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Conclusion Of Inaugural ESG And Climate Transition Conference

  • Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
  • September 30, 2021

First Annual Virtual ESG Conference Drives Conversation On Growth Opportunities in the Climate Change Mitigation Sector Among Stakeholders Exploring Socially Responsible Investing

NEW YORK, September 30, 2021 – Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (“Oppenheimer”) – a leading investment bank, wealth manager, and a subsidiary of Oppenheimer Holdings (NYSE: OPY) – announced that it successfully concluded its first-ever ESG and Climate Transition conference earlier this week. The online conference, held on Sept. 28, featured a select group of 13 transportation and energy companies, including ChargePoint, Westport Fuel Systems, Ameresco and Hannon Armstrong, discussing their environmental, social and corporate governance strategies with more than 220 attendees, including institutional investors, top executives, and policymakers who joined the live conference on Tuesday.

Max Lami, Oppenheimer’s Chief Executive Officer and Head of Investment Banking for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said, “With global commitments toward a zero-emissions economy accelerating, Oppenheimer is playing an important role in facilitating conversations between drivers of positive change with the launch of our first annual ESG and Climate Transition conference. The event showcased companies that are effectively implementing ESG and climate solutions without leaving out steps critical to sustainable practices. We were pleased to leverage our thought leadership to help companies and investors alike navigate the realities of climate change, the disruption of legacy processes in transportation, energy and agriculture, and identify the opportunities that await investors in the Circular Economy.”

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The event included presentations on key trends in ESG, with Oppenheimer analysts guiding the conversations with their proven insight into sustainability and ESG practices. Presenters included:

  • Jean Rogers, Ph.D., founder of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and one of the 20 most Influential People in Sustainable Investing, according to Barron’s in 2018. Dr. Rogers is the architect of the “materiality map,” a blueprint for eco-capitalism that reframes risk and aligns financial value with socially responsible investing. She discussed the issue of optimizing investments in the context of reducing carbon emissions and emerging carbon markets.
  • Pasquale Romano, President and Chief Executive Officer of ChargePoint (NYSE:CHPT) and a member of the company’s board of directors. ChargePoint is a California-based company that operates one of the world’s largest electric vehicle charging networks.
  • David M. Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ: WPRT), a Vancouver-based supplier of alternative fuel systems and components. Mr. Romano and Mr. Johnson each discussed the growing diversity of fuel types for the transportation industry, and the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
  • Nicole Bulgarino, Executive Vice President and General Manager for Federal Solutions at Ameresco (NYSE: AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company. Ms. Bulgarino has more than two decades of experience developing innovative energy efficiency solutions.
  • Robert L. Johnson, Senior Vice President of Hannon Armstrong (NYSE: HASI), a pioneering investor in climate solutions, with clients in the public and private sectors. Ms. Bulgarino and Mr. Johnson discussed pathways to decarbonize the global building and construction sector. They also highlighted the roles of energy efficiency, onsite renewable energy, digitalization, regulatory drivers and financing models in shaping comprehensive retrofits and other opportunities for energy savings.

Members of the Oppenheimer equity research team in attendance included:

  • Brian Blair, CFA, Executive Director and Senior Analyst, Industrial Machinery and Flow Control
  • Noah Kaye, Managing Director and Senior Analyst, Sustainable Growth & Resource Optimization
  • Kristen Owen, CFA, Executive Director and Senior Analyst, Sustainable Growth & Resource Optimization
  • Colin Rusch, Managing Director, Senior Research Analyst and Head of Oppenheimer’s Sustainable Growth & Resource Optimization

Colin Rusch, Managing Director, Senior Research Analyst and Head of Oppenheimer’s Sustainable Growth and Resource Optimization franchise, and lead organizer of the conference, said, “We thank all the companies and investors that participated in our first annual ESG and Climate Transition conference. Companies who are championing ESG want a playbook for how to think about the future of investment, while institutional investors focused on the technology, transportation, energy and utilities sectors want to identify organizations that are leading the charge in ESG practices. As climate change continues to weigh heavily on the future, Oppenheimer was pleased to help all of these stakeholders address the key challenges we face today, while highlighting companies committed to the increasingly important area of ESG.”