Next: Clear Profit '10 
Praise for our events
Clear Profit '08
"I found the event to be very interesting and thought-provoking," Mark Smyth, Royal Bank of Scotland
Clear Profit '07
"Your event was wonderful, bringing together a great group of people," Matt Christensen, executive director, European Social Investment Forum (Eurosif)
"That was fantastic," senior communications director
"A very useful conference," SRI research director
"Excellent speakers," NGO director
"Most illuminating,"
investment magazine editor
"A wonderful conference," anon
"Excellent speakers," national financial regulator
"It entirely satisfied my reasons for coming," anon
Clear Profit '06
"An excellent opportunity to meet with key players in corporate responsibility and responsible investment,"
Alex van der Velden, Executive Director, FairPensions
"Very stimulating,"
Philippe Legrain, journalist & commentator
"I enjoyed the session," Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen
"I really enjoyed the whole day," Franziska Jahn, senior research analyst, EIRIS
- Thursday November 20th 2008, London
Clear Profit's 3rd annual conference tackled some of the key issues facing the financial system and those trying to harness its social and environmental potential.
Programme
9.00: Corporate and investor responsibility and trust: Trust, says author Marek Kohn, is at the heart of society, not least business and finance. Yet it has evolved among individuals pursuing their own selfish interests. Understanding how this has happened and what it means, he argued, is fundamental to making the most of a rapidly changing world. Responsible investors and investees could play and important role in harnessing trust's positive commercial and social potential.
10.00: Charities and responsible investment: Investing charity finances in a way which furthers, or at least does not contradict, a charitable goal might seem reasonable. But relatively few do it. Delegates found out why from expert Helen Wildsmith, head of ethical and responsible investment at CCLA, as well as how things might change.
11.00: Capital markets campaigning: Some NGOs are using the capital markets as a campaigning tool. A leading practitioner, Deborah Doane, head of sustainable consumption at WWF-UK, will explain how it is done and what can be achieved.
12.30: Lunch
13.30: Responsible private equity: Many might think such an idea is inherently absurd. But others have recognised its potential and are attempting to deliver attractive financial return while minimising social and environmental impact. Delegates heard from two such pioneers, head of the UK Environment Agency pension fund Howard Pearce and Andrew Musters, senior investment manager at Robeco Alternative Investments.
14.45: Michael Green, co-author of the book "Philanthrocapitalists" provided an insight on the more businesslike mindset of the new breed of wealthy givers, drawing on interviews with Microsoft's founder Bill Gates and eBay's Pierre Omidyar.
15.45: Tea break
16.00: CSR reporting and investors: Corporate responsibility reports are the most visible evidence of many corporate responsibility programmes. But are investors paying much attention to them? Research presented by Richard Slack, reader at Newcastle Business School, suggest not.
17.00: Event ends
