CBEY Webinar: Making the Business Case for Intelligent Efficiency
2012-12-04 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar, United States
This webinar from the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale, looks at a systems-based approach to energy efficiency.
Dr. Neal Elliott and Ethan Rogers from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and Paul Hamilton from Schneider Electric will present their groundbreaking work pioneering the concept of taking a systems-based approach to dramatically scale energy efficiency. They will also discuss opportunities for intelligent efficiency as a competitive advantage for businesses, as well as in a regulated business environment.
For a preview, check out the ACEEE report “ A Defining Framework for Intelligent Efficiency.”
Details and registration here.

BASIC end-of-year gathering
2012-12-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Market, 21 Broad St., Boston, MA, United States
BASIC, the community of Boston-area Sustainable Investment Professionals, hosts its end of year social gathering at Market 21 Broad Street, Boston, on December 13th.

ACEEE Webinar: Highlights from the 2012 Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change (BECC) Conference
2013-01-10 15:00 - 16:00
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy hosts a webinar reviewing the highlights from the 2012 Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change (BECC) Conference on January 10th at 3:00 pm.
This webinar will discuss highlights from this year’s premier gathering of researchers and practitioners focusing on the application of social and behavioral insights to move America to a clean, independent, and thriving economy. We’ll discuss the take-home lessons, hottest research, selected case studies, and an overview of sessions on neuroscience, conservative thinking, and storytelling.
Hosted by Susan Mazur-Stommen, Director of Behavior and Human Dimensions, no registration is required, but participants are encouraged to sign in early, as space is limited.
To enter the webinar, click here. Enter as a “Guest”. Please provide your first and last name when prompted.
To hear the webinar: You will be connected to audio using your computer’s microphone and speakers. A headset is recommended.

NECEC: Update and Outlook on Tax & Financing Landscape for Clean Energy
2013-01-31 08:30 | Grant Thornton, 226 Causeway St., 6th floor, Boston, United States
The New England Clean Energy Council’s Policy Series continues with “Update and Outlook on Tax & Financing Landscape for Clean Energy” on Thursday morning, January 31st, 2012 from 8:30 am to 10:30 am.
The panel’s topics include:

The outlook for tax reform in 2013, and how it could affect the clean energy industry
A close look at public-private financing mechanisms
A discussion of the American Tax Relief Act of 2012 (a.k.a. “fiscal cliff tax deal”), and how it affects clean energy companies
The status of clean energy tax provisions, such as the Energy Production Tax Credit (Section 48) and the Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit (Section 45)
How Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) could inject low-cost capital into the clean energy industry

Panelists:

Dustin Stamper, Director, Washington National Tax Office, Grant Thornton
Jordan Collins, Director of Government Relations, ML Strategies
Craig Diamond, Executive Director, Connecticut Clean Energy Finance Center>

The panel will be moderated by Janet Gail Besser, Vice President, Policy & Government Affairs, New England Clean Energy Council.
The panel will be held at Grant Thornton’s office at 226 Causeway Street (6th floor), Boston. Registration is free for NECEC members and sponsors, $40 for others.
Registration and panelist bios here.

Restructuring Roundtable: Onward Energy Efficiency in New England
2013-02-15 09:00 - 12:30 | Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor , Boston, United States
New England states have been national leaders in energy efficiency for some time now – with four of our states in ACEEE’s Top 10 rankings (and Massachusetts overtaking California for the number 1 spot). Never a region to rest on its laurels, we continue to look for ways to improve the depth and effectiveness of our energy-efficiency efforts.
Join Raab Associates for the 133rd Electricity Restructuring Roundtable as the invited panelists explore several major new energy-efficiency related trends and developments in the region and discuss potential new energy- efficiency-related frontiers New England states are tackling, including:

Massachusetts’ new three-year utility energy efficiency programs budgets (approval by MA DPU required by end of January)
Connecticut’s new statewide Energy Plan which covers energy efficiency, renewables, natural gas, and other energy-related issues (release expected prior to the 2/15 Roundtable)
PACE Financing for EE Investments – Connecticut recently began one of first programs in the world, announced 1.24.13, and MA DOER just issued a report on PACE financing for Massachusetts customers
ISO New England’s 2013 Energy Efficiency Forecast for 2016-2022 (which shows huge dampening effect on energy and demand growth due to EE)
A preview of NEEP’s REED – the Regional Energy Efficiency Database – which will be released to the public February 19
Other efficiency related developments; building energy labeling, efficiency funds for oil heated structures, building codes, etc.

Leading the discussion of these developments will be:

Commissioner Mark Sylvia, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
Jessie Stratton, Policy Director/Acting Deputy for Energy, CT DEEP
Stephen Rourke, VP System Planning, ISO New England
Susan Coakley, Executive Director, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships

Registration is not required, but attendees are encouraged to arrive early as the room fills quickly (and no one ever seems to want to go into the overflow room, despite the comfortable chairs there). Information about the Restructuring Roundtable, and presentations from previous sessions, is available here on the Raab Associates web site.

Yale CBE: Energy Efficiency in the New Congress
2013-02-28 12:00 - 13:00
Rob Mosher, Director of Government Relations for the Alliance to Save Energy, will discuss the prospects of energy efficiency in the 113th Congress, including what new laws dealing with energy efficiency we are likely to see in the next couple years. The talk will address specific pieces of legislation that are currently in the pipeline, their chances of becoming law, and the obstacles and trends surrounding energy efficiency legislation.
Register here for the webinar on February 28th, 2013.
This webinar is one in a series – Blueprint for Efficiency – the fourth annual webinar series on energy efficiency presented by the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale. Webinars are also recorded and made available through Yale’s iTunesU channel.

Impact Investing Panel
2013-04-03 12:15 - 14:00 | Hyatt Regency Boston, One Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA, 02111, United States
Impact investments are investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate measurable social and environmental impact while also earning a financial return.
In 2012, $8 billion of committed impact investments were reported by nearly 100 firms responding to the third annual JP Morgan Survey of impact investors.
What does impact investing mean for institutional and high net worth investors? For investment managers and advisors? For organizations on the receiving end of impact investments?
Please join these outstanding leaders over lunch for a Boston Security Analysts Society Impact Investing panel on April 3rd in Boston:

Luther Ragin – Chief Executive Officer, Global Impact Investing Network
Matt Patsky – Chief Executive Officer, Trillium Asset Management
Kyle Johnson – Consultant, Cambridge Associates
Dan Fireside – Capital Coordinator, Equal Exchange

Panelists will explain key features of impact investments, discuss impact investing from those different perspectives, and address questions of importance to the broader investment community:

How does Impact Investing differ from Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), Environmental/Social/Governance (ESG) investing and other forms of “sustainable” investing?
Who is making impact investments and where are the investments being made?
How are the impacts and the payoffs measured?
What is impact investing’s role in an overall investment strategy?
Can impact investing be implemented in all asset classes? How does it fit into thinking about asset allocation?
How do you balance the traditional view of an investment with the perspective needed to achieve “impact”?

The BSAS Impact Investing panel will take place from 12:15 pm – 2:00 pm on Wednesday, April 3rd at the Hyatt Regency Boston

Restructuring Roundtable: RGGI Amendments: Implications for New England & the Nation
2013-04-26 09:00 - 12:15 | Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
Raab Associates 134th Electricity Restructuring Roundtable will consider the recent substantive amendments to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) including an agreement by our six New England states, along with New York, Delaware, and Maryland, to reduce the cap by approximately 45%.
The panel will review the various RGGI amendments and their rationales, and explore the implications for energy markets in New England and the nation as a whole. Panel members were all actively and directly involved in the RGGI negotiations, and are well-poised to help us understand the changes and their implications for our region and the nation:

Commissioner Ken Kimmell, MA DEP (RGGI Secretary)
Commissioner David Littell, Maine PUC (RGGI Vice-Chair)
John Quinn, Senior Manager, Environmental Strategy, Exelon>
Peter Shattuck, Director, Market Initiatives, Environment Northeast
Brian Jones, Senior Vice President, M.J. Bradley & Associates

Registration is not required, but attendees are encouraged to arrive early as the room fills quickly. Information about the Restructuring Roundtable, and presentations from previous sessions, is available here on the Raab Associates web site.

Sustainable Investing: Hype or Opportunity - Society of Quantitative Analysts Fuzzy Day 2013
2013-05-31 08:00 - 17:00 | NY SSA Conference Center, 1540 Broadway, 10th Floor (45th St/Times Sq) , New York, NY, 10063, United States
This marquis full-day program of the Society of Quantitative Analysts will be held on Friday, May 31st 2013 at the NY Society of Security Analysts conference center. The session will bring leading experts from U.S., Europe and Australia to present cutting-edge research in the field of socially responsible investing, and also to address possible skepticism with the field’s investment opportunities. The program will cover climate change risk, alternative energy, ESG investing, carbon emission pricing, ethical asset management, and more.
Details, a list of speakers and registration are available here on the SQA web site.

DoER Post-400 MW Solar Policy Development Stakeholder Meeting
2013-06-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Gardner Auditorium, Massachusetts State House, Boston, United States
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DoER) will hold a Stakeholder Meeting from 10:00am to noon on June 7, 2013 in the Gardner Auditorium in the State House in Boston. At the public meeting, DOER will present its proposed policy for the post-400 MW solar program. The policy will support Governor Patrick’s recent announcement of a new solar goal for the Commonwealth of 1600 MW installed by 2020.

Restructuring Roundtable: ISO-New England's Generation Retirement Study & 2020 Resource Options for New England
2013-06-14 09:00 - 12:30 | Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
ISO-New England’s recent analysis for its forthcoming report on generation retirement concludes that, due to a number of factors, 28 oil- and coal-fired generators in New England (representing 8,300 MW) are at risk of retirement by the end of the decade.
Raab Associates’ 135th New England Electric Restructuring Roundtable on June 14th will focus on understanding ISO’s analysis, and exploring the ramifications for New England of potentially losing over one quarter of its generation capacity in less than a decade. The panel will will also explore in detail what other resource options might be available to fill this potential reliability and resource adequacy gap – more gas-fired generators; on-shore and off-shore wind; hydro power from the North; solar and/or energy efficiency and demand response.
Panelists and their topics:

Stephen Rourke, VP System Planning, ISO-New England will present ISO’s analysis and conclusions.
Massachusetts DPU Commissioner David Cash will then provide a state’s perspective on both the challenges and potential solutions.
Peter Fuller, Director, Market & Regulatory Affairs at NRG Energy will discuss his company’s perspective as the holder of several fossil-fired generators in New England (as well as an increasingly diversified portfolio nationally).
Steve Molodetz, VP, Business Development, Hydro-Québec-U.S., will discuss the possibilities of importing substantial, primarily hydro-based resources, from Canada.
Paul Gaynor, CEO, First Wind, will discuss the role that renewables can play in meeting New England’s 2020 energy and capacity needs.
Herb Healy, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs, EnerNOC, Inc., will discuss the role that demand-side resources could potentially play.

Registration is not required, but attendees are encouraged to arrive early as the room fills quickly (and no one ever seems to want to go into the overflow room, despite the comfortable chairs there). Information about the Restructuring Roundtable, and presentations from previous sessions, is available here on the Raab Associates web site.

2016 Green Business Awards Breakfast
2016-05-19 07:30 - 09:30 | Newton Marriott Hotel, 2345 Commonwealth Ave., Newton, MA, United States
Join us as the Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce’s annual Green Business Breakfast returns to the outdoor pavilion along the picturesque banks of the Charles River at the Newton Marriott Hotel.
This year’s featured speaker will be Maryrose Sylvester, a GE executive who is part of the team relocating to Boston this year. Sylvester is president and CEO of Current powered by GE, a first-of-its kind energy company that integrates GE’s LED, solar, energy storage and electric vehicle businesses with its industrial strength Predix platform to deliver cost effective, efficient energy solutions.
The breakfast will once again honor area businesses for their innovative advances in reducing energy costs or the creation of green products or services.
“The Green Business Breakfast brings together local businesses, energy and environmental experts and policy makers to discuss the challenges and opportunities related to preserving and protecting our environment,” said Greg Reibman, president of the Newton-Needham Chamber.
Registration and additional details available here at the Chamber’s web site.
Tickets are $45 for Chamber members, $50 for non-Chamber members. Tables for 10 and corporate sponsorships are also available. Please contact Lise Elcock, lqelcock@nnchamber.com or 617-244-1864.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Day
2016-05-19 12:00 - 17:00
Sponsored by the Northeast Clean Energy Council, Massachusetts Clean Energy Day is an annual showcase of the growing vitality of the clean energy industry and the importance of consistent policy support as a means of catalyzing the state’s – and our region’s – economy.
Massachusetts Clean Energy Day takes place at the Massachusetts State House. The speaking program and a clean energy showcase at the Grand Staircase are open to the public. The speaking program includes brief remarks by legislative and executive agency leaders and the presentation of Clean Energy Champion awards. Clean Energy Council members are invited and encouraged to participate in small group meetings with legislators during the afternoon.
I encourage clean energy firms – and service providers to the industry – who are not already members of the NECEC to attend the public portion of the event and talk with members and NECEC leaders about the council and the impact members can have on furthering the clean energy agenda in Massachusetts and the other northeast states. (There are similar events in each of the state houses in the region.)
Registration for Massachusetts Clean Energy Day is available here.

BASIC Event: Divestment and Reinvesting in Massachusetts Companies
2016-09-19 17:30 - 19:30 | Old West Church, 131 Cambridge St., Boston, MA, United States
Over the past five years, Massachusetts has become the national incubator for social ventures, clean technologies, and innovative business solutions to climate change. The Climate Action Business Association has developed a new series of reports, Local Emerging Market Reports (LEMR) to offer a spotlight on further opportunities for leadership in the transition to a carbon free economy. The goal is to support local entrepreneurs, early adopters, investors, and others looking for market solutions to fuel the transition to a carbon free economy.
Join CABA and BASIC as we look at these reports from the perspective of sustainable and clean tech investors. Matt Patsky, CEO of Trillium Asset Management and David Miller, Executive Director of Clean Energy Venture Group will provide their perspective on the report and the future of sustainable investments in Massachusetts’ local economy.
Report authors Michael Green and Kate Galbo from CABA will moderate the conversation and discuss how the reports can be used to fuel local investments.
Register for this event here at Eventbrite.

Venture Exchanges in the US – has the time come?
2016-10-05 12:15 - 14:00 | Ritz-Carlton Boston Common, 10 Avery St., Boston, MA, 02210, United States
A Venture Exchange is a market for equity capital with less strict listing and regulatory rules to serve smaller and startup companies. The idea is that a lighter-regulatory touch would encourage more small, start-up companies to use the public markets to raise capital, in part to replace commercial banks who have reduced lending to these companies, in part in response to regulatory capital requirements.
A venture exchange in the US could make opportunities in new and emerging technologies and business models accessible to a larger pool of sustainable investors. The CFA Institute recently undertook a study and published a white paper on the opportunities and challenges such a venture market would face, as well as what such a market would need to offer investors, issuers, broker dealers and other parties in order for such a market to succeed.
As one of the country’s leading innovation hubs – especially in clean technology – Boston is an appropriate venue to examine venture exchanges. Please join us on Wednesday, October 5th as the Boston Security Analysts Society hosts a luncheon conversation on United States Venture Exchange: Has The Time Come?.
Our speakers will be:

Lead author Matt Orsagh, Director of Capital Markets Policy at the CFA Institute
Stanley Keller, Of Counsel at Locke Lord, with extensive experience in corporate and securities law and a participant in the working group for the study
Robert Peterman, Director, Global Business Development – Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, and TSX Private Markets

Registration and full bios for our speakers are available here at the BSAS web site. Copies of the white paper will be available at the event.

Using SASB Standards in Valuation: A Hands-On Workshop
2016-11-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Sheraton Boston, 39 Dalton St., Boston, MA, 02199, United States
The BSAS and SASB are very pleased to offer Using SASB Standards in Valuation: A Hands-On Workshop from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Wednesday, November 16th, the afternoon before our 4th annual full-day BSAS Sustainable Investing seminar on November 17th. Both events will take place at the Boston Sheraton hotel. You can register for both at the BSAS web site, and also get a discount on the workshop.
Please join Michael Kinstlick, Head of Standards Setting at SASB, for this hands-on workshop that will give attendees:

A deeper understanding of the uses of the SASB metrics
A comfort level incorporating SASB metrics into traditional DCF valuation models
The preparation necessary to consider deeper analytic approaches with the data as it becomes available

We hope to see you at both events!

Registration and Session Information

As Head of Standards Setting at SASB, Michael Kinstlick oversees research, analytics, consultation, and codification and maintenance of the SASB standards. Michael’s career spans functions and industries. He has worked predominantly in Finance, including almost a decade at quantitative equities firm AXA Rosenberg with roles in both core research and helping manage billions-of-dollars in Long/Short strategies. He has most recently served as the founding CEO of Coppersea Distilling, a field-to-glass farm distillery in NY’s Hudson Valley. He graduated cum laude in Economics and Philosophy from Columbia before graduate school at Northwestern (MS, Industrial Engineering) and UC Berkeley (MBA, Haas School of Business).

2016 BSAS Sustainable Investing seminar
2016-11-17 08:00 - 18:00
The 4th annual BSAS Sustainable Investing Seminar will take place on November 17th at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. We are pleased to again have an outstanding lineup of speakers and panelists joining us.

Additional seminar information and registration is here at the BSAS web site.
A PDF version of the agenda (without session notes)

7:30am – Registration Opens
7:45am – Continental Breakfast
8:45am – Welcome and Introductions

Michael Greis, CFA, Principal, Riverbend Advisors and Chair of the Seminar Committee

9:00am – Keynote Address

John Streur, President & CEO, Calvert Investments

9:45am – Products and Platforms

Anna Snider, CAIA, Head of Due Diligence, CIO Office, Merrill Lynch

10:30am – Break
11:00am – The Promise and Peril of Fund Ratings

Anna Snider, CAIA, Head of Due Diligence, CIO Office, Merrill Lynch – Moderator
Noel Friedman, CFA, Business Manager, ESG Research Products, MSCI
Jon Hale, CFA, Head of Sustainability Research, Morningstar, Inc.
Sarah Smith, Director of Institutional Relations at Sustainalytics

11:45am – A Fresh Perspective on Engagement

George Serafeim, Jakurski Family Associate Professor at Harvard Business School
Sr. Patricia Daly, OP, Executive Director, Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment
Moderated by Cheryl Smith, CFA, Managing Partner, Trillium Asset Management

1:15pm – Lunch
2:00pm – The Quants are Coming….The Quants are Here

Gareth Davies, Head of Responsible Investment, Columbia Threadneedle – Moderator
Andreas Feiner, Founding Partner and Head of ESG Research & Advisory, Arabesque Asset Management
Quyuen Tran, Equity Portfolio Specialist, Wellington Management
Laurent De Greef, Director, Global Head of Consultant Relations, Acadian Asset Management

3:00pm – Performance – Fixed Income Topics

Andreas G. F. Hoepner, PhD, Senior Academic Fellow, PRI and Associate Professor of Finance,
ICMA Centre, Henley Business School
Pernille Jessen, Head of Credit, Unipension Denmark

3:45pm – Break

4:15pm – Long Term Investing and Systemic Impacts – the Investor and Corporate perspectives

Steve Lydenberg, CFA, Partner, Strategic Vision, Domini Social Investments; Founder & CEO, The Investment Integration Project
Tim Youmans, Research Director, CECP’s Strategic Investor Initiative

5:00pm – Focusing Capital on the Long Term

Sarah Williamson, CFA, CEO, Focusing Capital on the Long Term

5:45 – 7:00 – Networking Reception

Moving the Market: the Inaugural SASB Symposium
2016-12-01 08:00 - 18:30 | Park Central Hotel, 870 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY, 10019, United States
SASB’s Inaugural Symposium on December 1st in New York City is the first convening to explore the unique intersection between sustainability, finance, accounting, and law. An outstanding group of speakers and panelists will explore practical questions about the materiality of sustainability information and its relevance to the capital markets. Attendees will come away with a robust high-level view and a deeper understanding of how sustainability factors drive value and how to use sustainability information to inform corporate strategies or investment decisions.
Register here.
Symposium Agenda
8-8:30
Breakfast and Networking
8:30-9
Opening Remarks from Jean Rogers, SASB CEO
9:00-10:00
Meeting the Needs of Today’s Investor:
Why the SEC is Looking at Disclosure Effectiveness
Keith Higgins, Director of the Division of Corporate Finance, SEC
Alan Beller, Partner, Cleary Gottlieb
John White, Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Mary Schapiro, Former Chair, SEC (Moderator)

10:00-10:15
Break & Networking
10:15-10:45
Q&A: Re-writing the Book on Valuation
Tim Koller, Partner, McKinsey
Jonathan Bailey, Associate Partner, McKinsey (Moderator)

10:45-11:45
The Next Wave of ESG Integration: Lessons from Institutional Investors
Ted Eliopoulos, CIO, CalPERS
Chris Ailman, CIO, CalSTRS
Kristi Mitchem, President & CEO, Wells Fargo Asset Management
Michelle Edkins, Managing Director, BlackRock
Janine Guillot, Director of Capital Markets Policy & Outreach, SASB (Moderator)

12:00 – 1:00
Lunch
12:15-12:30
Lunchtime speaker: The Future of SASB Standard Setting
Michael Kinstlick, Chief of the Standards Setting Organization, SASB
1:00 – 1:50
The Analyst Point of View on ESG
Bobby Lamy, Head of Practice Analysis, CFA Institute
Dan Hanson, Partner, Jarislowsky Fraser
Tom Lyons, Sr. Analyst Montgomery Fixed Income, Wells Capital Management
Jennifer Bender, Managing Director, Director of Research, SSGA
Bruno Bertocci, MD, UBS (Moderator)

2:00-2:50
The Corporate Perspective: Sustainability and Risk Management
Steven Walker, General Counsel, NACD
Tom Quaadman, SVP, US Chamber Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness
Elisse Walter, Former Chair, SEC (Moderator)

2:50-3:10
Coffee & Networking
3:10-4:00
The Future of the Profession: Emerging Questions for Accountants
Jeanette Franzel, Board Member, PCAOB
Jeff Thomson, CEO, IMA
Cindy Fornelli, CEO, the Center for Audit Quality (Moderator)

4-4:15
The End of Accounting
Baruch Lev, Professor, NYU Stern

4:15–5:00
Keynote Speaker: To Be Announced
5:00–6:30
Closing Reception

Responsible Investor Digital: Canada 2020
2020-09-15 - 2020-09-16
Long-term fiduciary investors acting on the sustainable finance opportunity
Live and free to air: 15th – 16th SeptemberThe RI Digital: Canada 2020 conference will examine the potential for Canadian investors to accelerate the energy transition, enhance corporate governance standards, and create a more prosperous future for all Canadians through the coronavirus recovery and beyond.
