Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) Market Event Europe
The UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) are joining forces for three days of insight into advances in sustainable finance to address key regulatory and market challenges, the asset management industry’s role in sustainable investment, as well as how capital markets can contribute to a sustainable low-carbon economy.
UNEP FI will hold its 2nd Regional Roundtable for Europe in Luxembourg on 28-29 November 2019, followed by the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on sustainable land use, on 30 November 2019.
Alongside the Roundtable, UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) will host a European Market Event on 29 November.
Register now.

Butch Bacani
Programme Leader, UN Environment Programme’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative
Butch Bacani leads UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative (PSI), the largest collaboration between the UN and the insurance industry. Endorsed by the UN Secretary-General and insurance industry CEOs, the PSI is a global framework and initiative for the industry to address sustainability issues—as risk managers, insurers and investors—and to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities and economies.
Butch leads activities supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Financial Stability Board’s climate risk disclosure recommendations (TCFD). These include a global initiative to develop “Insurance Sustainable Development Goals”, the largest gathering of insurers to pilot the TCFD recommendations, and working with the California Insurance Commissioner to develop the world’s first sustainable insurance roadmap. He co-led the development of the first global sustainability guide for the insurance business, led the creation of the Insurance Industry Development Goals for Cities, forged the PSI’s partnership with the world’s inclusive insurance community, and co-led the creation of UNEP’s Sustainable Insurance Forum for supervisors and regulators. Butch is involved in the InsuResilience Global Partnership, Vulnerable 20 Group of Finance Ministers, California Climate Insurance Working Group, Insurance Development Forum, and Microinsurance Network. In 2020, he was included in InsuranceERM’s inaugural list of the most influential people leading and shaping the insurance industry’s response to climate change.
Butch led the global process that created the PSI in 2012, and UNEP’s insurance and investment programmes from 2006 to 2010, including activities with the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment Initiative (PRI). He has shaped global insurance industry initiatives to address climate change, disaster risks, tobacco risks, illegal fishing and plastic pollution; and to protect natural and cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Butch has authored pioneering studies on sustainable insurance and responsible investment. Previously, he was in the insurance industry for over a decade, working with leading insurers and reinsurers worldwide.




Angelique Bayot
Head of SCOR Global Life Strategy, SCOR (France)
Angelique Bayot is a French business school graduate (Grenoble Ecole de Management), and holds an Advanced Master Degree in Insurance from ESSEC business school and an MBA from Ottawa University (Canada). She started her career at Euler Hermes (Allianz) in 2003 as a risk underwriter. She then joined Standard and Poor’s in 2008 as an insurance analyst and joined SCOR as a rating agencies manager in 2013. She is Head of the Strategy and CSR representative for SCOR Global Life since March 2018.




Zelda Bentham
Group Head of Sustainability, Aviva plc
Zelda Bentham has worked in Aviva and its legacy companies for three decades, helping create the Environment programme in 1997 and subsequently the Corporate Responsibility strategy. She developed Aviva’s climate change and environment strategy and carbon management programme. In 2006, the Aviva Board published their position on climate change and Aviva became the first carbon neutral insurance group on a worldwide basis. Their carbon offsetting approach has directly improved the lives of 1 million people since 2012 and was recognised in 2017 by the UNFCCC as a Lighthouse Activity.
Zelda’s focus is on sustainability issues for Aviva as an asset owner, and insurer, working with the Aviva businesses to develop solutions aligned to the four 2015 UN frameworks – particularly Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. She leads on Aviva’s response to the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosure and is currently developing Aviva’s 10-year Climate Change Strategy. Aviva was rated AAA in the 2017 Asset Owners Disclosure Project Global Climate Index.
She represents Aviva in respect of UNEP Principles of Sustainable Insurance, the CBI Energy & Climate Change policy working group, ClimateWise’s Management Committee (the Insurance Sector’s collaborative forum on climate change), and Climate Change Advisory Committee of the G7 Investors’ Global Initiative.




Chip Cunliffe
Director of Sustainable Development, AXA XL
Chip established and manages AXA’s Ocean Risk Initiative which works to identify innovative insurance and finance solutions to the impacts and implications of ocean-related risk.
Alongside key partners, he has led the development of the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance launched at the recent UN Climate Action Summit in New York to incentivise private investment and blended finance into coastal natural capital by pioneering ground-breaking products that help build resilience and address ocean-related risks.
Chip led and co-hosted the first Ocean Risk Summit in May 2018 and is developing an Ocean Risk Index to better model the impact of degraded coastal ecosystems with the increased risks from climate change.
2009 – 2016, Chip managed three major ocean science expeditions focused on Arctic sea-ice loss, coral reef health and deep ocean resilience.
In 2012 he launched AXA’s Oceans Education program – a curriculum-led syllabus for students aged between 7-16, designed to increase ocean literacy around the world.




Jason Eis
Executive Director, Vivid Economics
Jason leads Vivid Economic’s work on climate change and private finance, supporting a variety of financial institutions. Jason brings deep expertise on climate related risks, and the interaction between policy, technology and consumer behaviour across major regions and sectors, including energy, mining, real estate and manufacturing. He has worked with asset owners and managers in assessing risk exposure of asset portfolios and their correlation across diversified asset holdings; with banks in conducting asset and company due diligence that integrated climate-related risks; with private equity funds and banks in assessing the investment opportunities from a low-carbon transition; and with insurance companies assessing market risks and opportunities associated with low-carbon policies and climate damages. He has spent over a decade leading scenario-based analysis of the low-carbon transition using and developing a variety of systems models. His prior experience includes Associate Director at the Carbon Trust and Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Co. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. from Yale.




Amandine Favier
Head of Sustainable Finance, WWF Switzerland
Amandine Favier is head of the Sustainable Finance department at WWF Switzerland. The team works on projects to improve the environmental performance of financial institutions and the integration of sustainability within investment decisions. Before joining WWF in 2012, she worked several years for the financial industry in Geneva and Zürich. In her last role at Deutsche Bank Switzerland, she advised Ultra High Net Worth Clients on FX and Commodity structure and option strategies. After her studies, she gathered experienced in international policy and advocacy in Paris and Brussels focusing on sustainable development and corporate social responsibility.
Amandine holds a master in business administration and economics from the Copenhagen Business School and a master in Management from EM-LYON business school. She wrote her master thesis on the link between strategic corporate reactions and environmental regulations. Amandine also teaches Sustainable Finance and Responsible Investment at the university of Zürich and St. Gallen.




Philipp Hasenmüller
Senior Consultant for Corporate Responsibility, Munich Re
Dr. Philipp Hasenmüller is Senior Consultant for Corporate Responsibility at Munich Re.
He graduated in business administration and earned a master’s degree in environmental sciences as well as a doctorate in the field of sustainability management. From 2004 until 2009 he worked as a research associate for the Centre for Sustainbility Management (CSM) at the Leuphana University Lueneburg.
At Munich Re, he was the responsible project manager for the collaboration between Munich Re and LSE’s Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (CCCEP) from 2009 until 2012.
In 2012, he joined the sustainability department, where he was responsible for issues such as sustainability reporting and –ratings as well as corporate citizenship. Since 2015, he has been responsible for the integration of ESG aspects into Munich Re’s core business as well as climate change-related sustainability issues for the Group.




Marc Hengen
CEO, ACA
Marc Hengen has been the Managing Director of ACA since March 2013. After 18 years of experience in the Luxembourgish insurance sector, he joined the Executive Committee of ACA in 2010. He is also a member of both the Executive Committee of UEL (Union des Entreprises Luxembourgeoises) and the Executive Committee of IE (Insurance Europe), as well as Secretary General of AGERE (Association des gestionnaires d’entreprises de réassurances). Marc Hengen has a Master’s Degree in Law from the Robert Schuman University of Strasbourg.




Olav Jones
Deputy Director General, Insurance Europe
Olav Jones is the Deputy Director General & Director Economics and Finance at Insurance Europe, the federation which represents the European insurance industry.
He is based in Brussels and responsible for all issues relating to Prudential Regulation, Financial Reporting, Investments and International Affairs.
He is also a member of the IFRS Advisory Council and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA)’s Occupational Pensions Stakeholder Group (OPSG).
After studying Engineering and then Finance, he started his career as a consultant to the financial services industry with Oliver, Wyman and Company.
He then spent 15 years in the insurance industry working at Prudential Plc, Fortis Insurance and Ageas in roles relating to risk, capital management and strategy including Group Chief Risk Officer.




Alice Merry
Plastic Pollution Project Manager, UN Environment
Alice is a consultant with a decade’s experience working with the UN, charities and financial service providers to create a fairer and more inclusive financial sector. She is project manager for the UNEP-PSI research study “Unwrapping the risks of plastic pollution for the insurance industry.”
Alice began her career at Lloyd’s of London, before shifting her focus to social and environmental issues within the sector. As Research Officer at the International Labour Organization, Alice worked with insurers to introduce inclusive products. As a consultant, she has worked with diverse charities and UN agencies. She also supports the UK charity Surviving Economic Abuse, leading a campaign for the insurance industry to better respond to victims of abuse.
Alice speaks English, French and Spanish and is based in Lima, Peru. She is a graduate of Cambridge University and the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Executive Master in Development Policy and Practice, and holds a Diploma from the Chartered Insurance Institute.




Nicole Röttmer
Partner, PwC Germany
As a partner at PwC Germany, Nicole is specialized in assessing climate-related financial risks and opportunities across sectors and in supporting clients in developing climate strategies.
Since 2013, she is developing climate scenario analysis models (Climate Excellence) in collaboration with and for a range of investors, corporates, academia, and NGOs. She has acted as expert to the European Commission’s EFFIN initiative, UNEP FI, Science Based Target Initiative for Financial Institutions, among others, is a member of EFRAG and of the board of 2° investing initiative Germany.




Pamela Schuermans
Principal Expert Insurance Policy, EIOPA
Ms. Pamela Schuermans is a Principal Expert on Insurance Policy at EIOPA, currently working on sustainable finance. Previously, she coordinated the Solvency II project and has been responsible for coordinating policy regarding Brexit, policy impact assessments and international relations at EIOPA and CEIOPS.
She is a Belgian lawyer who has worked as an insurance supervisor for the Belgian banking, finance and insurance supervisory authority. She holds a LL.M (Namur, Leuven, Heidelberg), an MSc in Finance and Financial Law (London) and a university degree in actuarial sciences (Louvain-la-Neuve). She speaks Dutch, French, German, English and Italian.




John Scott
Head of Sustainability Risk, Zurich Insurance Group
John Scott is Head of Sustainability Risk for the Zurich Insurance Group. He joined Zurich in 2001 becoming Head of Risk Insight in 2007 and was Chief Risk Officer for Zurich’s Global Corporate and Commercial Insurance businesses from 2009 to 2017. He took on his current role in 2018. John leads the Group’s engagement on sustainability risk, both internally and externally as the way Zurich delivers its purpose and values.
For the last ten years, in his roles as CRO for Commercial Insurance and as Head of Sustainability Risk, John has increasingly focused on climate change as a risk that affects the insurance industry. His unique combination of previous roles and experiences in the oil & gas and chemicals industries, together with his involvement in many industry and Government organisations, has given him a deep understanding of the risks and opportunities that climate change presents to companies, governments and society at large.
John is a member of the Institute of Directors Sustainable Business Advisory Board in the UK and the Advisory Board to the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report. He has contributed to industry and Government policy on climate change and green finance, through many organisations including the Bank of England Climate Financial Risk Forum, the UK Government’s Green Finance Taskforce, the CRO Forum, the Geneva Association, the European Financial Roundtable, Climatewise and the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership (CISL) Insurance Advisory Council.




Lasse Wallquist
Senior Sustainability Risk Manager, Swiss Re
Lasse is a Senior Sustainability Risk Manager at Swiss Re. He is in charge of Swiss Re’s Sustainability Risk Framework and the related climate relevant policies. In his previous role he managed Swiss Re’s Greenhouse Gas Neutral program. Lasse holds a PhD in environmental sciences from ETH Zurich.



10:30-10:45 | Welcome Remarks • Butch Bacani - Programme Leader, UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative |
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10:45-11:15 | Session 1: What are the implications of the European Commission’s Action Plan on sustainable finance for the insurance industry • Olav Jones - Deputy Director General, Insurance Europe • Pamela Schuermans - Principal Expert Insurance Policy, EIOPA Discussion moderator •Butch Bacani - Programme Leader, UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative |
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11:15-11:30 | Break | |
11:30-12:20 | Session 2: After the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit: How can we drive greater climate action and ambition? Opening perspectives • Marc Hengen - CEO, Association of Luxembourg Insurers & Reinsurers • Lasse Wallquist - Senior Sustainability Risk Manager, Swiss Re Roundtable discussion moderator • Butch Bacani - Programme Leader, UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative |
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12:20-13:10 | Session 3: TCFD and the insurance industry: Evolving market and supervisory practices Presentations including Q&A session with the audience • Nicole Röttmer - Partner, PwC Germany • Jason Eis - Executive Director, Vivid Economics |
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13:10-14:00 | Lunch | |
14:00-15:00 | Session 4: Managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in non-life insurance business Opening perspectives • John Scott - Group Head of Sustainability Risk, Zurich Insurance Group • Philipp Hasenmüller - Senior Consultant for Corporate Responsibility, Munich Re Roundtable discussion moderator • Butch Bacani - Programme Leader, UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative |
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15:00-16:00 | Session 5: Developing the sustainability agenda in life & health insurance and pensions Opening perspectives • Zelda Bentham - Group Head of Sustainability, Aviva • Angelique Bayot - Head, SCOR Global Life Strategy Roundtable discussion moderator • Butch Bacani - Programme Leader, UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative |
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16:00-16:20 | Break | |
16:20-17:10 | Session 6: How can the insurance industry help protect natural ecosystems and tackle pollution? Opening perspectives • Alice Merry - Plastic Pollution Project Manager, UN Environment • Chip Cunliffe - AXA XL and Head of Ocean Risk & Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) • Amandine Favier - Head of Sustainable Finance, WWF-Switzerland Roundtable discussion moderator • Butch Bacani - Programme Leader, UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative |
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17:10-17:15 | Closing Remarks • Olivia Fabry - Programme Supervisor, UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative • Butch Bacani - Programme Leader, UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative |


