Agenda

Impact Investing: Opportunities and Challenges for institutional investors

25-26 September 2019

Baku, Azerbaijan

Description

Sustainable Investing has grown rapidly over the past 10 years. It increasingly offers institutional investors the opportunity to earn a risk-adjusted, market-rate return on their investments while having a positive social or environmental impact. The conference will cover the discussions of current trends and the future of impact investing, evolving markets and asset classes, strategic implementation of the impact investment themes, the latest measurement and reporting tools and the role of governments in impact investing mainstreaming.

September 25

19:00 – 21:00 – Welcome Cocktail Reception (Fairmont Hotel Baku)

September 26

08:00 – 09:00 – Registration (Hilton Baku Hotel)

09:00 – 09:05 – Welcome Remarks, Mr. Shahmar Movsumov, CEO of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ)

09:05 – 09:20 – Opening Presentation, Mr. Rohit Talwar, CEO, Fast Future

Session 1: Impact Investment Defined

09:20 – 10:30 – The first session is dedicated to the discussion of the core attributions of impact investing and its difference from ESG and SRI. It is essential to understand the forms of value that impact investing creates for investors. The session also includes the update of the current evolving trend, then discussing how this trend is going to shape the future of the impact investing, and the role of major global initiatives and organizations in this process.

• The core characteristics of impact investing
• Difference of impact investing from ESG and SRI
• The value creation role of impact investing for institutional investors
• Current trends, and the potential future scale of impact investing
• The role of major global initiatives and organizations in the development of impact framework

Moderator: Mr. Hans Peter Lankes, Vice President, Economics and Private Sector Development, International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Panelists:

• Mr. Mattia Romani, Managing Director, Economics, Policy and Governance, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
• Ms. Maha Eltobgy, Member of the Executive Committee, Head of the Investors and Infrastructure Industries, The World Economic Forum (WEF)
• Ms. Helga Brigden, Global Business Leader, Responsible Investment, Mercer
• Mr. Patrick Schena, Adjunct Assistant Professor of International Business, The Fletcher School, Tufts University
• Mr. Ian Simm, Founder and CEO, Impax Asset Management Group plc

Session 2: Markets and Products

10:30 – 11:40 – Following the previous one, the second session is aimed at discussing how the current trend of the impact investing is reflected in the financial markets. The session provides awareness about the new market products and their risk-return characteristics that evolved as a consequence of changing environment, and to explain the role of these products on institutional investor profiles. Finally, it is important to understand how managers’ return spectrum is expected to change as a consequence of all these changes.

• Advancements in the current impact market
• Evolution of the asset classes and institutional investor profiles
• Expected change in managers’ return spectrum

Moderator: Mr. Jonathan Bailey, Managing Director, Head of ESG Investing, Neuberger Berman

Panelists:

• Mr. Alan Synnott, Managing Director, Global Head of Research & Product Strategy, BlackRock Real Assets
• Mr. Charles Goodwin, Head of Public Finance and Co-Head of Social Investing, BNY Mellon Capital Markets
• Ms. Miljana Vujosevic, Vice President, Impact Investments, Prudential
• Ms. Megan Starr, Principal, Head of Impact, The Carlyle Group
• Mr. Michael Hoelter, Portfolio Manager, Sustainable Investments, Alternatives, DWS

11:40 – 11:55 – Networking break

Session 3: Strategy integration and implementation

11:55 – 13:05 – This session which mainly focuses on practical aspects, starts by the discussion of the strategic integration and implementation of impact investing by institutional investors. It outlines Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by UN, and discusses how these goals are utilized in defining investment strategies. Furthermore, examples of successful strategies are going to be presented and discussed.

• From sustainable returns to impactful returns
• Utilizing the SDGs to define investment strategies
• Examples of successful strategies

Moderator: Mr. Tom Beagent, Director, PwC United Kingdom

Panelists:

• Mr. Bjoern Geir From, Investment Director, Norwegian Ministry of Finance (currently seconded to the World Bank Treasury as a Senior Financial Officer)
• Mr. Ewald Stephan, Executive Director (CFO), VERKA VK Kirchliche Vorsorge VVaG (German pension fund)
• Mr. Simon Beauroy, Director Strategic Partnership Development, Bpifrance
• Ms. Evelyn Leen , Senior Investment Manager, Ireland Strategic Investment Fund
• Mr. Lucas van Berkestijn, Executive Director, Head of Sustainability Investing Delivery – RobecoSAM AG

Lunch Time: 13:05 – 14:10

Session 4: Measurement and Reporting

14:10 – 15:10 This session is dedicated to the measurement and reporting aspects of the impact investing. More specifically, this session is going to address the complexities and costs related to impact measurement, monitoring and reporting. Current developed monitoring tools and processes will be presented. Later discussion will cover reporting and auditing rules that are needed to assess soundness of the existing strategies and frameworks. Examples of successful investment processes and metrics tracked will be presented and discussed.

• Developed metrics on outcomes
• The complexities and costs of impact measurement and reporting
• Currently utilized impact measurement strategies
• The necessary auditing and reporting rules to create confidence in claims about achieving impact on investment portfolio
• Examples of successful framework and metrics

Moderator:Ms. Yulia Sofronova, Head of Nordic, CEE & CIS, Global Networks & Outreach, UNPRI

Panelists:

• Mr. Christian Rosenholm, Senior Professional (Development Impact), IFC
• Mr. Mika Pyykkö, Project Director, Impact Investing, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra
• Mr. Martijn Oosterwoud, Executive Director, Head of Sustainable Investing Specialists, UBS Asset Management
• Ms. Julie Castiaux, Senior Manager, Deloitte

Session 5: A Sound Policy Framework for Impact Investing

15:10 – 16:10 As a relatively new development financing tool, impact investment needs a sound policy framework to prosper. This session will shed lights on the role of governments in impact investing mainstreaming. Specifically, the session will look into the key policy barriers that impact investors face in developing economies and what governments and international organizations can do to facilitate these investments and magnify their impact on sustainable development.

• What are the key policy challenges faced by impact investing?
• What are the key elements of a sound policy framework for impact investing?
• How can government facilitate impact investment and magnify its development impact?
• What is the role of international cooperation?

Moderator: Mr. Patrick Schena, Adjunct Assistant Professor of International Business, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

Panelists:

• Mr. Laurent Zylberberg, Chairman, the European Long-Term Investors Association (ELTI); Senior Vice President, Caisse des dépôts (CDC), France
• Mr. Vishal Kumar, Assistant Vice President, Invest India
• Mr. Kurt Morriesen, Senior Advisor, UNDP SDG Innovative Finance (UNSIF)
• Mr. Yongfu Ouyang, Chief of Institutional Investment Facilitation, UNCTAD

16:10 – 16:30 – Networking break

Session 6: Investing in a Time of Energy and Climate Transition

16:30 – 17:30– Long-term, non-traditional risks such as climate change pose unique challenges to investors because they combine varied physical, technological, and regulatory impacts. Furthermore, these risks will play out over a multi-decade horizon which is not fully encompassed by most market analyses but is nonetheless financially material to long-horizon investors, including many sovereign and pension funds. Reduction of portfolio carbon exposure is an increasingly popular approach, but are there more impactful steps investors can take to systemically reduce and build global resilience against a broader set of climate risks? This session examines the unique position of long-term investors as impactful leaders against climate change.

• Examine the impact of investor leadership and engagement on climate risk on the global corporate community
• Explore how sovereign structure, governance, and other institutional features shape responses to climate risks
• Share corporate perspectives on how investors can maximize their impact through investment, engagement, and advocacy practices

Moderator:Mr. Adam Robbins, Project Lead, Investor Industries, WEF

Panelists:

• Ms. Fiona Dunsire, Wealth Leader, Growth Markets, Mercer
• Mr. Richard Eckrich, Head of Infrastructure, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority
• Mr. Håvard Halland, Senior Economist, OECD
• Mr. Massimiliano Castelli, Managing Director, Global Head of Strategy, Global Sovereign Markets, UBS
• Representative of SOFAZ

17:30 – 17:40 – Closing remarks

19:00 – 23:00 – Gala Dinner (Han Restaurant Baku)

September 27

10:30 – 15:30 - City Tour

Attendees are invited to the City Tour to discover historical, architectural, cultural and modern faces of Baku.