Nearly a year on from the pivotal COP26 summit
in Glasgow, the ever-present issue of climate change has only grown more
untenable. The private sector is poised to answer the call that’s become
impossible to ignore, and seize the opportunity to collaborate across
industries in the fight to save the planet.
Faced with the dooming evidence of world regions that are rapidly
becoming unlivable, policy makers at last year’s climate summit
developed a set of goals, from halting deforestation to cutting coal, in
an attempt to reach net-zero by 2050. And now, geopolitical instability
has increased the pressure to make systemic, sustainable changes and
accelerated the need for clean, renewable energy.
Like all FORTUNE conferences, the Global
Sustainability Forum will feature informative interviews, and
interactive breakout sessions, with participation from top-level
executives, investors, decision-makers and thinkers from around the
world. Early confirmed speakers include Al Gore, CEOs Warren East of
Rolls-Royce, Enrique Lores of HP, Annette Clayton of Schneider Electric
North America, Mary Powell of Sunrun, Robert Niven of CarbonCure
Technologies, Keshav Murugesh of WNS,
Geraldine Matchett of Royal DSM, and Marcie
Frost of CalPERS, as well as the sustainability heads for Keurig Dr.
Pepper, Citi, Manulife, Shopify, Verizon, and Oracle.
Register
Overview
FORTUNE’s third annual Global Sustainability
Forum will convene virtually on September 29 to explore how executives
are implementing their COP26 promises to save
the planet and build resilient businesses through the following:
- Clean Tech for a Net-Zero World: An investment in burgeoning climate
technology, such as wind and solar power, may just be the magic
equation needed to solve the climate crisis. But what technologies are
already in use? How can everything from carbon capture to
electrification help develop and sustain an energy-efficient
enterprise?
- Financing a Low-Carbon Economy: Transitioning to a low-carbon economy
requires new strategies across the financial sector. What investments
are being made today to deliver a net-zero future? And how can market
participants effectively allocate capital to make sustainability a
success?
- The Business Benefits of Sustainable Water: In the 20th century, the
world’s population quadrupled, and with it water use increased
sixfold; it’s a demand that stresses communities and businesses alike.
So how can organizations better understand the way their operations
influence a finite water supply? And is there a way to harness that
understanding into water stewardship and a solution to the global
water crisis?
- Leading the Circular Economy Transition: Finding more circular
solutions could unlock $4.5 trillion in GDP
growth by 2030, so how can companies redesign their business models to
complete their transition to the circular economy? Hear more about the
ways products are being revamped to prevent waste and recover spent
resources
Agenda
11 – 11:10 AM Green Aviation and the Fuel of Tomorrow Warren East
Rolls Royce CEO Warren East is optimistic
about the future of flying. Under his leadership, the company’s
all-electric aircraft broke world records last year, and now East
predicts that the first transatlantic flight, powered solely by
sustainable fuel, will take off by the end of 2023. We’ll hear how the
future of aviation could be carbon neutral and what that will mean for
customers and the travel sector.
11:10 – 11:25 AM The Power of Energy Innovation Annette Clayton, Mary
Powell
A rise in energy prices around the world. Unreliable grids and power
shutoffs across the country. A dramatic increase in the number of
electric cars sold every day. And to all of that, add the rise of
conscious consumers who are decarbonizing their homes to save money and
lower their emissions. The energy transition is under way and the demand
for electrification has never been higher, so how is the industry
responding and innovating?
11:25 – 11:40 AM Sustainable Agriculture: Tackling the Rising Food
Crisis Geraldine Matchett,Ertharin Cousin The world is facing an
unprecedented hunger crisis, driven by a perfect storm of
socio-political instability, knock-on effects of the pandemic, and our
growing climate emergency. Yet food production is also one of the
biggest contributors to climate change, generating up to 37% of total
greenhouse gas emissions. Hear from the experts about the innovative
solutions needed to stave off global hunger as we face rising
temperatures and more extreme weather events throughout the world.
11:40 – 11:55 AM Collaboration and the Future of Finance Marcie
Frost,Laura Tyson
The private sector is stepping up in the global fight against climate
change, with $60 trillion of assets under management with net-zero
commitments. But it can only go so far without smart regulation and
cooperation from the government. As landmark climate legislation is
passed and the SEC rolls out a tougher stance
on climate risk disclosures, how are policymakers, investors, and
business leaders striking a balance?
11:55 AM – 12:05 PM People, Planet, Profit: Big Tech Turns Green Enrique
Lores
HP plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2025, cut its greenhouse gas
emissions in half by 2030, and reach net-zero by 2040. But how? Hear
more about the tech sector’s pivotal role in fighting climate change,
and how HP plans to meet its goals, plus why investing in sustainability
makes good business sense in the long-term.
12:05 – 12:15 PM Keeping the Transition on Track: What to Watch for at
COP27 Rich Lesser
Businesses and governments have made substantial pledges over the past
years to reduce emissions and take action on climate. As leaders
continue to work to translate those commitments into action, two major
events could advance these efforts. The first, the passage of climate
measures in the Inflation Reduction Act in the US, will finance hundreds
of billions of dollars of green energy investments. The second,
COP27 in Egypt in November, will build on the
progress made in Glasgow last year. A conversation with
BCG’s Rich Lesser will discuss the impact of
the IRA for business and what leaders should
expect at COP27
12:15 – 12:20 PM SWITCH BREAK
12:20 – 1:15 PM STRATEGY SESSION: Clean Tech
for a Net-Zero World
An investment in burgeoning climate technology, such as wind and solar
power, may just be the magic equation needed to solve the climate
crisis. But what technologies are already in use? How can everything
from carbon capture to electrification help develop and sustain an
energy-efficient enterprise?
12:20 – 1:15 PM STRATEGY SESSION: Financing a
Low-Carbon Economy
Transitioning to a low-carbon economy requires new strategies across the
financial sector. What investments are being made today to deliver a
net-zero future? And how can market participants effectively allocate
capital to make sustainability a success?
Hosted by BCG
12:20 – 1:15 PM
STRATEGY SESSION: Sustainable Supply Chains
The average supply chain accounts for more than 90 percent of a consumer
company’s impact on air, land, water, biodiversity, and geological
resources, which creates far greater social and environmental costs than
its own operations. So what steps can companies take to address supply
chain inadequacies and improve sustainability performance?
Hosted by Salesforce
12:20 – 1:15 PM STRATEGY SESSION: Leading the
Circular Economy Transition
Finding more circular solutions could unlock $4.5 trillion in
GDP growth by 2030, so how can companies
redesign their business models to complete their transition to the
circular economy? Hear more about the ways products are being revamped
to prevent waste and recover spent resources.
Hosted by Nasdaq
1:15 – 1:20 PM SWITCH BREAK
1:20 – 1:30 PM Strategy Session Report Backs
1:30 – 1:40 PM How to Be a Climate Optimist Katharine Hayhoe
Katharine Hayhoe is a leading climate scientist and a strong believer
that the first defense against climate change is conversation and a
heavy dose of optimism. She will share her latest research and her
thoughts on how businesses can lead the charge in bringing awareness and
action to combat the effects of a changing global environment
1:40 – 1:50 PM Chile’s Ambitious Path to Net-Zero Maisa Rojas
When Maisa Rojas was named Chile’s Minister of Environment earlier this
year, she inherited a hefty portfolio: a decade-long drought and a
profitable but energy intensive mining industry. Now, she’s helping the
country to walk the line between economic opportunity and environmental
action. Rojas will discuss how businesses and government can work
together to address the climate crisis, her hopes for
COP27, and Chile’s ambitious and legally
binding goal of reaching net-zero by 2050.
1:50 – 2:05 PM Securing a Sustainable Future Al Gore
It’s been over forty years since Al Gore first raised the alarm to
congress about a rapidly warming planet and since then, he has used
every tool in his arsenal to combat climate change. Hear how the Nobel
Peace Prize winner is investing in a sustainable revolution, what his
hopes are for the country’s first ever climate legislation, and why he
believes “political will is itself a renewable resource.”
Fortune
09/29/2022 at 11:00AM