ABOUT
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) imperatives have become fundamental to how businesses make investment decisions. By effectively including and implementing ESG in business strategy, South African business can become more attractive for foreign investment to boost economic growth.
But far more than this, the impact that investing for good has on the whole of South Africa is immeasurable. Investing for the planet and people creates a better world, a world where we can all live confidently, knowing we are leaving the right legacy for future generations.
The Sanlam ESG Barometer in partnership with Business Day will be the first to assess how JSE-listed companies are actively improving environmental and social outcomes in society through their activities.
Join Sanlam and Business Day at the inaugural Sanlam ESG Barometer Conference, where business leaders will discuss what the Intellidex led research, the Sanlam ESG Barometer has revealed about SA’s international investor appeal.
AGENDA
Andile Khumalo
Master of ceremonies
Karabo Nondumo
Independent Non-executive Director, Sanlam
Dr Stephanie Giamporcaro
Associate Professor at Nottingham Business School, NTU and an adjunct Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Business, UCT
Dr Stuart Theobald
Chairman, Intellidex
ESG is a global investment phenomenon. ESG investments are expected to reach $53-trillion by 2025 according to estimates by Bloomberg, almost half the world’s institutional assets. But what effect does this have on emerging markets? Recent research suggests the effect could be negative, as global investors screen out emerging market issuers on criteria such as corruption perceptions, press freedom and labour standards. Relatedly, EM companies tend to be smaller and less resourced for investor communications and therefore there are data gaps that lead to fewer inclusions of emerging markets issuers (both sovereign and private sector) in ESG portfolios.
Nastassia Arendse
Moderator
Monique Mathys-Graaff
Head of Sustainability Solutions, Snr Director Investments, Willis Tower Watson
Andrew Johnstone
CEO, Climate Fund Managers and Sanlam InfraWorks
Sandra Myburgh
CEO, Fern Impact Partners
David Aserkoff
Executive Director, CEEMEA Equity Strategist EMEA Equity Research, JP Morgan
Many South African companies have embraced ESG and are reporting in line with several global frameworks, as well as domestic ESG drivers (FSCA Guidance Note, Crisa, etc). ESG, sustainability reports, and reports to society are increasingly prevalent from locally listed companies. The JSE has also made efforts through the Socially Responsible Investment index, as well its promotion of a sustainability board and transition segment, and we are seeing significant growth in the issuance of sustainability-linked instruments, green bonds and similar. In many ways South Africa is an outlier in emerging markets in the development of its approach to ESG. However, South Africa is also an outlier in other ways: a very carbon intensive economy, concerns over rule of law (greylisting), shrinking per capita GDP for several years, etc. This presents challenges for the investment case for South African issuers.
Hilary Joffe
Moderator
Teboho Makhabane
HO ESG & Impact, Sanlam Investments
Shameela Ebrahim
Chief Sustainability Officer, JSE
Waseem Thokan
Head of ESG Research, Peresec
Louise Gardiner
Working Groups and Africa Coordinator, Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN)
Andile Khumalo
Master of ceremonies
Abel Sakhau
Chief Sustainability Officer, Sanlam
SPEAKERS
PARTNERS
Sanlam
Sanlam is a diversified financial services group, headquartered in South Africa, operating across a number of selected global markets.
We have been creating value for stakeholders since 1918 – for more than 100 years. Sanlam is one of the biggest internationally active insurance groups globally. We contribute to financial resilience and prosperity in all the markets where we are present.
Click here to learn more about Sanlam.
Business Day
Business Day is a national daily newspaper in SA, launched in 1985. The publication feature all major national and international news, with a specific focus on the SA economy, the business sector, the political economy, companies and financial markets. The website is updated continually on a daily basis with original online only content as well as content sourced from other publications such as Financial Mail, Business Day, Business Day TV and Sunday Times Business Times.
RESEARCH PARTNERS
Intellidex
Intellidex, a leading research and consulting firm that specialises in capital markets and financial services in emerging markets, assesses ESG on a local and global scale. Its research on ESG integration seeks to address, among other issues, the growing difficulty for South African companies to access international capital. Our analysis demonstrates that investment practices should focus more on ESG additionality – the stock of ESG good in the world that can be increased by allocating capital proactively to aid companies to deliver better ESG outcomes, rather than risk-based ESG screening.
GALLERY
