EDHEC Climate Research Conference 2026

Climate Risk and Business Resilience: From Science to Strategic Action

Overview

The EDHEC Climate Research Conference 2026 will bring together global experts from finance, academia, infrastructure, and policy to explore how cutting-edge climate science can directly inform strategic and investment decisions. 

Hosted by the EDHEC Climate Institute during London Climate Action Week (LCAW) and held at One Birdcage Walk, London, the conference will present original research, data-driven case studies, and scientific tools addressing the financial materiality of climate risk — from hyperlocal physical impacts to transition dynamics and regulatory frameworks.

Through high-level keynotes, technical sessions, and real-word case studies, participants will explore how rigorous, data-driven insights can translate into tangible resilience strategies for investors, corporates, and regulators.

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Agenda

Morning Sessions – Strengthening Investment Resilience through Next-Generation Climate Insights

• INTRODUCTION:

Speaker: Lisa Burke, Broadcaster, RTL Today

• Keynote Address - Asset Pricing with Climate Damages – Challenges and Solutions

A deep dive into the conceptual and technical challenges of assessing climate change’s impact on capital markets.

Speaker: Riccardo Rebonato, PhD, Professor of Finance, EDHEC Business School

• Session 1 – Assigning Probabilities to Climate Scenarios

A science-based approach to quantifying the likelihood of future climate pathways and their implications for investors.

Speaker: Lionel Melin, PhD Associate Researcher, EDHEC Climate Institute

• Session 2 – How Hyperlocal Damages Scale Up to Shape the Global Materiality of Climate Change

How high-resolution geospatial and satellite data reveal heterogeneous, hyperlocal costs of physical risks? How do these scale up to shape the global economic materiality of climate change beyond countries and sectors?

Speaker: Nicolas Schneider, PhD Senior Research Engineer - Macroeconomist, EDHEC Climate Institute

• Session 3 – Applied Case Studies

• Case Study 1: Scientific Climate Ratings - Quantifying Climate Risk for Infrastructure: quantifying physical and transition risks for infrastructure assets through a forward-looking, evidence-based framework.

• What was needed to turn this framework into a methodology feeding an equity index?

Speakers: Rémy Estran-Fraioli, PhD, CEO, Scientific Climate Ratings (EDHEC Venture); Oxana Megglé, Senior Investment Officer, IFC

• Case Study 2: Scientific Portfolio (EDHEC Venture) - Physical climate risk in equity markets : quantifying region-sector heterogeneity and designing climate resilient equity indices 

Speakers: Shahyar Safaeet, Deputy CEO, Scientific Portfolio; Benjamin Herzog, CEO, Scientific Portfolio; Thibaut Heurtebize, Sustainable Structurer, BNP Paribas Global Market

This applied case study will examine how climate physical risk may be quantified in equity markets using a top-down approach and the extent to which the approach can be integrated in the design of an equity benchmark. 

Afternoon Sessions – Proof over Promises: Assessing and Optimising the Effectiveness of Climate Strategies with Scientific Tools

• Session 1 – ClimaTech: Bridging Climate Risk, Engineering and Sustainable Finance

How EDHEC’s ClimaTech project identifies effective resilience strategies to protect infrastructure and industries from escalating physical climate risks.

Speaker: Nishtha Manocha, PhD, Project Lead of ClimaTech, EDHEC Climate Institute

Discussant: Amelia Burnett, Digital Financial Strategies Director, Bentley Systems

• Keynote – Carbon Hunting: From Chicago to China to the EU, Where Did Carbon Markets Come From?

Speaker: Paula DiPerna, Author and Strategic Advisor, Scientific Climate Ratings

• Keynote – Carbon: A Successful Policy Instrument and Attractive Alternative Asset Class

Update on global compliance carbon markets and a review of the statistical properties of this unique, liquid asset class.

Speaker: Michael Azlen, Founder and CEO, Carbon Cap Management LLP

• Session 2 – Transition Risk Beyond Carbon Tax

How the EDHEC Climate Institute’s multi-factor approach captures the full spectrum of transition risks beyond carbon pricing.

Speaker: Anthony Schrapffer, PhD, Scientific Director, EDHEC Climate Institute

• Session 3 – Applied Case Studies

Case Study 1: Blue Dot Project: Demonstrate, through a real infrastructure case study, how a Blue Dot Network (BDN) certified project can align with and benefit from the ClimaTech and Scientific Climate Ratings methodology. Illustrate how these strengthens the assessment of physical and transition climate risks across the project lifecycle, improving decision-making and resilience planning.

Speakers: Edwin Lau, Blue Dot Network Secretariat and Juan Garin, Senior Advisor, Blue Dot Network

• Case Study 2: EDHEC Climate Institute x Climate Innov - Flood Risk Intelligence: combining AI and satellite analytics to model short- and medium-term flood risks.

Speaker: Noura Dahri, PhD, Natural Hazards Research Scientist, Climate Innov

5.30pm - 7:00pm COCKTAIL & NETWORKING 

Sponsors & Partners

Audience Profile

• Institutional investors, asset owners, and insurers
• Corporate sustainability and risk officers
• Infrastructure, real estate and energy sector executives
• Academics, climate scientists, economists, modelers
• Policy makers, regulators, consultants, and ClimaTech innovators

Sponsorship opportunities

We are currently inviting sponsorship partners and speakers to join us in shaping this pivotal event. Sponsors will benefit from high-level visibility among global climate, finance, and policy audiences, while speakers will have the opportunity to share insights that drive real impact.

For partnership and speaking opportunities, download the sponsorship brochure or contact Joanne Finlay at [email protected].

Programme

You can download the programme, here.

Registrations

Venue

One Birdcage Walk
London SW1H 9JJ
United Kingdom

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