Banking on Fashion: ESG Investors’ New Interest in Supply Chains

ESG investors are increasingly demanding a seat at the table when it comes to due diligence, arguing for greater supply chain oversight to manage investment risk. However, there is a lack of clarity over what the criteria for ‘sustainable investment’ should be, with one of the only points of agreement being that current ratings are not adequate.

How, then, should they be improved?  

So far, the main players devising new metrics and indicators consist of financial services companies and fashion brands. In this environment investors rely on ESG ratings based on information often provided by the fashion brands themselves, which may result in positive social or environmental outcomes, but which can fail to address root causes of larger negative impacts.

What would sustainable investment indicators and metrics look like, for instance, if ethical purchasing practices were incorporated?

In this seminar, expert speakers will discuss the current status of the conversations and debates on these themes, and how the industry might move forward in a way that advances the interests of multiple stakeholders.

SPEAKERS

Johanna Schmidt, Investment Strategist, Triodos Investment Management (Triodos IM)

Johanna is an investment strategist at Triodos IM, a globally active impact investor in the Netherlands. She specializes in social issues like human and labour rights and translates these into investment and engagement strategies for Triodos IM’s listed and non-listed funds. Having worked in the ESG space since 2014, Johanna is an experienced professional in impact investment. She represents Triodos IM at the Platform Living Wages Financials (PLWF), and is the main author of the Triodos position paper on the fashion sector “Dress to Change” (2021).”

Kirsten Kossen, Sr. Human Rights Advisor, ASN Bank

Kirsten Kossen is human rights expert at ASN Bank. On behalf of ASN Bank Kirsten participates in the Platform Living Wage Financials, an alliance of 19 financial institutions that encourages and monitors investee companies to address the non-payment of living wage in global supply chains. Furthermore, she represents ASN Bank in the European Citizens Initiative ‘Good Clothes, Fair Pay’ to demand EU legislation that helps achieve living wages for textile and garment workers around the world.

Eric Tran, Sustainability Lead, Supply Chain Management APAC, BNP Paribas

As Sustainability Lead, Eric oversees the development of the sustainability practice for Supply Chain Management in Transaction Banking APAC, where he is also responsible for the origination of supply chain financing deals covering mainly Western and Asian multinationals corporations from a variety of industries. Prior to joining BNP Paribas, Eric spent most of his career leading large business transformation programmes in various industries, including financing services, airline and banking across the Asia region. He holds a Master’s degree in Management, Auditing & Advisory from Paris Dauphine University.