Aurum Funds Limited Presents: Alternative ESG Symposium

ESG solutions in a turbulent world

About the event

On the 16 May 2024 Aurum Funds Limited held its second Alternative ESG Symposium, which made for an insightful and informative day. The purpose of the event was to bring investors, managers and asset owners of alternative investments together to focus on how to approach ESG solutions in a turbulent world. The Symposium brought together a range of specialists in their respective fields to share their respective expertise and have informed debates.

The aim when curating the event was to provide a forum to discuss the most important ESG challenges from both a high level and more detailed perspective as well as providing pragmatic advice and next steps. The sessions and the responses from those that attended exceeded expectations. The day was enriched by the wide variety of backgrounds and experience of the speakers, which ensured both a lively and informative debate.

Schedule

Time

Session

10:00Welcome sessionWelcome and scene setting for the day
10:15Future perspective: transition and tipping pointsAn opportunity to take a step back and discuss where are we now, where are we most likely headed in the future and what that means for us all.
11:30Closing the ESG framework gapWith an ever growing number of frameworks available to use, where is the best place to start and how can organisations ake the most of their framework.
12:20The world’s greatest sustainability challenges: problems and solutionsWith growing newsflow around sustainability, what are the biggest concerns to be aware of and how can we overcome the difficulties faced.
14:10ESG data: Is AI the final frontier?ESG data continues to be a struggle for sustainability professionals. Will AI enhance the industry or is another approach preferable?
15:00An ESG policy outlookWhat are the most likely policy changes and interventions to be seen over the next few years and what changes should be implemented to ensure a healthy planet.
15:55Closing sessionFive key takeaways from the day.

Replay

Runtime: 4 mins

Welcome session

Kevin Gundle
Director, Chief Executive Officer
Aurum Research Limited

Runtime: 56 mins

Future perspective: Transition and tipping points

Dr Matt Prescott
Director of Research
Lantern Insights
Panellist

Marian D’Auria
Global Head of Risk and Sustainability
Liberty Steel Group
Panellist

Ray Dhirani
Head of Capital Markets Outreach
Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council
Panellist

Emily Forsyth-Davies
Head of ESG
Aurum Research Limited
Moderator

Read the accompanying article here:

 

Runtime: 50 mins

Closing the ESG framework gap

Wendy Walford
Head of Nature and Climate Risk
Legal & General
Panellist

Emlyn Ade Palmer
Head of Sustainable Investing
Albourne Partners
Panellist

Debashish Dey
Co-chair
IFoA Climate Disclosure Working Party
Panellist

Emily Forsyth-Davies
Head of ESG
Aurum Research Limited
Moderator

Read the accompanying article here:

 

Runtime: 45 mins

The world’s greatest sustainability challenges: Problems and solutions

Lindsay Camacho
Government Partnerships Manager
Acumen
Panellist

Dr Sam Sinclair
Co-Founder and Director
Biodiversify
Panellist

Chip Cunliffe
Programme and Risk Director
Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA)
Panellist

Kevin Gundle
Director, Chief Executive Officer
Aurum Research Limited
Moderator

Runtime: 49 mins

ESG data: Is AI the final frontier?

Larry Abele
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Impact Cubed
Panellist

Michael Sher
Fund Risk Manager and Sustainability Focused Actuary
Panellist

Dr Jimena Alvarez
Research Associate
Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
Panellist

Emily Forsyth-Davies
Head of ESG
Aurum Research Limited
Moderator

Runtime: 58 mins

An ESG policy outlook

Ian Trim
Director
Guidehouse
Panellist

Adam Jacobs-Dean
Managing Director, Head of Markets, Governance and Innovation
The Alternative Investment Management Association
Panellist

Rita Hunter
Financial Services Regulatory Partner and Co-Head of Sustainable Finance and Investment
Hogan Lovells
Panellist

Lylah Davies
Policy Analyst
OECD
Panellist

Emily Forsyth-Davies
Head of ESG
Aurum Research Limited
Moderator

Read the accompanying article here:

 

Runtime: 7 mins

Closing session

Kevin Gundle
Director, Chief Executive Officer
Aurum Research Limited

Speakers

Larry Abele

Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Impact Cubed

Larry started his career at First Quadrant in 1996 working for Rob Arnott before joining Barclays Global Investors (now Blackrock) in the Advanced Strategies Research Group. His next role was at Deuts...

Dr Jimena Alvarez

Research Associate
Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford

Dr Jimena Alvarez leads the Greening finance for nature workstream in the Resilience & Development Group at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford. She focusses on developing int...

Lindsay Camacho

Government Partnerships Manager
Acumen

As Acumen’s government partnerships manager, Lindsay leads key institutional accounts for Acumen with governments and bilateral organizations. She oversees programs in East and West Africa with a fo...

Chip Cunliffe

Programme and Risk Director
ORRAA

Chip leads the development of Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance's (ORRAA) Project Portfolio Pipeline to catalyse, scale and accelerate investment into coastal and marine natural capital, deliv...

Marian D’Auria

Global Head of Risk and Sustainability
Liberty Steel Group

Marian is the Global Head of Risk & Sustainability at Liberty Steel Group – a global steel manufacturer with an ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030. Marian was previously Managing Director at...

Lylah Davies

Policy Analyst
OECD

Lylah Davies is a Policy Analyst at the OECD, leading work on assessing the financial materiality of water-related risks. In her current role, Lylah also implements National Policy Dialogues on Water...

Debashish Dey

Co-chair
IFoA Climate Disclosure Working Party

Debashish is a qualified actuary. He has spent several years across a range of consultancies, and previous worked with global clients focussing on pensions and HR strategic solutions. He is very much...

Ray Dhirani

Head of Capital Markets Outreach
MSC and the ASC

Ray is a sustainable finance professional and leads the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)'s capital markets outreach strategy. He recently joined MSC and A...

Rita Hunter

Financial Services Regulatory Partner and Co-Head of Sustainable Finance and Investment
Hogan Lovells

Rita is a partner in our regulatory practice and Co-Head of the Sustainable Finance and Investment practice. She advises on UK and EU law and regulation with a particular focus on ESG regulation. She...

Adam Jacobs-Dean

Managing Director, Head of Markets, Governance and Innovation
AIMA

Adam Jacobs-Dean joined The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) in February 2013 and is Managing Director, Global Head of Markets, Governance and Innovation. Prior to joining AIMA, he...

Emlyn Ade Palmer

Head of Sustainable Investing
Albourne Partners

Emlyn leads Albourne’s Sustainable Investing Practice and has spent more than 20 years in senior roles in the Alternative Investments industry, mostly at Saguenay Strathmore Capital, a fund of funds...

Dr Matt Prescott

Director of Research
Lantern Insights

Matt is responsible for the management and analysis of quantitative research at Lantern Insights, a specialist sustainability thought leadership research agency. Matt obtained his doctorate in Zool...

Michael Sher

Fund Risk Manager and Sustainability
Focused Actuary

Michael is an actuary with 25 years’ experience, primarily focusing on risk management and strategy in financial institutions. Over his career he has worked with a wide range of stakeholders from bo...

Dr Sam Sinclair

Co-Founder and Director
Biodiversify

Dr Sam Sinclair is a co-founder and director of Biodiversify, a consultancy which specialises in developing landscape-level plans for nature and supporting the private sector in developing nature-posi...

Ian Trim

Director
Guidehouse

Ian is currently undertaking a PhD at Anglia Ruskin University’s Global Sustainability Institute, looking at how companies are integrating biodiversity and natural capital risks into their corporate...

Wendy Walford

Head of Nature and Climate Risk
Legal & General

Wendy Walford is Head of Nature and Climate Risk for Legal & General, a UK based financial services provider. Legal and General is a global provider of retirement solutions to corporates and indiv...

Your hosts

Kevin Gundle

Aurum Research Limited, Director, Chief Executive Officer

Kevin is a founding member of Aurum Fund Management Ltd. and Chief Executive Officer of Aurum Funds Limited (“AFL”) and Aurum Research Limited (“ARL”), the research arm of the Aurum Group. He...

Emily Forsyth-Davies

Aurum Research Limited, Head of ESG

Emily joined ARL in 2020 as Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) and is responsible for Aurum’s ESG approach, from both a corporate and investment perspective. Prior to joining A...

Banner image source: Alifa Haque, “Bangladesh fishing boats”.