As inequality increases across the world and crisis after crisis envelops the financial sector, the financial system reveals a systemic market failure, which prevents the needs of the social economy to be served holistically. Nonetheless, this is not irreparable. Ultimately, the financial system is only a tool, and it is up to us to harness it to serve as an engine in the global economy’s transitions toward sustainable development. As an international financial center, Hong Kong needs to be a part of this transition and is uniquely positioned to lead.
In this webinar, we will hear from Sustainable Finance Initiative (SFi), a project led by AVPN member RS Group.
Leonie Kelly and Tze-Wei Ng from SFi will:
- Discuss why sustainable finance is relevant to investors and the dimensions of sustainable finance;
- Share insights from their latest market research “Mapping Sustainable Finance in Hong Kong” – the first of its kind to review the state of play of sustainable finance in Hong Kong.
Peter van der Werf and Ronnie Lim from Robeco‘s Active Ownership will:
- Share about ESG integration in Global Fundamental Equities, Credits and Quant Funds;
- Explore how Active Ownership adds value to investments.
Speaker
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Leonie Kelly Project Director, Sustainable Finance Initiative (SFi) Leonie Kelly has led the development of SFi since joining in January 2017. Her career in sustainable finance is driven by a desire to apply market-based solutions to tackle environmental and social challenges. Leonie has worked as a specialist in impact advising financial institutions, social enterprise and charities globally. She also led the development of the world’s first Rhino Impact Investment at the Zoological Society of London.
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Tze-Wei Ng Advocacy & Engagement, Sustainable Finance Initiative (SFi) Tze-wei Ng designs SFI’s programmes and helps manage day-to-day operations. A lawyer by profession and a veteran journalist, she previously led the setting up of the Hong Kong office and Asia operations of PILnet, an international public interest law NGO, which sparked her interest in how to expand funding support for rights and social justice projects. Tze-wei is keen to help her hometown of Hong Kong become a more inclusive and sustainable city.
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Peter van der Werf Senior Engagement Specialist, Active Ownership, Robeco Peter covers the consumer staples, healthcare and chemicals sector. Specific areas of expertise are agribusiness, access to medicine, nutrition, supply chain management and Sustainable Development Goals. He is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI) working groups on Labour Standards in the Agricultural Supply, Sustainable Palm Oil and Deforestation. Building on his previous experience in the Food & Agri sector he is involved in impact investing research efforts within the Robeco group. Peter holds a master’s degree in Environmental Sciences from Wageningen University with a minor in Entrepreneurship.
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Ronnie Lim Senior Engagement Specialist, Active Ownership, Robeco Ronnie has 27 years of investment experience. He joined Robeco Hong Kong in 2013, responsible for Asia Pacific investment stewardship and active ownership. From 2003 to 2010, Ronnie worked in London for Aviva Global Investors as Head of Sustainable Investment Research, where the SRI team were #1 ranked by Extel for four years. He later joined Climate Change Capital where he was the portfolio manager for the Global Environmental Opportunities fund, an absolute return strategy. Ronnie holds BSc and MSc degrees from UK universities in Economics and Environmental Science, and is an Associate of CFA UK.
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About the Organisations
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Sustainable Finance Initiative (SFi) is a community platform aimed at promoting the growth of sustainable finance in Hong Kong. The initiative is incubated by RS Group, a family office based in Hong Kong. SFi is building a community of private investors who believe in “Capital that Matters” and supports a broader community of SF stakeholders who are passionate about, and critical to, shaping Hong Kong into a sustainable finance hub. |
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Robeco is an international asset manager offering an extensive range of active investments, from equities to bonds. The Active Ownership team at Robeco enables institutional investors to become active owners of listed companies. The team engages with companies and votes on behalf of clients to maximize the value of their investments. The quality of the team’s active ownership practices was confirmed in the UN PRI 2016 assessment, where it attained the highest possible score (A+) for active ownership. |
