11 February 2026

• 8.30AM - 9.15AM
  Registration, refreshments, networking & time to visit exhibition
• 9.15AM - 9.20AM
  Welcome from Tristan Blythe, editor, Charity Finance
• 9.20AM - 9.50AM
  Opening keynote: Reclaiming climate justice for people and planet

  At a time when political backtracking threatens progress on climate action, Asad Rehman will argue that despair is not an option. Drawing on his journey from a working-class community to the frontlines of global climate justice, he will explore how the environmental movement must remain a radical force: confronting inequality, challenging the systems that fuel both poverty and planetary breakdown, and showing that climate justice is inseparable from economic and social justice. Far from retreating, now is the moment to double down – to build grassroots power, foster solidarity, and hold on to hope as a tool of resistance and transformation.

  This talk will make the case that fighting for climate justice is not just about saving the planet, but about creating a fairer, thriving world for all.
  
  Asad Rehman, chief executive, Friends of the Earth

• 9.50AM - 10.10AM
  Regulatory update: SORP 2025 and sustainability reporting

  The regulatory landscape is shifting. Join us for a timely update from the Charity Commission on the new SORP and the growing emphasis on sustainability and impact reporting. Learn what’s changing, why it matters, and how your charity can prepare.

  Amie Woods, Assistant Director of Accountancy, Charity Commission

• 10.10AM - 10.15AM
  Transit time
• 10.10AM - 10.15AM
  Transit time
• 10.15AM - 10.55AM
  1A. How can we push for progress against the backdrop of political challenges?
  Amid political turbulence and the prospect of continued pushback on ESG, especially under the Trump presidency, how can investors keep driving progress? This session will explore the real-world levers of change, showing how effective engagement with companies, done at the right frequency and with clear milestones, can deliver progress even when policy headwinds are strong. Politics may set the backdrop, but investors still have the power to shape the future.
  
  Tom Montagu-Pollock, co-head of charities and Emilie Shaw, portfolio director and sustainability lead, Cazenove Capital
• 10.15AM - 10.55AM
  1B. Getting started with measuring your carbon footprint
  With SORP 2026 set to make sustainability reporting mandatory for larger charities (and encouraged for smaller ones), this session offers a timely and practical introduction to measuring your emissions. Cancer Research UK will share their insights and experiences, from understanding where to start and gathering data to turning measurement into meaningful action. Whether you’re beginning your sustainability journey or preparing to report, this session will equip you with the confidence and tools to take your first steps towards net zero.
  
  Harry Foreman, sustainability & ESG lead, Cancer Research UK
• 10.55AM - 11.20AM
  Morning coffee and networking
• 11.20AM - 12.00PM
  2A. How tech Innovation is powering the energy transiti
  As the energy transition accelerates, technology is emerging as both a catalyst and a compass for sustainable transformation. This session will explore how innovations in AI, data, and digital infrastructure are transforming the way we produce and manage energy. From smarter maintenance that keeps renewables running reliably to carbon-free data centres and efforts to shrink AI’s energy use, we’ll look at how tech is tackling sustainability challenges head-on. Through real-world examples and fresh research, we reveal how digital tools are not just reacting to ESG pressures but helping shape a low-carbon, resilient future.
  
  Katrina Brown, head of responsible investment, Evelyn Partners
• 11.20AM - 12.00PM
  2B. Understanding your finance emissions and cutting carbon where it counts

  Your organisation’s biggest climate impact may come not from operations but from your finances. This session explores how banking, pensions and investments can drive hidden carbon emissions, drawing on Keep Britain Tidy’s experience of undergoing an eco-audit to uncover where carbon really sits. You’ll gain practical insight into why finance emissions matter, what an eco-audit can reveal, and the steps any organisation can take to reduce transition risks and align its financial choices with net zero goals. 

  Ruth Jenkins, finance director, Keep Britain Tidy and Donnachadh McCarthy, founder, 3 Acorns

• 12.00PM - 12.05PM
  Transit time
• 12.05PM - 12.45PM
  3A. LGIM session details to be announced
• 12.05PM - 12.45PM
  3B. Hidden in plain sight: tackling modern slavery in charity supply chains
  Join Andrew Wallis, CEO of Unseen UK, for an eye-opening session on the hidden risks of modern slavery in the UK. Discover the scale of the issue, the legal responsibilities that large charities must comply with, and practical steps every charity – big or small –
  can take to spot red flags, strengthen transparency, and build ethical, resilient supply chains. This session will equip charity leaders with the tools and awareness to turn compliance into meaningful action against exploitation.
  
  Andrew Wallis, founding chief executive, Unseen UK
• 12.45PM - 1.45PM
  Lunch and time to visit exhibition
• 1.45PM - 2.25PM
  4A. Designing ESG-aligned portfolios for long-term resilience
  Charities and endowments face the dual challenge of meeting current income needs while safeguarding capital for future generations. This session explores how long-term investment portfolios can be structured to deliver financial resilience and
  mission-aligned impact through meaningful ESG integration. We’ll examine how trustees can navigate economic uncertainty, embed sustainability into investment policy, and align portfolios with values and long-term goals. Designed for those overseeing
  investments or planning strategic investment reviews, this session offers a practical roadmap for building portfolios that serve both today’s operational needs and tomorrow’s legacy.
  
  Laura Hobbs, investment director, Greenbank (Rathbones)
• 1.45PM - 2.25PM
  4B. Strategic ESG: the power of materiality to prioritise your resources - lessons from Wellcome
  Organisations striving for meaningful sustainability impact often face a fundamental question: where should we focus our efforts? This session delves into how a materiality study can serve as a critical foundation for defining sustainability benefits and aligning ESG strategy with organisational purpose. Drawing on the Wellcome Trust’s approach, we’ll explore how identifying what truly matters to stakeholders and operations helps clarify priorities, focus resources where it matters, surface long-term risks and
  opportunities, and guide impactful decision-making. Whether you’re refining your ESG roadmap or just beginning the journey, this session offers a grounded, actionable perspective on moving from ambition to action.
  
  Charles Joly, associate director, sustainability, Wellcome Trust
• 2.25PM - 2.30PM
  Transit time
• 2.30PM - 3.10PM
  5A. M&G session details to be announced
• 2.30PM - 3.10PM
  5B. British Heart Foundation case study: becoming fit for the future
  This session will share BHF’s journey to embedding ESG across the organisation. From completing its first environmental roadmap in 2022 to committing to net zero by 2045, BHF is driving change through circular economy, responsible sourcing, supporting diverse workforces, tackling health inequalities and reducing the environmental impact of funded research. The session will share both challenges and lessons learned along the way, while also making the case for why investing in strategic ESG initiatives delivers impact not only for the environment and society, but also strengthens the organisation’s ability to achieve its core mission.
  
  Nick Greenwood, strategic initiatives delivery manager, British Heart Foundation
• 3.10PM - 3.30PM
  Afternoon coffee and networking
• 3.30PM - 4.10PM
  6A. Session details to be announced
• 3.30PM - 4.10PM
  6B. Roundtable discussions: Sharing what works
  Join an interactive idea exchange where peers will share practical stories, successes, and lessons learned from embedding sustainability into their organisations. In small group discussions, you’ll swap inspiration and approaches across key areas –
  from tackling financial emissions to rethinking food choices, procurement practices, property management, and organisational culture. Come ready to share your own experience and leave with fresh ideas you can take back and adapt to your context.
• 4.10PM - 4.55PM
  Compassion Under Siege: Charity leadership in an age of hostility
  Charities supporting refugees, migrants, and vulnerable communities are facing unprecedented hostility – from threats and misinformation to political indifference and hostile rhetoric. Women’s organisations, too, are being forced to defend their work against weaponisation by the far-right, misusing the language of protection to fuel division. At the same time, civil society must uphold values of fairness and compassion that government seems reluctant to champion. This panel will bring together leading voices to discuss how charities can safeguard staff, counter damaging narratives, build coalitions, and lobby government effectively. Join us for practical insights on advocacy and leadership in defending and strengthening the space for civil society.
  
  Chair – Peter Holbrook, chief executive, Social Enterprise UK
  Panellists: Paul Parker, recording clerk, Quakers in Britain, Sonya Sceats, chief executive, Freedom from Torture, Andrea Simon, executive director, End Violence Against Women Coalition and Wanda Wyporska, chief executive, Black Cultural Archives
• 4.55PM - 5.00PM
  Chair’s closing remarks
• 5.00PM - 6.00PM
  Networking reception

First produced in June's issue of Charity Finance

While social care charities are, by definition, providing a solution to a social issue, like the rest of the charity sector many are increasingly aware of wider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues too.

ESG reporting is becoming an important focus for many charities, but the exact definition of the term remains relatively unclear. It can be helpful to consider what each of the letters in this acronym means.

• Environmental: the narrative around the environmental aspect has become associated with climate change, net-zero carbon emissions, and the energy transition, and could arguably be broadened to include wider social and physical aspects of the environment, such as dignity and wellbeing, or biodiversity and conservation.
• Social: social encompasses ethical behaviour and practices towards staff and beneficiaries, and the wider contribution to the sustainability of the socio-economic framework.
• Governance: governance encompasses control and direction, with a focus on the way a charity sets out to address risks and opportunities.

ESG as an opportunity for charities
ESG reporting provides an opportunity to tell a charity’s story about its part in the movement towards a sustainable future. Meaningful, authentic ESG reporting can be moulded around each charity’s ethos and values. The other spectrum of ESG has been the initiatives driven by the passions of the charity’s beneficiaries and staff alike to create eco-initiatives and lead on new policies. Reporting on ESG, rather than being a tick-box exercise, could be an opportunity to evaluate what more can be done.

Increasing public benefit
Another consideration for ESG reporting is the work charities do regarding public benefit reporting. In England and Wales, trustees must confirm that they have applied the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. Public benefit is seen to be part of the social aspect of ESG. When thinking about how to include the governance aspect within reporting, the Charities SORP provides guidance to those preparing charity accounts.

While the SORP does not expressly consider ESG reporting, aspects of its existing requirements do coincide with elements of ESG. Similarly, the Charity Governance Code (2020) encourages elements of ESG.

How can charities report on ESG?
There has been a noticeable drive towards greener activity, meaning ESG has climbed up the agenda. Currently, there is no watchdog or regulator offering support for organisations adapting their practices to become more sustainable. This makes it difficult for many charities to see how they can implement ESG reporting practically and in a meaningful way.

The Charity Commission has previously engaged with ESG reporting and the guidance is typically supportive of sustainability being incorporated into the charity’s approach, provided it aligns or is complementary to, the charity’s overall objectives. The two are also linked, with ethical considerations having a positive effect on public trust. The SORP Committee identified sustainability reporting as part of their discussions for developing the SORP.

Further hurdles
While there are lessons to be learned from current corporate reporting, they are by no means always best practice. More weight needs to be placed on the social and governance aspects of ESG, rather than the current focus on the environmental one. The nature of many charities means that ESG can be inherent, but consideration still needs to be given to issues such as employment and safeguarding.

As well as the resourcing issue, ESG reporting might create challenges around who takes responsibility for collecting the information. If reporting lies within the annual report, finance teams could already be struggling for capacity, so charities may need to consider which system would work best for them.

Looking forward
There are currently three options available to charities:

1. Do something new.
2. Imitate existing reporting.
3. Let sleeping dogs lie.

However, keeping an eye on future plans and the impact on the wider community is key.

Importantly, we need to stress that charities are already likely to be doing more than they think and it is a matter of teasing out the relevant aspects for reporting. The way this is communicated, whether through websites or annual reports, is also an important consideration.

Lee Stokes is partner and head of care & community at haysmacintyre

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For ESG Imperative 2026 we are delighted to be moving to the Minster Building, located in the heart of London's bustling financial district. 

Location: 21 Mincing Lane, London EC3R 7AG

Nearest rail: Fenchurch Street or Cannon Street

Nearest tube: Tower Hill, Tower Gateway or Aldgate

 With thanks to our sponsors of the ESG Imperative

For sponsorship and exhibition queries contact Yvette Micallef

For speaker queries contact our events team

For registration queries contact Carys Pugh

For media partnerships and marketing queries contact Kirsty Brown 

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