Theme: Financing Climate and Social Resilience Under Geoeconomic Fragmentation
Time: 08:00 – 13:30 Breakfast to Lunch (served)
Venue: Sjöfartshuset, Skeppsbron, Gamla Stan, Stockholm
Policy makers, financial market actors, and researchers are navigating a rapidly shifting landscape for sustainable finance — marked by political fracture, the resurgence of nationalist economic agendas, and mounting uncertainty about the durability of the regulatory frameworks that have underpinned ESG investment over the past decade.
The consolidation of green financial regulation within Europe faces growing friction from member states prioritising energy sovereignty, industrial competitiveness, and short-term electoral pressures over long-term climate commitments. In the United States, ESG has become a site of explicit political contestation. The EU’s leadership in this area has been pivotal in setting global standards, and the erosion of political will risks significantly undermining the coordinated action that the transition to sustainable economies and societies demands.
The Sustainable Finance Lab (SFL), in collaboration with Nordea, invites you to explore what the new geopolitical environment and the contestation of sustainable finance frameworks mean for efforts to build climate and social resilience through finance.
Registration is required, sign up to SFL:s Partner Day via SFL Partner Day 2026>
Programme
08:00 Registration & breakfast
8:45 Welcome & Introduction Anja Hannerz (Nordea) · Kent Eriksson (KTH, Director SFL) · Mark Sanctuary (KTH, Vice-Director SFL)
9:00 KEYNOTE Margot Wallström, Former EU Environment Commissioner, VP of the European Commission & Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, “To imagine -and finance- a peaceful and greener Ukraine”
9:25 KEYNOTE Mattias Frumerie, Sweden’s Climate Ambassador & Head of Delegation to the UNFCCC, “Holding the Line — Climate Finance in an Era of Geopolitical Fracture”
9:50 Q&A – Keynotes 1 & 2
10:00 Coffee break
10:20 RESEARCH Nurit Nobel, Stockholm School of Economics
“Climate-related disasters and homeowner investments in property hardening”
Climate-related disasters are growing in frequency, intensity, and cost. Individual-level adaptation — such as fire- or flood-proofing — is essential. Despite the urgency, voluntary uptake of such protective measures remains low. This research examines why homeowners hesitate to invest in property hardening and how their engagement and action can be encouraged.
10:40 RESEARCH Linda Hällerstrand, Luleå University of Technology
“The Financing Gap in Sustainable Entrepreneurship: A Socialized Perspective for Understanding Barriers” Only a small share of bank financing reaches green innovative ventures, which consequently hold lower debt levels than traditional innovative ventures. Drawing on interview data, this research explores the mismatch between sustainable ventures and financial institutions and discusses implications for improving access to finance.
11:00 RESEARCH Hjalmar Funke, Stockholm Resilience Centre
“Making value-chain risk visible: Extending ENCORE for systemic insights”
ENCORE (Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure) is a leading framework for assessing business–nature linkages but potentially underestimates exposures across value chains and systemic risk. This research reviews institutional uses of ENCORE value-chain integration and introduces methods to extend ENCORE’s double materiality assessments, risk management, and alignment with evolving regulatory expectations.
11:20 Coffee break
11:35 PANEL ESG “Under Contestation: Regulatory Durability, Market Integrity, and Geopolitical Fragmentation”
The consolidation of EU green financial regulation faces growing scepticsm as member states shift priorities to energy sovereignty, industrial competitiveness, and electoral pressures that complicate long-term climate commitments. In the US, ESG has become a site of explicit political contestation with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives being rolled back. These developments raise fundamental questions about the political durability of sustainable finance frameworks and the conditions under which market actors and regulators can sustain coordinated action in the face of ideological momentum. Our panel will dive into these fundamental issues, and share insights on how financial market actors can navigate these challenges and support sustainable finance.
Panelists: Lin Lerpold (Stockholm School of Economics) · Elisabet Jamal Bergström (SEB) · Per Långsved (Nordea)
Moderated by: Anja Hannerz (Nordea)
12:20 Closing Remarks
Erik Elisasson (Danske Bank) · Kent Eriksson (KTH)
12:30 Networking Lunch & Sustainable Finance Lab Industry Master Thesis Pitch Awards
13:30 End of event
Welcome!
Sustainable Finance Lab’s management team.
Download SFL Partner Day 2026 invitation and programme (pdf)>
