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Finance & Sustainability

Dialogue: Finance and Sustainability

Wednesday, March 12, 1:30 - 3:00

From hedge funds to bankers to pension funds, the financial community is increasingly incorporating ESG factors into their decision making processes. What is important to these financial managers; how do they make their decisions; how are company activities in the sustainable space perceived by the institutions that manage the world's wealth? As climate change continues to drive regulatory and operational change, how will these financial institutions react and what will they demand from the regulatory and industrial sectors?

Paul Clements-Hunt, Head, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland (Moderator)
Thomas Van Dyck, Senior Vice President, Financial Consultant, RBC Wealth Management - SRI Wealth Management Group, San Francisco, CA, USA
David Russell, Co-Head of Responsible Investment, Universities Superannuation Scheme, London, United Kingdom
John S. Quealy, Managing Director, Equity Research; Global Sector Head, Sustainability; Canaccord Capital Corporation, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Craig Basinger, CEO, Kyoto Planet Asset Management, Toronto, ON, Canada

Financial Institutions: Mainstreaming Sustainability into the Decision Making Process

Thursday, March 13, 8:30 - 10:00

Increasingly, financial institutions are applying sustainability criteria to their financing, insurance and investment decisions. How are these institutions assessing, and more importantly managing, environmental and social risks in their business relationships? How are they changing the way they operate and make business decisions with respect to emerging environmental and social risks such as climate change and what are the potential impacts on their business relationships with clients?

Sandra Odendahl, Director, Corporate Environmental Affairs, RBC Financial Group, Toronto, ON, Canada (Moderator)
Greg Radford, Chief Environmental Advisor, Export Development Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Dennis Deters, Senior Vice-President, Member and Corporate Relations and Planning, The Co-operators, Guelph, ON, Canada
Alistair Clark, Corporate Director, Environment and Sustainability, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, London, United Kingdom
Mike Wallace, Vice President, North American Operations, Truscot Plc, South Pasadena, CA, USA

Sustainability and Investment: Demonstrating Material Links

Wednesday, March 12, 3:30 - 5:00

More and more data is available on the linkages between financial and environmental performance. This session highlighted and discussed case studies which showed these linkages in corporations.

Matthew Kiernan, Chief Executive, Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, Inc., Richmond Hill, ON, Canada (Moderator and remarks)
Lisa Hayles, Senior Client Relationship Manager, Ethical Investment Research Services (EIRIS), London, United Kingdom
Michael Jantzi, President, Jantzi Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
Peter Ohnemus, CEO & President, ASSET4, Zug, Switzerland
Hugo Steensma, Managing Director, Sustainable Asset Management USA Inc., Sonoma, CA, USA

Clean Technology Venture Funding

Thursday, March 13, 3:30 - 5:00

The numbers are going up, up, up! Venture capitalists pumped $2.9 billion into clean technologies in 2006. With clean technology becoming mainstream, clean tech ventures have become an attractive area for investors. Market insiders offered where they see opportunities today and in the future.

Wal Van Lierop, President & CEO, Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital, Vancouver, BC, Canada (Moderator)
Whitney Rockley, Principal of New Energy and Clean Technology Ventures, Nomura, London, United Kingdom
John Balbach, Managing Partner, Cleantech Group LLC, Toronto, ON, Canada
Vicky Sharpe, President & CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Marc van den Berg, Venture Partner, Vantagepoint Venture Partners, San Bruno, CA, USA
Matt Horton, Principal, @Ventures, Palo Alto, CA, USA

Shareholder Activism

Friday, March 14, 8:30 - 10:00

Developed in partnership with the Social Investment Organization.

There is a rising tide of institutional investor activism in Canada and abroad. Shareholders are petitioning investors for greater attention to governance and sustainability issues. This session explored how institutional investors are responding to shareholder demands, as well as the potential for activism to affect overall investment value.

Andrika Boshyk, Assistant Director, Social Investment Organization (Welcoming remarks)
James Gifford, Executive Director, Principles for Responsible Investment, London, United Kingdom (Moderator)
Doug Pearce, CEO, Chief Investment Officer, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation; Chairman, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance, Victoria, BC, Canada
Robert Walker, Vice President of Sustainability, The Ethical Funds Company, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Colin Melvin, CEO, Hermes Equity Ownership Services Ltd., London, United Kingdom
Brigid Barnett, Manager, Responsible Investing, Canadian Pension Plan, Ottawa, ON, Canada