An investor forum on climate risk to be held Dec. 7 at the University of Chicago will bring together leaders of pension funds, investment management firms, corporations, investment banks, insurance companies and environmental academics. Speakers will include William Atwood, executive director of the $11.4 billion Illinois State Board of Investment, Chicago; Vidette Bullock Mixon, director of corporate relations of the $15.1 billion United Methodist Church General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, Evanston, Ill.; and Meredith Miller, assistant treasurer for policy for the state of Connecticut, whose office oversees the $21.9 billion Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds, Hartford.
Other speakers include Win J. Neuger, executive vice president and CIO of AIG Global Investment Group; Michael Moran, vice president, global investment research at Goldman Sachs; William H. Page, vice president and portfolio manager, State Street Global Advisors; and Adele Simmons, director of Marsh & McLennan.
Mindy S. Lubber, director of Investor Network on Climate Risk and president of Ceres - who also will be a speaker at the conference - said in an interview: "The interest across the country ... within the financial community, pension fund community, on the risk and opportunities of climate change is growing." They "are eager to engage on ... how to mitigate the risk and seize opportunities to bring the problem under control and make money by building solutions. Anyone who thinks this issue is debated only in the scientific community is mistaken."
