SAVE THE DATE

October 16, 2024 | ARCADIAN COURT

#ESGSummitCA

About ESG Summit Canada


The Rise of ESG is changing the business world.

 

With investors and other key stakeholders increasingly demanding businesses to address issues such as sustainability, climate change, and diversity, inclusion and equity, these ESG factors have now become important board-level priorities that have a direct impact on business reputation, resilience, finances and, ultimately, an organization’s bottom line.

Today’s corporate leaders, lawyers and in-house teams need to understand the evolving role that they must play in assisting organization meet these new ESG demands. 

The ESG Summit, taking place October 16th in Toronto, will bring together leading ESG experts, law firms, in-house council, and corporate leaders, to explore the impact of ESG on business in Canada.

Canada and international standard-setting organizations are calling for enhanced disclosure, the ESG reporting landscape is becoming increasingly complex with increased mandatory ESG disclosure on the horizon.

Ensure your organization has the latest information to stay  ahead of the regulatory curve.

Why Attend?

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    Gain practical insights into the development of ESG policy and practices to mitigate the risk of liability and drive effective ESG initiatives that will enhance organizational reputation

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    Receive practical advice on the evolving role that top management and their counsel must play in assisting organization meet these new ESG demands

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    Network with over 150 leading ESG experts, law firms, in-house council and corporate leaders to explore the impact of ESG on your organization

  • Bytesize Portfolio Icon

    Gain practical insights into effective strategies for ESG governance, in order to ensure businesses can maximize their ESG opportunities while avoiding missteps and mitigating risks

Who will attend?

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    ESG Leaders

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    Corporate Leaders

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    In-House Counsel & Lawyers

  • Bytesize Portfolio Icon

    Policy Makers & Consultants

2023 SPEAKERS


Andrew McLaughlin
Andrew McLaughlin

Vice-President – Legal Affairs, General Counsel and ESG Lead
Major Drilling Group International Inc.

Mohammed Ali
Mohammed Ali

Vice President, Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs
Agnico Eagle

Tracie Allan
Tracie Allan

Assistant Vice-President and Managing Counsel
Sun Life

Pascale Alpha
Pascale Alpha

Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
CAE

Amma Anaman
Amma Anaman

Associate General Counsel & Legal Relationship Manager, U.S. Listings
Nasdaq

Prabh K. Banga
Prabh K. Banga

Vice-President, Sustainability
AECON GROUP INC.

Samreen Beg
Samreen Beg

Senior Legal Counsel
Corporate Finance Branch, Ontario Securities Commission

Conor Chell
Conor Chell

Head of ESG Practice Group
MLT Aikins LLP

Michelle Francis-Denny
Michelle Francis-Denny

Indigenous Relations East
Bird Construction

Bindu Dhaliwal
Bindu Dhaliwal

Senior Vice President, ESG & Corporate Governance
CIBC

Robert Ellis
Robert Ellis

Chief Legal Officer & Senior Vice President, Sustainability & Compliance
Celestica

Christy Elliott
Christy Elliott

Senior Vice President, Sustainability, External Affairs & General Counsel
Keyera

Duncan Fulton
Duncan Fulton

Chief Corporate Officer
Restaurant Brands International Inc.

Helene Gagnon
Helene Gagnon

Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement
CAE

Bill Gilliland
Bill Gilliland

Partner
Dentons Canada LLP

Ash Janmeja
Ash Janmeja

Director, Sourcing Management , ESG & Indigenous Procurement
Canada Post Corporation

Rustam Juma
Rustam Juma

General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Volkswagen Group Canada Inc.

Tonya Lagrasta
Tonya Lagrasta

VP & Head of ESG
REMS, Colliers Canada

Hina Latif
Hina Latif

VP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Canada

Jennifer C. Lee
Jennifer C. Lee

Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Corus Entertainment Inc.

Ijeoma Madueke
Ijeoma Madueke

Executive Director, Sustainable Finance
CIBC Capital Markets

Carlton Mathias
Carlton Mathias

Chief Legal, ESG and Governance Officer
Ontario Power Generation Inc.

Letecia Rose
Letecia Rose

VP, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
Canadian Tire

Jennifer Suess
Jennifer Suess

Senior Vice President, General Counsel, ESG & Corporate Secretary
RioCan REIT

Anton Tabuns
Anton Tabuns

Senior Counsel, Sustainability, Legal & Regulatory Compliance
BMO Financial Group

Al-Azhar Khalfan
Al-Azhar Khalfan

President and CEO
Supply Chain Management Association Ontario (SCMAO)

2023 AGENDA


All times in ET
  • Registration and breakfast
  • Opening remarks from chairperson
    Andrew McLaughlin
    Andrew McLaughlin

    Vice-President – Legal Affairs, General Counsel and ESG Lead
    Major Drilling Group International Inc.

  • Keynote: ESG in the boardroom: Governance best practices

    ESG topics, such as climate change, human rights and DEI, have become important board-level priorities that have a direct impact on a business’ reputation, resilience, finances and bottom line. With heightened stakeholder expectations, boards must enhance corporate governance practices and embed an ESG strategy within their organization at all levels to ensure meaningful progress. This session will explore ESG responsibilities and liabilities of the board and the role of counsel in advising them.   

    • Corporate governance and ESG intersection: Best models to establish and manage oversight roles and responsibilities   
    • Key considerations in embedding ESG into part of corporate strategy and across business operations   
    • ESG skills, education, and experience to support the board in driving ESG strategy, and understanding ESG risks and requirements in fulfilling its duties to stakeholders, including: investors, employees, clients/customers   
    • Best practices for responding to increased ESG-related shareholder proposals/activism and balancing diverse stakeholder perspectives   
    • Update on the latest ESG-related liability for officers and directors  
    • Mitigating the growing risks of proxy disputes from inaction on ESG matters   
    • Identifying short-, medium- and long-term ESG-related risks and opportunities and the impact on business, strategy and financial planning  
    Bindu Dhaliwal
    Bindu Dhaliwal

    Senior Vice President, ESG & Corporate Governance
    CIBC

  • Panel: ESG disclosure obligations and risks – Regulatory developments and the emergence of multiple ESG reporting frameworks

    With international standard-setting organizations calling for enhanced disclosure, the ESG reporting landscape is becoming increasingly complex. This session will examine regulatory developments and emerging ESG reporting frameworks and assess their impact on both mandatory and voluntary reporting and the implications for organizations.  

    • Practical strategies for incorporating ESG reporting into financial statements: Establishing internal control systems, policies and processes to cover the full cycle of ESG data management, accumulation, evaluation, and reporting 
    • Outlook on mandatory ESG disclosure in Canada- preparing for future of mandatory climate-related disclosure & how these impact your organisation 
    • Update on actions of the CISB to bring disclosure standards to Canada: How will it impact Canadian market  
    • Best tools and practices for achieving investor-grade integrated financial and ESG reporting 
    • Impact of OSFI’s guidelines on climate risk management, setting out requirements for banks and insurance companies to manage and disclose climate-related risks 
    Moderator
    Bill Gilliland
    Bill Gilliland

    Partner
    Dentons Canada LLP

    Panelists
    Mohammed Ali
    Mohammed Ali

    Vice President, Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs
    Agnico Eagle

    Tracie Allan
    Tracie Allan

    Assistant Vice-President and Managing Counsel
    Sun Life

    Amma Anaman
    Amma Anaman

    Associate General Counsel & Legal Relationship Manager, U.S. Listings
    Nasdaq

    Samreen Beg
    Samreen Beg

    Senior Legal Counsel
    Corporate Finance Branch, Ontario Securities Commission

    Anton Tabuns
    Anton Tabuns

    Senior Counsel, Sustainability, Legal & Regulatory Compliance
    BMO Financial Group

  • Networking coffee break
  • Addressing growing ESG litigation risks: Risk management best practices for avoiding risk of greenwashing claims

    The rise in greenwashing claims are a serious concern for organizations trying to show their sustainability credentials and underscores the growing scrutiny ESG commitments and disclosures. T With stakeholders, regulators and consumers requiring effective steps being taken on the ESG front, the failure to meet these expectations with measurable and verifiable actions is increasingly likely to lead to regulatory action and litigation. This session will review the increased areas of ESG-related litigation risks and will examine best practices for managing these risks of litigation and regulatory sanctions. 

    • How regulators are dealing with greenwashing: types of actions regulators are challenging and how to guard against the risks 
    • Latest developments in greenwash litigation: clarifying the legal obligations and risks amidst rising ‘green’ claim 
    • Best practices in structuring and defining your businesses ESG claims to mitigate potential risk: reviewing insurance policies 
    • Disclosure-related litigation: avoiding inadequate or misleading disclosures relating to companies’ ESG-related plans  
    • How to guard against and prepare for regulatory enforcement actions: regulatory focus on greenwashing 
    • Preparing for evolving D&O liability for ESG issues and key considerations in addressing the risks 
    Conor Chell
    Conor Chell

    Head of ESG Practice Group
    MLT Aikins LLP

  • Panel: Integrating ESG goals into corporate strategy

    With investors, regulators, customers and key stakeholders increasingly demanding that businesses take action regarding ESG issues, along with the recognition of the growing risks and opportunities associated with these initiatives, ESG has become a main priority for businesses. Outside lawyers and in-house teams need to understand the evolving role that they must play in assisting organizations to meet these new ESG demands. This session explores the critical role that counsel must play in ensuring the effectiveness of ESG initiatives whilst mitigating the associated risks.  

    • Aligning ESG goals and strategies amongst organizational leadership and all departments to meet ESG obligations: Committing the entire organization to sustainability initiatives 
    • Determining the optimal role of counsel in the formation of an ESG strategy and how to integrate C-Suite & sustainability leaders into this conversation  
    • Optimizing ESG policies and practices across the organization 
    • Best practices for developing enterprise-wide ESG action and implementing initiatives tied to material ESG topics to effectively mitigate all business risks and leverage opportunities 
    Moderator
    Jennifer Suess
    Jennifer Suess

    Senior Vice President, General Counsel, ESG & Corporate Secretary
    RioCan REIT

    Panelists
    Prabh K. Banga
    Prabh K. Banga

    Vice-President, Sustainability
    AECON GROUP INC.

    Helene Gagnon
    Helene Gagnon

    Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement
    CAE

    Tonya Lagrasta
    Tonya Lagrasta

    VP & Head of ESG
    REMS, Colliers Canada

  • Networking lunch
  • Sustainable Finance: The State of Play

    There has been tremendous growth in the number of sustainable finance products, covering a broad range of financial instruments, spurred on by significant interest and corresponding flows of capital towards ESG investments. However, the use of sustainable financing brings with it a variety of obligations and risks This session will review the risks, requirements, and best practices for raising capital through sustainable financing 

    • Overview of evolving sustainable finance products: Key risks and obligations of using various sustainable financing products 
    • Best practices for avoiding running afoul in use of green funds: use of proceeds 
    • Establishing due diligence processes to ensure all proceeds go towards green projects: how the use of proceeds of the financing is tracked  
    • How to prepare for enhanced transparency, disclosure, and commitment requirements  
    • Managing growing greenwashing scrutiny over use of sustainable financing 
    • Key concerns: need for an effective due diligence process ensuring all proceeds from green financing tools going to green projects  
    • Latest best practices in utilizing these financing mechanisms: what counsel needs to know 
    • Strategies for aligning capital market strategy with corporate ESG strategy 
    • Impact of the use of labels on driving improvement to sustainability activities 
    Ijeoma Madueke
    Ijeoma Madueke

    Executive Director, Sustainable Finance
    CIBC Capital Markets

  • Panel: Supply chain due diligence best practices: Driving ethical & sustainable supply chains

    Organizations are under growing pressure to verify that their supply chains meet ESG standards. Often, the greatest ESG risk exposure that a business faces results from their supply chain, which can expose a company to hidden ESG liability. This has lead companies to increasingly evaluate their supply chain participants using ESG standards. This session will look at key developments and the impact of Canada’s proposed Modern Slavery Act, and counsel’s role in the maintenance of ESG compliance across the supply chain. 

    • Overview of emerging global supply chain legislation: a growing global trend for greater transparency and due diligence 
    • Preparing for Canada’s proposed Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and its implications in supply chain management: reporting requirements and what can be done to prepare 
    • Best practices for measuring social and environmental impact: Creating a set of metrics and analytics to assess suppliers’ ESG practices  
    • Best practices for scrutinizing the labour, environmental and human rights policies of business partners  
    • Strategies in drafting contracts with third parties that explicitly outline the company’s ESG goals  
    • Utilizing new technologies and systems to track supply chain impacts 
    • Determining how to take practical steps to address human rights in the supply chain 

     

    Moderator
    Hina Latif
    Hina Latif

    VP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
    Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Canada

    Panelists
    Robert Ellis
    Robert Ellis

    Chief Legal Officer & Senior Vice President, Sustainability & Compliance
    Celestica

    Carlton Mathias
    Carlton Mathias

    Chief Legal, ESG and Governance Officer
    Ontario Power Generation Inc.

  • Networking & coffee break
  • Panel: Practical strategies for achieving EDI goals

    Stakeholders and investors are increasingly focusing on EDI criteria as a means of benchmarking a company’s ESG efforts, as equity, diversity, and inclusion issues have become significant in addressing long term corporate sustainability, as a lack of EDI transparency or initiatives can adversely impact an organization’s reputation, brand and competitive position. This session will demonstrate the importance of combating structural discrimination and enhancing diversity at all levels of an organization and provide practical strategies for achieving EDI goals. 

    • Role of HR, in-house counsel, and employment lawyers in addressing EDI issues: best practices for coordinating efforts 
    • Understanding and communicating the role EDI in ESG efforts to develop a culture and commitment to EDI excellence 
    • Best practices for addressing legal and practical issues associated with emerging EDI actions 
    • How board and counsel can instill principles of EDI throughout the entire organization 
    • Practical strategies for tracking meaningful metrics for EDI 
    • Incorporating EDI goals into corporate ESG strategy 
    • CSA’s proposals concerning diversity on boards of directors and in executive officer positions at public companies  
    • Establishing corporate disclosure best practices regarding diversity policies and practices: Recommendations for ongoing EDI policy disclosures 
    Moderator
    Rustam Juma
    Rustam Juma

    General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
    Volkswagen Group Canada Inc.

    Panelists
    Pascale Alpha
    Pascale Alpha

    Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
    CAE

    Michelle Francis-Denny
    Michelle Francis-Denny

    Indigenous Relations East
    Bird Construction

    Jennifer C. Lee
    Jennifer C. Lee

    Executive Vice President and General Counsel
    Corus Entertainment Inc.

    Letecia Rose
    Letecia Rose

    VP, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
    Canadian Tire

  • Closing remarks from chairperson

2024 SPONSORS


Gold Sponsors

  • Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
  • Dentons

Associate Sponsor

  • PwC

2023 VENUE


Delta Hotel Toronto

TRAVEL PLANS

Preferred Accommodations

Hotel room rates are subject to all applicable taxes and fees. Rooms are subject to availability in each hotel from Aug 15 to Aug 24. We recommend that you book as soon as possible or 45 days before the event at the latest. 

Delta Toronto

75 Lower Simcoe St. Toronto, ON M5J 3A6

Book your group rate via the reservation link to secure the discounted rate until September 1, 2023.

Room rate: $685.00 CAD plus tax  per room/night 
Cut-off date: September 1, 2023
Check in: 4pm Check out: 12pm 
Dial-in +1 416- 924-0611 

Book your group rate for ESG Summit Canada Room Block 

The Soho Hotel and Residences

318 Wellington Street West Toronto, ON M5V 3T4

Book your group rate by using this link The Soho Hotel & Residences – ESG Summit Canada Quote that you are attending the ESG Summit Canada to avail the discounted rate until September 18, 2023. 

Room rate: 20% off the best available rate plus tax CAD per room/night 
Cut-off date: September 18, 2023 
Check in: 4pm Check out: 12pm 

The Soho Hotel & Residences – ESG Summit Canada 

Bisha Hotel Toronto

80 Blue Jays Way, Toronto, ON, M5V 2G3

Book your group rate via calling +1 437. 800. 5973 or email [email protected]. Quote that you are attending the ESG Summit Canada to avail the discounted rate until September 10, 2023. 

Room rate: $537.00 CAD per room/night  
Cut-off date: September 10, 2023 
Check in: 4pm Check out: 12pm 
Dial-in +1 437. 800. 5973

THANKS FOR TAKING PART IN THE ESG SUMMIT CANADA 2023

Missed the 2023 event? Register your interest to participate in ESG Summit Canada 2024

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