Morning session: 8:00 am to 10:00 am (BST)
8:00 – 8:30
Climate (transition) plans - The learning curve
Mathieu Filippo, Senior Manager, Prudential Supervision, Achmea (Netherlands)
Achmea embodies its ethos of "Sustainable Living Together", championing an inclusive society where harmony and active participation are the norm. It underscores the necessity of nurturing our environment and broadening the reach of sustainable practices for enduring prosperity. Achmea is resolute in its commitment to global climate objectives and fortifying societal and customer resilience in the face of climate change repercussions. Amidst the profound social, economic, and financial challenges climate change presents, Achmea has pledged allegiance to global initiatives, including the Paris Pledge for Action in 2015 and the Dutch financial sector’s Climate Commitment in 2019, showcasing its proactive stance as an investor and lender in line with the Dutch National Climate Agreement.
8:30 – 8:40
Q&A
8:40 – 9:10
NFU Mutual’s Transition Plan Journey
Helen McKee, Climate Risk Specialist, NFU (UK)
Creating a transition plan for a mutual insurer specialising in rural insurance involves strategically adapting to the evolving agricultural landscape. The plan should start with a thorough assessment of current operations and an understanding of market trends, particularly those related to sustainability and technology.
Key steps include aligning with environmental goals, leveraging technological advancements like precision agriculture, and diversifying risk through a broader portfolio. Compliance with regulations and active stakeholder engagement, especially with farmer members, are also vital components.
The transition plan must be actionable, with a clear implementation roadmap, regular monitoring, and flexibility to adapt to changes. This ensures the mutual insurer remains relevant and supportive of its members' needs in a dynamic industry.
9:10 - 9:20
Q&A
9:20 – 9:50
ICMIF closing remarks + panel reflection
Audience participation
Afternoon session: – 15:00 pm to 17:30 pm (BST)
15:00 – 15:30
Accelerating a just transition towards a greener, more inclusive and resilient world
Christelle Lim-Severe, Sustainability Practice Leader, Beneva (Canada)
At Beneva, people and the planet come first, with the firm belief that sustainability is much more than just an environmental and social practice. It’s a firm commitment toward the planet, community and future generations. This presentation will outline Beneva’s journey in delivering its impact statement of Investing in global wellness while accelerating a just transition towards a greener, more inclusive and resilient world. During this presentation, Christelle Lim-Severe of Beneva will elaborate on the framework for integrating sustainable practices in its underwriting practices and operations and the key role of the insurance industry fostering innovation for a sustainable future.
15:30 – 15:40
Q&A
15:40 – 16:10
Transitioning your energy portfolio
Chad Park, Vice President, Sustainability & Citizenship, and Tom Ewart, Associate Vice President, Sustainability, both Co-operators (Canada)
This session will examine how Co-operators is transitioning its energy portfolio andfundamentally reshaping its investment and underwriting focus towards renewable energy and away from fossil fuels. This strategic move involves divesting from high-carbon industries, channelling funds into sustainable energy projects, and managing the risks associated with climate change. It also includes supporting clients in the energy sector to adopt greener practices and setting firm targets for reducing the company's carbon footprint, all aimed at aligning with global efforts to achieve a net-zero economy.
16:10 – 16:20
Q&A
16:20 – 16:50
Aligning values with impact: Thrivent's journey
Cynthia J Nigbur, VP, Governance Strategy, Deputy Corporate Secretary, General Counsel's Office, Thrivent (USA)
A mutual/cooperative insurer planning a transition must prioritise understanding climate change impacts, setting clear targets, and transforming governance to support the transition. Transparency, stakeholder engagement, and robust data collection for ESG and climate risks are essential. The insurer should also consider reinsurance counterparties, comply with evolving legislation, develop a detailed roadmap, and establish monitoring and reporting systems. These steps are vital for a successful shift towards a sustainable and resilient business model.
16:50 - 17:00
Q&A
17:00 – 17:30
ICMIF closing remarks + panel reflection
Audience participation
Speakers
Tom Ewart, Associate Vice-President of Sustainability, Co-operators (Canada)
Tom Ewart is Associate Vice-President of Sustainability at Co-operators (Canada). He and his team help the organisation realise its vision of being a “catalyst for a resilient and sustainable society.” Their efforts have resulted in Co-operators being recognised as the most sustainable insurer in the world, the most sustainable cooperative in the world, and among the 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada for many consecutive years, including #1 most recently in 2019-2020.
Prior to joining Co-operators, Tom was the founding Managing Director of the Network for Business Sustainability (NBS.net) - a network of more than 6,000 researchers and managers committed to advancing sustainable business. Alongside this work, he also taught courses in Western University’s Masters of Environment and Sustainability program, and in the University of Waterloo’s Environment and Business Programme.
Tom graduated from Western University as a gold medalist in the Engineering Faculty and as an Ivey Scholar from the Ivey Business School. He also earned a Master of Environment and Business from the University of Waterloo. In 2015, he was recognised as an Emerging Leader by Canada’s Clean50.
Mathieu Filippo, Senior Manager, Prudential Supervision, Achmea (Netherlands)
Mathieu Filippo is Senior Manager, Prudential Supervision and Sustainability at Achmea (Netherlands). Mathieu is responsible for full prudential legislation and interpretation for Achmea (banking, insurance, asset management, group). He is also responsible for interpretation and implementation of EUT and CSRD for Achmea.
In addition to the above, Mathieu has a number of other roles and responsibilities including: Chair of the Solvency Working Group and Member of the Sustainability Working Group with the Dutch Association of Insurers; and Member of the Solvency II Working Group of Insurance Europe (and CEA). Mathieu also shares this experience and knowledge through his participation in various Working Groups for AMICE, including: Co-chair of the Prudential Regulation Working Group; member of the Sustainability Working Group; and Chair of the Corporate Reporting Working Group. Lastly, in his current activities, Mathieu is a Member of the Technical Committee Insurance of the Global Reporting Initiative.
Previously, Mathieu was the Achmea main contact for IFRS issues, special accounting projects and Quantitative Impact Studies Solvency II and then, between 2009 and 2016 had full responsibility for the implementation of Solvency II and IFRS issues at Achmea.
Cindy Nigbur, Vice President, Governance Strategy and Deputy Corporate Secretary, Thrivent (USA)
Cindy Nigbur is Vice President, Governance Strategy and Deputy Corporate Secretary for Thrivent. She’s been with the organization for 26 years, all of it within the General Counsel’s Office. Cindy’s main role is to lead strategic governance practices for the enterprise that capitalize on our unique distinction as a fraternal benefit society and purpose-based organization. As part of her role, she manages the national board of directors, working closely with Thrivent’s President and CEO, Terry Rasmussen; Board Chair, N. Cornell Boggs; and General Counsel, Paul Johnston. She leads the governance strategy, oversight and corporate reporting for our parent organization, regional boards of directors and subsidiary governance structure.
Cindy also provides cross-organizational governance to help build an industry-leading Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Strategy through collaboration with other leaders across the enterprise. This will complement Thrivent’s Investment and Product Development efforts related to ESG – all of which will enhance the organization’s approach to ESG (including focusing upon the organization’s unique social impact and member-owner governance structure).
Chad Park, Vice President, Sustainability & Citizenship, Co-operators (Canada)
Chad Park is the Vice President, Sustainability & Citizenship for Co-operators (Canada). In this role he leads the cooperative’s efforts to embed and integrate sustainability principles throughout the organisation, including in its investment strategy and insurance operations. He also oversees Co-operators' nation-wide community investment and partnership programmes, including the Co-operators Community Funds.
Prior to joining Co-operators in June 2020, Chad played a leadership role with several sustainability-focused organisations and initiatives. He served for five years as the Founding Director and Lead Animator of the Energy Futures Lab, a diverse coalition of innovators and partner organisations working together to advance solutions for a transformative energy vision for Canada. He has also served as Executive Director of The Natural Step Canada, a founding Board-member for the Future Fit Foundation in the United Kingdom, and a Board member of the Canadian Energy and Climate Nexus. Chad earned his masters degree as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University in Sweden and completed the Oxford Social Finance Programme at Oxford University’s Saïd School of Business.