Discover “Les Assises de la Finance Responsable » (Responsible Finance workshops) organized in March, 2025
The second edition of the "Assises de la Finance Responsable" organized by the MSc in Finance program at emlyon business school on March 20th, 2025, provided a platform for a strategic dialogue on the critical intersection of risk management and sustainable value creation in Finance with a particular focus for this edition on climate change and environment. Editor’s note: The MSc in Finance program is evolving into the Master in Finance for the 2025 intake.
How can the financial sector navigate "deep uncertainty" while driving sustainable value?
At emlyon business school's "Assises de la Finance Responsable," organized by our MSc in Finance program, we tackled this vital question head-on. For one day, professionals, academics and students gathered on the Lyon campus and engaged in focused discussions, driven by the need to navigate the complexities of geopolitical shifts, uncertainties and climate change.
Participants engaged in a thorough examination of the impact of global instability on financial strategies. Florent Parmentier from CEVIPOF offered insights into the necessity for adaptable investment approaches. Sessions on scenario planning, led by Romain Grandjean from Carbone 4 and Jean-Baptiste Vaujour, Professor of Practice Sustainable Transformation, equipped attendees with methodologies to anticipate and mitigate potential risks.
The forum addressed climate risk with a practical approach. Nazya Said from Groupama Rhône Alpes Auvergne and Lorenz Schneider from emlyon presented their common research project on advanced modeling techniques, emphasizing the integration of environmental factors into financial frameworks, in particular valuation of assets, discussed with an actor for the real estate, Loïc de Villard (CBRE). The discourse extended to the future of sustainable finance, with Guillaume Coqueret (emlyon), Sylvain Vanston (MSCI), and Pierre-Yves Gauthier (Alphavalue) discussing the evolving metrics of ESG and their practical applications.
Industry leaders, including Xavier Blot (emlyon), Thomas Michaud (MTB Group), Christophe Berenger (Groupe Vicat), and Pierre Henri Grenier (BPCE Group), provided valuable perspectives on the financial strategies required for re-industrialization and the energy transition.
The significance of collaboration was underscored throughout the forum. Frédéric Miribel of Lyon Financial Center and Olivia Grégoire, MP for Paris, highlighted the importance of partnerships, planification and supportive policies, while Grégoire Chauvière le Drian (EIB France) emphasized the need for sector-wide alignment and support from the European Union on financing energy transformation.
One of the event's most compelling takeaways was the recognition of "deep uncertainty" – the "unknown unknowns" that traditional risk models cannot fully capture. This concept, central to discussions on climate risk and geopolitical instability, underscored the need for innovative approaches to financial planning and closer collaboration with all private and public stakeholders.
A successful second edition
According to France Bachelot, co-director of the MSc in Finance: “This second session of this ESG event organized by the MSc in Finance has been a great success providing the assistance with practical and insightful ideas for action. Warmful thanks to the event team of emlyon and to the students who actively participated in the organization”.
Despite pockets of resistance to ESG principles in some markets, the event reinforced the notion that responsible finance is not merely a regulatory burden but a fundamental driver of long-term value creation. Speakers repeatedly emphasized the importance of integrating ESG factors into core business strategies, not as an afterthought, but as a critical component of sustainable growth.
The event concluded with a call to action, urging participants to embrace a forward-thinking approach that integrates prospective analysis, collective action, and real-world constraints into financial decision-making. As the global economy continues to navigate uncharted waters, the insights shared at "Les Assises de la Finance Responsable" serve as a beacon, guiding the financial sector towards a more sustainable and resilient future, focusing on effective risk management and sustainable value creation.
"The conference for me personally was truly enlightening; the way the speakers were able to shed light on the current practices in the ESG space was greatly beneficial for me, who had limited know-how of ESG practices in finance and how they did it while being candid," shared Shae Lawrence a student of the MSc in Finance program, reflecting on the event's impact.
