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New Zealand has committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through domestic and international action. Achieving the goals requires cross-government effort as well as action by the private sector and civil society.
This session will connect the national picture to the role of the financial sector in allocating capital, designing products and communicating sustainability claims with integrity. It will explore what SDG alignment means in practice for investors, advisers and product issuers in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2026, at a time when the regulator is placing emphasis on clear, substantiated and consistent sustainability-related claims across PDSs, SIPOs, websites, marketing materials and reports.
Building on RIAA’s new SDG-alignment guidance FAQs in its Certification Program, the session will show how products can make SDG-related names, labels and claims with greater confidence, provided terminology is defined, methodologies are transparent, claims are supported at portfolio level, and communications avoid overstatement or investor misinterpretation.
Principal and Co-Owner of Māpua Wealth
Chris is a Principal at Māpua Wealth, one of New Zealand’s largest independent investment consultants, where he leads the fund manager research and adviser services. Chris has over two decades of investment experience working in Auckland, London, Sydney and Chicago. This has included working within financial advice, funds management, as well as research and investment consulting. Prior to joining MyFiduciary in 2018, he spent 12-years at Morningstar where he held leadership roles within the firm’s manager research and data group.
Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Business Council NZ
Mike joined SBC in January 2020. His previous role was New Zealand’s High Commissioner to South Africa. Before that he was Director for Sustainable Economic Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the founding CEO of Aquaculture New Zealand.
He holds degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Canterbury.
Managing Director, Head of Sustainability Business APAC at ISS STOXX
Julia has over 15 years’ experience working in responsible investment research. In her role as Senior Consultant Sustainability Strategy at ISS STOXX, Julia works with key stakeholders in the Responsible Investment industry on ESG strategy and implementation. Through working with a broad range of investors to incorporate sustainability criteria into their investment processes, participation in multi‐stakeholder groups and investor collaborations, Julia has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, company sustainability assessments, ESG data and reporting frameworks. Prior to joining ISS STOXX, Julia was CEO of the Australian ESG research house CAER (now part of ISS STOXX).
Executive Director, Response and Enforcement at the Financial Markets Authority
Louise joined the FMA from the Commerce Commission, where she was the General Manager of the Credit branch leading the team that regulates the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, as well as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Prior to joining the Commission, she specialised in risk and compliance at Lawyers on Demand NZ, an international law firm. She has significant expertise providing legal, risk and compliance services to a range of New Zealand and international organisations, including banks, telecommunications and electricity companies. Louise brings particular strength in the financial services industry, having led legal and risk teams at Bank of New Zealand across a period of 12 years.
