IR Magazine

ESG Integration Forum – Europe
Meeting investor expectations

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

In-person and virtual: etc. venues Monument, London

CHALLENGING ESG

IR, governance, and sustainability professionals share best practices on articulating material ESG issues.

Regulators in Europe continued to develop regulations that impact sustainable finance, ESG reporters, and ESG raters. However, a section of the investment universe was becoming more vocal regarding their opposition to the ESG movement.

At the ESG Integration Forum – Europe 2022, we were joined by sustainability professionals, investor relations officers, and corporate secretaries to examine future investor expectations of company ESG performance and sustainability reporting.

Attendees learned how to adapt your ESG strategy to tackle the challenges of the year ahead.

ESG risks and opportunities are constantly changing and bringing up new challenges. In the last 12 months, we have seen ESG activism, momentum building regarding policy on sustainability, new diversity requirements for public companies and increased focus on net-zero commitments. The ESG integration forum was the only event that brought together the key functions within a public company to tackle the challenges in this rapidly developing space. We believe that businesses don’t operate in silos, and neither should our events!” – Steven Wade, head of event content, Corporate Secretary and IR Magazine.

The format, far removed from a traditional conference, consisted of fast-paced panel discussions, exclusive investor Q&A, face-to-face networking and topical roundtable discussions. Attendees included investors, analysts, IR, governance and sustainability professionals at publicly listed companies from the UK and Europe.

Agenda: 2022

 

Click here to see the full agenda

Timings are subject to change.

  • 09:00 AM
    Registration and networking

  • 09:30 AM
    Welcome to the ESG Integration Forum – Europe

  • 09:40 AM
    Keynote panel: Embedding ESG in your core business strategy

    In this panel our C-suite speakers will help set the scene by providing a top-down perspective on ESG. We’ll discuss how companies can integrate ESG into the highest level of corporate strategy in a way that aligns with long-term investor needs. 

    • Aligning your ESG and equity stories 
    • Ensuring consistent messaging across your organization
    • Interpreting ESG through the lens of financial risk 

    Moderator: Steve Wade, head of event content, IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary
    Derek Harding, CFO, Spectris  

    Richard Lacaille, senior advisor and ESG lead, State Street  

  • 10:10 AM
    ESG in context: Navigating new regulatory and market forces

    Alongside changing shareholder priorities, public companies across Europe are facing a wave of new ESG regulation. In this panel, we’ll bring you up to date on some of the key changes, and how IR and governance teams should prepare. 

    • Understanding the impact of the EU Taxonomy, CSRD and other key initiatives on public companies working in Europe 
    • What sort of ESG proposals gained the most momentum this proxy season, and what does this tell us about the direction of shareholder demands? 
    • How are rising inflation, living costs and fuel prices affecting ESG priorities across Europe? 

    Moderator: Tim Human, senior reporter, IR Magazine
    William Houston, senior investor relations and ESG manager, BAT
    Lili Huang, head of investor relations, discoverIE Group 

     

  • 10:40 AM
    Morning refreshments and networking break

  • 11:00 AM
    Sending the right message: Trends in ESG communicating, reporting and storytelling

    Developing a robust and holistic ESG strategy is crucial, but it is just as important to ensure this strategy is communicated to all stakeholders in an impactful and succinct way. Here our panellists will discuss how best to tell your ESG story effectively and share their own insight when it comes to ESG reporting best practices. 

    • An update on the latest requirements for ESG related disclosures in the short, medium and long term. 
    • Avoiding accusations of greenwashing and ensuring your statements stand up to third-party scrutiny 
    • How are stakeholder expectations with regards to ESG changing, and what are some novel ways of getting your message across? 

    Moderator: Laurence Taylor, senior conference producer, IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary
    Seb Beloe, partner, head of research, WHEB Asset Management
    Charles Chalkly, investor relations & ESG senior manager, Hays
    Tish Crawford-Jones, investor relations, director, Q4 

     

     

  • 11:45 AM
    Overcoming the challenges to ESG data collection

    Collecting robust and reliable data is often cited as one of the biggest challenges when it comes to developing effective ESG targets and measuring progress. In this session, our speakers will share their own approach to ESG data gathering, ranging from scope 1 to scope 3 emissions, and discuss how best to identify which issues are most material to your business.

    • Getting started: defining ESG metrics and identifying issues material to your stakeholders 
    • Preparing for future requirements: collecting carbon emissions data from across your whole supply chain 
    • Implementing processes that help automate data collection 

    Moderator: Tim Human, senior reporter, IR Magazine
    Juliette Faure, VP, sustainability strategist, BlackRock Systematic
    Benedicte Hautefort, co-founder and CEO, Scalens  

  • 12:30 PM
    Lunch

  • 13:30 PM
    Taking a holistic approach to environmentalism: Decarbonization, biodiversity and water use

    When addressing the ‘E’ of ESG, climate is understandably in the spotlight. But investors are increasingly interested in other topics, in particular around nature-related risks and opportunities. In this panel we will look at some of the key concerns shareholders have when it comes to decarbonization, biodiversity and water use, and how public companies can integrate nature into decision making.

    • Responding to increased expectations around climate: how has the conversation around decarbonization progressed? 
    • Acting and reporting on evolving nature-related risks and strengthening supply chain security  
    • Integrating nature into decision making and setting effective nature-based targets  

    Moderator: Laurence Taylor, senior conference producer, IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary
    Roslyn Stein, head of climate and biodiversity, AXA Group 

    Sarah Woodfield, active ownership manager, Schroders 

  • 14:15 PM
    Building a governance structure focused on ESG

    In this panel our speakers will discuss how to effectively oversee and govern ESG processes, including setting organization-wide ESG KPIs, building board leadership on ESG issues and setting up cross-divisional sub-committees.

    • Developing effective oversight as ESG becomes increasingly integrated with finance  
    • Understanding the skills required for effective oversight and setting your board up for success 
    • Discuss key governance threats as we approach proxy season 2023 

    Moderator: Laurence Taylor, senior conference producer, IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary
    Liana Logiurato, NED Intesa Sanpaolo, Board Advisor 

  • 14:45 PM
    What investors want: How are shareholder needs changing with regards to ESG? 

    Our panel of experts will answer any questions you have about how investors are integrating ESG into their investment decisions. Understand their key ESG priorities for 2023. 

    • Preparing for shareholder meetings in 2023: what ESG topics are investors focussing on?  
    • Evaluating the benefits of ESG roadshows and how to execute them well  
    • Understanding how shareholders integrate ESG ratings into their investment decisions  
    • Engagement vs divestment: investor approaches to ESG in a bearish market  

    Moderator: Steve Wade, head of event content, IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary
    Nick Spooner, climate change engagement specialist, Robeco
    Jana Jevcakova, managing director – head of ESG international, Morrow Sodali
    Sara Woodfield, active ownership manager, Schroders

  • 15:30 PM
    Champagne roundtables: Exchange ideas with your peers in sector-specific discussions

    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 
    • When the bell rings, move on to your next table and repeat! 
    • Enjoy a glass of champagne or non-alcoholic beverage 
    • At the end of the session, hear a roundup of lessons learned so you can apply these when you return to the office 

    Roundtable topics include: 

    • Managing the energy transition and measuring progress effectively
    • Getting started with your ESG journey
    • Progressing ESG across the industrial supply chain: navigating geopolitical and commodity price impacts
    • Human capital management in 2023: remote working, wage inflation and the great resignation
    • Protecting customer privacy and mitigating against data security risks

    Steve Wade, head of event content, IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary
    Tim Human, senior reporter, IR Magazine
    Laurence Taylor, senior conference producer, IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary 

     

  • 16:30 PM
    Closing remarks and networking drinks

    Laurence Taylor, senior conference producer, IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary

Speakers

We're adding new speakers every day! To inquire about speaking opportunities, please contact [email protected]


What our attendees say

"What I liked about the event was that you provided so many different perspectives on ESG matters due to the large variety of speakers."

Vonovia

"It was superbly organized and everyone on the IR Magazine team was incredibly helpful, proactive and professional."

Anonymous

"The conference was extremely useful and well organized."

EnPlus

"I have been to a lot of these events and I have found the conversations to be richer and more insightful than many of the bigger panels - probably due to good moderation and good panelists. I was also impressed by how seamless the virtual format was. "

Anonymous

"The diversity of speakers and the quality of the information and the discussion were great"

Hestia Global

"Very well organised with a great range of speakers."

Oxford Brookes University

"An enriching and dynamic virtual conference. One of the best ones I have had the pleasure of attending this year. The panels were driven by brilliant experts and event staff were exceptional at making an all-day event feel like one hour. "

MyLog IQ

"High quality event with a great selection of speakers."

S IMMO

Attendees

Our attendees are leading governance, IR and sustainability practitioners with an established track record and strategic governance or IR role within their company.

Below is a sample of some of our attendees:

Job title Company Job title Company
Associate director, investor relations & communications Liminal BioSciences Head of ESG integration Schroders
CEO Ellinghorst IR Head of investor relations discoverIE Group
CFO Spectris Head of investor relations Mister Spex
Director Instinctif Partners Head of IR TT Eletctronics
Director of capital markets & ESG CRH Head, IR Caverion Corporation
Director of investor relations and sustainability Galata Wind Managing director – legal group Accenture
Director, ESG Micro Focus MD Rothschild & Co
Director, investment stewardship research Morningstar Partner Deloitte
ESG director Zabka Polska Partner, head of research WHEB Asset Management
Financial communication & investor relations vice president Imerys SVP and head of investor relations Iron Mountain
Head of climate and biodiversity AXA Group VP finance Seplat Energy
Head of corporate responsibility Ascential Plc VP IR & ESG Hexagon Composites
Head of environmental transaction services Tetra Tech VP, sustainability strategist Blackrock Systematic

 

Request full attendee list

Become a partner

Why partner with us?

The ESG Integration Forum – Europe brings together some of the most influential people in the IR and governance communities.

The event offers an effective approach to targeting clients when they are exploring how they can improve their ESG practice. Through our unrivalled knowledge of the subject matters and commitment to in-depth agenda research, our events are guaranteed to attract a qualified audience.

The unique buzz we create at our hybrid events – a far cry from a traditional conference – makes them multi-faceted and highly interactive with great engagement in particular from heads of IR and governance teams. This allows our partners to have meaningful conversations with corporates who are deciding which parts of their ESG program to invest in, which service providers to engage and which consultants to retain. By partnering with us on an event, you can generate leads, showcase your thought leadership and position yourselves as the partner of choice to the IR and governance communities.

We’d love to have a chat with you about how you can get in front of a truly engaged and motivated audience. Get in touch with Ross Ingram or call on +44 78265 38072.

Partners

Register your interest

Register your interest for the 2023 forum by filling in the form at the link below. You will be the first to receive important updates about the event and details about how to request an invite.

If you have any questions, please contact Priscilla Lim at [email protected] or call +44 20 8004 4989

 

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If you have any questions, please contact Priscilla Lim at [email protected] or +44 20 8004 4989.

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