Our agenda
Guy Singh-Watson, our keynote speaker, gave an energising presentation on the “Challenges and opportunities in farming without destroying the planet – lessons from building a £100m business that sticks to its principles.”
This was followed by two expert panels hosted by the WHEB team. The first on progress on the energy transition and the second on the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and whether they will help to build capacity for impact investing.
We were thrilled to be joined by the following panelists: Ingrid Holmes (Green Finance Institute), Ida Levine (Impact Investing Institute), Phil Spyropoulos (Eversheds Sutherland), Jake Moeller (Square Mile) and Luke Sussams (Jefferies).
Scroll down to watch the videos from the event and find out more about our exhibiting partners. If you would like a copy of the Strategy Review, please email susie.winstanley@whebgroup.com
Our keynote
Guy Singh-Watson
Guy Singh-Watson has over the last 37 years taken Riverford from one man and a wheelbarrow delivering homegrown organic veg to friends, to a national veg box scheme delivering to 70,000 customers a week. Tired of meetings, brands and the assumption that greed is our predominant motivation, Guy converted the business to employee ownership in 2018, using the proceeds to buy a small farm and return to growing organic vegetables.
In common with many of Riverford’s co-owners, Guy is an advocate of using business to shape a part of the world, however small, to be kinder, more considerate, and sustainable; more like the world most of us want to live in. A self-professed ‘veg nerd’ Guy’s weekly newsletters connect people to the farm with refreshingly honest accounts of the trials and tribulations of producing organic food, and the occasional rant about farming, and ethical business issues he feels strongly about.
Panel on “Progress on the net-zero carbon (NZC) transition
Panellists:
Claire Jervis (WHEB)
Ingrid Holmes (Green Finance Institute)
Luke Sussams (Jefferies)
Seb Beloe (WHEB)
In this panel discussion, Seb provides a brief overview on the changing estimates for the pathway towards zero carbon emissions and highlights that the “1.5oC or below” scenario is essentially out of reach now.
He then takes the panel through the list of the largest carbon emitters to get their view on the progress and outlook for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Industries discussed include power generation and pressure points in renewable energy, transport, general industry and agriculture.
Panel on “Hopes and fears. Will SDR help build capacity for impact investing?”
Panellists:
George Latham (WHEB)
Ida Levine (Impact Investing Institute)
Jake Moeller (Square Mile)
Phil Spyropoulos (Eversheds Sutherland)
Rachael Monteiro (WHEB)
Rachael and George guide the panel through a series of topics around the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) new Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR), exploring questions such as “What is SDR and sustainability impact?”, “What are the problems with adoption?”, “How will SDR create change?” , and most importantly “Will it mobilise capital for impact investing?”
Our exhibitors
Find out more about our exhibiting partners.
Business Declares
Business Declares is a not-for-profit organisation formed by senior leaders with a vast range of experience from the SME, B Corp and FTSE100 sectors who believe that business has a major part to play in tackling the climate, ecological and social emergency.
City Hive
City Hive is a think tank and advocacy group on a mission to democratise access to investing and investments.
Future Fit
Future Fit offer free guidance and consultancy to help companies, investors and advisors play their part in building a better world.
Make it Wild
Make it Wild are a passionate, community engaged organisation, taking direct action to regenerate the land, creating a thriving, biodiverse ecosystem.
Net Purpose
Net Purpose have built a high-quality sustainability dataset to enable impact investors to build their approach to impact measurement and have high conviction in the impact of these investments.
Papyrus
Papyrus is a UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people.
Wilder Carbon
Wilder Carbon offer high quality conservation projects delivered in the UK result in long-term carbon lock-up and real biodiversity gains.
