Event information
The Green Summit Ireland 2023 will for the second time bring together leading practitioners, in-house counsel and senior business leaders to discuss how organisations can meet the challenges of the complex, broad and fast-changing ESG landscape and deliver on their ESG and sustainability goals.
The event will feature two panel discussions with high-profile speakers:
The first panel will address the ESG reporting landscape and how to navigate its latest challenges. Speakers will discuss how to manage disclosures, risks and liabilities under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This session will hear from legal experts on the evolving disclosure requirements and sustainability experts on best practices for implementing a successful strategy for ESG data gathering, monitoring and reporting and practical guidance from a company perspective.
The second panel will focus on ESG trends and developments in commercial real estate. Topics will include current ESG considerations for investors, developers, and occupiers of commercial property, and how these players are working together to achieve ESG and sustainability goals in their real estate portfolios.
The event promises plenty of time for debate and discussion on one of the most important concerns of this century, as well as networking drinks to end the day.
Agenda
4.30pm – 5.00pm – Registration
5.00pm – 5.10pm – Welcome address and opening remarks
- Patrick Spicer, chairperson, Matheson LLP
5.10pm – 5.45pm Panel 1: The ESG Reporting Landscape: Navigating the Latest Challenges
Susanne McMenamin, partner in Matheson’s Corporate Group, will host a panel focused on managing disclosures, risks and liabilities under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This session will hear from legal experts on the evolving disclosure requirements and sustainability experts on best practices for implementing a successful strategy for ESG data gathering, monitoring and reporting and practical guidance from a company perspective.
- Moderator: Susanne McMenamin, partner, corporate group, Matheson
- Onur Durmus, EMEA service lead sustainable operations; EMEA lead EU green deal and EU taxonomy services, ERM
- Conor Keeling, sustainability legal team, Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.
- Dr Lisa Koep, chief ESG officer, Tirlán (formerly Glanbia Ireland)
5.45pm – 6.20pm Panel 2: ESG Trends and Developments in Commercial Real Estate
Led by Sally Anne Stone, Head of the Commercial Real Estate Department at Matheson, this panel will explore the current ESG considerations for investors, developers, and occupiers of commercial property, and how these players are working together to achieve ESG and sustainability goals in their real estate portfolios.
- Moderator: Sally Anne Stone, partner and head of the commercial real estate department, Matheson
- Neil Granger, Senior Director, Engineering and Sustainability, TFT Ltd
- Deirdre Hayes, head of Irish commercial property and ESG lead, Irish Life Investment Managers
- David Killion, developments director, Ballymore Group
- Andrea Carroll, group head of sustainability, daa
6.20pm – 6.30pm Closing Remarks
- Richard Kelly, partner in the finance and capital markets department, Matheson
6.30pm – 7.00pm Networking Drinks
Speakers
Sally Anne Stone, partner and head of the commercial real estate department, Matheson
Sally Anne is Head of the Commercial Real Estate Department at Matheson.
A member of Matheson’s ESG Advisory Group, Sally Anne advises domestic and international developers on the development, funding, letting and trade of mixed use regeneration projects, institutional investors on the acquisition of all asset classes, and occupiers on the development, letting or acquisition of their office and technical space. She also has extensive experience in data centre and logistics projects.
Sally Anne advises clients on the inclusion of ESG requirements in the development and operation of their real estate portfolios and their obligations with regard to energy and environmental standards in real estate.
She has been involved in many of the landmark real estate transactions that have occurred in the Irish market in the last 12 years.
Susanne McMenamin, partner, Matheson
Susanne is a partner in Matheson’s Corporate Group specialising in corporate advisory matters (including ESG-related advice) and equity capital markets transactions. Susanne has particular expertise in corporate governance and compliance matters and in securities regulation under the Non-Financial Reporting Directive, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the Market Abuse Regulation and the Transparency and Prospectus regimes, the Irish Listing Rules, the Irish Takeover Rules and corporate sustainability due diligence.
As a member of Matheson’s ESG Advisory Group, Susanne is advising Matheson clients on their preparedness for reporting under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. She has particular expertise in company law and corporate governance advisory work for public and private companies, including assisting clients to embed good corporate governance structures and policies across their organisations. Susanne also works with clients on corporate reporting requirements in Ireland.
Susanne provides board induction and ongoing director training on ESG risks and liability as well as specialist corporate governance, compliance and securities law matters. Susanne also advises on matters of crisis and reputation management.
Susanne, aside from her corporate governance and ESG practices, has extensive equity capital markets transaction experience advising international and domestic clients on IPOs, capital raisings, public company M&A (hostile and recommended offers) as well as expertise on corporate migrations, redomiciliations and reorganisations.
Onur Durmus, EMEA service lead sustainable operations, EMEA lead EU green deal and EU taxonomy services, ERM
Onur Durmus has 20 years’ experience in engineering and consulting, with particular expertise in, ESG Disclosures, Operationalizing Sustainability, EU Taxonomy, Energy Efficiency, Sustainability Advocacy, and Product Environmental Performance. Onur is trained as a mechanical engineer and has a master’s in energy conversion and management. He has worked in Belgium, Germany, Turkey, and the United States for leading industrial companies and consultancies in regional and global roles.
Onur Durmus has an extensive experience in managing ESG Advisory for corporations, banks, and private equity. His industrial experience covers sectors such as automotive, biomaterials, warehouses, chemicals, food and beverage, forest and agricultural industries, iron and steel, home appliances, maritime, metal working industry, mining, railways, real estate, packaging, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, technology, tourism, and recycling and waste management.
Conor Keeling, sustainability legal team, Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.
Conor Keeling studied Law in Trinity College Dublin and qualified as solicitor in A&L Goodbody in 1999. He worked in the firm’s Finance Department until 2004 when he joined AIB’s Corporate Banking Legal team. Since then, he has worked in various legal roles in the Bank in the area of corporate lending including leading the Capital Markets legal team from 2016 – 2021.
In January 2022, he established AIB’s new Sustainability Legal team – the first in-house legal team of its kind in Ireland – to provide legal support on all aspects of the Bank’s sustainability agenda. Since its establishment, the Sustainability Legal team has advised on a wide variety of sustainability-related issues with a particular focus on sustainable finance, including green and sustainability-linked loans. Conor also sits on the Bank’s ESG Transformation Programme Steering Committee and is involved in a number of key sustainability-related strategic initiatives in the organisation.
Dr Lisa Koep, chief ESG officer, Tirlán (formerly Glanbia Ireland)
Lisa is responsible for driving the Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) targets and ambitions outlined in the organisation’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, Living Proof. In this role, her areas of responsibility also include Corporate Affairs.
Prior to joining Tirlán, Lisa worked in a number of different in senior retail management roles, most recently as Head of Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainability for Lidl in Germany. Lisa also worked as a lecturer and researcher at the Technological University Dublin and the Technische Universitaet Dresden. Lisa graduated from Trinity College with a Bachelor in Economics & Geography and holds a Masters in Public Relations as well as a PhD in CSR/CSR Communication from Dublin Technological University (formerly Dublin Institute of Technology).
Neil Granger, Senior Director, Engineering and Sustainability, TFT Ltd
Neil is a degree qualified building services engineer and sustainability consultant leading TFT’s MEP Projects and Energy & Carbon service lines. Neil has over 23 years of experience in design and sustainability on domestic and international projects across multiple sectors, including extensive experience in asset refurbishment. Neil has also extensive experience in undertaking feasibility studies, including for asset transactions, and subsequent designs to drive net zero carbon aspirations and deliver operational energy improvements.
Some key projects from Neil’s career include:
- Sustainability and MEP input for Net Zero Carbon studies for several clients, such as The Crown Estate, M&G, LaSalle. Studies included DSM modelling, identification of improvement measures (fabric and systems) and investigation into the practical application of the improvements.
- Technical lead on EPC & MEES studies as part of technical due diligence of individual assets and portfolios. Works included identification of potential stranding of assets through CRREM methodology and subsequent risk mitigation.
- Energy & carbon lead for One Castle Park, Bristol, responsible for development of decarbonisation strategy, in line with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), and TM54 operational energy assessment in line with Nabers certification.
- Aberdeenshire Council Framework, over 25 projects, including new build academies (Ellon & Mearns), Kintore & Markethill primary schools and various office refurbishments, embedding low energy and carbon design, as well as undertaking BREEAM assessment on a number of the projects.
Deirdre Hayes, head of Irish commercial property and ESG lead, Irish Life Investment Managers
With over 5 million sq.ft under active management Deirdre is responsible for strategically driving fund and asset management initiatives across the Irish Commercial property portfolio enhancing income and capital value through a number of initiatives including leasing, major redevelopment and refurbishment projects. She has led the team on embedding responsible investment decision making into a diversified property portfolio ensuring that ILIM as the largest participant in Ireland in GRESB (Global Real Estate Benchmark) are also achieving green stars across all funds and 5 stars in multiple funds.
She is a general practice chartered surveyor with nearly 30 years’ experience in commercial property Prior to joining Irish Life, Deirdre was Managing Director of Aramark Property and a board member of Aramark Northern Europe where she was responsible for the management and development of the business, enhancing service delivery and driving change strategies. Prior to joining Aramark, Deirdre was a founding partner of HT Meagher O Reilly (now Knight Frank).
Deirdre holds a BSc (Surveying) from Trinity College, Dublin and a Diploma in Property Economics from the Dublin Institute of Technology. She is a member of Society of Chartered Surveyor Ireland and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
David Killion, developments director, Ballymore Group
David is Developments Director with Ballymore in Ireland. His main focus is on large scale, mixed-use schemes in urban environments.
He is a Chartered Engineer with 30 years’ experience in the development, real estate and related markets in Ireland, the UK and Internationally where he has held similar positions.
He is a graduate of Queen’s University and Imperial College London.
Richard Kelly, partner, finance and capital markets department, Matheson LLP
Richard Kelly is a partner in the Finance and Capital Markets Department at Matheson. Richard’s practice includes advising corporates, financial institutions, investment banks, asset managers and institutional investors on all aspects of capital markets transactions involving Irish elements, including corporate bond issuances, asset backed securitisations, CLOs, repackagings and segregated managed account structures.
Richard’s practice also includes advising Irish corporates and investment funds and their counterparties in relation to derivatives transactions, repurchase and reverse-repurchase transactions, securities lending and prime brokerage and on the regulation of derivatives, the application of the Financial Collateral Directive and the operation of netting and set-off in Ireland. Richard has acted for many of the world’s leading financial institutions in providing bespoke legal opinions on the enforceability of close-out netting provisions and collateral arrangements documented using industry standard or client-specific derivatives, repo and prime brokerage documentation.
Richard has been active in the Irish Debt Securities Association (IDSA) since its formation, regularly participating in sub-groups of the IDSA’s legal committee to prepare submissions on proposed legislation. Richard also regularly represents Matheson at meetings of the EMIR working group at Irish Funds.
Patrick Spicer, chairperson, Matheson LLP
Patrick Spicer is a senior partner in the Corporate M&A Group, and chairperson of Matheson. He is a former Head of the Matheson’s Corporate and Commercial Department.
Patrick acts for a large range of international companies doing business in and from Ireland, and specialises in particular in public and private company M&A, private equity transactions, equity fundraisings, reorganisations and refinancings.
Patrick is a previous winner of the International Law Office Client Choice award for Corporate Law in Ireland.
Patrick is also a member of the Council, and a director, of Dublin Chamber, and is a former director of Junior Achievement Ireland.
Andrea Carroll, group head of sustainability, daa
Andrea Carroll is Group Head of Sustainability at daa. daa group are the Commercial Semi-State operators of Dublin and Cork Airport, airport retail operators (ARI) and management consulting (daai). She is an accomplished senior sustainability executive, working across the organisation to set sustainability strategy and ensure environmental compliance and leading the transformational change required to not only meet but exceed on their sustainability commitments.
She has a long history of success working in the environmental and climate sector in both private and public sector organisations, having moved to daa from a global sustainability role with Amazon Web Services (AWS) where she worked on global carbon, climate and biodiversity initiatives. Andrea completed her MBA in international business at Griffith College Dublin and holds honours Masters degrees in Geography and Environmental Management from University College Dublin.
In association with...
Matheson is the law firm of choice for internationally focused companies and financial institutions doing business in and from Ireland.
In 2021, Matheson became one of the first Irish law firms to establish a dedicated cross-sectoral and partner-led Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Advisory Group which assists companies in navigating and responding to the rapidly evolving ESG landscape. By bringing the firm’s ESG offering into one combined advisory platform, the ESG Advisory Group provides an integrated approach to supporting clients in responding to legislative and regulatory change; delivering on their own ESG goals; and meeting the challenges and opportunities in doing so. Matheson clients have access to an online ESG resource hub of knowledge and insights.
Chaired by Garret Farrelly, the dedicated group of 12 partners combines a strong collaborative focus with deep industry knowledge, providing ESG expertise in the areas of sustainable finance; governance; climate action; energy, natural resources and utilities; waste and the circular economy; employment practices; supply chain management; investment funds; environmental and planning; data privacy; sustainable construction; and sustainable commercial real estate.
As a business, Matheson is committed to environmental, social and governance standards. The firm’s Environmental Sustainability Committee is tasked with implementing initiatives and setting targets to ensure that the firm meets its sustainability objectives. Matheson is a founding signatory to Pro Bono Pledge Ireland, an initiative which calls on legal professionals in Ireland to commit to promoting access to justice by providing free legal assistance to those in need. Matheson’s Diversity and Inclusion programmes have been recognised by the Irish Centre for Diversity and Matheson remains the only law firm in Ireland to receive Gold Standard accreditation from the Irish Centre for Diversity for D&I practices.