The Chancellor’s Mansion House speech highlighted pensions as a key driver of sustainable finance. This roundtable will explore how pension reform and ESG can be better integrated to create a future-proof pensions system. Key topics will include ESG mandates, fiduciary guidance, and how pension schemes can support investments in green infrastructure and the net-zero transition.

We are delighted to have Lara Wolters MEP lead this virtual discussion. A key voice on corporate sustainability, Lara was the rapporteur on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This roundtable will explore the European Commission’s Omnibus Simplification Package — whether it is a necessary reform or a setback for ESG — and its implications for the UK.

This roundtable will focus on how the UK Industrial Strategy can drive regional growth through sustainable investment, reshaping markets, supporting communities, and regulation. We’ll explore how the strategy can empower businesses to adopt sustainable practices and foster long-term investment in British industry. Esin Serin, a Policy Fellow at LSE specialising in UK energy and climate policy, will lead the discussion, providing valuable insights.

The roundtable will explore the intersection of ESG principles and the unique challenges and opportunities in the Global South, drawing lessons from the recent COP conferences and the innovations emerging from developing markets. We will be joined by Michael Wilkins, the Executive Director and Professor of Practice at the Centre For Climate Finance And Investment at Imperial College London.

The TFMR’s roadmap published in October, recommends scaling an effective and credible transition finance market. This roundtable comes at a pivotal moment, following the release of the government’s UK Green Taxonomy consultation on 14 November. The discussion will be led by Vanessa Havard-Williams, the Transition Finance Market Review’s Chair.

The discussion, chaired by Victoria Collins, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, will explore the urgent need to rethink corporate sustainability, shifting from traditional ESG frameworks to a more competitive, business-driven sustainability approach.

With Heather Buchanan, Chief Executive & Co-Founder of Bankers for Net Zero (B4NZ); and Oscar Warwick Thompson, Head of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF)

Group litigation specialists Pogust Goodhead will lead a discussion on transforming group class action lawsuits and the questions this poses for corporate ESG strategies

With Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at the London School of Business; Lindsey Stewart, Director of Investment Stewardship Research at Morningstar; and Robert Armstrong, US Financial Commentator at the FT

Inaugural roundtable of the PLG on ESG