Sonja Gibbs
Board Member / Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance, ICVCM / Institute of International Finance
Thriving in the rapidly evolving US sustainable finance landscape
The Responsible Investor USA conference is back for its 15th year to provide sustainable finance professionals with an unrivalled platform to learn from the leaders in the industry and come away with actionable insights on current sustainability issues. With an agenda curated to spark conversation and explore the implications of the 2024 US Elections, hear from thought leaders on both sides of the debate on the practicalities of responsible investing. The speaker line-up in 2023 included representatives from Utah State Pension Fund, Phoenix Group, CalSTRS and more.
Connect with a global audience of senior-level executives and understand what asset owners are looking for in their next investment partner.
Join us this year at RI USA and be a part of the discussion that transcends differing perspectives to tackle industry challenges head-on.
2023 asset owner attendees included:
2023 Speakers included:
What to expect at the forum?
Get real insight into the industry
RI USA’s program gets straight to the point on what sustainability means for business and investment in the real world. We ask the right questions and deliver the answers.
Build a long-lasting network
Our event attracts stakeholders from across the sustainable finance industry. Network in-person at our workshops, panels, private breakfasts, debates, and evening drinks reception.
Meet institutional investors
Hear from active asset owners honing their sustainable finance strategy and creating real impact. View last year’s attending asset owners here.
Key event themes
• Acclimating to SEC disclosure: What are the implications and risks of ESG reporting for asset managers and asset owners?
• Increasing demand for ESG data: What are the best practices for ESG measurement and management?
• Operationalizing net-zero commitments: What role will new technologies, renewables, and carbon offsets play in the transition to net-zero?
• The role of politics in sustainable finance: How will net-zero agendas and targets evolve with political fluctuations?
• Managing physical and transition risk: How can investors quantify, manage and adapt to growing climate-related risks to assets and portfolios?
• Navigating global regulatory differences: How will the regulatory landscape evolve amidst standardization debates?
• Hydrogen, carbon capture, electrification, natural capital and beyond: What are the best sustainable investment opportunities today and what are key barriers to scale for emerging climate solutions?
Apply for a complimentary asset owner pass
A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible asset owners to join the event.
Complimentary investor passes are limited to foundations, endowments, trusts, insurance companies, single family offices, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds who are actively making fund commitments and do not engage in third-party fundraising activities or collect fees for advisory/consulting services.
Please register your interest and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.
Connect with investors & ESG professionals
Responsible Investor USA provides an opportunity to make connections with an exclusive audience of ESG and sustainable finance decision makers.
Share your solutions, collaborate and network with senior-level executives through bespoke sponsorship packages to meet your 2025 business goals.
For more information on speaking in 2024, please contact Joana Frade.
Joana.F@pei.group | +44 (0)203 879 3893
For more information on the agenda, please contact Joana Frade.
Joana.F@pei.group | +44 (0)203 879 3893
View agenda page
Agenda
RI USA 2024 - Tuesday 3rd
08:55 - 09:00
Opening remarks
Plenary
09:00 - 09:50
Plenary 1: Transition finance in the US: Driving change through investment
- How are US investors approaching high-emitting sectors and corporates?
- Will transition finance be the main source of alpha in the US energy transition?
- Do US investors want dedicated transition finance regulation and/or instruments?
- Is there a tension between financing the transition and meeting net zero targets?
09:50 - 10:40
Plenary 2: Manager selection in the US
- How has the politicisation of ESG impacted manager selection?
- Is stewardship being priced into manager selection or neglected in search of lower fees?
- Is manager selection being utilised enough to drive asset owner priorities through managers?
- Are consultants doing enough to drive asset owner priorities through manager selection?
- Given the US context, will climate focused/net zero investors drift to European headquartered managers?
10:40 - 11:10
Networking break
Plenary
11:10 - 11:30
Keynote
11:30 - 12:15
Plenary 3: ESG regulation: The US, EU and beyond
- How are US investors navigating the SFDR and what do they want out of the regulatory reform?
- US anti-greenwashing efforts: what’s next for SEC ESG disclosure and name rules?
- Expectations on financial institutions from CSRD and SEC climate rule
- Compliance vs action – how are investors balancing mandatory and voluntary disclosure needs with investment/stewardship activities?
12:15 - 13:00
Plenary 4: Nature investment in North America: Risks and opportunities
- Nature as a systemic risk: how are investors approaching the challenge?
- Measuring biodiversity and nature risk across portfolios: methodologies, tools and barriers
- Public vs private markets: where are the nature investment opportunities?
- Are US corporates doing enough, and disclosing enough, on nature?
13:00 - 13:50
Lunch
Stream A
13:50 - 14:30
A1: Corporate transition plans: Next steps
- What does a credible transition plan look like?
- Are US companies embracing the concept of transition plans?
- What guidance do companies and investors need? Prescriptive vs high-level
- To what extent should climate lobbying activities be disclosed in transition plans?
14:30 - 14:35
Networking break
14:35 - 15:15
A2: ESG Data: The next frontier
- Do companies have the data they need for mandatory climate reporting?
- Supporting scope 3 data requirements
- How is technology helping to meet the nature data challenge?
- What are the biggest gaps in supply chain data?
- Estimations and the limits of ESG data
15:15 - 15:20
Networking break
15:20 - 16:00
A3: Water risk: An investors’ guide
- Where are US companies most exposed to water risk?
- How should investors engage corporates on water?
- What tools and data are available to investors to assess water risk?
- How can the private sector help to address water shortages?
Stream B
13:50 - 14:30
B1: The future of collaborative engagement in the US
- What exactly are the rules around collaborative engagement in the US?
- All noise and no heat: do legal threats around antitrust carry any weight? If so, where are the lines which shouldn’t be crossed?
- How much has the politicization of ESG stunted collective engagement in the US?
- How can investors defend themselves against accusations? What is best practice?
14:30 - 14:35
Networking break
14:35 - 15:15
B2: Agriculture: Sustainability and food security
- How are US investors thinking about agriculture and sustainability?
- Is supporting food security compatible with financial institutions’ net zero commitments?
- How is technology changing the agricultural sustainability landscape?
- Is regenerative agriculture a scalable solution?
15:15 - 15:20
Networking break
15:20 - 16:00
B3: Bond markets vs private credit: Financing the energy transition
- Are bond markets fit-for-purpose for financing the energy transition?
- SLBs and transition bonds: do they have a role in the US?
- Where can private credit fill the gaps in debt financing for the transition?
- How is the policy landscape impacting ESG-labelled bond issuance in the US?
16:00 - 16:10
Networking break
Workshops
16:10 - 17:00
Workshop A – Scope 3
16:10 - 17:00
Workshop B – Climate adaptation
16:10 - 17:00
Workshop C – Investing in 2050
17:00 - 18:00
Networking drinks
18:00 - 18:00
End of day one
Agenda
RI USA 2024 - Wednesday 4th
08:00 - 09:00
Networking breakfast
Stream A
09:00 - 09:40
A4: Understanding ESG supply chain risk: An investors’ guide
- How are investors engaging with corporates on supply chain risk?
- Where are the biggest gaps in corporate supply chain data?
- How is regulation affecting corporate supply chain reporting?
- Which supply chain issues are most material for investors?
09:40 - 09:45
Networking break
09:45 - 10:25
A5: Governance risk: Board competence and capabilities
- How are investors approaching governance risk?
- How do governance failures impact investor confidence and company valuation?
- What are the emerging standards for governance transparency and reporting?
- How can companies improve their disclosure practices to build trust with investors?
- AI board competence
Stream B
09:00 - 09:40
B4: Greenwashing vs greenhushing
- How are US corporates and investors navigating political and public scrutiny of sustainability?
- What are the implications of corporate greenhushing for investors?
- How have investors responded to the SEC’s greenwashing crackdown?
09:40 - 09:45
Networking break
09:45 - 10:25
B5: Real estate and climate risk
- What are the implications of the recent surge in numbers of E&S proposals for investors and corporates?
- Are E&S proposals effective in driving change?
- How do shareholder proposals fit into the investor engagement toolkit?
- Will investors fight for the right to file proposals if Republicans seek to weaken shareholder rights?
Moderator: Paul Verney, Features Writer, Responsible Investor
10:25 - 10:55
Networking break
Plenary
10:55 - 11:35
Plenary 5: Investing for sustainable outcomes
- Defining a ‘sustainable outcome’ or proving real-world sustainability impact in 2024: what methods and frameworks are investors using?
- Net-zero commitments and interim climate investing goals: are investors on track to meet them?
- The US renewable energy market is continuing to boom – the IRA has been referred to as the US green taxonomy: to what extent is this translating to opportunities for ESG investors in public markets?
11:35 - 12:15
Plenary 6: The state of corporate reporting in the US
- How are US corporates currently approaching sustainability reporting?
- Does corporate reporting in the US meet the needs of investors?
- Will ISSB become the de facto standard for corporate sustainability reporting in the US?
- What assurance are investors asking for on non-financial corporate disclosures?
12:15 - 13:05
Lunch
Plenary
13:05 - 13:25
Keynote
13:25 - 14:10
Plenary 7: After Exxon: The future of shareholder proposals
- What are the implications for shareholder rights in the US of the Exxon lawsuit?
- Will the file-first mentality of shareholders shift towards a more engagement/dialogue-focused approach?
- Will other companies follow Exxon’s lead?
- How can shareholder proposals be used most effectively in a sustainability context?
14:10 - 15:00
Plenary 8: Fiduciary duty in 2024: Operating effectively within a polarized environment
- Beyond the politics: What does fiduciary duty look like for a universal owner in 2024?
- What ESG issues are necessary for a fiduciary to consider, is it just climate-related financial risks? Are some like AMR being overlooked?
- How can a universal owner mitigate systemic risks to portfolios?
- To what extent can sustainability preferences – and outcomes – be factored into fiduciary duty?
15:00 - 15:00
End of conference
Pre-Event Resources
Network at America's leading responsible investment event
Meet America’s sustainability leaders
Network with active asset owners, banks, and insurers in the industry. Benefit from also our expansive and multi-stakeholder community who will be in attendance throughout the conference.
Network in-person in New York
Connect with your peers at interactive workshops, networking breaks, evening drinks reception, roundtable discussions and invite-only breakfasts.
Build valuable connections
Our past attendees included British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, CalPERS, Chicago Teacher’s Pension Fund, Credit Suisse, Office of the New York City Comptroller, Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System, and many others.
Connect with active investors
Be recognised as driving the future of sustainable finance
Responsible Investor USA provides an opportunity to make connections with an exclusive audience of ESG and sustainable finance decision makers. Share your solutions, collaborate and network with senior-level executives through bespoke sponsorship packages to meet your 2024 business goals.
Be recognised as driving the future of sustainable finance to institutional investors in the US
Sponsoring at Responsible Investor global events positions your company at the forefront of key decision-makers and ensures your profile gains a competitive advantage within the industry. Enquire about bespoke sponsorship packages to:
- Align your brand with Responsible Investor’s authoritative content-led event portfolio and be seen as a go-to solution provider for senior ESG and sustainable finance professionals.
- Stand tall amongst your competitors by positioning your company at Responsible Investor USA and embed your brand as a major player to senior institutional investors.
- Raise your profile as a thought leader within the industry to overcome the key challenges within responsible investing.
- Showcase your institutional investor solutions, in-person to new global audiences and generate new business opportunities to achieve your targets.
2024 sponsors include:
Connect with responsible investment investors
Hiroshi Komori
Senior Director, Stewardship & ESG, GPIF
RI events around the world have been beneficial to catch up on ongoing ESG issues and network with great people.
Andrea Palmer
ESG Lead, PGGM
I appreciate the quality of the delegates and the conversations. It’s the go-to venue to gauge developments in ESG integration.
Asset owners at RI USA 2024
The Responsible Investor USA conference provides an unrivalled platform for asset owners investing in sustainable finance. Join over 100 asset owners from across the United States to discuss the latest responsible investing trends and compare best practices and allocation strategies for 2024 and beyond.
A limited number of complimentary passes for the event are available for asset owners. Check out the benefits of joining the conference and learn who among your peers attends. Apply for a complimentary pass for you or your team now.
Meet the USA’s leading investor community
Network with leading asset owners from across the region. Past attendees have included CalsTrs, UNJSPF, Wafra, Wespath Investment Management, World Bank Group and more.
Understand investor appetites and allocation preferences
Join your peers as they delve into the latest responsible investment trends and compare best practices and allocation strategies for 2024 and beyond.
Enhance your network
Meet with emerging players and industry veterans to understand the evolving responsible investment landscape. Make the most of dedicated networking breaks, investor-only breakfasts, lunches and more to build your network.
2023 asset owners included:
What to expect?
Network with your peers
Enrich your network, build lasting relationships, and exchange valuable perspectives with your investor peers through investor-only breakfasts, networking breaks, lunches and much more.
Gain expert insights
Hear from our industry-leading speaker line-up, discover the latest trends and stay aligned with future innovations in the market.
Stay aligned to developments and opportunities
Discover remarkable investment opportunities and leverage ESG expertise focused on regulation, human rights, biodiversity, net zero and more.
Meet with the best and brightest funds
Connect and arrange one-to-one meetings with the biggest and best ESG managers in the market.
Apply for a complimentary asset owner pass
A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible asset owners to join the event.
Complimentary investor passes are limited to foundations, endowments, trusts, insurance companies, single family offices, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds who are actively making fund commitments and do not engage in third-party fundraising activities or collect fees for advisory/consulting services.
Please register your interest and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.
Our leading advisory board in 2023 included:
