Sustainability experts, financial crime professionals and a gender specialist are the latest “high-calibre” speakers announced for Jersey Finance’s upcoming Sustainable Finance Summit.
The Summit, entitled ‘The Big Transition – What’s Next?’, will feature three events set to explore the relationship between nature, climate and the great wealth transfer, against the backdrop of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The guest speakers will take part in sessions named “the role of innovation in the transition” and “the next steps for sustainable finance in Jersey”.
Dame Susan Rice, Olivia Dakeyne, Stephen Nolan, Andrea Castaño de la Torre, Helen Avery, Mark Halle and Andrew W. Mitchell are the latest speakers to be announced, joining Mike Berners-Lee, sustainability and climate change expert and author of There is no Planet B.
Dame Susan is a Chartered Banker and chair of the Financial Services Culture Board. She was founding chair of the Chartered Banker: Professional Standards Board.
Ms Dakeyne is Associate Director of Insight at Themis, an anti-financial crime provider. She leads financial and environmental crime research projects for the private and public sector.
Mr Nolan is Managing Director of the UNDP Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S) initiative, a network of 44 financial centres collaborating to achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
Ms Castaño de la Torre is a Gender Specialist in inclusive economics and finance, and Global Coordinator of the Gender Equality Seal for the Private Sector.
Ms Avery is Director of Nature Programmes at Green Finance Institute. She supports the mobilisation of private sector finance into nature restoration, and the transition to an economy that values and invests in the natural environment.
Mr Halle is a Senior Advisor at UNDP International Network of Financial Centres for Sustainability. He founded the International Institute for Sustainable Development – Europe in 1998.
Mr W. Mitchell is founder and CEO of Equilibrium Futures, which provides advice to the finance sector on environmental risks and opportunities.
Joe Moynihan, CEO of Jersey Finance, said: “We have some truly exceptional big thinkers lined up.
“I hope professionals on the Island will take this opportunity to hear from those who are working to drive the sustainable change needed by Jersey and the wider world.”
The inaugural Sustainable Finance Summit marks the five-year countdown to Jersey Finance’s 2030 sustainable finance vision.
The week-long event, taking place at the Freedom Centre from 10 March, will also feature briefings for business leaders and young professionals, a junior art exhibition, the Sustainable Finance Awards, a volunteering initiative and remote events in London and South Africa.
David Postlethwaite, Director of KPMG in the Crown Dependencies, sponsor of the Summit, said: “IFCs like Jersey are pivotal in scaling up sustainable finance flows. Their leadership in governance practices makes them crucial in the global shift towards sustainable finance.”
Ali Cambray, Sustainability Leader at fellow sponsor PwC Channel Islands LLP, added: “Jersey has both a responsibility and an opportunity to be a hub of expertise and facilitator of capital flows for global sustainable development. We must remain competitive and capture our market share as global sustainable assets under management continues to grow.”
Katie Dodds, Executive Sponsor for Sustainability, HSBC CI and IoM, the final sponsor of the event, commented: “We’re using our global network, scale and influence to advocate for systemic action. Jersey is well positioned to support the transition to net zero and we are excited to be part of the ongoing discussions.”