Sustainable Development Goals, Value-Based Investors and the Catholic Church Social Teaching in the light of Laudato Si'
Plenary Meeting
Sustainable Development Goals, Value-Based Investors and the Catholic Church Social Teaching in the light of Laudato Si'
Rome, April 15th 2016
Institut français - Centre Saint-Louis
Largo Giuseppe Toniolo, 20-22 - Rome
April 15th, 2016 – 8:30 to 13:00 am
Context
‘The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the World Summit, which opens today, is an important sign of hope’. The Holy Father addressing the UN General Assembly on the 25th September 2015.
The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) is a major challenge considering its broader context, i.e. moving towards a resilient, low-carbon, resource efficient and new economic model towards inclusive socio-economic development. Reducing poverty and economic & social inequalities, protecting our planet from the environmental and social effects of climate change and biodiversity destruction, setting up global partnerships and mobilizing companies and investors through concrete contributions are part of the solution. However, public finance is insufficient to meet the enormous financing requirements of this energy, ecological & just transition, mobilizing private capital is therefore urgently required.
Within that context, the Encyclical Letter Laudato si’ of Pope Francis is a call for a broad and deep renewal of the sense of responsibility. However, the key test will be to what extent on one hand it leads to changes of the way political leaders and financiers are designing the global finance system and agenda, and on the other hand to what extent public and private investors (including pension funds, religious communities, believers) do and are intending to invest in accordance with non-financial, value-based criteria and which evolutions of the framework could help them accelerating the pace. The conference on April 15th will review these two elements in the framework of the SDG’s.
We need a ‘transformative cooperation’ as called for by the UN where Non-State Actors (Regions and Cities, Business and Financiers, Trade Unions, Religious Organisations, NGO’s, Universities, etc.) are playing a leading role as agents of change building a ‘virtuous circle’ encouraging Governments to be ‘more ambitious and/or courageous’ and where multi-stakeholders unthinkable coalitions a few years ago are developing ambitious new agenda’s to better “Care for our Common Home”.
Cardinal Peter Turkson, the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (PCJP), will address the conference attended by representatives of other churches (and faiths), financial Institutions, public authorities, civil society organisations…
8:30 Registration and welcome coffee
9:00 Welcome
Mr. Pier Virgilio Dastoli, European Movement – Italy President
Mr. François Xavier Tilliette, Chargé d’affaires, French Embassy to the Holy See
Min. Plen. Luigi De Chiara, Directorate General for Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Guest speaker:
Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (Sustainable finance and care in the light of Laudato Si’)
Thoughts:
Archimandrite Simeone Catsinas, Greek Orthodox Church of San Teodoro Megalomartire Tirone al Palatino
Reverend Henrik Grape, The Lutheran Church of Sweden
10:30 - 11:30 Roundtable - SDG’s, MAKING THE FINANCE SECTOR RESPONSIBLE
Chair: Mr. Philippe Zaouati, Mirova, Chief Executive Officer
Introduction: Robin Edme, EPE President, Chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Group of Friends of § 47 of Rio+20 Declaration
and Senior Advisor Responsible Finance (French Ministry of Environment, Energy & the Sea)
Embedding the SDG’s objective into investment and voting entails the redefinition of the investor’s fiduciary duty towards its clients...
and society as a whole: Moving towards value-based investing (investing with values)
1. Mr. Stanislas Dupré, Founder & Executive Director, 2° Investing Initiative
2. Mr. Andrea Baranes, BankTrack, Banca Etica (Banks’ management transparency and SDG’s)
3. Mr. Paolo Garonna, Secretary-general FEBAF (Initiatives by the financial industry)
4. Mr. Johnny El-Hachem, Global Head of Private Equity and CEO of Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity S.A.
Coffee Break
11:45 – 12:45 Roundtable - SDG’s, MOBILISE VALUE-BASED INVESTORS
Chair: Raymond Van Ermen, EPE
Introduction by the Rapporteur of an Expert Group.
Towards a 5 years Progress Contract for a World Brotherhood and a Capital Stewardship & SDG’s Platform.
1. Mr. Jean-Léonard Touadi, Senior Advisor Partnerships Unit FAO: partnership with UN agencies
2. Ms. Jo Mountford, Share Action (Institutional investors' role in support to SDG’s)
3. Mr. Gianni Bottalico, President International Association of Catholic Workers (Mobilise Workers)
4. Ms. Donatella Bianchi, President WWF Italia (Mobilise citizens in the world)
5. Ms. Rossella Muroni, President Legambiente (Mobilise Italians)
12:45 Conclusions
Mr. Hassan Abouyoub, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Italian Republic in view of COP22
Mr. Ermete Realacci, President of the Environment Committee in the Italian Parliament in view of the G7 under
Italian Presidency
13:00 Cocktail and Walking Lunch
