NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Impact Investment professionals –interested in mobilizing Capital for Good – gather in New York City on 29/30 May.

TBLI CONFERENCE returns to New York City, connecting speakers and attendees from Credit Suisse, BNP Paribas, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Boston Common Asset Management, MSCI, Madeira Global, Halloran Philanthropies, Thomson Reuters, IFC, Moody’s Financial Services, IEX and Ceres, to name just a few.

TBLI CONFERENCE is dedicated to building a global community of ESG and Impact Investors. Over its seventeen year history, the TBLI CONFERENCE series has earned an international reputation for presenting the latest strategies and innovations in sustainable finance. It brings together global thought leaders and more than 250 asset owners, global investors, advisors, and practitioners for two days of practical learning, discussion, and networking—and discovering new ways to expand their businesses.

Why Climate Change performance matters for investors

Climate change is a worldwide issue and has many implications for businesses and investors. In multiple sessions, speakers from the public and private sectors will give advice and discuss solutions around managing climate change and water risks, and on building resilient urban infrastructure. “We’re convinced that we have to reduce society’s vulnerability to weather related events and we have to decrease the loss burden from the impacts of climate change”, says Mark Wey from SwissRe. Many Mayors and city governments, such as in New York City, have taken the initiative to act on climate change and will join TBLI CONFERENCE USA 2014 to discussion with SwissRe and experts on sustainable urban infrastructure how to finance a resilient New York City, providing a blueprint for other urban areas in coastal regions.

Institutional investors as well as wealthy individuals will be curious to learn from Stuart Braman, CEO and Founder of Fossil Free Index, about how this new initiative sheds light on the carbon performance of companies. Moving beyond the discussion around fossil fuel divesting, Thomas van Dyck from RBC Wealth Management shares advice on reinvesting in climate solutions: “It’s not just about divestment but also about reinvestment”, he states.

ESG Integration. Done! Or not…?

With a reputation for addressing practical questions for investors, TBLI CONFERENCE USA 2014 is the place to assess success stories and challenges in the ESG investment space. Speakers from Sustainalytics and RepRisk will guide asset managers and owners through the current landscape of ESG investing, complemented by the expertise of dedicated ESG investors such as Osmosis Capital and EM Capital Management.

Highlighting trends in ESG fund strategies in fixed income markets, speakers from Moody’s Financial Services, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Global Footprint Network will take the audience on a journey through a variety of investment products such as green bonds, emerging market funds and mutual funds.

Feeding Nine Billion

7,233,093,545 people on the planet – but that was last week. By 2040, the challenge will be to provide nutrition for 9 billion. Cracking the nut on reliable and sustainable food production, the role impact investing plays, and current headaches and success stories will be the topic for Loic de Canniere, from Incofin, specializing in financial inclusion and agriculture finance in emerging markets, Lucian Peppelenbos from the Amsterdam based International Trade Initiative and Bruce Kahn from Sustainable Insight Capital Management.

On the same topic, but focusing on investment opportunities in organic farming in the US, Kevin Egolf presents his case study: “The model of Iroquois Valley Farms is a foundational piece of the puzzle, enabling the growth of autonomous, decentralized, multi-generational organic farm production.”

Aspirations or actuality? What is really happening in the impact investing space

Is Impact Investing going mainstream, what are current best practices in impact investing, and how can impact investments be structured successfully across all asset classes? These and other questions on the minds of Family Offices, Asset Owners and Wealth Managers will be addressed at TBLI CONFERENCE USA 2014 in seven sessions specifically around impact investing:

Blending public and private finance for global access to health care, empowering women entrepreneurs through gender lens investment approaches, philanthropy investing as the new ’giving’ – are just a few themes that will be discussed.

Christina Alfonso from Madeira Global will speak with Credit Suisse, BNP Paribas and TriLinc Global about the risks and realities of values based investing in mainstream finance. “We are certainly seeing impact investing and social enterprise increasing in visibility in the marketplace.” Alfonso says, “and retail investors and global banks are starting to take notice.”