Wednesday shines a spotlight on sustainability and reporting, critical elements in our journey to a Net-Zero future. Experts including Tiffany Grabski, Mardi McBrien and Dr. Jarlath Molloy share insights and strategies for a greener financial landscape, while Minister Michael McGrath leads discussions on international cooperation to close the EU capital markets gap, highlighting the importance of collaboration. Join us as we take significant steps towards a sustainable, climate-resilient world.
Dr. Jarlath Molloy leads the IFRS Foundation’s internal sustainability project and the capacity building programme linked to the new ISSB standards. Jarlath has over 15 years’ experience in roles across the public, private and non-profit sectors in multiple countries on a range of Environment, Social and Governance topics. These include climate change policy, decarbonisation and climate change adaptation, as well as non-financial reporting, ESG enterprise risk and audit, sustainable finance and capacity building. He also led the expansion of the CDSB Framework, from GHG emissions into wider environmental matters. As a former preparer and standard setter, Jarlath is familiar with the challenges and opportunities ahead for sustainability disclosure. He is a physics graduate of TU Dublin, holds an MSc in climate change from UEA Norwich, a PhD in civil and environmental engineering from Imperial College London and is a chartered physicist.
Lois Guthrie pursued a career in taxation, first at PwC and then at Zurich Insurance Group until 2016. Having joined the Carbon Disclosure Project (now CDP) in 2004, she simultaneously developed a career in climate and natural capital corporate reporting. Lois is the founding director of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board and also worked for the International Integrated Reporting Council as a Technical Director during the development of the <IR> Framework. Lois was a director at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development for five years. She joined the IFRS Foundation in February 2022 as a Special Advisor to the International Sustainability Standards Board. Lois studied theology at the University of Birmingham and environmental policy at the Open University and holds an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice.
As head of the UN SSE’s training and education arm, Tiffany Grabski works with stock exchanges to disseminate consistent and pragmatic education on pressing global topics affecting capital markets participants. The UN SSE initiative is a United Nations Partnership Programme organised by UNCTAD, the UN Global Compact, UNEP-FI and UN PRI. Its mission is to provide a global platform for exploring how exchanges, in collaboration with investors, companies, regulators, policymakers and relevant international organizations, can enhance performance on ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) issues and encourage sustainable investment, including the financing of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The UN SSE seeks to achieve this mission through an integrated programme of conducting evidence-based policy analysis, facilitating a network and forum for multi-stakeholder consensus-building, and providing technical assistance and advisory services.
Emma Jane Joyce leads on the design and implementation of the ISIFs unique Sustainability and Responsible Investment Strategy across the whole Fund, Global and Irish Portfolios, multiple investment structures and asset types and across the life-cycle of investments. She represents the NTMA on number of sustainability platforms including SIF Ireland and the CDP Ireland Network (past Chair). Emma Jane has extensive investment experience and has held a variety of investment roles within the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), including responsibility for a number of International Equity Portfolios as part of the National Pension Reserve Fund’s (NPRF) Investment Management Programme. Emma Jane joined the NTMA from Mercer Investment Consulting. She is a graduate of both Trinity College Dublin (BA Mod Genetics) and the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business (MSc in Management).
Michael McGrath is a TD for Cork South Central and is currently the Minister for Finance in the Government of Ireland. He previously served as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform from 2020 to 2022. In his time in Dáil Éireann, Michael has served on a number of Oireachtas committees including the Finance Committee, the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry, the European Affairs Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. As Minister for Finance, Michael is responsible for leading the Department in the achievement of the government’s economic, fiscal and financial policy goals, having regard to the Programme for Government.
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.
Cathal McGlinchey has extensive experience of providing reporting services to global asset managers, real estate and private equity firms across a broad range of strategies including hedge, credit, renewable energy and infrastructure. Cathal has a BA in Accounting from University of Ulster and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland. Cathal holds a number of industry leadership roles and is currently chair of the Irish Funds ESG Servicing and Data Working Group and a member of the Irish Funds Sustainability, Skills and Training Steering Group. Cathal is a past chair of the Irish Funds Financial Reporting Working Group and also represented the Irish funds industry on the EFAMA Accounting Task Force.
Jack Lee is the Vice Chair of the Irish Funds ESG Servicing and Data Working Group. Jack is a Product Development Director and leads the ESG Offering at MUFG Investors Services. He is responsible for developing new services and products for MUFG Investor Services. He is also the Head of Sustainability Reporting and is responsible for ESG reporting based on metrics and targets set by the company. Jack is a qualified accountant and has certificates in sustainability courses including UN PRI, TCFD and EU Taxonomy.
Conor O’Leary joined the Strategic Investment Research Group in November of 2022 and is responsible for overseeing investment management on the UCITs platform.Prior he was an Investment Oversight Manager at abrdn Plc. He was responsible to overseeing abrdn’s Direct European Real Estate business and segregated accounts for Institutional clients invested in global public market asset classes. Conor earned a B.A. Honours Bachelor degree in Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering from Trinity College Dublin and is a CAIA charterholder.
Aoife Kearney specialises in the integration of ESG into investment funds. She worked as an Associate Solicitor specialising in asset management and investment funds in the Maples’ Dublin office. Aoife advised on the establishment, authorisation, operation and maintenance of Irish regulated funds including UCITS and AIFs. During her time in Maples, Aoife was seconded to work as In-House Legal Counsel for Neuberger Berman. Aoife completed her solicitor training in Matheson, where she specialised in asset management and investment funds. During her time in Matheson, Aoife was seconded to work as In-House Legal Counsel for HSBC where she worked in the provision of fund services. Aoife’s other practice areas include healthcare litigation, tax and construction law. She was previously employed as a political and communications professional in the European Parliament in Brussels. Aoife is respected for her expertise in EU law, policy and political strategy. An experienced European policy expert, Aoife worked with national governments, members of the European Parliament, interest groups and EU policy experts to mould and shape EU legislation.
INVITE ONLY
To support market participants in aligning their disclosure practices with the IFRS Foundations International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards S1 and S2, the UN SSE, IFRS Foundation and IFC have developed a foundational training program to help capital market participants to implement the standards. The training will take place over four hours and will cover four key steps to implementation of the ISSB Standards: Preparation, Alignment, Identification and Communication.
Held in partnership with the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation, kindly hosted by Euronext
Speakers:
IN PERSON INVITE ONLY / REGISTER FOR STREAMING INFORMATION
Panel 1 - ISIF – Financing the energy transition - A moderated panel discussion with contributions from across the Energy/ Climate Tech sectors
Panel 2 - NewERA – Sustainable Mobility - Join us for a moderated discussion looking at real economy examples of progress in achieving elements of the Climate Action Plan, focused on transport.
Held in partnership with the National Treasury Management Agency
Ireland and France, two of the main financial hubs in the EU, share the will to further improve the Sustainable Finance framework to capitalise on the European leadership. Hosted by Amundi, the first ever Ireland-France joint seminar on sustainable finance will gather top representatives from governments, business, academics and institutions from both countries to discuss the current challenges and identify ways to overcome there in a coordinated manner. This event is by invitation only, registration upon request.
Held in partnership with the French Embassy
A panel discussion on the Irish Funds initiated review of SFDR Level 2 disclosures, followed by a Q&A.
Held in partnership with Irish Funds, kindly hosted by KPMG
Held in partnership with the Green Team Network
Many thanks for registering, you will receive an email confirmation, calendar reminder and updates closer to the event.