Thriving in the rapidly evolving US sustainable finance landscape
Join us on 3-4 December in New York for the 15th annual Responsible Investor USA conference, where leading voices in sustainable finance come together to tackle the industry’s most pressing challenges.
Connect with a global audience of 300+ asset owners, investment managers, banks, financial regulators, and data providers for two days of networking, thought-provoking panels and in-depth discussions.
Learn from leaders in the industry and come away with actionable insights on current sustainability issues.
Meet 100+ of North America's leading asset owners including:
Speakers leading the discussion in 2024 include:
What can you expect at RI USA?
Get real insight into the industry
RI USA’s program provides clear, actionable insights into what sustainability means for business and investment. We ask the right questions and deliver answers.
Build a long-lasting network
Connect with stakeholders across the sustainable finance industry through workshops, panels, breakfasts, debates, and evening receptions. Strengthen your professional connections.
Meet institutional investors
Hear from active asset owners who are honing their sustainable finance strategies and creating real, measurable impact across the industry. View last year’s attending asset owners here.
Key event themes
• Acclimating to SEC disclosure: What are the implications and risks of ESG reporting for asset managers and asset owners?
• Increasing demand for ESG data: What are the best practices for ESG measurement and management?
• Operationalizing net-zero commitments: What role will new technologies, renewables, and carbon offsets play in the transition to net-zero?
• The role of politics in sustainable finance: How will net-zero agendas and targets evolve with political fluctuations?
• Managing physical and transition risk: How can investors quantify, manage and adapt to growing climate-related risks to assets and portfolios?
• Navigating global regulatory differences: How will the regulatory landscape evolve amidst standardization debates?
• Hydrogen, carbon capture, electrification, natural capital and beyond: What are the best sustainable investment opportunities today and what are key barriers to scale for emerging climate solutions?
Apply for a complimentary asset owner pass
A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible asset owners to join the event.
Complimentary investor passes are limited to foundations, endowments, trusts, insurance companies, single family offices, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds who are actively making fund commitments and do not engage in third-party fundraising activities or collect fees for advisory/consulting services.
Please register your interest and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.
Connect with investors & ESG professionals
Responsible Investor USA provides an opportunity to make connections with an exclusive audience of ESG and sustainable finance decision makers.
Share your solutions, collaborate and network with senior-level executives through bespoke sponsorship packages to meet your 2025 business goals.
For more information on speaking in 2024, please contact Finlay Eglinton.
Finlay.eglinton@pei.group | +44 (0)203 879 3893
Bethany Davis Noll
Executive Director, The State Energy & Environmental Impact Centre at NYU School of Law
Ekaterina Grigoryeva
Environment and Social Development Specialist (Global Lead, Financial Sector), The World Bank
Andrew Lee
Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing, UBS Global Wealth Management
Andrew Siwo
Head of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions, New York State Common Retirement Fund
Tara Mei Smith
ESG Integration Officer, Bureau of Asset Management, Office of New York City Comptroller
For more information on the agenda, please contact Finlay Eglinton.
Finlay.eglinton@pei.group | +44 (0)203 879 3893
View agenda page
Agenda
RI USA 2024 - Tuesday 3rd
08:55 - 09:00
Opening remarks
Gina Gambetta
Gina Gambetta, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
Plenary
09:00 - 09:50
Plenary 1: Transition finance in the US: Driving change through investment
Andrew Howell,
Candice Coppere,
Curtis Ravenel,
Andrew Siwo,
Tara Mei Smith,
Thomas Englerth
- How are US investors approaching high-emitting sectors and corporates?
- Will transition finance be the main source of alpha in the US energy transition?
- Do US investors want dedicated transition finance instruments?
- Is there a tension between financing the transition and meeting net zero targets?
Moderator: Andrew Howell, Senior Director, Sustainable Finance, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
Candice Coppere, Head of Climate and Nature Solutions, Product, ISS STOXX
Curtis D. Ravenel, Senior Advisor, GFANZ
Andrew Siwo, Head of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions, New York State Common Retirement Fund
Tara Mei Smith, ESG Integration Officer, NYC Office of the Comptroller
Thomas Englerth, Associate Director, Sustainable Finance, S&P Global Ratings
09:50 - 10:40
Plenary 2: Manager selection in the US
Dominic Webb,
Matthew Illian,
Rajith Sebastian,
Sarika Goel
- How has the politicisation of ESG impacted manager selection?
- Is stewardship being priced into manager selection or neglected in search of lower fees?
- Is manager selection being utilised enough to drive asset owner priorities through managers?
- Are consultants doing enough to drive asset owner priorities through manager selection?
- Given the US context, will climate focused/net zero investors drift to European headquartered managers?
Moderator: Dominic Webb, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
Matthew Illian, Director, United Church Funds
Rajith Sebastian, Head of ESG and Sustainable Investing, New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF)
Sarika Goel, Global Head Sustainable Investment Research, Mercer
10:40 - 11:10
Networking break
Plenary
11:10 - 11:30
Keynote - Eye of the storm: Former SEC policy director reflects on three years at US regulator
Gina Gambetta,
Heather Slavkin Corzo
11:30 - 12:15
Plenary 3: ESG regulation: The US, EU and beyond
Steven M. Rothstein,
Sandra Silea,
Sireen Hajj,
Elizabeth Seeger
- How are US investors navigating the SFDR and what do they want out of the regulatory reform?
- US anti-greenwashing efforts: What’s next for SEC climate-related disclosures and name rules in the post-election environment?
- Will CSRD provide US investors with the sustainability data they need?
- Compliance vs action: How are investors balancing mandatory and voluntary disclosure needs with investment/stewardship activities?
Moderator: Steven Rothstein, Managing Director, Accelerator, Ceres
Sireen Hajj, Director of Investor Outreach, US SIF
Elizabeth Seeger, Board Member, ISSB, IFRS Foundation
Sandra Silea, Director, ESG & Stewardship, AustralianSuper
12:15 - 13:00
Plenary 4: Nature investment in North America: Risks and opportunities
Gina Gambetta,
Felipe Carazo,
Lauren Compere,
Daan Van Acker,
Megan Reilly Cayten
- Nature as a systemic risk: how are investors approaching the challenge?
- Measuring biodiversity and nature risk across portfolios: methodologies, tools and barriers
- Public vs private markets: where are the nature investment opportunities?
- Are US corporates doing enough, and disclosing enough, on nature?
Moderator: Gina Gambetta, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
Lauren Compere, Managing Director, Head of Stewardship & Engagement, Boston Common Asset Management
Felipe Carazo, Head of Alliance Management, Tropical Forest Alliance, World Economic Forum
Daan Van Acker, Director, InfluenceMap
Megan Reilly Cayten, Head of Carbon Nature Fund, Climate Asset Management
13:00 - 13:50
Lunch
Stream A
13:50 - 14:30
A1: Corporate transition plans: Next steps
Dominic Webb,
Andreas Ross,
Joel Paque,
Jacob H. Hupart,
Radhika Mehrotra
- What does a credible transition plan look like?
- Are US companies embracing the concept of transition plans?
- What guidance do companies and investors need? Prescriptive vs high-level
- To what extent should climate lobbying activities be disclosed in transition plans?
Moderator: Dominic Webb, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
Andreas Ross, Head of New Product Research and Development, ZAIS Group
Joel Paque, Head of Partnerships, US, Climate Arc
Jacob Hupart, Co-Chair of ESG Practice, Mintz
Radhika Mehrotra, Associate Director Capital Markets, CDP
Jacob H. Hupart
Co-Chair of ESG Practice, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C.
Read bio
14:30 - 14:35
Networking break
14:35 - 15:15
A2: ESG Data: The next frontier
Greer Howard-Tabah,
Samantha McCafferty,
Paul Vozzella,
Manju Seal
- Do companies have the data they need for mandatory climate reporting?
- Supporting scope 3 data requirements
- How is technology helping to meet the nature data challenge?
- What are the biggest gaps in supply chain data?
Moderator: Manju Seal, Former Head of Sustainable Finance and Capital Markets ESG Lead, Bank of Montreal
Greer Howard-Tabah, Vice President, ESG, Oaktree Capital Management
Samantha McCafferty, Associate Director – Sustainable Investing, Harvard Management Company
Paul Vozzella, Director, Americas, Asset Impact
Manju Seal
Former Head of Sustainable Finance and Capital Markets ESG Lead, Bank of Montreal
Read bio
15:15 - 15:20
Networking break
15:20 - 16:00
A3: Water risk: An investors’ guide
Karen Sack,
Saumya Mehrotra,
Tom Ferguson,
Chris Janiec,
Matthew Diserio
- Where are US companies most exposed to water risk?
- How should investors engage corporates on water?
- What tools and data are available to investors to assess water risk?
- How can the private sector help to address water shortages?
Moderator: Chris Janiec, Americas Editor, Agri Investor
Karen Sack, Executive Director, Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance
Saumya Mehrotra, Product Management Team, ISS STOXX
Tom Ferguson, Managing Partner, Burnt Island Ventures
Matthew Diserio, Co-Founder & President, Water Asset Management (WAM)
Stream B
13:50 - 14:30
B1: The future of collaborative engagement in the US
Gina Gambetta,
Claudia Martínez,
Marcela Pinilla,
Bethany Davis Noll
- Do legal threats around antitrust carry any weight? If so, where are the lines that should not be crossed?
- How can investors defend themselves against accusations? What does best practice look like?
- Where can collective engagement make sense in a US context?
- Can collective engagement in the US survive the ESG backlash and Republican election victories?
Moderator: Gina Gambetta, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
Marcela Pinilla, Director of Sustainable Investing, Zevin
Claudia Martinez, Director of Research, Access to Medicine Foundation
Bethany Davis Noll, Executive Director, The State Energy & Environmental Impact Centre at NYU School of Law
Bethany Davis Noll
Executive Director, The State Energy & Environmental Impact Centre at NYU School of Law
Read bio
14:30 - 14:35
Networking break
14:35 - 15:15
B2: Agriculture: Sustainability and food security
Chris Janiec,
Sofia De La Parra,
Lara Fornabaio,
Björn Aarts,
Matthew Corbett
- How are US investors thinking about agriculture and sustainability?
- Is supporting food security compatible with financial institutions’ net zero commitments?
- How is technology changing the agricultural sustainability landscape?
- Is regenerative agriculture a scalable solution?
Moderator: Chris Janiec, Americas Editor, Agri Investor
Sofia De La Parra, Investor Outreach Manager, FAIRR
Lara Fornabaio, Senior Legal Researcher, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Matthew Corbett, Partner – Agriculture, Fiera Comox
Björn Aarts, ESG Director, Rabo Investments
15:15 - 15:20
Networking break
15:20 - 16:00
B3: Bond markets vs private credit: Financing the energy transition
Dominic Webb,
Jamison Friedland,
Jamie Franco,
Peter Munro
- Are bond markets fit-for-purpose for financing the energy transition?
- SLBs and transition bonds: do they have a role in the US?
- Where can private credit fill the gaps in debt financing for the transition?
- How is the policy landscape impacting sustainability linked bond issuance in the US?
Moderator: Dominic Webb, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
Jamison Friedland, Senior Sustainability Analyst, AXA IM
Jamie Franco, MD and Global Head of Sustainable Investment, TCW Group
Peter Munro, Head of Investor Relations & Sustainable Finance, European Investment Bank (EIB)
16:00 - 16:10
Networking break
Workshops
16:10 - 17:00
Workshop A - Attracting investor capital to U.S. housing
Jamie Franco,
Nick Sapirie,
Randy Plavajka
- What role do securitized products play in supporting U.S. housing?
- How can issuers use the capital markets to allocate capital towards affordable housing?
- What disclosure considerations are at play?
- How do investors use these products to meet their clients’ demands?
Moderator: Randy Plavajka, Deputy Editor, PERE Credit
Nick Sapirie, Vice President, Single-Family Capital Markets, Fannie Mae
Jamie Franco, MD and Global Head of Sustainable Investment, TCW Group
Jim Egan, Co-Head of Securitized Products Research, Morgan Stanley
16:10 - 17:00
Workshop B – Nature Investment
Megan Reilly Cayten
Megan Reilly Cayten, Head of Carbon Nature Fund, Climate Asset Management
16:10 - 17:00
Workshop C – Investing in 2050
Doug Scott,
Georgia Stewart
What does the ideal investment landscape of 2050 look like? How do we navigate the rapid pace of change to make this vision a reality?
Through thought-provoking discussions and collaborative exercises, participants will explore how technological innovation, demographic shifts, and sustainability imperatives could reshape investing over the next 25 years.
In this session, you will:
- Imagine the future: Collaborate in groups to craft a compelling vision of the investment landscape in 2050.
- Reverse engineer success: Work backward from your 2050 vision to identify key milestones, challenges, and shifts needed to bring this future to life.
- Plan for action today: Develop concrete, actionable steps to integrate into your organization’s strategy, spanning short-, medium-, and long-term horizons.
Co-facilitator: Doug Scott, CEO & Co-founder, Ethic
Co-facilitator: Georgia Stewart, CEO, Tumelo
Co-facilitator: Adam Kanzer, Head of Stewardship, Americas, BNP Paribas Asset Management
17:00 - 18:00
Networking drinks
18:00 - 18:00
End of day one
Agenda
RI USA 2024 - Wednesday 4th
08:00 - 09:00
Networking breakfast
Stream A
09:00 - 09:40
A4: Understanding supply chain sustainability risk: An investors’ guide
Gina Gambetta,
Patrick O’Connell,
Serena Shi,
Gwen Le Berre
- How are investors engaging with corporates on supply chain risk?
- Where are the biggest gaps in corporate supply chain data?
- How is regulation affecting corporate supply chain reporting?
- Which supply chain issues are most material for investors?
Moderator: Gina Gambetta, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
Patrick O’Connell, Director of Responsible Investing Research, AllianceBernstein
Adam Kanzer, Head of Stewardship, Americas, BNP Paribas Asset Management
Serena Shi, Vice President, The Lightsmith Group
Gwen Le Berre, Head of Responsible Investment, Parametric Portfolio Associates
Patrick O’Connell
Director - Fixed Income Responsible Investing Research, AllianceBernstein
Read bio
09:40 - 09:45
Networking break
09:45 - 10:25
A5: Governance risk: Board competence and capabilities
Marcel Bucsescu,
Matt Moscardi
- How are investors approaching governance risk?
- How do governance failures impact investor confidence and company valuation?
- What are the emerging standards for governance transparency and reporting?
- How can companies improve their disclosure practices to build trust with investors?
- AI board competence
Marcel Bucsescu, Vice President, Strategic Engagement, NACD
Matt Moscardi, Head of Board Moneyball, Free Float Analytics
Stream B
09:00 - 09:40
B4: Greenwashing vs greenhushing
Dominic Webb,
Lance Dial,
Ekaterina Grigoryeva,
Andrew Lee,
Ashley McNamee
- How are US corporates and investors navigating political and public scrutiny of sustainability?
- What are the implications of corporate greenhushing for investors?
- How have investors responded to the SEC’s greenwashing crackdown?
Moderator: Dominic Webb, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
Lance Dial, Partner, K&L Gates
Ekaterina Grigoryeva, Environment and Social Development Specialist (Global Lead, Financial Sector), The World Bank
Andrew Lee, Managing Director, Managing Director – Global Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing, UBS Global Wealth Management
Ashley McNamee, Managing Director, ESG, Revelstoke Capital Partners
09:40 - 09:45
Networking break
09:45 - 10:25
B5: Real estate and climate risk
Tom Idzal,
Brenden McEneaney,
Marina Severinovsky,
Daren Moss,
Randy Plavajka
- Decarbonising real estate – a missed low-hanging fruit opportunity for investors?
- Real estate climate engagement
- Uninsurable assets: what does this mean for real estate investors?
- How are US real estate developers approaching the net zero challenge?
Moderator: Randy Plavajka, Deputy Editor, PERE Credit
Marina Severinovsky, Head of Sustainability North America, Schroders
Brenden McEneaney, Senior Vice President, JLL
Tom Idzal, Head of Americas, GRESB
Daren Moss, Principal, ESG – Real Estate Lead, Ares Management
10:25 - 10:55
Networking break
Plenary
10:55 - 11:35
Plenary 5: Investing for sustainable outcomes
Steven M. Rothstein,
Sarah Bernstein,
Wendy Cromwell,
Lila Preston,
Maggie Stafford
- Defining a ‘sustainable outcome’ or proving real-world sustainability impact: What methods and frameworks are investors using?
- Net-zero commitments and interim climate investing goals: Are investors on track to meet them?
- Is the Inflation Reduction Act translating into opportunities for sustainability-focused investors in public markets?
- Could the changing political environment affect the calculus for sustainable investment in the US?
Moderator: Steven Rothstein, Managing Director, Accelerator, Ceres
Sarah Bernstein, Head of Sustainability, Meketa Investment Group
Wendy Cromwell, Head of Sustainable Investment, Wellington Management
Lila Preston, Head of Growth Equity, Generation Investment Management
Maggie Stafford, Director, ESG Solutions, Morningstar Sustainalytics
11:35 - 12:15
Plenary 6: The state of corporate reporting in the US
Aeisha Mastagni,
Caitlin McSherry,
Meagen Stack,
Neil Stewart
- How are US corporates currently approaching sustainability reporting?
- Does corporate reporting in the US meet the needs of investors?
- Will ISSB become the de facto standard for corporate sustainability reporting in the US?
- What assurance are investors asking for on non-financial corporate disclosures?
Aeisha Magstani, Senior Portfolio Manager, Sustainable Investment & Stewardship Strategies, CALSTRS
Caitlin McSherry, Head of Investment Stewardship, Neuberger Berman
Meagen Stack, ESG Reporting, Chevron
Neil Stewart, Director of Corporate Outreach, ISSB/IFRS Foundation
Aeisha Mastagni
Senior Portfolio Manager, Sustainable Investment ＆ Stewardship Strategies, CALSTRS
Read bio
12:15 - 13:05
Lunch
Plenary
13:05 - 13:25
Keynote
Dominic Webb
Aeisha Magstani, Senior Portfolio Manager, Sustainable Investment & Stewardship Strategies, CALSTRS
Moderator: Dominic Webb, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
13:25 - 14:10
Plenary 7: After Exxon: The future of shareholder proposals
Gina Gambetta,
Sanford Lewis,
Danielle Fugere,
Heidi Welsh
- What are the implications for shareholder rights in the US of the Exxon lawsuit?
- What will Trump 2.0 mean for shareholder proposals?
- Will the file-first mentality of shareholders shift towards a more engagement/dialogue-focused approach?
- How can shareholder proposals be used most effectively in a sustainability context?
Moderator: Gina Gambetta, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
Sanford Lewis, Director, Shareholder Rights Group
Danielle Fugere, President & Chief Counsel, As You Sow
Heidi Welsh. Executive Director. Sustainable Investments Institute (Si2)
14:10 - 15:00
Plenary 8: Fiduciary duty in 2024: Operating effectively within a polarized environment
Dominic Webb,
Fran Seegull,
Colin Melvin
- Beyond the politics: What does fiduciary duty look like for a universal owner in 2024?
- Which issues are necessary for a fiduciary to consider? Are some like AMR being overlooked?
- How can a universal owner mitigate systemic risks to portfolios?
- To what extent can sustainability preferences – and outcomes – be factored into fiduciary duty?
Moderator: Dominic Webb, Senior Reporter, Responsible Investor
Fran Seegull, President, U.S. Impact Investing Alliance
Colin Melvin, Founder & Managing Director, Arkadiko Partners
15:00 - 15:00
End of conference
Pre-Event Resources
Network at America's leading responsible investment event
Meet America’s sustainability leaders
Network with active asset owners, banks, and insurers in the industry. Benefit from also our expansive and multi-stakeholder community who will be in attendance throughout the conference.
Network in-person in New York
Connect with your peers at interactive workshops, networking breaks, evening drinks reception, roundtable discussions and invite-only breakfasts.
Build valuable connections
Our past attendees included British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, CalPERS, Chicago Teacher’s Pension Fund, Credit Suisse, Office of the New York City Comptroller, Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System, and many others.
Connect with active investors
Be recognised as driving the future of sustainable finance
Responsible Investor USA provides an opportunity to make connections with an exclusive audience of ESG and sustainable finance decision makers. Share your solutions, collaborate and network with senior-level executives through bespoke sponsorship packages to meet your 2024 business goals.
Be recognised as driving the future of sustainable finance to institutional investors in the US
Sponsoring at Responsible Investor global events positions your company at the forefront of key decision-makers and ensures your profile gains a competitive advantage within the industry. Enquire about bespoke sponsorship packages to:
- Align your brand with Responsible Investor’s authoritative content-led event portfolio and be seen as a go-to solution provider for senior ESG and sustainable finance professionals.
- Stand tall amongst your competitors by positioning your company at Responsible Investor USA and embed your brand as a major player to senior institutional investors.
- Raise your profile as a thought leader within the industry to overcome the key challenges within responsible investing.
- Showcase your institutional investor solutions, in-person to new global audiences and generate new business opportunities to achieve your targets.
2024 sponsors include:
Connect with responsible investment investors
Hiroshi Komori
Senior Director, Stewardship & ESG, GPIF
RI events around the world have been beneficial to catch up on ongoing ESG issues and network with great people.
Andrea Palmer
ESG Lead, PGGM
I appreciate the quality of the delegates and the conversations. It’s the go-to venue to gauge developments in ESG integration.
Asset owners at RI USA 2024
The Responsible Investor USA conference provides an unrivalled platform for asset owners investing in sustainable finance. Join over 100 asset owners from across the United States to discuss the latest responsible investing trends and compare best practices and allocation strategies for 2024 and beyond.
A limited number of complimentary passes for the event are available for asset owners. Check out the benefits of joining the conference and learn who among your peers attends. Apply for a complimentary pass for you or your team now.
Meet the USA’s leading investor community
Network with leading asset owners from across the region. Past attendees have included CalsTrs, UNJSPF, Wafra, Wespath Investment Management, World Bank Group and more.
Understand investor appetites and allocation preferences
Join your peers as they delve into the latest responsible investment trends and compare best practices and allocation strategies for 2024 and beyond.
Enhance your network
Meet with emerging players and industry veterans to understand the evolving responsible investment landscape. Make the most of dedicated networking breaks, investor-only breakfasts, lunches and more to build your network.
2023 asset owners included:
What to expect?
Network with your peers
Enrich your network, build lasting relationships, and exchange valuable perspectives with your investor peers through investor-only breakfasts, networking breaks, lunches and much more.
Gain expert insights
Hear from our industry-leading speaker line-up, discover the latest trends and stay aligned with future innovations in the market.
Stay aligned to developments and opportunities
Discover remarkable investment opportunities and leverage ESG expertise focused on regulation, human rights, biodiversity, net zero and more.
Meet with the best and brightest funds
Connect and arrange one-to-one meetings with the biggest and best ESG managers in the market.
Apply for a complimentary asset owner pass
A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible asset owners to join the event.
Complimentary investor passes are limited to foundations, endowments, trusts, insurance companies, single family offices, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds who are actively making fund commitments and do not engage in third-party fundraising activities or collect fees for advisory/consulting services.
Please register your interest and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.
Our leading advisory board in 2023 included:
