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Seminar Investing in Child Well-being in Business and Finance

  • Date: 28/11/2024
  • Time: 3 - 5 pm (CET)
  • Location: Triodos Investment Management, Driebergen-Rijsenburg

NB. This event is supported by Unicef.

This seminar is organised under the ‘Work, No Child’s Business’ program. The event aims to help companies and investors better understand the scope of children’s well-being within business practices and investment frameworks. It will highlight the importance of integrating children’s well-being into portfolio screening and management processes.

Additionally, the seminar seeks to inspire participants to take meaningful professional action to enhance child well-being through their business operations and stewardship activities.

Speaker slides

This event has not been recorded, but you can download the speakers’ presentation slides here:

Programme

  • 3 pm | Introduction | Triodos IM & VBDO 
  • 3.10 pm | UNICEF Child-Lens Investing Framework | Francisco Biber, Innovative Finance & Child Rights, UNICEF
    Francisco will present  UNICEF’s approach to the financial sector to generate a positive impact on children’s rights from within the finance sector. He will elaborate on UNICEF tools that support investors and asset managers to pursue and monitor responsble investment in support of future generations. 
  • 3.35 pm | Spotlight on Triodos Future Generations Funds | Sjoerd Rozing, Fund Manager Triodos IM, Triodos IM
    Sjoerd Rozing is fund manager at Triodos IM. He manages the Triodos Future Generations Fund and was strongly involved in its development. The fund was launched in March 2022, focusing on child wellbeing and primarily investing in small and mid-cap equities in sectors such as healthcare, consumer staples, education, and communication services.
  • 4 pm | Short break
  • 4.15 pm | Round table discussion with Francisco Biber (UNICEF), Annelien van Meer (a.s.r.) en Matthew Goodwin (Global Child Forum) 
    Roundtable discussion with investors, companies, NGOs. The questions focus on the broader impact of business and investment practices on children’s well-being, beyond child labor. Key issues affecting children will be explored, along with examples of companies leading in this area and challenges in adopting a holistic approach to child well-being. Additionally, the discussion will address how investors can engage to promote positive impact and invite examples of initiatives that support a better future for children and the planet. 
  • 4.55 pm | Closing remarks
  • 5 pm | Drinks

Expert speakers & guests:

  • Annelien van Meer is Senior Portfolio Manager Sustainable Investing at a.s.r. asset management, where she is responsible for developing and implementing sustainability strategies and responsible investment policies. She also leads a.s.r. asset management’s activities for the focus themes Human Rights and Health. Annelien has a background in human rights and sustainable business. In earlier roles, she has been working with companies on conducting human rights due diligence and was external advisor to the Fund against Child Labour. 
  • Francisco Biber is an Innovative Finance and Child Rights Specialist at UNICEF’S global Office of Innovation. In this role, he focuses on finding innovative ways to engage investors in support of children’s rights. He has over eight years of experience supporting over 25 countries across Latin America, Europe, and North America. 
  • Matthew Goodwin is Head of Sustainable Investing at Global Child Forum, a Swedish non-profit organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights in business. Founded by the Swedish Royal Family, the organization collaborates with business leaders, investors, and civil society to drive change for children worldwide. Through research, tools, and benchmark reports, GCF helps companies integrate child-focused policies into their strategies, tackling critical issues like child labour, education access, and health. Their flagship Corporate Sector and Children’s Rights Benchmark provides insight into corporate practices across industries, promoting a sustainable approach to children’s rights in business. Global Child Forum has received recognition for their work with the financial sector. In 2023 they won CFA Sweden Society’s ESG Award for integrating child rights into investment decision making. In 2024 their work was shortlisted for the PRI Human Rights Award. 
  • Sjoerd Rozing is fund manager at Triodos Investment Management. He manages the Triodos Future Generations Fund, since its launch in March 2022. The fund focuses on child wellbeing and primarily investing in small and mid-cap equities in sectors such as healthcare, consumer staples, education, and communication services. 

Registration

Registration for this event is no longer possible.