BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

Opening remarks

• Eric Usher, Head, UNEP FI
• Patrick Odier, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Lombard Odier Group and Chair, Building Bridges

FIRESIDE CHAT

Accelerating systems change through finance

• Rémy Rioux, CEO, French Development Agency (AFD)
• Moderator: Nik Gowing, Founder and Co-Director, Thinking the Unthinkable

FIRESIDE CHAT

Wisdom from the Elders: The Right to a Resilient Future

• Elisabeth Stern, Board Member, KlimaSeniorinnen
• Mary Robinson, Chair, The Elders & former President of Ireland, & former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Moderator: Nik Gowing, Founder and Co-Director, Thinking the Unthinkable

PLENARY PANEL

How finance drives the sustainability agenda forward

• Anja Hannerz, Chief Sustainability Officer, Nordea
• Antonio Carrillo Doblado, Vice-President of Sustainability, Holcim
• Claudine Blamey, Chief Sustainability Officer, Aviva
• Shargiil Bashir, Chief Sustainability Officer & Executive Vice President, First Abu Dhabi Bank
• Thomas Brauchle, Head of Sustainability, Siemens Financial Services
• Moderator: Raj Kumar, President & Editor-in-Chief, Devex

OPENING SESSION

Opening dialogue with Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme

• Facilitated by Eric Usher, Head, UNEP FI

MESSAGE

Message from Christiana Figueres, Founder, Global Optimism

PLENARY PANEL

Driving change through responsible banking and sustainable insurance

• Bolaji Agbede, Acting Group Chief Executive Officer, Access Holdings
• Jean-François Chalifoux, President and CEO, Beneva
• Patrick Odier, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Lombard Odier Group and Chair, Building Bridges
• Patty Karuaihe-Martin, Managing Director, NamibRe
• Moderator: Liesel van Ast, Deputy Head, UNEP FI

HIGH-LEVEL PANEL

Accelerating the real economy transition

• Elisabeth Skorna, Chief Financial Officer and Vice-President Finance, DACH,  Schneider Electric
• Hacina Py, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Societe Generale
• Rie Vejs-Kjeldgaard, Director of the Sustainable Enterprises, Productivity and Just Transition Department, International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Moderator: Maria Sosa Taborda, Membership and Regional Co-ordination Manager, UNEP FI

FIRESIDE CHAT

Bringing nature to the heart of finance

• Kirsten Schuijt, Director General, WWF International 
• Eric Usher, Head, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 1

Embedding biodiversity concerns across portfolios

• Antoni Ballabriga, Global Head of Sustainability Intelligence & Advocacy, BBVA 
• Kirsten Schuijt, Director General, WWF International 
• Lauren Ferstandig, Managing Director, Nature Vest, The Nature Conservancy 
• Makoto Haraguchi, SVP of Sustainability Section, MS&AD Insurance Group
• Moderator: Jessica Smith, Lead, Nature, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 2

Mobilising finance for energy efficiency

• Grace Tam, Head of Consumer Finance, Clean Energy Finance Corporation
• Luca Bertalot, Secretary General, European Mortgage Federation – European Covered Bond Council (EMF-ECBC)
• Maya Hennerkes, Director, Green Financial Systems, EBRD
• Moderator: Ana Bachurova, Energy Efficiency Lead, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 3

Next steps to implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework

• Deborah Halberstadt, Special Advisor to the Commissioner on Biodiversity and Inclusive Insurance, California Department of Insurance
• Lisa Eichler, Head of Physical Risk & Natural Solutions, MSCI
• Paul Harris, Sustainable Product Innovation Lead, Bank of Ireland
• Saori Takahashi, Manager, Sustainability Management, Corporate Strategy Group, The Norinchukin Bank 
• Susanne Pedersen, Director, Science and Knowledge Centre, IUCN
• Moderator: Romie Goedicke, Co-Lead Nature, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 4

Mobilising sustainable finance in emerging markets

• Alejandra Díaz, Chief Sustainability Officer, Banco Davivienda and Seguros Bolívar 
• Joel Khaw Chuan Penn, Head of MIND and Sustainability, Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad (BPMB)
• Seyi Kumapayi, Executive Director African Subsidiaries, Access Bank
• Simon Bessant, Global Head of Insurance and Director, The Texel Group
• Moderator: Nirnita Talukdar, Asia Pacific Lead, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 5

Driving interoperability between sustainable finance taxonomies

• Caroline Wellemans, Head of Unit, Sustainable Finance Policy – DG INTPA, European Commission
• Clémence Humeau, Head of Sustainability Coordination and Governance, AXA Investment Managers
• Madelena Mohamed, Sustainability Director, Bank Negara Malaysia
• Makaio Witte, Head of Sustainable Finance, Sustainable Economic Transformation and Sustainable Finance Global Project, GIZ
• Tomás Soley Pérez, General Superintendent, General Superintendence of Insurance of Costa Rica (SUGESE)
• Moderator: Sean Kidney, CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative

DEEP DIVE SESSION 6

Just transition: Incorporating human rights into climate finance

• Carlos José Santos Lardé, Sustainability Manager, Banco Bolivariano
• Dorothée Baumann-Pauly, Director, Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights
• Jenny Wik Karlsson, CEO & Senior Legal Adviser, Swedish Sami Association and Chairperson, FSC Sweden
• Masaaki Nagamura, Fellow International Initiatives, Tokio Marine
• Nick Robins, Executive Director, Just Transition Finance Lab, LSE   
• Moderator: Fernanda Hopenhaym, Chairperson, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights

DEEP DIVE SESSION 7

Mainstreaming impact management

• Gemma Sanchez-Danes, Acting Head of Secretariat, Sustainability Reporting (ESRS), EFRAG 
• Noelia Garcia, Head of Sustainability Coordination and Governance, ISO 
• Olivier Wibo, Sustainable Finance Solutions Product Manager, Bloomberg
• Susan Stawicki, Head of Reporting, UN Global Compact 
• Vincent Siegerink, Economist, OECD WISE Centre and Co-Lead, Impact Management Platform
• Moderator: Careen Abb, SDGs and Impact Lead, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 8

Tackling plastics and promoting circularity to achieve sustainability goals

• Clemence Schmid, Director, Global Plastics Action Partnership, World Economic Forum
• Filipe Camaño Garcia, Manager, Global Circularity Protocol,  WBCSD
• Franco Piza, Head of Sustainability, Grupo Bancolombia
• Lauren Clarke-Wiest, Head of Data and Analytics, Aon 
• Massimiano Tellini, Head – Circular Economy, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center
• Moderator: Jan Raes, Finance and Plastics Lead, UNEP FI

• Professor Paul Ekins, Professor of Resources and Environmental Policy, UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources

PLENARY PANEL

Supporting global sustainability ambition through policy and regulation

• Geetu Joshi, Advisor, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance of the Government of India
• Helena Viñes Fiestas, Commissioner, Spanish Financial Markets Authority (CNMV)
• Irene Heemskerk, Head of the Climate Change Centre, European Central Bank
• Krishnan Sharma, Principal Economic Affairs Adviser, Financing for Sustainable Development Office, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations (UN DESA)
• Philippe Lionnet, Envoy for Sustainable Finance and Co-Head of the Policy Issues & International Relations unit, State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF), Swiss Federal Department of Finance
• Moderator: Laura Canas da Costa, Global Policy Co-Lead, UNEP FI

FIRESIDE CHAT

Aligning professional practice with sustainability goals

• Simon Thompson, Managing Director, Global Capacity Building Coalition (GCBC)

PLENARY PANEL

Driving 1.5 ambition through finance

• Marc Kahn, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Investec Group
• Maria Simonson, Acting Head of Client Relationship Management, Head of Sustainability, Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK)
• Masaaki Iwabuchi, General Manager, Finance & Investment Planning Department, Nippon Life Insurance Company
• Sue Reid, Climate Finance Advisor to Christiana Figueres, Global Optimism
• Moderator: Remco Fischer, Climate Lead, UNEP FI

FIRESIDE CHAT

Risk and impact: Both sides of the same coin

• Christos Megalou, CEO, Piraeus Bank 
• Sander Biesma, CEO, NN Re
• Moderator: Careen Abb, SDGs and Impact Lead, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 9

Scaling finance for adaptation

• Denisse Gonzalez, Climate Change Specialist, Produbanco 
• Nicola Ranger, Leader, Resilience & International Development Programme, and Executive Director, Oxford Martin Programme 
• Tomás Soley Pérez, General Superintendent, General Superintendence of Insurance of Costa Rica (SUGESE) 
• Vanessa Doger de Spéville, Head, Sustainability, Reputation & Engagement, Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB)
• Moderator: Amal-Lee Amin, Managing Director and Head of Climate, Diversity and Advisory, British International Investment 

DEEP DIVE SESSION 10

Overcoming data challenges in sustainable finance

• Angélica Afanador, Director, Guidehouse and Executive Director, Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF)
• Hans Biemans, Head of Sustainable Markets, ING 
• Stefan Malchow, Head of Sales, ESG Solutions, SAP Fioneer
• Moderator: Daniel Bouzas, Europe Regional Lead, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 11

Transition finance: Opportunities and challenges

• Linda Freiner, Chief Sustainability Officer, Zurich Insurance Group 
• Tomo Ishikawa, Chief Regulatory Engagement Officer, MUFG 
• Udo Riese, Global Head of Sustainable Investing, Allianz Investment Management  
• Vincent Damas, Group Head of Sustainability, CNP Assurances 
• Moderator: Jesica Lelynn Andrews, Head of Climate Accountability, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 12

Public and private cooperation for sustainable development

• Veronica Nyhan Jones, Global Head, Climate Capacity & Inclusion Accelerator, IFC
• Moderator: Glenn Hodes, Senior adviser on SDG investment, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

DEEP DIVE SESSION 13

Closing the gender gap: the role of banks (co-hosted with UN Women)

• Dawn Bailey, Head of Financial Wellbeing, Bank of Ireland
• Verónica Gavilanes Véjar, Deputy General Manager, BancoSol
• Wendy Teleki, Head of the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (WE-FI), the World Bank
• Moderator: Sofia Calltorp, Director, UN Women Geneva Office and Chief of Humanitarian Action

DEEP DIVE SESSION 14 – Insurance

Unlocking nature-positive insurance for a thriving planet

• Amandine Favier, Head of Sustainable Finance, WWF Switzerland
• Caroline Wakesho Sonje, ESG Specialist, ICEA Lion
• Emily McKenzie, Technical Director, TNFD
• Thomas Viegas, Nature Strategy Lead, Aviva
• Moderator: Butch Bacani, Head of Insurance, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 15 – PRB

Effective client engagement: Strategies for banks to foster sustainable finance

• Christine Würfel, Head of Group ESG & Sustainability Management, Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI)
• Lara de Mesa, Global Head of Responsible Banking, Santander
• Shargiil Bashir, Chief Sustainability Officer and Executive Vice President, First Abu Dhabi Bank 
• Susan Barron, Managing Director and Global Co-Head of the Sustainable Banking Group, Barclays
• Moderator: Johanna Dichtl, Implementation Guidance Lead, Banking, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 16 – Insurance

Scaling climate action in the insurance industry

• Dale Perry, Assistant Vice President of Climate and Environment Risk, Sun Life
• Esther Egeter, Sustainability Manager, a.s.r.
• João Mestre, Sustainability Director, Fidelidade 
• Moderator: Butch Bacani, Head of Insurance, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 17 – PRB

Engaging clients on social issues: Strategies for banks to drive positive impact 

• Abimbola Agbejule, Head, Corporate Sustainability, Wema Bank
• Amanda Zillig, Human Rights Lead, ING
• Anna Falth, Global Head of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), UN Women
• Jonathan Fowlie, Chief External Relations Officer and Head of Impact Strategy, Vancity
• Yasmine Pagni, Head of Social Policy Unit, Environment, Climate and Social Office (ECSO), Projects Directorate (PJ), European Investment Bank (EIB)
• Moderator: Joana Pedro, Social Lead, UNEP FI

DEEP DIVE SESSION 18 – insurance

V20: Insuring the most vulnerable

• Philip Lopokoiyit, CEO, ICEA LION Holdings and ICEA LION General Insurance
• Moderator: Butch Bacani, Head of Insurance, UNEP FI

COCKTAIL RECEPTION

GRT Closing: Frontiers Planet Prize 

Sponsored by Frontiers Research Foundation

19:45

End of UNEP FI Global Roundtable 2024

1. Discuss the role of the private sector in the UN’s 4^th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), International Business Forum and the SDG Fair;
2. Engage delegates from the UNEP-FI Global Roundtable and Building Bridges Summit, as well as other stakeholders in the Geneva community, in an interactive dialogue to get feedback on key recommendations and initiatives that can catalyze private finance and investment for the SDGs.

Specifically, the UN-led session will explore the following topics: (a) how to enhance “long-termism” by private financial actors; (b) possible policy and regulatory reforms to encourage the provision of long-term finance and investment in sustainable development; and (c) ways to enhance the effectiveness of blended finance approaches to scale up SDG-aligned investment in emerging markets.

The session is hosted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, alongside UNEP FI’s Global Roundtable.

The event has limited capacity, a confirmation email with further information will be sent to those who are successfully registered.