Building momentum for a Just Transition in Canada
RI Canada brings together leading banks, pension funds, insurers and financial regulators to pave the way to a sustainable, net-zero economy.
Join your peers to explore what strides are being taken by Canadian institutions on a range of emerging ESG innovations, investment opportunities and showcase best in class strategies.
Hear from senior industry participants and discuss topics including; climate and decarbonisation strategies, mitigating the transition risk for real assets, digesting disclosure and regulatory developments for reporting, the rise of social performance in ESG efforts and the application of the Just Transition concept to ensure the pivot to a more sustainable economy is inclusive, equitable and fair.
What can you expect at the forum?
Open discussion on the latest ESG strategies
The conference will showcase leading sustainability and ESG strategies by Canada’s companies and institutions. Join sessions on the route to decarbonisation, mitigating the transition risk for existing assets and portfolios, the progress to a standardised set of ESG measurements, the rising of social performance in ESG efforts, and many more.
Build a valuable network
Connect with stakeholders in all aspects of the ESG debate from banks, pension funds, insurers, NGOs, think tanks, and financial regulators. Build lasting relationships and compare best practices with your peers at workshops, networking breaks, evening drinks reception, roundtable discussions and invite-only breakfasts.
Connect with Canadian asset owners and allocators
Hear from asset owners who are looking to increase their exposure to sustainable investments and financial products. Past investors included AIMCO, Aon, BCI, BHP Foundation, CDPQ, CalPERS, Canada Post Corporation Pension Plan, CPPIB, European Investment Bank, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan, Manulife, OTPP, PSP, and many more.
Key event themes
- Get in-depth insight on leading climate strategies. Discover how Canada’s leading financial companies are implementing decarbonisation plans and operationalising net zero commitments.
- Stay on top of disclosure and regulatory developments. Digest what progress is being made to a standardised set of ESG measurements as well as developments with leading initiatives such as Canada’s transition taxonomy, ISSB and TNFD.
- Address transition risks. Understand leading efforts to quantify, manage and mitigate climate and transition risks for Real Assets and portfolios.
- Discover investment opportunities for a sustainable economy. Get an overview of opportunities in natural capital, climate and tech, rare metal mining and impact funds.
- Get to grips with the ‘S’ in your ESG strategy. Learn what ‘good’ social performance looks like, address human rights in your company’s sphere of influence and understand how to apply the Just Transition concept.
Connect with responsible investment investors
Our leading advisory board in 2022
Anne-Marie Gagnon Manager
ESG – Public Markets
British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI)
Rachel Horwat
Senior Manager, Sustainability
Ivanhoé Cambridge
Karen Lockridge
Director, ESG Investing
Canada Post Corporation Pension Plan
Alison Schneider
Vice President Responsible Investment
Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCO)
Lindsey Walton
Head of Canada
UN PRI
Sarah Takaki
Head of Sustainable Investing
Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
View the 2022 agenda
Download the preliminary agenda
For more information on the agenda, please contact Charles Gould.
charles.g@peimedia.com | +44 (0)203 879 3893
View agenda page
Agenda
RI Canada 2022 - Tuesday 18th
RI Canada 2022 - Day 1
08:00 - 08:50
Registration
Plenary
08:50 - 09:00
Welcome remarks from Responsible Investor
09:00 - 09:45
The initiatives that are moving the needle for sustainability in Canada
Kevin Thomas
- Sustainable Finance Action Council: integrating sustainable finance into standard industry practices
- The Net-Zero Advisory Body: identifying pathways to help Canada achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
- Climate Engagement Canada: finance leaders driving Canada’s transition to net zero
- Update on other initiatives
09:45 - 10:30
Can ESG investing in its current guise change the world?
Tariq Fancy
- Defining stakeholder capitalism for the 21st Century
- Can we trust corporations to act in our best long-term interests even when it reduces profits for shareholders?
- Are ESG professionals doing enough to drive fundamental change?
- How should Canada’s banking institutions work with polluting companies?
10:30 - 11:10
Coffee & networking
Plenary
11:10 - 11:30
Keynote interview: Driving sustainable finance, the role of the ISSB in Canada Senior representative, IFRS
11:30 - 12:15
Engagement, divestment and beyond: How should Canada’s investors & financial institutions engage with its natural resource companies?
- What is investor sentiment in engaging with extractive companies?
- What is the landscape of investment opportunities in climate tech and sustinable energy?
- How are investors deploying capital in climate solution?
- Is divestment about exiting oil and gas or reducing carbon risk?
- How are investors working with corporates on ESG plans?
12:15 - 13:00
Progress to ESG disclosure standardisation
Samantha Hill,
Hyewon Kong,
Katharine Preston,
Pamela Steer
- How have disclosure initiatives such as the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) progressed?
- Will we ever reach a precise ‘financial reporting’ standard on sustainability?
- How far along is progress to harmonising ESG measurement methodologies?
- What frameworks are leading companies using to demonstrate their ESG risk and performance?
- How will ESG data methodology develop in the next 5 years as the practice matures & where is innovation still required?
Hyewon Kong
Vice President, Head of Responsible Investing, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO)
Read bio
13:00 - 14:30
Lunch
Stream A: Tackling Climate Change
14:30 - 15:10
Overview of leading climate and decarbonisation strategies
Richard Brooks,
Vincent Felteau,
Alison Loat
- What policies are leading institutions implementing as part of their decarbonisation plans?
- What are the most common challenges and headaches faced in implementing a net zero strategy?
- How is progress towards net zero being incentivised?
- How are companies with a net zero commitment going about operationalising this aspiration?
- What role should carbon offsets have as part of a net zero investment strategy?
15:10 - 15:20
Short break
15:20 - 16:00
Quantifying and managing climate risk to real assets
Tomas Dauden,
Rachel Horwat
- How mature is climate risk management as a practice across the financial sector?
- How is climate risk being integrated into investment decision-making?
- How are different financial institutions measuring climate risk to their business, operations and assets?
- What steps can be taken to mitigate negative climate-related impacts to asset valuations?
16:00 - 16:15
Short break
16:15 - 17:00
Climate transition scenario analysis
- Update on the work of Bank of Canada and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OFSI)
- Capturing climate risks to the economy and financial system
- Considering other risks including physical risk and interaction between physical and transition risks
Stream B: Investment Opportunities
14:30 - 15:10
Opportunities and risks in transition critical minerals
- Outlining the scale of the opportunity in Canada
- What are the main ESG challenges and risks associated with rare metal mining?
- What is the forecasted demand of rare metals across different sectors?
- How sustainable are rare metal supply chains at present?
15:10 - 15:20
Short break
15:20 - 16:00
Investment and financing opportunities for climate tech
David Isaac,
Dan Wicklum
- What are the best examples of climate transition investments in Canada?
- Which technologies are game-changing in the clean economy transition?
- To what extent will institutional investors need to take on VC-type risk to gain exposure to support emerging climate technologies?
- How mature are hydrogen and carbon capture and storage businesses?
16:00 - 16:15
Short break
16:15 - 17:00
Natural capital investment opportunities
- What types of investments can be natural capital assets in Canada?
- What is the return/risk profile of natural capital assets, and how scalable are these strategies?
- To what extent should carbon credits be a part of a net zero portfolio claim?
- To what extent should forestry and other organic carbon capture investments be a part of climate strategy?
17:00 - 18:00
Cocktail Reception
Agenda
RI Canada 2022 - Wednesday 19th
RI Canada 2022 - Day 2
08:00 - 09:15
Asset-owners breakfast
Stream A
09:15 - 10:00
Developing social performance within an ESG strategy
- How mature are metrics and measurement when it comes to social issues?
- How to assess social performance and turn it into alpha?
- What frameworks are different financial institutions using to gauge their social risk?
10:00 - 10:15
Short break
10:15 - 11:00
How are investors and regulators increasingly looking at human rights?
- What policies and practices are leading organisations implementing to protect human rights within their sphere of business influence?
- What can be learnt from efforts to address human right issues in corporate supply chains?
- How can financial institutions get a handle on their exposure to human rights abuses such as child and forced labor, and modern-day slavery?
Stream B
09:15 - 10:00
Utilising data to enhance investment strategy
Sean Cleary
- Comparing ESG data for public and private companies
- How to avoid drowning in ESG data
- How are investor requests changing?
- How can investors make the most of new sources of information: satellite data, artificial intelligence, big data?
- To what extent is ESG data a source of alpha?
10:00 - 10:15
Short break
10:15 - 11:00
How should pension plans engage with their members on ESG?
Adam Scott
- To what extent should beneficiaries have a voice on sustainable investments?
- How and at what stage should beneficiaries be involved
- What is holding back the democratization of sustainable investment strategy?
- Comparing Canada to Europe and the rest of the world on this
- To what extend is beneficiary activism a growing trend and a concern for pension plans?
11:00 - 11:30
Break
Stream A
11:30 - 12:15
Including Indigenous Peoples in a just transition
Mark Prystupa,
Joseph Bastien
- What does a just transition mean for indigenous communities in Canada?
- Co-investment opportunities with indigenous communities
- What will be the consequences of the adoption of Bill C-15?
12:15 - 13:00
Social impact in Canadian real estate
- How can social considerations be leveraged for value creation in real estate?
- What are the best examples of different housing impact investments such as affordable housing, supported housing and highly adapted housing?
- What are the revenue models supporting sustainable housing projects and how viable are they?
- What opportunities exist for collaboration with indigenous peoples in ownership and development of real estate projects?
Stream B
11:30 - 12:15
The rise of sustainability-linked financing solutions
Anne-Marie Gagnon,
Matt Price
- Are Canadian banks creating credible ESG incentives to their borrowers?
- What are some of the more innovative models being applied in the market by Canadian institutions?
- To what extent are sustainability finance solutions able to move the needle on SDG achievement?
- What is the role of ‘catalytic’ subsidised capital in blended financing structures for nascent technologies?
12:15 - 13:00
Pushing sustainability in public companies: governance, lobbying and voting strategies
Catherine Simard,
Catherine McCall,
Lesley Marks
- How are leading public equities investors going about driving sustainability in their portfolios?
- To what extent are we seeing credible incentives on ESG performance being tied to executive pay in?
- How are investors influencing public companies through their voting strategy?
13:00 - 14:00
Lunch
Plenary
14:00 - 14:45
Canadian investors’ take on impact investment market
- How are Canadian institutional investors viewing the proliferation of impact funds around the world?
- What is the appetite of Canadian investors to allocate to impact funds?
- What are the main concerns of institutional investors when assessing whether to invest into impact?
- What are the best examples of impact funds and how are they deploying capital in Canada?
- How are investors considering the potential conflict of interest with returns-first investment mandates?
14:45 - 15:30
Cutting through the froth: how well is Canada addressing diversity and inclusion within its institutions?
Susan Golyak,
Teresa Palandra,
Lindsey Walton
- How much progress has been made by corporate Canada in all forms of diversity?
- To what extent are investors pressuring companies? Have they got their own house in order?
- Comparing Canada to other parts of the world
15:30 - 16:00
Roundtable Discussions/Practical workshops
- Integrating biodiversity into financial decision making
- Practical steps to getting to net-zero
- How ESG practitioners can influence senior management
16:00 - 16:00
End of conference
Pre-Event Resources
Sponsorship opportunities in 2022
For more information on available sponsorship opportunities please fill in the enquiry form or contact the Sponsorships team.
Claire Porter | claire@responsible-investor.com | +44 (0)7939 097539
Tyler Mitchell | tyler.m@peimedia.com | +1 (0)6467 953279
Network at Canada's leading responsible investment event
Build lasting relationships and compare best practices with your peers.
The in-person networking experience
Meet Canada’s sustainability leaders
Network with active asset owners, banks, insurers in the industry. Benefit from also our expansive and multistakeholder community who will be in attendance throughout the conference.
Network in-person (finally!) in Toronto
Connect with your peers at interactive workshops, networking breaks, evening drinks reception, roundtable discussions and invite-only breakfasts.
Build new connections
Our past attendees included AIMCO, Aon, BCI, BHP Foundation, CDPQ, CalPERS, Canada Post Corporation Pension Plan, CIBC Asset Management, CPPIB, Credit Suisse, European Investment Bank, Future Fund, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Manulife, OTPP, PSP.
Connect with active investors
View the speakers
For more information on speaking in 2022, please contact Charles Gould.
Charles Gould | charles.g@peiemedia.com | +44 (0) 203 879 3893
Joseph Bastien
Project Manager, Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Initiative, SHARE
Joseph is Anishinaabe (Ojibway) from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, and has over 15 years of experience working with Indigenous communities and organizations across Canada and internationally. He has also advised municipal, provincial, federal, and… Read full bio
Richard Brooks
Climate Finance Director, Stand Earth
Richard Brooks is the Climate Finance Director at Stand.earth where he heads a team working to reform the financial sector with a particular focus on banks and pension funds. Stand.earth coordinates the Climate Safe Pensions Network and manages the G… Read full bio
Sean Cleary
Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Finance
Dr. Sean Cleary is a Professor of Finance at Smith School of Business, Queen's University. He is the Chair of the Institute for Sustainable Finance based at Smith, as well as the founder and Academic Director of the Master of Finance program. He is a… Read full bio
Tomas Dauden
Principal - Responsible Investing, OTPP
Tomas leads the ESG integration in the Infrastructure and Private Capital portfolios at the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, working closely with investment teams to due diligence and monitor ESG factors in our investments. He also leads direct engage… Read full bio
Tariq Fancy
Founder & CEO, The Rumie Initative
Tariq Fancy previously served as the Chief Investment Officer for Sustainable Investing at BlackRock in 2018 and 2019, where he was responsible for integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations across the investment activities… Read full bio
Vincent Felteau
Senior Director, Responsible Investment, Private Markets, PSP Investments
Vincent Felteau is Senior Director, Responsible Investment, Private Markets at PSP Investments. In this role, Vincent leads a team of professionals responsible for the integration of ESG factors into PSP Investments' private market investment activit… Read full bio
Anne-Marie Gagnon
Manager, ESG - Public Markets, BCI
Anne-Marie is a risk management, responsible investing professional and emerging markets specialist with 15 years’ experience in the financial services industry. She joined BCI in 2013. Situated in the Public Markets department, she reports to the Se… Read full bio
Susan Golyak
Senior Manager, BCI
A responsible investing professional with 20 years’ experience in the institutional investment industry, Susan joined the public markets team at BCI in 2016. BCI’s public markets program manages a global portfolio of fixed income and public equity in… Read full bio
Amy Hepburn
CEO, Investor Leadership Network (ILN)
Amy Hepburn is the CEO of the Investor Leadership Network, a 2018 G7-born group of 14 asset managers and asset owners with over $10 trillion assets under management who are committed to sustainability and long-term growth. Amy is a recognized impact… Read full bio
Samantha Hill
Managing Director, Sustainable Investing, CPPIB
Samantha Hill is a senior member of CPP Investments’ Sustainable Investing team, where she oversees activities to consider material environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters in engagements with public companies, primarily on climate change,… Read full bio
David Isaac
President, W Dusk Energy Group
David Isaac, also known as Wugadusk (Northern Lights) by his traditional name, is a Mi’kmaq originally from Listuguj, Quebec but was raised in Vancouver within the traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples. He has been a long-time advocate fo… Read full bio
Hyewon Kong
Vice President, Head of Responsible Investing, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO)
Hyewon Kong is a vice president and Head of Responsible Investing at the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO), which manages over $70bn of Ontario public-sector pension funds, where she leads environmental, social and governance (ESG)… Read full bio
Alison Loat
Managing Director, Sustainable Investing and Innovation, OPTrust
Alison Loat is the Managing Director, Sustainable Investing and Innovation at OPTrust where she leads OPTrust's responsible investment program, its total fund climate change strategy, and oversees an investment portfolio focused at the intersection o… Read full bio
Karen Lockridge
Director, ESG Investing, Canada Post Corporation Pension Plan
Karen Lockridge is the Director, ESG Investing at Canada Post Corporation Pension Plan, which is one of Canada’s largest single employer-sponsored pension plans, with nearly $30 billion in assets under management. Karen is responsible for developing… Read full bio
Catherine McCall
Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG)
Catherine McCall is the Executive Director of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance, a not-for-profit organization representing Canada’s leading institutional investors. As Executive Director, Catherine is responsible, together with the Board of… Read full bio
Teresa Palandra
Senior Partner, Canada Wealth Business Leader, Mercer Canada
Teresa Palandra is a Senior Partner and the leader of Mercer Canada’s Wealth Business. Teresa is responsible for Mercer’s delivery of investment consulting, open architecture manager-of-managers investment management, private wealth management, and r… Read full bio
Mark Podlasly
Director of Economic Policy and Initiatives, First Nation Major Projects Coalition
Mark Podlasly (Nlaka’pamux Nation, Cook’s Ferry Band) is the Director of Economic Policy at the First Nations Major Projects Coalition. He has over 25 years of experience in the development of capital projects connected to energy, natural resources,… Read full bio
Katharine Preston
Vice President, Sustainable Investing, OMERS
Katharine Preston joined OMERS in August, 2019 as Vice President, Sustainable Investing. In this role, she assists OMERS with evolving its sustainable investing practices and liaises with OMERS investment, risk and communications teams on matters suc… Read full bio
Matt Price
Director of Corporate Engagement, Investors for Paris Compliance
Matt Price holds a BA from McGill and a Masters from York. He has over 20 years' experience in the non-profit sector both with NGOs and with charitable foundations. He is a published author with UBC Press on the subject of campaigns. Investors for Pa… Read full bio
Mark Prystupa
General Manager, Indigenous and Community Relations, Suncor
Dr. Mark Prystupa earned his Ph.D. in geography with research in Indigenous participation in resource decision making. He went on to be a university professor at Laurentian University in Sudbury. He left academia to take a position with the Governmen… Read full bio
Adam Scott
Executive Director, Shift: Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health
Adam is a climate change expert with extensive domestic and international experience in policy, energy and finance, as well as campaign design and execution. He has a lifelong commitment to supporting the transition to a zero carbon economy in Canada… Read full bio
Catherine Simard
Senior Director, CDPQ
Catherine Simard is Senior Director, Sustainable Investing at CDPQ. The Sustainable Investing group ensures that environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters are considered in investment analyses and engages with portfolio companies on these is… Read full bio
Pamela Steer
President & CEO, CPA Canada
As president and CEO of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada), Pamela leads one of the largest professional accounting bodies in the world, with more than 220,000 members. Prior to assuming this role, she was the chief financial a… Read full bio
Sarah Takaki
Head of Sustainable Investing, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
Sarah Takaki is the Head of Sustainable Investing at the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), where she leads the Sustainable Investing program. Sarah was a member of the secretariat of Canada’s Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance established… Read full bio
Kevin Thomas
Chief Executive Officer, SHARE
Kevin Thomas is the Chief Executive Officer of the Shareholder Association for Research & Education (SHARE). SHARE is a leader in responsible investment services, providing shareholder engagement, advisory, leadership development, and policy advo… Read full bio
Lindsey Walton
Head of Canada, UNPRI
Lindsey currently works at the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) as their Head of Canada. The PRI aims to bring responsible investors together to work towards sustainable markets that contribute to a more prosperous world for all. Before… Read full bio
Dan Wicklum
President and CEO, Transition Accelerator
As President and CEO Dr. Wicklum is responsible for setting the organization’s strategy for the future, building a strong national brand, and explaining Transition Pathway activity across Canada in a range of sectors. Dr. Wicklum has 25 years of expe… Read full bio