Sustainability Summit
8 August 2024
Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney
Agenda
09.00-09.10 // Welcome and conference opening
09.10-09.40 // Positioning for increasing ESG regulation
While the growing focus on ESG is positive, evolving regulatory requirements across different jurisdictions – including Australia – are now requiring investment management firms to implement and comply with varying frameworks and guidelines.
This presentation will discuss compliance in the face of an evolving regulatory environment – both overseas and at home – and how firms can anticipate and position to ensure best practice:
- Global ESG trends, taxonomies, standards and maturity.
- The impending regulatory shift for Australia.
- How does Australia measure up to ESG vs the global standards in terms of disclosure and reporting?
- Beyond greenwashing: what’s next in the ESG litigation wave?
09.40-10.30 // Crafting a ‘fit-for-ESG’ operating model
This session will discuss how different asset owners and asset managers are embedding ESG into operating models:
- ESG governance, accountability and risk frameworks.
- Processes and procedures.
- Transformation roadmaps.
- Guarding against ‘competence washing’: building capacity across teams, roles and responsibilities.
10.30-11.00 // Refreshments and networking
11.00-11.45 // ESG data: building on solid foundations
The challenges with respect to ESG data are well known. This panel will discuss how firms are selecting data sets and developing methodologies to inspire confidence in the quality of the data that is used to make investment decisions. It will also consider the tools and systems that allow firms to integrate ESG data and improve the quality of analytics and insights:
- Prioritising and categorising data.
- How does ESG data fit into broader investment data frameworks?
- What level of proxying and estimation is deemed acceptable to fill gaps?
- Managing and matching inconsistencies in data provided by different vendors.
- Tools and technology.
- The rise of the ESG data expert.
11.45-12.30 // What’s under the hood: adequately capturing ESG risks
This session will discuss how different firms identify, track and monitor ESG risk across investment portfolios:
- Defining ESG metrics and materiality.
- Whole-of-portfolio or bottom up analysis?
- The pitfalls of forward-looking estimations.
- Best practice stress-testing and scenario analysis: beyond CPG 229.
- Generic versus customised climate scenarios.
12.30-13.30 // Lunch & networking
13.30-14.15 // Case study: The practicalities of integrating ESG into the investment process
This session will feature a case study of how ESG factors are incorporated into portfolio management. It will consider:
- Investment strategy and convictions.
- Portfolio alignment considerations and the whole-of-fund perspective.
- Incorporating impact, engagement and stewardship.
- Your Future Your Super performance test considerations.
14.15-15.00 // Valuation and performance challenges
There is research suggesting that including ESG in investment decisions will improve returns over the long term, but accurately evidencing the impact – measuring and attributing performance due to ESG related decisions – is easier said than done. This session will discuss the evolution of ESG performance measurement and attribution methods, including decision-based attribution:
- Valuing and pricing ESG risks and returns.
- ESG benchmark selection and tracking error considerations.
- Performance measurement and attribution methods.
- Prospects for ESG decision-based attribution.
15.00-15.30 // Refreshments and networking
15.30-16.15 // Best practice due diligence
This session will discuss best practice ESG due diligence. It will cover key risks to look out for, the depth of analysis required, challenges and possible solutions:
- Look through and third-party risk: how far do you need to go to achieve compliance and manage ESG risks effectively?
- Examining supply chains and corporate structures of assets.
- Ongoing oversight and monitoring of investment managers and direct investments.
- The role for technology in streamlining due diligence.
16.15-17.00 // Reporting in focus
This session will discuss how investment managers are navigating ESG reporting requirements in response to increasing demand by regulators and investors:
- Unpacking the key reporting challenges.
- Incorporating ESG into broader reporting frameworks.
- Outsourced ESG: monitoring the quality of ESG reviews.
- Optimising transparency and stakeholder engagement to reduce the risk of greenwashing.
17.00-18.00 // Networking reception, drinks and canapés