Virtual Round Table: Driving effective climate policy engagement in Canada

Institutional investors are increasingly sophisticated in their understanding of climate-related risks and opportunities and are actively engaged on sustainable finance policy. However, there is an unrealized opportunity for these investors to address climate issues more directly, by engaging with real world economic policies that drive decarbonisation and climate adaptation.

This private, virtual round table brings together a forward-thinking group of investors for a candid, peer-to-peer exchange of experiences and ideas. During the session we will explore emergent best practices and opportunities regarding real economy climate policies in Canada. And we will work to refine strategies for engaging effectively with policymakers.

This event is co-hosted by the Institute for Sustainable Finance at Smith School of Business, Queen's University; the Principles for Responsible Investment, a global organisation focused on catalysing responsible investment through leadership and collaborative action; and Volans, a think tank and advisory firm currently leading a global research project to make investor climate policy engagement more impactful.

For more information please email David Watson at david.watson@queensu.ca.

Moderator

Richard Roberts

Head of Research & Insights, Volans

Richard Roberts is Head of Research & Insights at Volans. He advises companies in multiple sectors (finance, energy, consumer goods) on sustainability strategy and leads a team that delivers foresight briefings for Boards and Executive teams. He also leads Volans’ practice on climate policy engagement. This includes advising companies and financial institutions on their advocacy strategy and tactics, conducting assessments of trade association lobbying, and supporting companies in preparing climate policy-related disclosures. This advisory work is complemented by ongoing research and thought leadership to define what best practice looks like for organisations seeking to optimise policy influence as a tool for enabling delivery of their climate strategies.

Cami Daeninck

Regenerative Solutions Advisor, Volans

Cami Daeninck is Regenerative Solutions Advisor at Volans. She works closely with companies in the consumer goods and energy sectors to co-create and implement strategic projects across sustainability, climate policy engagement and procurement. Cami joined Volans 3 years ago after completing her MSc in Environmental Technology at Imperial College London. She now co-leads a ground-breaking project on mobilising trade associations as a force for good. This has involved developing best practice guidance for companies to strategically engage their trade associations and report this engagement to investors and the public. She also co-leads an influential research project exploring investor influence on real economy policy, seeking to identify existing barriers and reveal pathways for activation.