Investors, disclosures, and the climate transition

The climate transition and the identification of transition risks are increasingly pivotal subjects for portfolio managers. These considerations have shaped how institutional investors are thinking about sustainable investment and have continued to present challenges including the availability of data, meeting of regulations, and integration into existing investment processes. The scale, speed, and breadth of the climate transition requires the consideration of countless variables to assess decarbonization alignment and transition risk. Mature, operational metrics such as carbon emissions are the backbone of carbon footprinting exercises but additional complex, forward-looking, disclosures of transition plans and targets are needed to contextualize a firm’s climate performance. We bring together experts in the design, curation, and implementation of climate datasets to discuss how corporate climate disclosures allow investors to assess climate risk in their portfolios and engage with company management on navigating the climate transition. Join us to hear experts discuss: • The importance of climate disclosure: How mandatory and voluntary disclosure frameworks affect rate and quality of disclosures, and how to best to achieve a consensus disclosure format for complex, forward-looking indicators • Incorporating climate data in the investment process: Compensating for missing or poor-quality data, assessing feasibility of emissions reduction targets and transition plans, integrating sector specific decarbonization pathways. • Best practices in corporate engagement: Usefulness of proxy voting, identifying chief concerns of company management, assessing alignment of transition plans with financial and business strategy. Speakers: Jack Simmons, Senior Research Lead, Sustainable Investment, FTSE Russell Tim Smith, CFA, Research Analyst, Climate Change & Energy Transition, Lazard AM Moderator: Brendan Maton