There is an urgent need for investment in water infrastructure, technology, and services in order to maintain water supply to industries and populations alike. This is the wake-up call for a significant increase in funding for the utilities sector.
Additionally, there is also huge demand for a greater understanding of operational impact of water within corporates and the business strategies required to help mitigate and manage water security in the future.
Water: Risk, Opportunity and Sustainability has been researched and developed for an international audience, which includes heads and directors from the investment sector (pension funds, SWFs, mutual funds etc), water utilities and governments, water engineering and technology providers, sustainability indices and rating agencies.
Situated in the heart of the City of London, the Water: Risk, Opportunity and Sustainability conference will cover the following themes:
- The importance of water to long-term business sustainability
- Water security, water stress measurement and business continuity in the future
- Methods and strategies for investing in water
- Water risks: The metrics that matter for global investors
- Water utilities & infrastructure – assessing funding requirements and financing approaches
- Water risks in the portfolio – an institutional investor perspective
- Climate bonds and building water resilience in developing countries
- Water reporting methodologies and the impact on corporate water stewardship
- Identifying and managing water risks beyond the fence line
With a geographical focus on corporates and financial institutions based in Europe, it will also appeal to organizations with operations worldwide.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Anders Nordheim, Head of Ecosystems Management and Sustainable Land Use, UNEP-FI
- Christa Clapp, Head of Climate Finance, CICERO
- Courtney Lowrance, Global Head, Environmental and Social Risk Management, Citi
- Cyrus Lotfipour, Vice President, ESG Research (US), MSCI
- Danielle Carreira, Senior Project Manager, NCFA
- David Harris, Head of ESG, FTSE Russell and Group Head, Sustainable Business, London Stock Exchange Group
- Dr Alex Money, Programme Director, University of Oxford
- Dr James Allan, Associate Director, Verisk Maplecroft
- Dr Nick Hepworth, Director, Water Witness International
- Faith Ward, Chief Responsible Investment and Risk Officer, Environmental Agency Pension Fund
- Frédéric Samama, Deputy Global Head of Institutional Clients, Amundi
- Gemma James, Manager, Environmental issues, UNPRI
- Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs, The Kingdom of The Netherlands & Sherpa for the UN HLP on Water
- Jan K. Verweyen, Advisor and Regional Coordinator, International Water Stewardship Programme
- Kristel Verhoef, Active Ownership Specialist, Actiam
- Lillian Georgopoulou, Fixed Income Product Specialist, London Stock Exchange
- Margaret Kuhlow, Global Finance Practice Leader, WWF
- Miroslav Petkov, Director, Financial Institutions, S&P Global Ratings
- Monika Freyman, Director, Investor Initiative, Water Program, Ceres
- Morgan Gillespy, Head of Water, Corporate Water Stewardship, CDP
- Noel O'Halloran, Chief Investment Officer, KBI Institutional Water Fund
- Paul O'Callaghan, CEO, BlueTech Research
- Philippe Rohner, Senior Investment Manager, Pictet
- Piet Klop , Senior Advisor, Responsible Investment, PGGM
- Richard Mattison, Chief Executive Officer, Trucost
- Sarika Goel, Responsible Investment Manager Research, Mercer Investments
- Scott McCready, AWS
- Stephen Moss, Director Capital Markets Solutions, RMS
- Will Maize, Senior Analyst, Bluefield Research
- Yannick Motz, Lead, Emerging Markets Dialogue on Finance, GIZ GmbH
Past attendees include: