Slide
Collaborating for a sustainable, nature-positive, net zero and equitable global economy
Official Event Partner
Headline Partner
An Affiliated Event of
50 Partners & Stakeholders
350 Delegates
30 Influential Speakers
Sustainable Investment Forum North America 2023
The eighth edition of the Sustainable Investment Forum North America took place during Climate Week New York when world leaders from finance, governments, business and societal projects converged at the UN to discuss methods to conserve natural resources, decarbonise international markets and mobilise public and private finance to drive a green and inclusive net zero global economy.
The Sustainable Investment Forum North America is recognised as one of the leading events for attracting asset owners with more than USD $3 trillion in assets under management. Climate Action, in official partnership with the UNEP Finance Initiative, hosted the Sustainable Investment Forum North America as the number one meeting point for the finance community during Climate Week NYC.
Register Interest 2024
Partnership Opportunities
2023 Speakers
Abhisheik Dhawan
Sustainable Finance and Partnerships Specialist
United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
Abhisheik Dhawan
Sustainable Finance and Partnerships Specialist
United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
Mr. Abhisheik Dhawan is currently working as Sustainable Finance and Partnerships Specialist with UNCDF. In this role, he is responsible for creating innovative blended finance vehicles as well as lead partnerships efforts for UNCDF at a corporate level. As part of his efforts on creating innovative blended finance vehicles, he has led the creation of Climate Insurance Linked Resilient Infrastructure Finance (CILRIF) multi-stakeholder working group over the last 36 months. Prior to joining UNCDF, he worked as Director, Cleantech Practice at Business Development Bank of Canada.
With 20+ years of experience in international markets and financial services, he has worked with banks and technology companies, including start-ups, in India and the United States, engaging with clients across continents. Over the last eight years, he has shifted focus to sustainable development. Mr. Abhisheik started banking career of over a decade with IDBI Bank at Bangalore, India’s tech capital, with a focus on the IT industry. Afterwards, he worked as Director at Standard Chartered Bank covering middle market and large corporate clients.
Mr. Abhisheik holds an MPA degree with a concentration on Economic and Energy Policy and Finance from Columbia University in New York. He also holds an MBA in Finance from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM Kozhikode), CFA-Level II and a B.Tech. in Mining Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM- Dhanbad).
Amy Hepburn
CEO
Investor Leadership Network
Amy Hepburn
CEO
Investor Leadership Network
Chief Executive Officer, Investor Leadership Network
Amy Hepburn is the CEO of the Investor Leadership Network, a 2018 G7-born group of 12 asset managers and asset
owners with over $10 trillion assets under management who are committed to accelerating the transition to a
sustainable and inclusive global economy.
Amy is a recognized impact investing expert and social entrepreneur with deep expertise on gender lens social
investments and the care of children in crises. In this capacity, she has spent 20 years driving social change globally
in the private, non-profit and public sectors through the creation of unique public/private partnerships and
investing for high impact social returns.
Her partners include visionary leaders and influencers, governments, social entrepreneurs, non-profits, forward
thinking companies, foundations and venture philanthropists seeking innovative solutions to persistent social
issues.
Amy was a Delegate on the first G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council created by Prime Minister Trudeau, and an
active member of the NationSwell Council and The Global Women’s Forum on Economy and Society.
She has Faculty appointments at Duke University and George Washington University where she teaches
on social impact, gender equality, the just transition, intersectional climate justice, the care of children in crises,
human rights and humanitarian action.
Andrew Flynn
Director, Climate & ESG Solutions
Ortec Finance
Andrew Flynn
Director, Climate & ESG Solutions
Ortec Finance
Andrew Flynn – Director, Climate & ESG Solutions
Ortec Finance
As Director within Ortec Finance’s Climate & ESG Solutions, Andrew is primarily responsible for partnering with institutional investors seeking to more effectively integrate climate risks and opportunities within their investment process, along with enabling them with their sustainability goals, regulatory requirements and transition to net-zero.
With over ten years of experience across the technology and sustainability sectors, Andrew undertakes a consultative approach to adapt to an organization’s evolving sustainability and ESG requirements as well the various different approaches towards sustainability. He joined Ortec Finance in 2023 from Clarity AI where he supported decision-makers with their varied regulatory alignment alongside optimizing their organization’s social and environmental impact through the utilization of technology and scientific research.
Andrew holds a degree in International Relations and Politics from the University of Aberdeen.
Aparna Shrivastava
Deputy Chief Climate Officer
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
Aparna Shrivastava
Deputy Chief Climate Officer
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
Aparna Shrivastava is DFC’s Deputy Chief Climate Officer. She is a climate adaptation and international development specialist with a decade of experience including sustainable development and humanitarian work across East Africa, Central America, and South & Southeast Asia. This experience has given her a foundational understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by communities on the frontlines of climate change. Most recently, Ms. Shrivastava worked at the intersection of climate change and finance to ensure a just transition to a low-carbon economy.
Prior to joining DFC, Ms. Shrivastava worked as the Climate Finance Lead at Mercy Corps, where she oversaw a wide range of efforts including adaptation finance research and development, private sector engagement, and high-level representation at COP24 and COP25. Along with serving on a technical expert group of UN Climate Change, she was the strategic director of a renewable energy investment group, Fettl, serving emerging markets.
A daughter of first-generation Indian immigrants, Ms. Shrivastava committed herself to understanding and deconstructing systemic injustice with a long-term vision to bridge gaps between resource-holders and the realities of those most vulnerable. Ms. Shrivastava began her career working on a wide range of sustainable development projects internationally. Alongside designing public health campaigns and gender empowerment advocacy work, her experience has ranged from the technical design of water and sanitation systems in post-conflict northern Uganda to livelihoods programs that made village women’s groups in rural India economically self-sufficient. In Kenya, Ms. Shrivastava established the regional office of a water and sanitation international NGO, which included building a lean team to oversee programming across Sub-Saharan Africa. She also advised small and medium enterprise owners in East Africa on their business models and investor strategies. Building on these experiences, she co-founded an online platform, LensShift, that facilitates critical reflection on power, privilege, and systemic injustice in the impact sector.
Ms. Shrivastava is recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Global Shaper and has been a guest lecturer at Cambridge University, the London School of Economics, and Columbia University. Ms. Shrivastava holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering from Oregon State University and an MBA from Oxford University.
Dr. Arunabha Ghosh
Founder & CEO
CEEW
Arunabha Ghosh
Founder & CEO
CEEW
Dr Arunabha Ghosh is the Founder and CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, as well as a member of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group. Arunabha advises governments, industry, civil society and international organisations around the world. He was invited by France to advise on the COP21 climate negotiations and was actively involved in conceptualising and designing the International Solar Alliance. He is also a founding board member of the Clean Energy Access Network and was nominated to the UN’s Committee for Development Policy in 2018.
Bertrand Millot
Head of Sustainability
CDPQ
Bertrand Millot
Head of Sustainability
CDPQ
Bertrand Millot leads the Stewardship Investing team, which is
responsible for defining and implementing CDPQ’s strategic
directions, including integrating ESG factors into all activities and
deploying the climate strategy. His responsibilities have three
aspects: helping investment teams structure impactful investment
opportunities (particularly with regard to social, climate and
energy transition investments); managing risks related to ESG,
climate change and reputation and contributing to the
organization’s outreach in collaboration with the CDPQ Global
team.
Mr. Millot is one of the architects of CDPQ’s climate change
strategy and a seasoned investor in infrastructure and corporate
debt in emerging markets, fields where ESG considerations have
historically been at the forefront. At CDPQ since 2015, he
previously held various positions in risk management and
stewardship investing, including Business Unit Risk Manager for
the Fixed Income, Capital Solutions and Cross-functional Risk
portfolios. He also served as Head of Climate Risk and Issues
and led the Stewardship Investing team.
Before joining CDPQ, Mr. Millot was CEO and CIO at Cordiant
Capital, an emerging market corporate debt fund
manager. Earlier in his career, he was active in infrastructure
project finance with the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development in London, U.K. and with BNP Paribas in Paris,
France.
Mr. Millot holds an MBA from McGill University, a Master’s in
Engineering from École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers in
Paris and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors
(ICD.D designation)
Carine Smith Ihenacho
Chief Governance and Compliance Officer
Norges Bank
Carine Smith Ihenacho
Chief Governance and Compliance Officer
Norges Bank
Carine Smith Ihenacho is responsible for the governance and compliance area, which includes ownership and responsible investment activities, control and operational risk, compliance and legal services.
Carine Smith Ihenacho was appointed Chief Governance and Compliance Officer 6 October 2020. She joined Norges Bank Investment Management in August 2017 as Global Head of Ownership Strategies and was promoted to Chief Corporate Governance Officer on 1 January 2018.
Prior to joining Norges Bank Investment Management, Ms Ihenacho was Vice President Legal and Chief Compliance Officer in Statoil ASA. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a lawyer, working in both financials and the oil and gas industry, as well as in law firms.
She also has extensive board experience.
Ihenacho holds a law degree from the University of Oslo, a Master of Law from Harvard Law School and a Master of Economics from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH).
Chris Skidmore MP
OBE, MP, Member of Parliament
UK Government
The Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MPhas been the MP for Kingswood since 2010. He has served in five government departments between 2015 and 2020 including as Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation twice between 2018 and 2020. In 2019, he was also appointed Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, attending Cabinet, during which time he signed the UK’s commitment to Net Zero by 2050 into law, and helped secure the UK Presidency of COP26. Most recently, he served as the Chair of the Government’s Independent Net Zero Review, and published the 340 page ‘Mission Zero’ report in January 2023. He is currently Chair of the All Party Group on the Environment and is also a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
View All Speakers
2023 Key Themes
Geopolitical Outlook
Geopolitical/Macroeconomic outlook for the region – Managing short term energy shocks and energy security – has the goal of decarbonisation been replaced by energy affordability?
Net Zero Alliances
The importance of Net Zero Alliances- encouraging collaboration and not just individual action- can net zero be an individual sport and what is the likely the extent of contagion?
Aligning Ambition
How are asset owners in the region aligning their climate ambitions to influence policy developments to enable a just net-zero transition?
Nature Based Solutions
Natured based solutions- biodiversity as an asset class: where does biodiversity fit in relation to other sustainable investing?
ESG Data Reliability
Has the surge in anti-ESG measures in the US posed significant legal, operational, reputational, political and financial concerns for funds, asset owners and managers?
Natural Capital
Investing in natural capital and embedding biodiversity into climate ambitions
View Agenda
Past Attendees
Sustainable Investment Forum North America is known for bringing together asset owners and institutional investors together during Climate Week NYC. This year, the Sustainable Investment Forum North America will return in person during Climate Week NYC and connect 350 qualified delegates to network and learn.
Partnership Opportunities
“It has been a pleasure to work with Climate Action over the last number of years. These forums, we believe are one of the most important places for leading financial institutions to get together, share best practice and understand how markets are moving towards real sustainability integration.”
“The people who are attending the Forum are a wide range of both asset owners and asset managers – and when we’re looking to move the agenda forward in terms of further and more extensive sustainable investment on a global basis, these are the people who are the decision makers.“
“We’ve been coming to [the Sustainable Investment Forum North America] for multiple years now. We think that within the North American market it’s one of the best, if not the best at bringing together of the minds, both from the asset owner and asset management perspective”
Take part in the Sustainable Investment Forum North America
Partnership opportunties
Register Interest 2024
