Registration and Welcome coffee 8:30 - 09:00
Opening
The conference will be moderated by
Keynotes speeches
Morning discussions 09:30 - 12:45
Dialogue
PART 1: Climate finance: What is alignment?
Plenary discussion
Discussion’s leader: Pierre DUCRET, Chair, I4CE
“Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate resilient development” is one of the three long term goals of the Paris agreement adopted in 2015. Four years later, where do we stand on this objective?
How can the financial sector contribute to this alignment? The issue raises complex methodological questions: scope of action, scale of ambition and time horizon. Pioneering financial actors, both private and public, will testify to their strategies for aligning with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Progress measurement, alignment on Paris goals
2 | Dialogue
Coffee break 11:15 - 11:30
PART 2: Financing a just transition
1 | Plenary discussion
Discussion’s leader:Nick ROBINS, Professor of Practice in Sustainable Finance, LSE
The transition to a low carbon economy will reshape large economic sectors during the coming decades: energy, automotive industry, agriculture… Two challenges will have to be met: one is to organize the future of workers and territories from declining activities toward sustainable activities, the other is to guarantee that new green activities will deliver social benefits. Policy makers, trade unions, companies, think tanks, financial institutions are more and more aware that the necessary green transition will be acceptable only if its social implications are taken into account. This session will showcase how new financial approaches make it possible to combine climate and social impact to create long term value.
2 | Dialogue: Just transition and long term financial strategy
Networking lunch 13:00 - 14:00
Afternoon discussions 14:00 - 18:00
PART 3: Parallel sessions
Discussion’s leader: Jean-Jacques BARBERIS, Head of Institutional and Corporate Clients Coverage, Amundi
New financial tools combining social and climate objectives are beginning to appear. This round table will bring together researchers, investors and issuers to discuss ways of translating ambition into concrete solutions: choice of objectives and scope, measurement tools, financial products, public support policies, etc.
Discussion’s leader: Claire TUTENUIT, General Manager, EpE
The Convention on Biological Diversity’s 15th Conference of the Parties (CBD COP15), scheduled to take place in China in 2020, marks a critical point for addressing the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. As was done for climate change, the financial sector could mobilise internationally in the lead-up to CBD COP15.
Unlike climate but like health, biodiversity is not measurable with a single indicator, making it challenging to model it into financial activities. Still, human activity impacts on nature and dependencies from biodiversity are complex and can create systemic risks to the financial system, including physical (or “ecological”) risks and liability risks.
On the other side, ecosystem services can provide significant investment opportunities.
At the same time, climate action must incorporate new criteria to avoid accelerating the biodiversity loss; how?
How can we manage these subjects? How can investors, businesses, policy makers, regulators and civil society co-operate to push and help the financial community to integrate biodiversity as a key dimension of investment decision-making?
The achievement of the objectives of the Paris Agreement on Climate and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require a massive shift of financial flows. Faced with the magnitude of the challenges, it is essential to mobilize our capacity to innovate, to imagine new solutions, and to scale up. In this perspective, how can technological innovation be used to finance the ecological and energy transition?
It will be the main discussion of this parallel session which will aim to showcase fintech solutions able to transform financial sector practices and reorient capital flows and connect them with the actors of the French innovation ecosystem to support their development. It will also be dedicated to the Awards ceremony of the 2nd edition of the “Challenge Fintech for Tomorrow”, launched by Finance for Tomorrow with the support of ADEME and EIT Climate-KIC.
Coffee break 15:30 - 15:45
Speech
PART 4: Market authorities, a new stimulus?
1 | Plenary discussion
Discussion’s leader: Robert OPHELE, Chairman, AMF-French Market Authority
Initially identified as a financial stability risk, climate change has made its way in the agendas of securities markets regulators. The European Commission’s Action Plan in particular will lead to changes in several pieces of market regulation, from disclosures, risk management, financial advice, to benchmarks, ratings and investment processes. A number of market regulators have also started to integrate sustainability in their day-to-day supervision both to keep pace with the rapid changes in the market and to respond to growing expectations towards regulators. The panel will review how regulators see their role in relation to climate risk and for the development of sustainable finance, the challenges and the expected benefits of their intervention. It will also describe the initiatives taking place at international level.