Business Leadership & Climate Action

Registration begins at 5:30pm and ends at 6:00pm. Please plan to be seated by 6:00pm. 

IMPORTANT: There will not be tickets available at the door for this event. 

Climate change has started to impact several regions of the world and sectors of society, threatening global development and undermining the foundations of the world economy. Savvy business leaders realize that environmental degradation poses unprecedented risks that could impact their organizations’ competitiveness and growth.

Businesses around the world are starting to take action that has the potential to create long-term environmental benefits. Through innovation and long-term investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and low carbon products and technologies, these organizations have the potential to turn climate risks into market opportunities.

This panel event will examine how leading companies are harnessing innovation and sustainability best practices to manage long-term climate risks and find opportunities to grow and transform their businesses while generating environmental benefits that are increasingly valued by their consumers, investors, and the global community.

On November 26, find out which businesses are taking the lead on climate action, and learn about the innovative solutions and best practices that are fighting climate change and altering the way we do business. Light refreshments will be served.

Schedule

5:30 - 6:00pm: Registration

6:00 - 7:00pm: Introduction & Panel discussion

7:00 - 7:30pm: Q&A

8:00 - 9:00pm: Networking at offsite location (TBA)

Panelists: (more to be announced soon!)

Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO & Founder, Competent Boards

Helle Bank Jorgensen is a renowned sustainability, climate change, and ESG advisor. She has close to 30 years of experience helping global companies and investors turn sustainability into strong financial results. Helle has worked with hundreds of world-leading companies.

She developed the Competent Boards Certificate Program. The program helps board members, executives and those who advise them to confidently act upon the most material environmental, social and governance aspects of their business. The program has engaged several world-class business leaders like Paul Polman, former Unilever CEO, who calls it an “Incredible initiative.”

Helle serves on His Royal Highness Prince of Wales A4S Global Expert Panel, the Cornerstone Capital Global Advisory Council, the WBCSD Governance & Internal Oversight High-Level Advisory Group and is a judge for Ethical Corporation awards. Helle is a Board Facilitator for the UN Global Compact Board Program and a regular keynote speaker and author of many thought-leading articles and books.

Helle was the creator of the world’s first Green Account based on life-cycle assessment, as well as the world’s first Integrated Report, the first holistic supply chain program, and was the principal organizer for the CEO/Investor-network for Business Ethics and Non-Financial Reporting. She led the Improvement of DJSI and CDP ranking and investor communication for global companies and has worked on Natural Capital Accounting for IFC/World Bank. She has built the Canadian chapter of the UN Global Compact and received the 2019 Clean50 award.

Helle was a Partner with PwC for 11 years, building and leading sustainability and climate change practices in Europe and the US. She has extensive experience providing strategic and operational guidance to all functions within an organization, including advising at the C-suite and board level.

Helle is a State Authorized Public Accountant and Business Lawyer by training.

Jennifer Macdonald, Manager of Impact Investing, CoPower (a subsidiary of Vancity Community Investment Bank)

As Manager of Impact Investing at CoPower (a subsidiary of Vancity Community Investment Bank), Jennifer develops and implements client growth strategies and assists CoPower’s existing green bond holders, providing support and building engagement. She joined CoPower after four years as an Associate on the Institutional Investment Management team at Phillips, Hager & North (RBC Global Asset Management), where she helped manage and monitor institutional client accounts ranging from pension plans to foundations and endowments across Canada, provided coverage for the firm’s global and emerging market equity strategies, and helped develop and integrate ESG initiatives.

Steven Pacifico, Director of Sustainability and Innovation, Epic Investment Services

Steven Pacifico is an energetic and motivated sustainability practitioner with over 20 years’ experience working in the environmental and sustainability sector—working with corporations, government, and NGOs. Steven’s experience is focused on developing sustainability and stakeholder engagement business strategies. Steven currently works as the Director of Sustainability and Innovation for Epic Investment Services, a commercial real estate company, comprising over $16.5B and 35M square feet of assets under management in office, retail, industrial and multi-family residential classes extending across Canada and the USA. Steven is delivering a sustainability and innovation vision and strategy that creates long-term value for Epic’s key stakeholders.

Prior to Epic, Steven lead Energy Exchange, an organization dedicated to energy/climate literacy and policy development. Steven was also the Director of Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement for The Delphi Group.  

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Steven has a Master of Environmental Studies in Business, Sustainability, and Change Management from York University and the Schulich School of Business and a Bachelor of Environmental Sciences, with Honours, from the University of Guelph.

Additional Memberships and Affiliations:

• Board member of EcoSchools Canada 2017-Current
• Board member of The ICARUS Foundation 2010-2013
• Guest Lecturer at York University, The University of Guelph, Ryerson University, Queens, UoT

Moderator: 

Toby Heaps, CEO, Corporate Knights 

Toby is the CEO and co-founder of Corporate Knights Inc. and publisher of Corporate Knights Magazine. He spearheaded the first global ranking of the world’s 100 most sustainable corporations in 2005, and in 2007 coined the term “clean capitalism.”

For more information and his work visit here. 

Event presented by Connecting Environmental Professionals Toronto. Venue generously provided by WeWork.