Building Bridges V: Sustainable Investing through Infrastructure: Building Portfolios for the Long-term

K&L GatesSovereigNET, The Fletcher School’s Network for Sovereign Wealth and Global Capital, and the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds were pleased to host our fifth symposium on global infrastructure in October 2017. This central theme of this gathering was, “Sustainable Investing through Infrastructure: Building Portfolios for the Long-term.”

Asset owners and institutional investors are steadily embracing sustainability as a key theme in managing long-term portfolios. Investment strategies are increasingly informed by the environmental and social impacts of portfolio decisions. Infrastructure investors, in particular, must manage the challenges posed by environmental and social risks that may only become known and priced over long horizons.

Building Bridges V was a unique gathering of institutional investors, policy makers, development bankers, service providers, academics, and public sector partners gathering to explore the role of infrastructure as a long-term asset class through the lens of the “impact”-conscious investor. From issues of aligning stakeholder interests, to best practices in due diligence, and extending to benchmarking and reporting, we unpacked the challenges of managing environmental and social risks to infrastructure assets, offered practical insights, and shared innovative best practices.

Check out the conference agenda

The day was organized into four discussion panels and several interactive lunch breakouts. All sessions featured noted professionals who are actively engaged in sponsoring, funding, and managing global infrastructure assets or institutional portfolios with substantial commitments to infrastructure.

Morning Keynote Speaker:
Sarah Williamson, CEO,
Focusing Capital on the Long Term
Afternoon Keynote Speaker:
Thierry de Longuemar, VP, CFO,
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

 

 

 

Conference Co-Chairs
  • Wong-Han Cheng, Partner, K&L Gates
  • Jeff Cohen, Partner, K&L Gates
  • Eric Freedman, Partner, K&L Gates
  • Tom F. Holt Jr., Partner, K&L Gates, & Co-Head, SovereigNet
  • Eliot Kalter, President, EM Strategies, Inc., & Co-Head, SovereigNet
  • Peter Mixon, Partner, K&L Gates, & former General Counsel, CalPERS
  • Margaret Niles, Partner, K&L Gates
  • Charles Purcell, Partner, K&L Gates
  • Patrick Schena, Adjunct Professor of International Business Relations, The Fletcher School, & Co-Head, SovereigNet

 

Speakers & Panelists
  • David AdamsonWafra Investment Advisory Group
  • Zulfiqar Haider AliInternational Finance Corporation
  • Charles BralverUltra Capital LLC
  • Dr. Massimiliano CastelliUBS Global Asset Management
  • Kirstine DamkjaerInternational Finance Corporation
  • Dr. Leo de BeverMountain Pacific Group
  • Joe HalapuaNew Zealand Superannuation Fund
  • Håvard HallandWorld Bank
  • Scott KalbNew America
  • Rashad KaldanyCaisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
  • Hikka KomulainenUN Principles for Responsible Investing
  • Parrish McCormackNuveen
  • Rael McNallyBlackRock Real Assets
  • Kei NakanishiJGC Corporation
  • Katie Schmitz EulittSustainability Accounting Standards Board
  • Glenn SmithHancock Renewable Energy Group
  • Cynthia SteerJohn Hancock Natural Resource Group
  • Tomicah TillemannNew America
  • Trisha TanejaSustainalytics
  • Swami VenkataramanMoody’s Investor’s Service
  • Jay Yoder, Pavilion Alternatives Group