG message to different stakeholder groups
• Learn how to measure and improve the effectiveness and impact of your ESG communications and how to address feedback and challenges

Angela Catlin, head of investor relations, The Co-Operative Bank
Anders Wall, group chief financial officer and head of ESG, GreenMobility

11:30 AM
Roundtables: Exchange ideas with your peers
How the roundtables work:

• Choose any of the following topics –the power is in your hands!
• Join the relevant roundtable and discuss with your peers
• At the end of the session, hear a quick roundup from each table on what was discussed

Topics:

• How do you manage ESG data within your supply chain?
• How do you communicate ESG to retail investors?
• How do you balance Environmental, Social and Governance factors in your reporting?
• How do you master your materiality assessment?

12:15 PM
Lunch

13:15 PM
Activism 101: How to spot the warning signs and prepare a robust response
With shareholders taking action on climate and making news headlines around the world, companies must recognize that ESG activism is not going away. In this session we will discuss how to spot the warning signs of a shareholder activist threat and how to respond effectively.

• Learn how to identify and assess the warning signs of shareholder activism
• Discover which factors could be making your company vulnerable to ESG activism
• Discuss how to prepare a vigorous response to ESG activism and how to keep your board and stakeholders appropriately informed

Roger Leese, partner, Clifford Chance

14:00 PM
Ratings agencies and reporting frameworks: Understanding the Venn diagram of disclosure requirements
In this session, we will return to the regulatory changes of 2023 and consider how your company should approach reporting and disclosures within this ever-evolving landscape.

• Learn how to align your ESG metrics and indicators with the most relevant and influential ESG reporting frameworks and rating agencies
• Discover how to engage with these reporting standards to improve your ESG ratings and rankings
• Discuss how to communicate your ESG value proposition to your stakeholders through effective reporting and disclosure
• Hear how to benchmark your ESG performance within these frameworks against peers

Punam Mehta, assistant general counsel, Mercer

14:45 PM
AI and ESG: Game-changing opportunity or risk?
With constant developments in the capabilities of artificial intelligence, businesses globally are considering how and when to adopt AI-powered strategies into their IR programs. In this session, we will look at how to make this transition effective while safe-guarding against the ethical and legal risks inherent to this new technological frontier.

• Learn how AI can enhance your ESG strategy and performance, and how to adopt AI-powered solutions for your IR program, such as data analysis, reporting, engagement, and communication.
• Discover which AI applications and tools are most suitable and beneficial for your ESG goals and challenges, and how to evaluate and select them based on their features, functions and costs.
• Discuss when and how to use AI ethically and responsibly for your ESG activities, and how to safeguard against the potential risks and pitfalls of AI, such as bias, privacy, security, transparency, and accountability

Alex Tselentis, partner, Finex

15:30 PM
Investor Q&A: How to hit the right notes
In an increasingly crowded market, this session will examine how you can get the attention of investors by making the most of your ESG story. It will also take an in-depth look at which aspects of ESG investors are most concerned and compelled by.

• Hear how to craft and communicate your ESG story to investors, and how to highlight your specific strengths, opportunities, and differentiators.
• Discover which aspects of ESG investors are most motivated by and how to align your ESG metrics with their expectations and preferences.
• Find out directly from the buy-side what are the green and red flags surrounding ESG strategy and comms

16:15 PM
End of conference and networking drinks