Join us on the second day of Climate Finance Week Ireland for Transition Finance Day, where we explore the pivotal role of finance in shaping a sustainable, low-carbon future. Transition finance involves investments, strategies, and financial mechanisms designed to support the shift from carbon-intensive industries to more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. This shift is crucial in our collective efforts to combat climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and achieve net-zero targets. Transition Finance Day features discussions, insights, and best practices related to transition finance. Explore innovative strategies, investment opportunities, and the latest trends in sustainable finance. Together, we'll chart a course towards a more sustainable world, reduce our carbon footprint, and work towards achieving our net-zero emissions goals.
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance. She was appointed to this role in December 2022. She is a TD for the Dún Laoghaire Constituency, elected in February 2020. She is Vice Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party and Spokesperson for Equality. She is also Vice Chair of the Justice Committee as well as being a member of the Public Accounts Committee and the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement Committee. She was also a member of the Special Dáil Committee on Covid prior to its disbandment into sectoral Committees. Previously she was a Councillor for the Killiney-Shankill ward. Since first being elected as a public representative, she has prioritised families experiencing homelessness and domestic abuse awareness. She has supported, and personally assisted a number of homeless women with small children to find appropriate accommodation. She has also worked closely with Coercive Control Ireland to raise awareness of this issue. Coercive Control became a criminal offence in January 2019. Since being elected as a TD, she has continued to work for her constituents at a national level, drawing on her decade of experience working in Government on policy and legislation. Reducing carbon emissions by protecting and developing public transport facilities and better recycling and waste management are also part of her local agenda.
Aisling McCaffrey has over 10 years’ experience in the Financial Services sector - working with key clients across Europe on a range of projects covering business strategy, risk management and sustainability advisory. Aisling has a keen interest in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a particular focus on gender equality, quality education and climate action. To that end, she has taken on a number of commitments in supporting organisations such as co-chair of 100 Women in Finance Early Career Committee, Non-Executive Director of environmental NGO Global Action Plan Ireland and Steering Committee member of Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter, a government led industry initiative. In addition, Aisling is a co-founder of the ‘Green Team Network’ – a forum for connecting firms across the Irish Funds Industry to encourage collaboration and empower change towards a more sustainable environment.
Mamobo Ogoro is a Social Psychologist and award winning social entrepreneur. As the first Sanctuary PhD Fellow at the University of Limerick, Mamobo’s research investigates migrant identity construction in Ireland and how systems of inclusion and exclusion affect migrant communities in Ireland. Mamobo is on a personal mission to unify the world. She is the Founder and CEO of GORM, an award winning social enterprise on a mission to unify across differences and advance belonging for marginalised communities. Mamobo has been heralded for her work with GORM on countless occasions, and most recently won the ‘Catalyst Award’ in the Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Awards 2022 for bringing about social change in Ireland.
Ann Shiels established FinLexSus in January 2022 as a sustainable finance regulatory business working with regulated fund management companies and asset managers to upskill on, understand and implement EU sustainable finance regulatory requirements including SFDR and EU Taxonomy. Ann worked in the Irish funds and regulated financial services industry for over 20 years, mainly as a qualified solicitor in a large Irish corporate practice. She holds a certificate in Sustainable Finance from the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability leadership, is a Green Team Network executive member and lectures in sustainable finance at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and the Institute of Bankers in Ireland.
Sandra Healy's career has spanned 20 years in the global telecoms industry and five years at Dublin City University where she established the DCU Centre of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion. Sandra is an Organisational Psychologist and NLP Master Practitioner. Over seventeen years she has championed and driven diversity and inclusion practice across industry and is considered a leading expert. In 2014, she was involved in establishing the EU Diversity Charter Ireland. In 2020 Sandra was a member of the Expert Advisory Group for Ireland’s Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality and is on the Leadership Council for An Garda Síochána (Ireland's Police Force). In 2020, inclusio spun-out of Dublin City University. The inclusio platform delivers a solution to address some of the most pressing challenges facing global employers today. Combining technology, psychology and artificial intelligence (AI), inclusio delivers a scientific, independent ‘Nudge’ platform that empowers leaders to measure, track and action DEI in an authentic way; through the voice of their people. The platform empowers leaders with the data they need to chart their progress on DEI efforts, measure ROI and benchmark in their sector, locally and globally.
Prior to the IFRS Foundation, Mardi McBrien spent over a decade leading the global ESG standard setter, the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB). Under Mardi’s leadership CDSB published the first global capital market framework for reporting investor focussed information on climate, environmental and social matters to capital markets. CDSB’s work notably underpins both the TCFD and the TNFD frameworks and became an influential foundational building block in the establishment the International Sustainability Standards Board, where Mardi also played an important leadership role in its establishment. Mardi has enjoyed a vibrant career which involved her leading high profile flagship environmental campaigns, working in public sector policy advisory roles and public private partnership management. Originally qualifying as a forester and environmental scientist in Australia (Melbourne University) and agricultural economist (UK, SOAS), Mardi is a Board Member of XBRL International, a member of the UK Government Transition Pathway Taskforce Steering Group, trustee of one of the oldest environmental NGOs in the world, the International Tree Foundation, a founding Board member of WOCAN – Women Organising for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management / W+ Standard, a school governor and a member of the ICAEW Sustainability Advisory Committee. Mardi was awarded UK environmental campaigner of the year by the Sheila McKechnie Foundation in 2013 and in 2021 and was selected as one of the ESG Foundation’s ones to watch.
Stephen Nolan has been at the forefront of the green and sustainable finance agenda in Ireland and internationally for the last decade as a Director of Sustainable Finance Ireland and Managing Director of three major UNDP Sustainable Finance initiatives - UNDP Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S), UNDP Sustainable Insurance Forum (SIF) and Asia-Pacific Sustainable Finance Development Network. He is also Chair of Ireland’s Climate Finance Week Ireland series; member of the international advisory grouping of the Climate Bonds Initiative; Sustainable Finance Skillnet Steering Committee member, and serves on several international sustainable finance working groups, including the IFSC Authority Sustainable Finance WG in India. In 2020, Stephen received the 2020 Irish Green Leader award, sponsored by Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and has led and delivered initiatives from start-up to scale across both public and private spheres in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Marcos Neto is Director of UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub. With more than 25 years’ experience in development finance and private-sector development, Marcos leads UNDP’s work on sustainable finance in more than 140 countries in collaboration with other UN agencies and partners. Head of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group Secretariat, Marcos also co-chairs the executive boards of the Business Call to Action and the Connecting Business Initiative. Apart from his role at UNDP, Marcos is on the Supervisory Board of CARE International. Prior to joining UNDP, Marcos served at CARE International for 17 years, in roles including Regional Manager for Asia and Latin America at CARE UK, Executive Director of CARE Brasil, and Programme Director for Central America. A lawyer by training, Marcos holds a Master of Laws degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. He is a passionate advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Paul Healy has operated at an executive level in commercial environments for over 20 years. His broad areas of expertise include: Enterprise and Labour Market Policy, Human Resource Development, Public Affairs and Corporate Governance. Paul is a member of the National Skills Council, National Training Fund Advisory Group, EU Commission Skills for Industry Policy Group and the European Digital SME Alliance. He also serves on the Skillnet Ireland Board (ex officio). Paul qualified as an Economist and holds an MBA from Dublin City University. He is an adjunct lecturer at post-graduate level in field of Human Resources and is a respected commentator in the arena of workforce development and talent.
Peter Stapleton regularly advises investors, sponsors, fund managers and investment banks on the establishment, structuring, financing, public and private distribution and ongoing operation of UCITS and AIFs, including hedge funds, funds of funds, master feeders, private equity funds, managed account platforms and bespoke structures. He also has significant expertise advising on derivatives, prime brokerage, investment services, MiFID and securities law. His clients include financial institutions carrying out business in Ireland, or transacting with Irish-domiciled counterparties from other jurisdictions. Peter holds several senior positions on industry groups and regularly works with Irish regulatory and governmental bodies on enhancing Ireland’s financial services regime. He is a recognised legal expert in the ESG and sustainable investment space and works with some of the world’s largest managers and financial institutions to implement their internal policies as well as external standards such as UN PRI and the EU’s Sustainable Action Plan. Peter has written several articles for the IBA and industry journals, has lectured on Financial Services Law at private conferences and for the Law Society of Ireland, and has advised the Commercial Law Centre of University College Dublin on developments in Financial Services Law. He is Chair of the Irish Funds Alternative Investment Product Group, a member of AIMA's Asset Management Working Group and past chairman of Hedge Funds Care Ireland.
Dr. Deborah Brosnan is a globally recognized marine scientist, environmental entrepreneur and climate-risk expert. She works worldwide to create innovative solutions to environmental and climate risks, that support ecosystems, business, communities, and governments. She is highly sought after at the highest-levels for her expertise and ability to deliver win-win solutions. In addition to her international work she has a strong interest in advancing the needs of Small Island Developing States, having worked in the Caribbean for over 25 years.
Niall O'Leary joined ILIM in March 2019 and has over 35 years’ experience in the financial services industry. He was appointed Chief Sustainability Officer in 2023 and is a member of the Executive Management Team. He has overall responsibility for responsible investing in ILIM, including setting strategy, overseeing our stewardship agenda, ensuring adherence to regulatory commitments and working with the investment business to develop new and to enhance existing responsible investment strategies. Prior to that he was Head of Indexation and Fixed Income, with responsibility for ILIM’s equity indexation business and its active and passive fixed income capabilities. He remains a member of the asset allocation committee. Before joining ILIM, Niall was Global Head of Fixed Income Portfolio Strategy at State Street Global Advisors. He was responsible for leading a team of experienced investment professionals with operations in Dublin, London, Boston, Bangalore and Singapore. The team represented investment capabilities to clients, spanning indexed and active fixed income, LDI, cash and currency. Prior to taking on this role he was Head of Fixed Income and Cash at State Street Global Advisors Ireland (formerly Bank of Ireland Asset Management), as well as managing the institutional real estate investment team. Niall holds a Commerce Degree and a Master’s in Business Studies (first class) from University College Dublin.
Sarah Thompson has experience in advising a broad range of clients on financial regulation matters and is admitted to practice in Northern Ireland, Ireland and England & Wales. She advises on Central Bank of Ireland authorisation processes, perimeter issues, ongoing compliance with conduct of business and other requirements with a special focus on ESG matters and on the Individual Accountability Framework and the Senior Executive Accountability Regime, as well as financial services M&A. Prior to joining Arthur Cox, Sarah worked in London in the financial regulatory groups of two major international law firms.
Patrick Burke was appointed Managing Director of ILIM in 2013 having joined the company in 2006 as Director of Investment Development, responsible for the strategic development of investment solutions for the institutional market. Prior Patrick was a director and professional trustee at Irish Pensions Trust Limited, having previously been a corporate lawyer with Mercer. Patrick is past-Chair of Pensions Europe, past Chair of the Irish Association of Pension Funds, and has previously served as Chairman of the Irish Trustee Forum. A solicitor by profession, he is also an Associate of the Irish Taxation Institute and an Associate of the Irish Institute of Pension Managers. Patrick holds a primary degree in Commerce from University College Dublin.
Angelika Delen is committed to creating and deliver profitable strategies and portfolios for institutional investors while generating quantifiable benefits for both people and the planet. Alongside her team, she has developed a private markets impact framework, conducted impact assessments and alignment with SFDR, and she is a part of the Investment Committee for Global Impact. Her responsibilities include engaging with institutional clients, participating in panel and roundtable discussions, and being involved in various green finance and impact working groups at both the international and national levels, including local governments. She chaired the Global Compact Network Austria working group on sustainable finance and is a member of the Austrian Standards committee (TC 322/Sustainable Finance) and the International Organization for Standards (CEN/ISO). With a career spanning 18 years in asset management, Angelika joined Mercer in 2018 after leading the institutional and distribution team at Amundi Austria. Before Amundi, she was employed at Bankhaus Schelhammer & Schattera KAG, where she focused on business development in Austria and Germany with a special emphasis on ESG. Her professional journey commenced at AIG investments, where she oversaw business development in the DACH region. Angelika holds a Master's degree in International Business Administration from the University of Vienna.
Jan-Hein van den Akker leads Mercer’s Sustainable Investment Solutions team for the Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia region, working collaboratively with Mercer’s Sustainable Investment consulting team to implement and innovate ESG integration and sustainability best practice in solutions across all asset classes. He is the investment solutions team lead and co-chair of Mercer’s Global OCIO Sustainable Investment Forum and is responsible for the sharing of knowledge across the solutions business for all ESG related activity, including all climate-related actions such as net zero commitments and transitionary guidance, as well as stewardship activities and engagement priorities. Jan-Hein is based in Dublin and joined Mercer's Investment Management division as a Portfolio Manager in August 2006. Prior to his current role, he was responsible for the management of all equity strategies, including fund manager selection, blending and monitoring. Jan-Hein also assisted some of Mercer’s large clients in the management of their bespoke investment strategies.He graduated from Tilburg University with an honours degree in Economics and also holds a Masters degree in Finance from the same university. In 2004 he completed an honours MBA at Dublin City University.
Ian Conlon has extensive experience in the establishment, operation and regulation of both UCITS and AIFMD funds, with particular focus on alternatives, including hedge funds, investment limited partnership vehicles (ILPs), private equity and private debt, credit funds, loan origination and real asset structures. Ian has significant expertise in the ICAV space, having advised on the first ICAV authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland and numerous innovative ICAV structures, redomiciliations and conversions to date. Ian is a member of the Maples ESG Advisory Group and is recognised as a leading lawyer in the ESG and sustainable finance space. He regularly advises global asset managers looking to establish sustainability focused investment funds in compliance with the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation ("SFDR") and the Taxonomy Regulation. Ian also advises asset managers looking to establish Irish authorised AIFMs, UCITS and MiFID management companies.
Deirdre McIlvenna is a partner of Maples and Calder's Funds & Investment Management team in the Maples Group's Dublin office. She has extensive experience advising global and domestic clients on the establishment and on-going regulatory, compliance and corporate governance requirements relating to their Irish regulated investment funds, management companies, servicing operations and directors. She has a particular expertise in UCITS and ETFs with strong industry involvement across different ETF committees and working groups. In addition, Deirdre has significant experience in AIFs authorised under the Irish AIFMD regime.
Eva Sheehy has worked with a wide variety of public and private clients including those in the Retail, Food & Agri and Transport and Construction industries. Eva joined KPMG in 2013 and has extensive experience working on audit and assurance engagements. Eva assists clients completing ESG reporting readiness assessments and advises clients on current and future ESG reporting standards relevant to their business and sector.
Dr Barry O'Dwyer os an internationally recognised expert in climate change impacts, risk and adaptation with over 10 years experience working in both the public and private sector. In practice, he supports and advises public and private sector decision makers employing complex climate risk information in operational and strategic planning.
Sharon Donnery was appointed Deputy Governor, Financial Regulation on 1 July 2022. She is an ex-officio Member of the Central Bank Commission and is a member of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank (ECB). As Deputy Governor, Financial Regulation, Sharon is responsible for leading credit institutions supervision; insurance supervision; policy and risk; and prudential analytics and inspections directorates.
Sharon was previously Deputy Governor, Central Banking from 1 March 2016 to 30 June 2022 and was the Governor's Alternate on the Governing Council of the ECB. She is also a member of the General Board of the European Systemic Risk Board and the Chair of the ECB Budget Committee (BuCom) having been appointed by the ECB Governing Council in December 2016.
Sharon was Acting Governor from 1 June 2019 to 31 August 2019. She has chaired a number of European Committees including being Chair of the ECB High Level Group on Non-Performing Loans (NPLs), Chair of the European Banking Authority's (EBA) Consumer Protection Group and Vice-Chair of the EBA Standing Committee on Consumer Protection and Financial Innovation.
Sharon joined the Central Bank in 1996 as an Economist in the Monetary Policy Division and has held a range of senior positions. From February 2013 to August 2014, she held the statutory position of Registrar of Credit Unions and from April 2014 to May 2016 was Director of Credit Institutions. Prior to joining the Central Bank, Sharon lectured in economics at the National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Sharon holds a B.A. in Economics and Politics and a M.A. in Economics from University College Dublin and a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors. In 2019, she was admitted to the Institute of Directors in London as a Chartered Director. In 2020, she was appointed as an Adjunct Professor of Economics in Trinity College Dublin.
Catriona Wood is part of the Sustainable Investment Solutions team at Mercer, with a core focus on integrating climate change considerations within client portfolios and across Mercer’s Investment Solutions framework as a whole. She plays an active role in driving best practice in terms of ESG integration by working with other key stakeholders around the business to align ESG practices across Mercer’s global investment solutions business. Catriona has 10 years’ industry experience, the last 5 of which have been at Mercer. Before joining Mercer, Catriona held positions in Market Risk and Middle Office within the banking sector. Catriona holds a First Class Honours BSc. in Accounting and Finance from Leeds University, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.
Alan Doherty is founder and principal of Novara Labs, a consulting firm that helps clients innovate better to become sustainable faster. Previously Alan was Head of Innovation Design at Citibank’s Global Innovation Lab, where he worked across their extensive innovation portfolio, from global brands to fintech startups. Alan is a founder and board member of Innovate Island, a non-commercial network that aims to establish the island of Ireland as a global centre of excellence for innovation leadership. Alan leads sustainability projects for Innovate Island and engages with public and private bodies as innovation advisor. He currently sits on the Sustainable Finance Fintech Working Group, collaborating on the Irish Government's sustainable finance roadmap. Alan also lectures in innovation at DCU Business School and is on the content advisory group for the P.Dip in Sustainable Fintech in Maynooth University.
Mark Halle lectures, writes and publishes frequently on issues relating to sustainable development and was previously IISD's European Representative and its Director for Trade and Investment. In this capacity, he supervised a team of some 30 professionals based in Europe and around the world. He began his career in the field of international negotiations, serving in the diplomatic secretariat of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. In that capacity, he was associated with the negotiation of the Barcelona Convention on the Mediterranean Environment, one of the first regional environmental conventions ever adopted. He then spent five years with UNEP, starting in the Policy Planning Unit and ending up working on the global State of the Environment report published 10 years after UNEP’s establishment. From UNEP, he worked with WWF and IUCN in writing the World Conservation Strategy, a document which fundamentally changed the way in which conservation of nature was approached, namely by abandoning the earlier notion that conservation and development were necessarily in opposition to one another and embracing the notion that they are essential components of sustainable development. He is founder and former Chairman of the Board of the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development.
Cathy Bryce started her career in Investment Banking with Morgan Stanley and subsequently ABN AMRO. She joined AIB in 1996, holding a range of leadership positions in lending roles across both International and Irish portfolios. In 2018 she joined the National Treasury Management Agency as Director of the National Development Finance Agency and NewERA. In 2019 she returned to AIB joining the Executive Management team of the Bank as Managing Director of Capital Markets, her current position. In this role, she leads the corporate and business areas of the Bank with teams that account for about one third of AIB’s assets and banking activities, including Goodbody Stockbrokers. She is a business graduate of Trinity College Dublin, holds an MBA from INSEAD Business School and completed the General Management Program in Harvard Business School. Cathy is a member of the Finance Committee of Trinity College and the Advisory Board of Trinity Business School. She is also a member of the Diversity Committee for Leinster Rugby.
Prior to joining TNFD in May 2023, Thomas Viegas was at the Bank of England where he spent nearly a decade working on and influencing a broad range of UK and global macro-financial policy issues. Thomas led the Bank of England’s initial approach and strategy to nature-related financial risks. He also played a key role in establishing the foundational work on nature-related financial risk within both the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) and UN Sustainable Insurance Forum (SIF). Thomas has been responsible for leading the Bank of England’s external technical assistance program to other central banks and financial regulators on greening finance issues, in the run up to and including COP26. Thomas was previously seconded as an Economic Adviser and Finance Sector lead to The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, based at the UK’s Finance Ministry (HMT).
Imelda Hurley joined Coillte in 2019 and was appointed to the board in January 2022. She has extensive executive and non-executive experience in public company, state owned, private equity and venture capital backed businesses. She has built that experience in multiple geographies including Ireland, UK, Eastern Europe, and Asia, and across a variety of sectors including forestry, agriculture, food, technology related product development and supply chain management. Prior to joining Coillte, Imelda was an executive director and CFO with agri-services group Origin Enterprises plc and, earlier in her career, she held a range of senior leadership positions at PCH International and Greencore Group plc. She has previously served as a non-executive director of Total Produce plc, Valeo Foods and Ervia. Imelda is a past president of Ibec, Ireland’s largest business representative group, and a non-executive director at the world’s leading fresh produce provider, Dole plc. She is also a patron of Chapter Zero Ireland, a community of non-executive directors that lead Irish boardroom discussions on the impacts of climate change. Imelda is a graduate of University of Limerick, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and an alumna of Harvard Business School.
Dr. Janice Fuller CIEEM is a botanist by training with a PhD in Forest Ecology and an MPhil in Conservation Biology, both from Cambridge University. Janice has over 25 years’ experience of field survey, data analysis, ecological assessment and delivering training. She has a particular interest and expertise in woodland and peatland ecology based on many years studying these fascinating habitats. Janice is a member of the Ecology Team in Coillte Forest and is lead ecologist on the BIOForest25 project.
Catharine Dwyer is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Markets Policy Division – Investment Funds section in the Central Bank of Ireland. Catharine’s responsibilities involve development of Central Bank policy on investment funds and provision of technical advice to internal and external stakeholders on matters relating to investment funds. She advises external stakeholders on the negotiation of European laws affecting investment funds and represents the Central Bank on various working groups both at European and international levels.
Alan Synnott leads client strategy, investor relations and product innovation across investment strategies that include equity, debt, blended-finance and listed vehicles. He joined BlackRock in 2011 as a founding member of BlackRock’s Infrastructure business, launching the Firm’s first renewable power investment and Infrastructure Debt strategies. He has authored multiple position papers on the topics of Real Assets, Infrastructure & Renewable Power Investment for Pensions, Insurance Companies, Institutional Investors and Public Policy makers, has represented BlackRock as a Principal to the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance and partners closely with BlackRock's Government Relations and Public Policy team. Prior to joining BlackRock, Alan worked in Corporate Finance and Investment Banking for 16 years, based in San Francisco and with responsibility for the execution of public and private transactions in the Renewable Power, Conventional Power, Energy, Transport, Consumer and Technology sectors. He earned a BBS degree from Trinity College Dublin and an MBS degree from University College Dublin.
Deirdre Hayes is responsible for strategically driving asset management initiatives across the property portfolio enhancing income and capital value through a number of initiatives including leasing, major redevelopment and refurbishment projects. She is a general practice chartered surveyor with over 24 years’ experience in commercial property Prior to joining Irish Life, Deirdre was Managing Director of Aramark property and a board member of Aramark Northern Europe where she was responsible for the management and development of the business, enhancing service delivery and driving change strategies. Prior to joining Aramark, Deirdre was a founding partner of HT Meagher O Reilly (now Knight Frank). Deirdre holds a BSc (Surveying) from Trinity College, Dublin and a Diploma in Property Economics from the Dublin Institute of Technology. She is a member of Society of Chartered Surveyor Ireland and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Paul O'Brien is head of Goodbody Asset Management, a boutique asset manager (€1.6bn AUM), specialising in long only, active, global investment Funds. As Head of Investments, he is responsible for managing the investment process and wider investment team. He joined the investment industry in 2002, moving to a buy side role as a Fund manager to work on active global mandates in 2005. Paul joined Goodbody, from Davy Asset Management, as a founding member of the Asset Management business in 2015. Across his career Paul has worked on active global equity and multi asset strategies. Paul holds a Bachelor of Business Studies degree, specialising in Finance and the MSc. in Investment and Treasury, both from Dublin City University (DCU) and is also a CFA Charter holder and a member of the CFA Institute.
Karen Woods is a forester who has worked with Coillte in a wide variety of roles, with a special interest in continuous cover forestry management, biodiversity and recreation. Karen holds a BAgrSc (Forestry) from UCD and an MSc in Forest Nutrition from the University of British Columbia. She currently works as the operations manager with Coillte Nature and The Nature Trust.
Sebastian Aburto is the European Head of ESG Strategy for Citi. Within this role Seb oversees the strategic and regulatory agenda to embed ESG into the firms practices. Prior to this Se was Head of Stress Testing within the Risk department of Citi. Before joining Citi, Sebastian worked across a range of Financial Institutions covering Model Validation, Treasury Risk , Market Risk and Finance. Sebastian has a Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering from University of Bristol, UK and professional qualifications in Accounting (ACA) and Financial Risk Management (FRM).
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In our drive to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals we are faced with a range of complex issues that require the development of innovative solutions. Join us as we gain insights from three successful female entrepreneurs who have focused their businesses on addressing the challenges under E,S & G. Hear about their journey to entrepreneurship, lessons learnt along the way and what they hope to achieve through their organisations.
Held in partnership with 100 Women In Finance
Speakers:
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On budget day, 10th October, the Irish government announced the creation of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (Future Ireland Fund) and a second fund that will protect infrastructure spending during economic downturns and invest in climate change measures. On Tuesday 21th November, we will be joined by Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill who will share the government’s proposal in more detail and be on hand to answer your questions. The Irish government has set a target of generating 70% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill was introduced in 2021, which sets a legally binding target for Ireland to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. During our Conference we will aim to tackle the key questions savers in Ireland face, from the cost of living crisis through to energy transition with help from our investors across Schroders, Schroders Greencoat and our guest speaker David McWilliams, Economist, writer, and journalist.
A dynamic and insightful Transition Finance Symposium as we delve into the critical role of transition finance in shaping our journey toward a sustainable, Net-Zero future. The event kicks off with the highly anticipated launch of our updated roadmap, presented by Stephen Nolan. Our expert panels, featuring thought leaders like Mardie McBrien from ISSB, Marcus Neto, Patrick Burke, Paul Healy and Colin Hunt from AIB will delve into key topics, from sustainable finance strategies to ESG compliance. Discover how transition finance is the linchpin of our Net-Zero aspirations and why it's crucial in making or breaking our sustainable future. Following the roadmap presentation, engage in a live discussion with David Carlin.
Speakers
The TNFD Recommendations provide companies and financial institutions of all sizes with a risk management and disclosure framework to identify, assess, manage and disclose nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities.The Recommendations build on the language, structure and approach of the TCFD, are consistent with the global sustainability reporting baseline and existing and emerging regulatory requirements (such as the ISSB and GRI) and are aligned with the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal GBF.In this session attendees will be provided with a deeper dive into key aspects of the TNFD Recommendations and disclosure of nature-relates issues, and direction on how any organisation can get started with adoption of the Recommendations.
Held in partnership with Chapter Zero
There is an enormous gap between public sustainable finance commitments and the amount required to move towards a lower carbon, more sustainable global economy. A crucial part of helping to bridge this gap is allowing investors to understand and assess the impact of investments made on the real economy. Aligning this reporting with ever-increasing regulatory requirements, such as SFDR, will ultimately enhance the flow of privatecapital into these projects, helping to drive real world impacts.
Held in partnership with Mercer
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IN PERSON INVITE ONLY / REGISTER FOR STREAMING INFORMATION. STREAMING COMMENCES AT 2PM.
Held in partnership with FPAI
Panellists:
Panel One - ESG investing in the Private/Public Asset Space
This moderated discussion will look at how innovations in the private asset space are assisting in meeting our net zero ambitions, with a panel of industry experts drawn from across the asset management sector.
Panel Two – ESG ETFs
A moderated panel discussion which looks at the key issues facing ESG ETFs and the developments in innovation for sustainable investing.
Held in partnership with Maples Group
THIS IS A VIRTUAL EVENT
When considering responsible investing we look at it through two lenses. The first is integrating investment preferences into portfolio, for example excluding ESG or climate laggards. The second involves our voting and engagement efforts. Both aspects play an important role in achieving investment goals, join us for this conversation on the role of stewardship in achieving our climate goals.
Held in partnership with ILIM
Ahead of COP28 hear from world leading marine scientist and climate-risk expert Dr Deborah Brosnan about the challenges facing global marine and land biodiversity. Join IOB Members for this exclusive event to find out about some of the world's most innovative solutions to environmental and climate risks and how they are impacting their ecosystems, economies and human populations. Following Biodiversity Cop15 part II in Nairobi in October and ahead of COP 28 receive a state of play on the sources of finance associated with biodiversity including blue bonds, sustainable finance and more.
Sponsored by IOB
Join us for a targeted session on the CSRD's Environmental standards, offering expert insights and practical compliance strategies through Subject Matter Expert perspectives and a hands-on case study. Discover how these benchmarks are shaping corporate sustainability reporting and their implications for your organisation.
Please click here to register.
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The Irish forestry sector and Coillte have an important role to play in the achievement of Ireland’s climate action targets. Coillte manages 440,000 hectares of primarily forested lands, about 7% of the total area of Ireland. Coillte recently launched its new forestry strategic vision which aims to sustainably balance and deliver the multiple benefits from Ireland’s state forests across four strategic pillars: climate, wood, nature, and people.
This vision will see Coillte, enabling the creation of 100,000 hectares of new forests by 2050 supporting the national afforestation target and creating a carbon sink of 18 million tonnes of CO2.
Coillte also has an ambition to enhance and restore biodiversity by increasing the area of the Coillte estate managed primarily for nature from 20% to 30% by 2025 and to 50% in the long-term.
Coillte is also committed to promoting the use and benefits of wood to help increase the level of timber homes from 20% to 80% by 2050. Using Irish wood as a locally grown renewable and sustainable construction material in place of traditional materials has carbon and climate benefits.
Join us and learn more about Coillte’s strategic vision aims to optimise its contribution to Ireland’s climate targets.
Official Climate Finance Week Ireland dinner, including presentation of annual International Climate Leadership Award. Kindly supported by Maples Group
Many thanks for registering, you will receive an email confirmation, calendar reminder and updates closer to the event.