Agenda
Associated events
2nd annual Energy Transition Summit
The summit taking place on the eve of Sustainability Week – attending this event offers unique scope for networking—this is a time efficient way to benefit from two separate but related events. View the agenda here
Time zone
Registration and light breakfast
Registration open to collect badges.
Impact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
Impact investing is reshaping how capital supports the energy transition, driving both financial returns and measurable social and environmental benefits. How can investors strategically align portfolios with decarbonisation goals while addressing energy equity and access? What innovations in finance are unlocking the potential of impact investing to accelerate renewable energy adoption and sustainable infrastructure? This discussion will explore how purposeful capital can drive transformative change in global energy systems.
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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The hard truths of the energy transition
In a world captivated by bold promises and ambitious targets, are we being honest about the energy transition? Drawing on decades of research, Václav Smil provides a direct and unflinching analysis of our energy future. This presentation will explore the critical metrics of energy systems, the constraints of current technologies, and the engineering realities underpinning decarbonisation. How much energy will we actually need, and do our strategies align with the scale of the challenge? What must change to turn ambition into action? Expect a rigorous and uncompromising assessment grounded in hard data.
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View Profile Vaclav Smil
Distinguished professor emeritus, faculty of environment, University of Manitoba
XVaclav Smil
Distinguished professor emeritus, faculty of environment, University of Manitoba
Vaclav Smil does interdisciplinary research in the fields of energy, environmental and population change, food production, history of technical innovation, risk assessment, and public policy. By November 2024 he published 49 books and more than 500 papers on these topics. He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Science Academy), and a Member of the Order of Canada.
March 10th 2025
Fireside chat: powering peace: how the energy transition can unite a divided world
Charles Oppenheimer, drawing on a legacy of transformative science and its impact on global affairs, explores how the shift to sustainable energy can become a catalyst for world peace. How can collaborative energy initiatives, equitable access to clean power, and innovation in renewables foster cooperation between nations? What role can the energy transition play in addressing resource conflicts and bridging geopolitical divides? This discussion will examine the potential of energy as a unifying force for a more harmonious and sustainable future.
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Charles Oppenheimer
Founder, Oppenheimer Project
Charles Oppenheimer is the founder of the Oppenheimer Project – a non-profit dedicated to promoting J. Robert Oppenheimer’s vision of international cooperation toward a safe future, promoting a message of existential hope and unity to address the world’s most important problems.
Charles has been a speaker at global events and conferences on science and diplomacy, on nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear energy, and AI. He has appeared in interviews by the major media networks and in documentaries on the subject of his grandfather Robert Oppenheimer. Charles has also been published in The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, TIME, and New York Times.
Charles is the founder and CEO of the startup Oppenheimer Energy, focused on fission energy projects. Before founding the Oppenheimer entities, he spent 20+ years in Silicon Valley in the software industry. He is an angel investor in startups and social enterprises from Silicon Valley to Sub-Saharan Africa. Charles holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Oregon.
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
Flipping the switch to a consumer-centric energy market: catalyst or chaos?
Sponsored by Kraken
The rise of consumer-driven energy technologies—EVs, heat pumps, and smart systems—is reshaping the energy landscape, creating both opportunities and disruptions for grid infrastructure and market stability. How can the shift towards a consumer-centric energy model be managed to ensure resilience, affordability, and progress towards net zero?
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Greg Jackson
Founder and chief executive, Octopus Energy Group
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
Panel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
Sponsored by Hitachi Energy, Kraken, Nissan, Karsan
The electrification of transport and other sectors is transforming the energy landscape, presenting challenges for grid infrastructure and economic growth. How can the wide-ranging effects of electrification on the grid and economy be managed? How can an ageing grid be upgraded sustainably to meet climate-driven targets and fulfil the promise of a cleaner, more resilient energy future?
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Okan Baş
Chief executive, Karsan
Having received his undergraduate and graduate degree from Boğaziçi University, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Clemson University (USA), Department of Mechanical Engineering, respectively, Mr. Baş embarked upon his professional career at TOFAŞ Bursa Plant in 1987 in Engineering Support Department in the capacity of Mechanical Engineer.
Mr. Baş has served at TOFAŞ Bursa Plant as Workshop Production Supervisor, Engine Production Unit Manager, Body Production Unit Manager, Assembly Production Unit Manager and Doblo Product Manager between 1991 and 2002, and has worked at Tofaş Head Office İstanbul between 2002 and 2016 in various positions such as After-Sales Director, Mini-Cargo Project Manager, After-Sales Spare Part Director, FIAT Business Unit Director, and Aegea Project and Business Development Director.
Okan Baş has been CEO of Karsan Automotive since July 1, 2016.
March 10th 2025 -
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Charlotte Johnson
Chief of staff and global head of markets, Kraken
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Sustainability across the supply chain and product lifecycle: strategies for a greener future
Driving sustainability requires a comprehensive approach that spans the entire product lifecycle and supply chain. Nancy Mahon, chief sustainability officer, The Estée Lauder Companies, will discuss how initiatives like investments in clean energy, transitioning to electric vehicles, engaging suppliers, and advancements in packaging solutions are driving sustainability across the company and industry. This session will explore strategies to embed sustainability at every stage—from sourcing to end-of-life—and highlight lessons that can be applied across sectors.
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Nancy Mahon
Chief sustainability and ESG officer, Estée Lauder Companies
Nancy Mahon, chief sustainability officer, The Estée Lauder Companies is a transformational, collaborative leader with deep global experience in enterprise-wide management as well as leading Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy, operations, marketing, reporting and risk reduction. In the increasingly disruptive ESG arena, Nancy is a trusted and sought-after advisor, speaker, and enterprise ambassador. She is committed to taking the long view on building sustainable and inclusive companies, teams, and communities. Nancy is an influential and effective company liaison with investors, ESG rankers and raters, government officials, NGOs, employees and customers. As a senior executive at The Estée Lauder Companies who serves on the CEO’s Executive Leadership Team, Nancy helms best practices, synergizing them across brands, regions and functions, integrating ESG operations into the enterprise and ensuring compliance with all local and international laws. Nancy oversees the enterprise-wide leadership initiative on sustainability at The Estée Lauder Companies and serves on the Inclusion and Diversity Council.
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
Interactive roundtable: driving business transformation in the energy sector
Sponsored by Kraken
The energy sector is evolving at an unprecedented pace, demanding bold strategies, agile leadership, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. This exclusive, invite-only roundtable brings together senior executives, transformation leaders, technology innovators, and policymakers for a dynamic, solutions-focused discussion on driving meaningful change across the industry. Participants will exchange real-world insights on building and executing effective transformation strategies—what works, what doesn’t, and how to sidestep common pitfalls. The conversation will also explore how to sustain momentum in an ever-changing landscape, sharing practical approaches to overcoming obstacles and adapting to shifting market conditions. A key focus will be on mobilising people: is success driven by early engagement and inspiration, or does tangible progress speak louder than words when proving the art of the possible?
Whether you’re shaping corporate strategy, driving operational change, investing in energy innovation, or setting policy, this roundtable offers an invaluable opportunity to connect with peers, refine your approach, and exchange ideas that will shape the future of the energy sector.
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Anja Langer Jacquin
General manager, Kraken Experience, Kraken
Anja is General Manager Kraken Experience & Major Accounts at Kraken Technologies, part of the Octopus Energy Group, focusing on helping energy providers digitally transform to better serve their end customers and accelerate the energy transition. This includes the account management of Kraken’s major clients. She was previously Chief Commercial Officer at Depsys, a Swiss startup focused on real time monitoring and management of the electricity grid. Other key roles include independent advisor to both private and publicly listed technology companies shifting to software and service-centric business models, as well as 15 years at Cisco in various roles responsible for ensuring business value from technology for large enterprise customers across mainly Telecom, Manufacturing, Banking and Public Sector. Notably, Anja ran the Complex Deals team and later set up the Cisco Consulting Services business for EMEA. Anja began her career in strategy consulting in Munich and London with Mercer Management Consulting. Anja is a Chartered Director from the UK Institute of Directors, holds a triple Master in Management from ESCP Europe and a Bachelor in Communication. A dual Danish-Swiss national, Anja speaks five languages and has lived in nine countries to date.
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Charlotte Bullard Davies
Senior manager, primary research, Economist Impact
March 10th 2025-
11:00 amInteractive roundtable: driving business transformation in the energy sector
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04:00 pmMaking the leap: from energy transition to consumer empowerment
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Interactive roundtable: rethinking energy resilience—Balancing security, sustainability, and affordability
Sponsored by EO.N
With geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and accelerating net-zero targets reshaping the energy landscape, how can businesses, utilities, and policymakers strike the right balance between energy security, sustainability, and affordability? This invite-only roundtable will bring together senior leaders to explore the strategies and trade-offs required to future-proof energy systems while meeting consumer and industrial demand. Participants will discuss innovative approaches to strengthening grid resilience, the role of decentralised and renewable energy in mitigating risks, and how regulatory frameworks can better support long-term investment. The conversation will also examine the impact of rising costs—how can businesses and energy providers keep prices competitive while maintaining the momentum for decarbonisation?
Join industry peers for an interactive discussion on the tough choices ahead and the collaborative solutions that can ensure a reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective energy future.
Networking break
Fireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
Sponsored by EO.N
Many countries already have a lot of wind and solar on the grid, but most of the world’s energy still comes from fossil fuels. This must change. How can energy firms expand the use of intermittent sources of renewable energy on the grid?
Moderated by
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Katherine Stewart
Principal and team lead, policy & insights, Economist Impact
Katherine leads Economist Impact’s London policy and insights team, overseeing new globalisation programmes, with a focus on people-centred policymaking. During her more than ten years at The Economist Group Ms Stewart has developed, designed and led policy analysis, benchmarking and strategies for investment and growth research programmes, covering issues from technology and migration to food security, and from climate-change mitigation to education, trust and safety.
March 10th 2025-
12:15 pmFireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
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01:15 pmCutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
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02:20 pmPanel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
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04:05 pmInterview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
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05:00 pmFireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
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05:20 pmPanel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
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05:40 pmFireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
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The investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
Sponsored by Mackenzie Greenchip
Are investors unintentionally stalling the energy transition? While low-carbon investing prioritises today’s least-emitting industries, energy transition investing directs capital into the technologies and infrastructure that will drive long-term decarbonisation. Here we explore the unintended consequences of these competing approaches, discuss how market incentives shape investment behaviour, and challenge the conventional wisdom on ESG-driven capital allocation. Are investors rewarding short-term emissions cuts at the cost of long-term sustainability? And how can the financial sector adapt to support deeper, systemic transformation?
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John Cook
Senior vice-president, portfolio manager, Mackenzie Greenchip
John’s career in the investment industry began in 1991. He was President of Greenchip Financial Corporation since it was founded in 2007, to invest exclusively in the great energy transtion, and became part of Mackenzie Investments in 2021. Prior to Greenchip, John led corporate development at one of Canada’s largest innovation hubs. He has also held a number of executive positions at Canadian mutual fund companies.
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Panel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
Sponsored by FRV & Atlas Renewable Energy
Advances in battery technology will help in the move to renewable energy. What are the most promising developments, and how will they affect the energy transition?
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Felipe Hernández
Chief innovation officer, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures
Felipe Hernández joined FRV in 2008 as Head of Spain Technical. His talent and professional commitment granted him the position of Chief Innovation Officer.
He has over 18 years of experience in different multinational companies related with renewable energy, always leading innovation, development and new business models.
Prior to moving to FRV, Felipe was Managing Director of FRV-X, our technology platform, and as well Engineering & Asset Management Director. Felipe has international experience, being a key member of the FRV´s Middle East & Africa Business Development office in Dubai.
Felipe earned a Master´s degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and holds an EMBA from IE Business School.
March 10th 2025 -
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Frank Spennemann
Head of charging solutions energy, Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG
Dr. Spennemann studied mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University. He started at Daimler in 2001. From 2003 to 2007 he headed the department of product marketing at Daimler Buses. In 2007, he joined the newly founded center Business Innovation at Daimler as senior manager where he worked on leveraging Daimler technology for new businesses in the energy and charging sector. Since 2015 he additionally represents Mercedes-Benz as managing director of the newly found joint venture Enbase power, a company operating stationary batteries. From 2017 to 2023 he was heading departments related to Charging at Mercedes Benz AG. Since 2023 he is responsible for charging solutions related to energy at Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG. He is convinced that electric vehicles can make a significant contribution to the energy transition.
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
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03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
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04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
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04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
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05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Cutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
Tackling climate change demands robust strategies and precise data to drive meaningful action. By aligning with international standards and collaborating across the value chain, industries can reduce emissions while fostering long-term resilience. What does it take to achieve real impact in the race to a low-carbon economy?
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Dipjay Sanchania
Director, climate and energy, Adidas
Dipjay is an intrapreneur with a passion for and a proven record of developing business solutions at the intersection of energy, economics, and the environment. At adidas, he leads the decarbonization and energy transition across the global supply chain. This involves program development, target setting, and providing technical guidance to a portfolio of 400+ factories across 24+ countries in areas such as Renewable Energy, Phasing out Coal, and Energy Efficiency.
Given that the supply chain contributes close to 90% of adidas’ carbon footprint, Dipjay’s team plays a vital role in achieving corporate carbon reduction targets and communicating their progress through the Annual Integrated Report, CDP, etc.
Additionally, Dipjay is involved in policy advocacy and industry alignment on decarbonization aspects through periodic engagement with Governments, UNFCCC’s Fashion Charter, USAID, and industry associations. In line with his passport to build business solutions at intersection of energy, economics, and environment, Dipjay spends his personal time in nurturing startups, NGOs and youth clubs/groups focused on these solutions.
Dipjay, an Electrical Engineer and MBA, has served companies/clients like Tata Chemicals, Ernst & Young (EY), CLP, Amazon, and adidas over the last 20 years, providing energy and decarbonization solutions.
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Katherine Stewart
Principal and team lead, policy & insights, Economist Impact
Katherine leads Economist Impact’s London policy and insights team, overseeing new globalisation programmes, with a focus on people-centred policymaking. During her more than ten years at The Economist Group Ms Stewart has developed, designed and led policy analysis, benchmarking and strategies for investment and growth research programmes, covering issues from technology and migration to food security, and from climate-change mitigation to education, trust and safety.
March 10th 2025-
12:15 pmFireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
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01:15 pmCutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
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02:20 pmPanel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
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04:05 pmInterview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
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05:00 pmFireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
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05:20 pmPanel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
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05:40 pmFireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
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Networking lunch break
Interactive roundtable: Rethinking investment incentives for the energy transition
Sponsored by Mackenzie Greenchip
How can financial markets better align capital allocation with the long-term goal of decarbonisation? This interactive session brings together investors, policymakers, and corporate leaders to engage in a dynamic, scenario-driven discussion on rebalancing financial incentives. Participants will navigate real-world trade-offs between short-term emissions reductions and long-term investment in transition technologies. Are current ESG metrics and risk assessments helping or hindering climate progress? What changes are needed to unlock capital for the infrastructure that will define a low-carbon future? Join us to collaboratively explore solutions that drive both immediate impact and long-term transformation.
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John Cook
Senior vice-president, portfolio manager, Mackenzie Greenchip
John’s career in the investment industry began in 1991. He was President of Greenchip Financial Corporation since it was founded in 2007, to invest exclusively in the great energy transtion, and became part of Mackenzie Investments in 2021. Prior to Greenchip, John led corporate development at one of Canada’s largest innovation hubs. He has also held a number of executive positions at Canadian mutual fund companies.
Interactive roundtable: Strengthening the grid with sustainable switchgear
Sponsored by Hitachi Energy
As the energy transition accelerates, modernising the grid is critical to ensuring a resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy future. This invite-only roundtable will bring together senior executives, policymakers, and industry experts for a frank discussion on the role of sustainable switchgear in decarbonisation and grid reliability. Participants will explore the scalability and adoption of SF6-free technology, balancing investment in sustainable solutions with energy security and affordability, and overcoming regulatory challenges such as PFAS restrictions and policy misalignment. Attendees will gain valuable insights to help shape their strategies for integrating advanced grid technologies into the evolving energy landscape.
Panel. Inking energy ambitions with power-purchase agreements
Power-purchase agreements (PPAs) are becoming the backbone of long-term clean energy strategies for companies worldwide. But how exactly are PPAs driving the transition to renewable energy, and what hurdles must companies overcome to make the most of these agreements?
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Laveena Iyer
Analyst, technology and telecoms, The Economist Intelligence Unit
Laveena Iyer is a technology and telecoms analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit (the EIU) in London. As part of the Industry Briefing service, she contributes to market reports and analysis across 60 countries with a keen interest in the Asia-Pacific region. Her work focuses on topics such as 5G, AI, semiconductors, geopolitics of tech, shift in tech supply chains and digital regulations. She presents EIU’s technology insights to news outlets and to clients as part of EIU’s Speaker Bureau service.
March 10th 2025 -
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Zephyr Taylor
Global director of renewable energy, Mars
March 10th 2025 -
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Ulrika Leverenz
Head of green investment, H&M Group
March 10th 2025 -
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Ilkem Yildiz
Global utilities, energy and decarbonisation procurement lead, Unilever
March 10th 2025
Panel. The AI dilemma: can society have its code and compute too?
Sponsored by Softwire
AI and data has the potential to improve efficiency in a broad range of sectors from manufacturing to energy, but the technology demands huge amounts of electricity and emits hefty amounts of carbon. How can industries harness the combined potential of AI and data to optimise efficiency while mitigating its environmental impact?
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Lucy Yu
Chief executive, Centre for Net Zero
Lucy Yu is chief executive officer at Centre for Net Zero, a research unit founded by Octopus Energy that delivers pioneering research to make the future energy system a reality. She has nearly two decades’ experience building tech ventures, as well as developing tech policy and regulation for the UK government, European Commission and the UN. Ms Yu’s work has focused on sustainability and renewable energy; future mobility and the built environment; artificial intelligence; open data and open source; regulating high-risk technologies; and the social impact of disruptive technology. She is a non-executive board member at the Connected Places Catapult and E3G.
March 10th 2025 -
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Rob Owen
Technical principal, Softwire
Rob is a technology leader and consultant specialising in the energy sector. He is passionate about the technological challenges and opportunities presented by the energy transition and brings to the table deep expertise in cloud, data, AI, and green software. He has extensive experience building best-in-class technology platforms, such as Register To Vote, and currently works with Elexon to modernise and reform central electricity market systems.\
Prior to his software career, Rob was a successful scientist reconstructing climate change on geological timescales, providing context he finds deeply relevant to current energy discussions.
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Dexter Thillien
Lead analyst, technology and telecoms, The Economist Intelligence Unit
Dexter Thillien is lead technology and telecoms analyst at the EIU. He has been an analyst since 2008 and joined the EIU in September 2021. Mr Thillien’s areas of expertise include regulation, the intersection between technology and industries as well as between technology and geopolitics, and the strategy of big tech companies. He was recently the lead writer for reports on 5G and cyber-security. Mr Thillien has presented at several telecoms-specific trade conferences, including events organised by the European Commission, and has produced webinars for a wide range of clients.
March 10th 2025
Delivering energy resilience and financing partnerships with the U.S. Air Force for a safer and cleaner tomorrow
The Air Force Office of Energy Assurance is driving energy resilience by partnering with innovators, energy suppliers, and energy service companies. Learn about three new financing methods—Energy-as-a-Service, Finance First, and the Defense Energy Consortium—that align profitability with long-term energy goals.
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Kirk A. Phillips
Director, Air Force Office of Energy Assurance
Kirk A. Phillips is the Director, Air Force Office of Energy Assurance (AF OEA). AF OEA serves as the integrator of energy and water resilience efforts by ensuring projects align with installation needs and with the three goals of the Department of the Air Force (DAF) Installation Energy Strategic Plan — identify enabling system vulnerabilities, improve resilience planning, and ensure resilience results.
Prior to his current position, Kirk was the Health Safety and Environmental Practice Leader and Vice President at LJB Inc. and worked as a thought leader with the American Industrial Hygiene Association on Total Exposure Health. In 2018, he retired as the BSC Associate Chief for Bioenvironmental Engineering in the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General. As a Colonel in the Air Force, Kirk was the Director of Policy and Programs for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health.
Fireside chat: Resilient grids: weatherproofing the future to avert disaster
Sponsored by National Grid
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, putting energy grids at risk. What strategies and technologies are needed to build resilient grids that can withstand the weather?
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Rebecca Sedler
Managing director, interconnectors, National Grid Ventures
Passionate about people, decarbonisation, energy and infrastructure.
Started my energy journey at E.ON working in energy trading, portfolio strategy and subsequently in international roles on strategic business transformation projects.
Joined EDF in 2011 and went on to lead the B2B business, delivering notable growth in emerging market areas, such renewable PPAs. In 2020, I became EDF UK Director of Policy and Strategy, representing Retail, Nuclear and
Renewables.Joined the NGV Interconnectors business in 2022 and at the beginning of 2023 became Managing
Director of the end-to-end business.I currently sit on the UK ESO Markets Council, I’m a board member of WindEurope, a Fellow of the Energy Institute and a Founder of the Women’s Utility Network (WUN), which has over 7000
members.Having three young children, I spend my free time cooking, travelling and endlessly tidying up.
March 10th 2025
Panel. Spilling the tea on scope 3 secrets: unpacking the hidden challenge
Scope 3 emissions are a difficult part of emissions reporting for many companies. How can firms effectively manage and report on scope 3 emissions in the face of increasing scrutiny?
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Joe Franses
Vice-president sustainability, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Joe Franses is vice-president for sustainability at Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler. CCEP manufactures and distributes a range of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages, serving a consumer population of more than 300 million across western Europe. Mr Franses oversees CCEP’s sustainability strategy focusing on sustainable packaging, energy, and climate and water stewardship. He is responsible for stakeholder engagement, sustainability reporting and communications, including external engagement with NGOs, policymakers, customers and suppliers. Prior to joining Coca-Cola in 2005, Mr Franses spent three years with Cable & Wireless, overseeing corporate responsibility, sustainability reporting and disclosure as well as community and NGO partnerships.
March 10th 2025 -
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Matteo Battaini
Head of sustainability and new mobility, Pirelli
Matteo Battaini is a senior executive with broad experience in the automotive sector.
He is currently Pirelli’s Chief Sustainability Officer, leading the company strategy and execution towards the Net Zero at 2040 and other relevant targets across the company sustainability Journey.In his previous roles he served as Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President, Procurement and Supply Chain at group level, as well as CEO and COO for the region North America.
He is also acting as CEO representative for Pirelli inside the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and he is serving since 2017 as Board Member in the European Tyre and Rubber manufacturing association.Battaini holds a master’s degree in management engineering from Politecnico di Milano and experienced several executive education programs at INSEAD, IESE and SDA Bocconi.
March 10th 2025 -
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Inge Huijbrechts
Chief sustainability & security officer, Radisson Hotel Group
Inge Huijbrechts is Chief Sustainability and Security Officer for Radisson Hotel Group (RHG)– developing the Sustainability and Safety & Security programs in the group’s 1,460+ hotels in operations & development in 95 countries around the world.
She leads the group’s Net Zero transformation based on approved Science Based Targets. In April 2022, she was one of the key leaders involved in the definition and launch of the Hotel Sustainability Basics. The standard is supported by the World Travel & Tourism Council and hotels groups, destinations and associations representing over 50,000 hotels.
Inge is Co-Chair of the ASIS Europe conference, the leading cross industry organization for security. She is a member of the ASIS Chief Security Officer Center for Leadership and Development and of the US State Department’s OSAC Hotel & Lodging Sector Committee.
She is Vice Chair of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Board of Trustees. Inge also serves on the board of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and of Flanders Special Venues. She is a member of the EIB’s Women Climate Leader Network.
In 2024, Inge was included for the 3rd year in the global Top 100 Women in Sustainability, and has been named twice as one of the 100 Most influential people in Global Hospitality. In December 2024 she was named as one of the Top 100 European Chief Sustainability Officers.
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Ana Nicholls
Industry director, The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU)
Ana oversees The Economist Intelligence Unit’s industry subscription services in London, managing websites, reports, data and forecasts across six industry sectors and acting as lead analyst for our healthcare and automotive analysis. Ana also works closely with clients in those two sectors, particularly on projects related to value-based health and healthcare policymaking.
Ana is an experienced analyst who has previously spent time specialising in global economic and business development as well as analysis of healthcare policy. She has a particular interest in the transition countries of Eastern Europe.
Ana holds a Master’s degree in English from Cambridge University.
March 10th 2025
Fireside chat: From emissions to assets: unlocking the value of CCUS
Sponsored by VPI
Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) can in theory transform emissions from a liability into a valuable resource (though the technology itself is extremely power-hungry). How can CCUS technologies be effectively worked into the energy transition? What are their potential benefits—and worrying drawbacks?
Funding the future: investing in game-changing climate technologies (fireside chat)
Venture capital plays a critical role in driving innovation for a sustainable future. From advanced materials to breakthrough energy solutions, how can venture capital maximise impact in the fight against climate change?
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Rajesh Swaminathan
Partner, Khosla Ventures
Rajesh Swaminathan is a partner at Khosla Ventures. He has two decades of experience assisting and investing in deep tech startups. He manages many of the firm’s investments across renewables generation, storage, hydrogen, industrial decarbonization, plastics, foodtech, healthcare and advanced manufacturing.
Previously, Rajesh was the head of Applied Ventures, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, where he managed a portfolio of 85 deep tech startups globally, as well as two deep-tech funds in Korea and Taiwan. He led investments and helped build companies, many of which had strong exits, including Enphase Energy, Solid Energy, Rockley, Infinite Power Solutions, Adaptive3D, Tango, Inpria, PlayNitride and Norsk Ti. Rajesh was recognized amongst the top 100 global CVCs on the Global Corporate Venture (GCV) Powerlist.
Earlier, he worked at Third Point Ventures and at Lucent’s Bell Labs, where he drove technical assessments and partnerships for several optical, MEMS, and RF device startups, and also led DFR programs for the successful deployment of Lucent’s 10Gb/s and 40Gb/s systems.
While pursuing his MBA at Harvard Business School, he worked on Deutsche Bank’s cleantech banking team, and also worked with KV on companies in solar and water. Previously, Rajesh earned a master of science degree from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, where he was awarded the Shankar Dayal Sharma (President of India) Medal for overall excellence.
March 10th 2025
Fireside chat: Laying the foundations for a sustainable future
Sponsored by Rönesans Holding
The Construction sector is critical to global development but is also one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions. With demand for infrastructure surging, can the industry embrace low-carbon innovations without compromising growth? Or will outdated materials and practices remain a barrier to progress in a net-zero world?
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Emre Hatem
Board member, Rönesans Holding and Group President of Rönesans Enerji
Emre Hatem is a Board Member of Rönesans Holding and the Group President of Rönesans Enerji. After graduating from the Civil Engineering Department of Boğaziçi University in 2000, Emre Hatem completed the Marmara University Management and Organization Master’s program. After working in various banks for five years, he worked at Garanti BBVA between 2005 and 2022, in charge of Investment Banking and Finance, Corporate Loans, as well as Project Finance Structuring, and Sustainability activities.
March 10th 2025
Panel. The fossil fuel dilemma: crude necessity or barrier to progress?
Fossil fuels are touted as crucial for maintaining energy security during the shift to renewables. However, given that 80% of global primary energy today is from fossil fuels, is it really realistic to plan for a responsible phase-out?
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Richard Leese
Vice-president, decarbonisation, CRH
March 10th 2025 -
View Profile Jean-Christophe Laloux
Director general, head of lending and advisory, European Investment Bank
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Director general, head of lending and advisory, European Investment Bank
March 10th 2025 -
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Clara Ricard
Principal, Transition
Clara Ricard is a founding member of Transition, a cross-Atlantic venture capital fund investing in climate tech startups at Seed and Series A. Clara previously lead climate and health focused investments at Balderton Capital. Before becoming an investor, she spent the first few years of her career in consulting at McKinsey & Company and in business development at IHS Markit. She has a B.Sc. in Management Science with a minor in Machine Learning and Robotics from University College London.
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Matus Samel
Senior research manager, Economist Impact
Matus is a public policy expert at The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Resources, Climate & Sustainability, and Globalisation & Trade practices. Matus oversees the execution of projects focused on sustainable development and trade, including the Blue Peace Index partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC) on sustainable management of shared water resources and promotion of transboundary cooperation. Matus also leads programmes with the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and USAID in Central Asia. Prior to joining the EIU, Matus worked at energy policy, sustainable development, and international trade projects at UNESCAP, Chatham House and Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he specialised in Economic and Political Development, Energy Policy and International Trade and Competitiveness.
March 10th 2025-
03:45 pmPanel. The fossil fuel dilemma: crude necessity or barrier to progress?
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05:15 pmPanel. Building the green workforce: addressing the skills gap
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02:20 pmPanel. Powering down emissions: a clean slate for the hard-to-abate?
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05:00 pmCase-study. Stewards of scope 3: taking responsibility for supply-chain decarbonisation
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Making the leap: from energy transition to consumer empowerment
Sponsored by Kraken
The energy transition has reached a tipping point where consumers are driving adoption of renewables and smart technologies. What tools will empower consumers to become active participants in energy markets, fostering resilience and innovation without jeopardising stability?
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Anja Langer Jacquin
General manager, Kraken Experience, Kraken
Anja is General Manager Kraken Experience & Major Accounts at Kraken Technologies, part of the Octopus Energy Group, focusing on helping energy providers digitally transform to better serve their end customers and accelerate the energy transition. This includes the account management of Kraken’s major clients. She was previously Chief Commercial Officer at Depsys, a Swiss startup focused on real time monitoring and management of the electricity grid. Other key roles include independent advisor to both private and publicly listed technology companies shifting to software and service-centric business models, as well as 15 years at Cisco in various roles responsible for ensuring business value from technology for large enterprise customers across mainly Telecom, Manufacturing, Banking and Public Sector. Notably, Anja ran the Complex Deals team and later set up the Cisco Consulting Services business for EMEA. Anja began her career in strategy consulting in Munich and London with Mercer Management Consulting. Anja is a Chartered Director from the UK Institute of Directors, holds a triple Master in Management from ESCP Europe and a Bachelor in Communication. A dual Danish-Swiss national, Anja speaks five languages and has lived in nine countries to date.
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Charlotte Bullard Davies
Senior manager, primary research, Economist Impact
March 10th 2025-
11:00 amInteractive roundtable: driving business transformation in the energy sector
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04:00 pmMaking the leap: from energy transition to consumer empowerment
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Networking coffee break
Panel. What does it mean to be a “good grid citizen”?
Sponsored by Hitachi Energy
Responsible “grid citizens”—both firms and individuals—contribute to grid stability and environmental sustainability. What can industries do to lessen their load on the grid? Just as “good corporate citizens” are rewarded in the marketplace, how can incentives be established for those firms and individuals who act responsibly in terms of green goals? Should bad grid citizens be sanctioned?
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View Profile Christian Ohler
Head of global product group switchgear, high-voltage products, Hitachi Energy
XChristian Ohler
Head of global product group switchgear, high-voltage products, Hitachi Energy
Christian Ohler is the Head of the Global Product Group Switchgear for the Business Unit High Voltage Products, within Hitachi Energy. He holds a Ph.D. in semiconductor physics from RWTH Aachen. Christian joined the company in 1998
in the Corporate Research Center, Switzerland, and since, has gathered extensive experience in research and development, product development, and product management. He firmly believes that it is how people collaborate within the company that
makes the difference.March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Ana Nicholls
Industry director, The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU)
Ana oversees The Economist Intelligence Unit’s industry subscription services in London, managing websites, reports, data and forecasts across six industry sectors and acting as lead analyst for our healthcare and automotive analysis. Ana also works closely with clients in those two sectors, particularly on projects related to value-based health and healthcare policymaking.
Ana is an experienced analyst who has previously spent time specialising in global economic and business development as well as analysis of healthcare policy. She has a particular interest in the transition countries of Eastern Europe.
Ana holds a Master’s degree in English from Cambridge University.
March 10th 2025
Shifting gears: biofuels, electrification and the future of HGVs
As the push to decarbonise transport intensifies, biofuels are emerging as a vital solution for greening heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). This session will explore how advances in biofuel technology are fuelling the transition to low-carbon road freight. Industry experts will discuss the latest developments in biofuels tailored for HGVs, the potential to reduce emissions in this hard-to-electrify sector, and the infrastructure needed to support widespread adoption.
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Justin Laney
General manager, Fleet, John Lewis Partnership
March 10th 2025 -
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Philip Fjeld
Co-founder and chief executive, ReFuels
March 10th 2025
Panel. Cleared for take-off? The reality of sustainable aviation fuels
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are often touted as a key solution for reducing the aviation industry’s carbon footprint, but first-generation SAFs have faced criticism for their limitations, such as competition with food crops and limited emissions reductions. Can next-generation fuels, such as synthetic fuels and biofuels from non-food sources, help aviation achieve net zero while addressing these challenges?
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Daniel Kim
Head of sustainable aviation fuel procurement, Americas, Cathay Pacific
March 10th 2025 -
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Lahiru Ranasinghe
Director of sustainability, easyJet
Lahiru Ranasinghe is the Director of Sustainability at easyJet. An experienced aerospace professional with expertise in airline strategy, network planning, and sustainability – he has been in the airline industry for over a decade, having held commercial and strategy roles at British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and easyJet. Prior to joining the airline industry he completed a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering and started his career as an engineer working on Airbus commercial aircraft.
March 10th 2025
Panel. Building the green workforce: addressing the skills gap
Industry leaders and policymakers give their insights on the urgent need to improve the skills of workers in emerging low-carbon technologies.
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Alison Nuttall
Head of operations, sustainability office, JLR
March 10th 2025 -
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Sandhya Sabapathy
Global head of environment and net-zero, Entain
March 10th 2025 -
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Torsten van Dullemen
Group director of sustainability, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Torsten van Dullemen is Group Director of Sustainability, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Group’s sustainability commitments and initiatives towards the wellbeing of the planet, of communities and of individuals.
Torsten has over 30 years of experience in luxury hotel management and currently holds the position of General Manager for Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London and Area Vice President for the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. Torsten was previously General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. and Area Vice President, Operations for the Group’s Northeast US operations, and held senior Mandarin Oriental positions in Hong Kong, Manila, Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Sanya as well as with the Oberoi Hotels in India.
Torsten is a graduate of Hotelschool The Hague, Institute for Hotel Management and Cornell University, as well as a member of MENSA International.
March 10th 2025
Moderated by
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Matus Samel
Senior research manager, Economist Impact
Matus is a public policy expert at The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Resources, Climate & Sustainability, and Globalisation & Trade practices. Matus oversees the execution of projects focused on sustainable development and trade, including the Blue Peace Index partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC) on sustainable management of shared water resources and promotion of transboundary cooperation. Matus also leads programmes with the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and USAID in Central Asia. Prior to joining the EIU, Matus worked at energy policy, sustainable development, and international trade projects at UNESCAP, Chatham House and Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he specialised in Economic and Political Development, Energy Policy and International Trade and Competitiveness.
March 10th 2025-
03:45 pmPanel. The fossil fuel dilemma: crude necessity or barrier to progress?
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05:15 pmPanel. Building the green workforce: addressing the skills gap
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02:20 pmPanel. Powering down emissions: a clean slate for the hard-to-abate?
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05:00 pmCase-study. Stewards of scope 3: taking responsibility for supply-chain decarbonisation
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Panel. Do we need to go nuclear to get to net zero?
Can society get to net zero without nuclear power, or is it an inevitable part of the energy mix? Do small modular reactors offer an alternative to large-scale plants? What are the benefits and challenges of each approach, and which may dominate? What are the most sensible—and innovative—solutions for storing nuclear waste?
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Laveena Iyer
Analyst, technology and telecoms, The Economist Intelligence Unit
Laveena Iyer is a technology and telecoms analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit (the EIU) in London. As part of the Industry Briefing service, she contributes to market reports and analysis across 60 countries with a keen interest in the Asia-Pacific region. Her work focuses on topics such as 5G, AI, semiconductors, geopolitics of tech, shift in tech supply chains and digital regulations. She presents EIU’s technology insights to news outlets and to clients as part of EIU’s Speaker Bureau service.
March 10th 2025 -
View Profile Jeffrey Donovan
Outreach and stakeholder involvement officer, department of nuclear energy, International Atomic Energy Agency
XJeffrey Donovan
Outreach and stakeholder involvement officer, department of nuclear energy, International Atomic Energy Agency
March 10th 2025 -
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Roberta Boscolo
Climate and energy lead, World Meteorological Organization
Roberta Boscolo is leading the Climate and Energy operations at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva, Switzerland. She is also the Chief of the WMO Liaison Office in New York.
Her main work is to enhance the capacity of all countries to contrast climate change and enact sustainable development through scaling up science-based climate adaptation and mitigation measures in alignment with the global landmark agreements.
With a wide and deep knowledge of climate and sustainability-related issues, she manages a transformative interface between climate science and socio-economic sectors, especially energy sector, through partnerships with United Nation agencies, public and private sectors, academia, civil society, media groups and associations.
She has long-term experience in developing knowledge platforms and good practices to support climate-related risk management and pathways to resilient low-carbon economy.
In 2023, she was included in the list of Global 50 Women in Sustainability by the SustainabilityX Magazine and is Top Voice of LinkedIn for Green Economy since 2022. Since 2023 she is a member of the Expert Advisory Panel of the prestigious The EarthShot Prize for the category “Fix Our Climate”.
Previously she served as science officer for the World Climate Research Programme, coordinating scientific efforts worldwide to address the knowledge gaps in understanding Earth climate system. Such knowledge is assessed by the IPCC milestone reports.
She launched and managed multi-stakeholders development projects in 20+ countries, currently she manages a portfolio of several multi-million projects (US$ 30M) in Africa, South America, South East Asia and Pacific.
March 10th 2025
Closing keynote. Racing the clock to avoid an irreversible inconvenient truth
As climate change accelerates, many worry that the energy transition is taking too long. Are governments and businesses moving fast enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change? Do we risk reaching a point of no return? What can be done to speed up progress and inspire action?
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View Profile Jerome Foster II
Co-founder, Waic Up and White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Member
XJerome Foster II
Co-founder, Waic Up and White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Member
March 10th 2025
Close of conference
Registration and light breakfast
Keynote report. Britain's progress towards net zero
Every five years, the Climate Change Committee reviews Britain’s legal commitments to achieving net zero emissions. What is the current state of progress and future projections?
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Emma Pinchbeck
Chief executive, Climate Change Committee
Emma is the Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee, the UK’s national climate advisor. The body advises on the country’s Carbon Budgets and Climate Change Risk Assessments and does annual assessments of the Government’s progress. From 2020-2024 Emma was the Chief Executive of Energy UK. Emma is an expert in whole-economy decarbonisation and the energy transition and is a Fellow of the Energy Institute. From 2016-2020, she served as deputy CEO of the trade body Renewable UK, in which role she also sat on the Board of Scottish Renewables and worked with Renewable UK Cymru and Northern Ireland.
Prior to this, Emma was Head of Climate Change and Energy at WWF-UK, in which role she worked on the international Paris Agreement, UK coal phase out, international aviation and shipping, and the design of UK renewables policy. Before joining the WWF, she worked in finance and in commercial consulting for start-ups in the energy sector. She has a degree from the University of Oxford.
Outside of her main roles she has also undertaken several advisory or Board roles, including for the academic consortia the Energy Research Council, the Energy and Physics Research Council, UK100, and UK Research and Innovation’s “Women in Innovation” grant awards.
March 11th 2025
Keynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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Andrew Forrest
Non-executive chairman, Fortescue Metals Group
Dr Andrew Forrest AO is a global business and philanthropic leader dedicated to ending the use of fossil fuels, creating green energy solutions and tackling global challenges like climate change, conflict response, modern slavery and ecosystem destruction.
In 2003, Dr Forrest founded Fortescue Metals Group in Western Australia. Twenty-two years later, Fortescue is one of the world’s largest iron ore producers and a global green technology, energy and mining group with a laser focus on accelerating the commercial decarbonisation of industry.
Under Dr Forrest’s leadership, Fortescue has developed some of the world’s most efficient and lowest cost mining infrastructure; rolled out world-leading green mining equipment across its Pilbara operations; and become the only heavy industry company globally with a fully costed construction plan to achieve ‘Real Zero’ – the elimination of fossil fuels without carbon offsets – on its Australian mine sites by 2030.
Through Tattarang, Dr Forrest owns Squadron Energy, Australia’s largest renewable energy developer and largest contributor to the Australian Government’s 2030 82 per cent renewables target, delivering 30 per cent of the Government’s target. Squadron has five utility-scale wind farms in operation delivering 1.1 gigawatts of green energy, 900 megawatts under construction, and is working to build enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of six million Australian homes by the end of the decade.
Dr Forrest’s other commercial interests reflect his dedication to the economic livelihood of all Australians across sustainable agriculture and food production, health technology and manufacturing, including investing in iconic Australian brands, R.M.Williams and Akubra, to ensure they stay in Australian hands and grow their legacy of exceptional local craftsmanship.
Dr Forrest established Minderoo Foundation in 2001 and is a member of the Giving Pledge, committing to give away his wealth over his lifetime. In 2023, he gave one-fifth of his Fortescue shareholding to Minderoo, bringing the Foundation’s endowment to more than AU$9 billion. Minderoo’s efforts are focused on three key areas – communities, gender equality and natural ecosystems – as well as time-bound responses to urgent societal challenges, existential threats and crises.
Support for crises includes nearly US$13 million in Ukraine to help protect lives and restore livelihoods, such as through de-mining agricultural land. In Gaza, over US$27 million has been committed to partners providing critical aid, services and infrastructure, providing lifesaving support to millions of community members. Minderoo is also driving global efforts to ensure safeguards are in place to prevent artificial intelligence from becoming an existential threat to humanity.
Dr Forrest has a PhD in Marine Ecology, serves as an IUCN Patron of Nature and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to philanthropy, mining, employment, and sustainable foreign investment.
In 2013, Dr Forrest was appointed by Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to lead the country’s response to tackling Indigenous disparity. Dr Forrest is also Co-Chair of the Australia-China Senior Business Leaders’ Forum and a Board Member for the Boao Forum.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Keynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
View Profile John Kerry
Former US secretary of state, first special presidential envoy for climate, co-executive chair, Galvanize Climate Solutions
XJohn Kerry
Former US secretary of state, first special presidential envoy for climate, co-executive chair, Galvanize Climate Solutions
Secretary John Kerry is co-executive chair at Galvanize, where he focuses on expanding the resources and reach of the firm’s investment strategies, originating differentiated opportunities, and leveraging firsthand knowledge as to how technology, policy, and geopolitics are shaping the energy transition.
In 2021, Secretary Kerry was sworn in as the United States’ inaugural Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and the first-ever Principal to sit on the National Security Council entirely dedicated to climate change. In that role, he negotiated successful restoration of US-China climate cooperation, helped galvanize $11.3 billion dollars in Athens to protect oceans, and helped shape the commitment of almost 200 countries embracing the UAE Consensus at COP28 to transition the world away from fossil fuels.
In 2013, he was sworn in as the 68th Secretary of State of the United States, becoming the first sitting Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman to serve as Secretary in over a century.
As America’s top diplomat, he guided the Department’s strategy on nuclear nonproliferation, combating radical extremism, and the threat of climate change. His tenure was marked by the successful negotiation of the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Agreement, and the elevation of global environmental issues including the oceans within the framework of civilian security.
From 1985 to 2013, he served as a U.S. Senator representing Massachusetts, and was Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2009 to 2013. In the Senate, he worked closely with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to make peace with Vietnam and begin normalization of relations.
In 2024, President Biden awarded Secretary Kerry the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his lifetime commitment to public service, saying simply, “the son of a foreign service officer, diplomacy is in his DNA.”
As a young man, Secretary Kerry served in the U.S. Navy, completing two combat tours of duty in Vietnam for which he received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star with Combat V, and three Purple Hearts.
Secretary Kerry is the best-selling author of A Call to Service, This Moment on Earth with his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry, and his 2018 memoir, Every Day Is Extra, which The New York Times described as “a bittersweet reminder of what the country once demanded of its leaders.”
He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his law degree from Boston College Law School.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Fireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
In today’s rapidly evolving sustainability landscape, companies are increasingly expected to provide comprehensive, transparent reports on their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. However, the pressure for precision sustainability disclosure can be a burden on top of the CFO’s imperative to manage risk, optimise resources, and ensure financial health. What is the take on current and upcoming sustainability disclosure requirements from a finance officer’s perspective? How can the tension between striving for perfect ESG data and making meaningful progress towards sustainability goals be balanced? Has reporting become a distraction or the tinder to unlock opportunity to enable progress towards a more sustainable future?
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Sue Lloyd
ISSB vice-chair, IFRS
Sue Lloyd’s appointment as Vice-Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), effective 1 March 2022, was announced in January 2022.
She served as a member of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) from 2014 and as IASB Vice-Chair from 2016. She also served as Chair of the IFRS Interpretations Committee from 2017.
In addition to her IASB responsibilities, she played a leading role in the establishment of the ISSB from 2020, including as a member of the Technical Readiness Working Group, which was created by the Trustees to give the ISSB a running start.
Prior to becoming an IASB member, Ms Lloyd worked for the IFRS Foundation as a senior technical director, leading the development of new IFRS Accounting Standards, and as director of capital markets with responsibility for the IASB’s reform of accounting for financial instruments. She also worked for the IFRS Foundation from 2002 to 2004 as a technical project manager.
Ms Lloyd has held various positions in investment banking both in the UK and in Australia and has served as a member of the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB). She has a Master’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Panel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
With just over 25 years left to achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050, chief executives are at the forefront of decarbonisation. What are they doing to realise transition plans and put their businesses on a path to net zero? How are bosses working with their chief financial officers (CFOs) to mesh sustainability goals with fiduciary responsibilities? And as a slew of new environmental regulations and transparency mandates loom, what active measures are chief executives taking to ready themselves and their organisations?
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X
Benoit Bazin
Chief executive, Saint-Gobain
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Fireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
Transport accounts for nearly 25% of global CO2 emissions, placing automakers under immense pressure to accelerate towards net-zero targets. But how well do their sustainability ambitions align with reality? Grounded in exclusive survey findings, this discussion will explore how automakers can meet the evolving expectations of younger consumers while navigating significant industry challenges. How can automakers align their sustainability efforts with buyers’ top priorities, such as cost, safety and convenience, which often outweigh environmental concerns? With only 14% of global car sales expected to be electric by 2030, what bold actions are needed for the industry to speed towards net zero? What strategies can help automakers tackle challenges such as supply-chain decarbonisation, EV affordability and the scaling of charging infrastructure?
Supported by Nissan Motor Corporation
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Keynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
Supported by bp
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X
Louise Kingham
Senior vice-president, Europe and head of country, UK, bp plc
Louise leads bp in the UK and continental Europe integrating bp’s business activities. She represents bp in this region to all stakeholders and works to identify opportunities to deliver decarbonized energy solutions at scale. In doing so, Louise works with her network of 20 European heads of country to tell bp’s story, liaise with governments, build and grow key relationships and seek out partners to collaborate with on the journey to net zero. Louise joined bp in 2021 from the Energy Institute (EI), where she was CEO for 22 years, working in the public interest at the intersection of the energy industry, policy and education. Here she led the development of global industry good practice, evidence-based energy policy and learning opportunities for people interested in energy careers. She is passionate about creating inclusive cultures and the role that diversity and equity can play to provide a low carbon future for all. She chairs bp’s UK DE&I Council, accountable for working towards the company’s ambitions, serves as a member of the company’s global Women in Energy committee and is an active ally to bp communities and affinity groups. Externally, she is a founder member of the Powerful Women Energy Leaders Coalition, serves as an ambassador for 25×25 and chairs Business in the Community’s Climate Action Leadership Team. Internally, Louise serves as a Chair and board member of a number of bp subsidiary companies across Europe and the UK and is also a board member of the bp UK Pension Fund. Louise is also a non-executive director of VH Global Sustainable Energy Opportunities plc. In 2022, she was appointed a Commander of the Order the British Empire (CBE) for services to the energy industry, having received and OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2011. In 2017 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science from University of Bath.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Networking break
Presentation. Future-proofing finance: Assessing risks and building resilience in a climate-challenged world
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X
Emmanuelle Assouan
Director financial stability and operations, Bank of France
Emmanuelle Assouan has been the Director General for Financial Stability and Operations – Banque de France – since January 2023. She also chairs the Banque de France Center for Climate and Nature. She was previously delegated Director General in charge of Financial Stability within the Banque de France and the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution. Her areas of responsibility also covered activities related to prudential regulation of credit institutions and insurers. Prior to financial stability, she held several positions in relation to payments and market infrastructures, but also management of foreign exchange reserves of Banque de France and implementation of monetary policy. Emmanuelle Assouan joined the Banque de France in 1997. She is a graduate from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris.
Interview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
Supported by Glencore
The energy transition hinges on the availability of critical minerals, but how can the mining industry meet soaring demand sustainably and ethically? This fireside chat explores mining’s role and challenges facing the increased demands from it from securing supply chains to addressing environmental and social impacts. What innovations and collaborations are needed to ensure mining supports, rather than hinders, the global push toward a low-carbon future?
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Anna Krutikov
Head of sustainability, Glencore
Anna Krutikov is Head of Sustainability at Glencore, a global diversified mining and marketing company. At Glencore, she is responsible for stakeholder engagement and communication on matters relating to sustainability and the relevant business strategies.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Panel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
As more than 30% of the world’s largest companies pledge to reach net zero by 2050, attention is shifting from setting targets to the transformations needed to achieve them. This panel will explore how businesses can navigate complex financial and regulatory landscapes to address the $4trn shortfall in annual clean-energy investment. It will highlight practical strategies for transitioning business models to net zero while staying competitive and embracing innovation in a fast-changing global market. How can business leaders accelerate climate action, from closing the investment gap to driving change by working with governments and international organisations? As global institutions increasingly look to the private sector for leadership, how can companies step up to shape policy, hold governments accountable and drive climate solutions? How can governments ensure that vulnerable communities and workers are not left behind as the world moves to a low-carbon economy?
15 min interview with Lord Adair Turner followed by 15 mins panel discussion
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Adair Turner
Chair, Energy Transitions Commission
Adair Turner chairs the Energy Transitions Commission, a global coalition of power and industrial companies, investors, environmental NGOs and experts working to achieve a net-zero economy by 2040. A cross-bench member of the UK House of Lords since 2006, Lord Turner was the first chairman of the Climate Change Committee (2008-12), an independent body to advise the UK government on tackling climate change. As well as working in the private sector, Lord Turner has led the Confederation of British Industry, the UK Low Pay Commission and the Financial Services Authority.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Education Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
Moderated by
-
X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Networking lunch and exhibition
Workshop 1. Carbon removal: practical steps to reach net zero faster
Invitation Only (only accepted participants will be participating, please ensure you have received a confirmation to join this session)
Supported by Carbonfuture
To reach net-zero goals, carbon reduction alone won’t be enough. Carbon-dioxide removal will also be required. But the technology needs to be made affordable and scalable—fast. What role can carbon removal play in helping businesses become more sustainable? Are there benefits for firms that invest in carbon removal now, rather than later? What carbon-removal technologies are available now, and what are their features? What needs to be improved? How can carbon removal be scaled effectively to help businesses reach net-zero goals on time? What needs to be done to make carbon removals a useful part of a firm’s climate actions, rather than an excuse for inaction? These topics will be explored in detail through a spotlight presentation, a buyer case study, a panel discussion and targeted roundtable discussions among corporate leaders, with group findings shared to deliver a range of perspectives.
Keynote (15 min): Introduction to CDR and its role in achieving net-zero
- Henrik Stiesdal, founder and chief technology officer, Stiesdal A/S
Buyer Case Study (15 min): The case for investing in CDR now
- Brian di Marino, managing director, deputy director of global sustainability, JP Morgan
- Bas Sudmeijer, climate and sustainability leader for London, Amsterdam and Brussels, Boston Consulting Group
Panel Discussion (45 min): Industry perspectives on scaling CDR
(5 mins presentation from each panelist followed by 30 mins moderated discussion)
- Dan Rogers, senior director, Projects, Global Sustainability, AstraZeneca
- Yoshikazu Hirose, head of carbon removal team, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
Roundtables (30 min): Targeted discussions with corporate leaders
Wrap-Up (15 min): Group findings and next steps
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Henrik Stiesdal
Founder and chief technology officer, Stiesdal A/S
March 11th 2025-
02:00 pm -03:45 amWorkshop 1. Carbon removal: practical steps to reach net zero faster
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View Profile Brian DiMarino
Managing director, deputy director of global sustainability, JPMorgan Chase & Co
XBrian DiMarino
Managing director, deputy director of global sustainability, JPMorgan Chase & Co
March 11th 2025-
02:00 pm -03:45 amWorkshop 1. Carbon removal: practical steps to reach net zero faster
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Dan Rogers
Senior director, Projects, Global Sustainability, AstraZeneca
March 11th 2025-
02:00 pm -03:45 amWorkshop 1. Carbon removal: practical steps to reach net zero faster
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View Profile Bas Sudmeijer
Climate and sustainability leader for London, Amsterdam and Brussels, Boston Consulting Group
XBas Sudmeijer
Climate and sustainability leader for London, Amsterdam and Brussels, Boston Consulting Group
March 11th 2025-
02:00 pm -03:45 amWorkshop 1. Carbon removal: practical steps to reach net zero faster
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Moderated by
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Emily Jackson-Keßler
Senior vice-president, sustainability, The Economist Group
Emily Jackson leads environmental sustainability at The Economist Group, and is responsible for driving strategy and embedding sustainability across the organisation. The Group is taking ambitious climate action and its commitments include the SBTi’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C and the UNFCCC’s Race To Zero.
Emily’s career began in sales and business development with The Economist Group, leading the commercial sponsorship strategy of The Economist Intelligence Unit in Continental Europe before managing The Economist Events in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Most recently she has been leading brand partnerships and key accounts for the Group in Germany and Austria.
Emily has lived and worked in Europe and Asia, and currently lives in Frankfurt. She holds an MA in German and Management from the University of St Andrews; attended a University of Cambridge business sustainability management online course, and is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business focusing on value chains at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).
March 11th 2025-
02:00 pm -03:45 amWorkshop 1. Carbon removal: practical steps to reach net zero faster
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Welcome address: sustainable procurement - so what?
Panel. The big picture: innovation and economic impact in supply-chain management
Geopolitical shifts, climate change and a data-driven industrial revolution are forcing companies to adopt supply-chain strategies that balance cost reductions with effective delivery and ESG. Can the push to greater sustainability be made to deliver efficiency and growth in a fair and inclusive, ‘just’ way? How can procurement leaders work across business functions and their supply chain to align on priorities, focus investment and drive impact? What process innovations are we seeing upstream and downstream that are making supply chains more resilient and inclusive?
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Colin Browne
Chief executive, Cascale (former chief executive of Under Armour)
March 11th 2025 -
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Lucy Westgarth
ESG lead, logistics and mission support, Leidos
Lucy Westgarth is ESG lead, logistics and mission support at Leidos Europe, the prime contractor for the UK Ministry of Defence’s Logistics, Commodities and Services Transformation contract. Ms Westgarth’s experience working in supply-chain management in a range of industries enables her to balance commerciality with compliance requirements across sourcing, procurement and logistics, and to problem solve across interconnected global-supply networks susceptible to macro disruptions. Having shifted her focus towards ESG, she aims to enhance understanding of the importance of sustainability in a successful business model. Ms Westgarth also conducts outreach work focused on social mobility, and mentors within the industry.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Eddie Milev
Analyst, policy and insights, Economist Impact
Eddie is an Analyst at Economist Impact, working within the Sustainability and New Globalisation practice areas. He has experience in public policy, environmental policy and politics, and international relations. He holds a BSc in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from University College London (UCL), and an MSc in Global Politics from The London School of Economics and Political Science.
March 11th 2025-
02:20 pmPanel. The big picture: innovation and economic impact in supply-chain management
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03:20 pmInterview and Panel. Closing the loop — How circularity drives profit and sustainability
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Interview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
As the push for sustainable and climate-resilient cities intensifies, how can innovative financing transform the built environment? This session explores the use of green bonds, sustainability-linked loans and PPPs to fund projects that reduce emissions, enhance energy efficiency and strengthen climate resilience. The discussion will also address the risks of stranded assets and regulatory changes, highlighting how investors and policymakers can collaborate to secure capital and mitigate risks while shaping a sustainable urban future.
Interview – Danny Alexander, former secretary of state, Scotland, former secretary of the Treasury, United Kingdom, chief executive, HSBC Infrastructure Finance.
Followed by panel discussion
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Danny Alexander
Chief executive, HSBC Infrastructure Finance and Sustainability
Sir Danny Alexander joined HSBC in November 2024 as CEO of HSBC Infrastructure Finance (HIF). In this role he leads on HSBC Infrastructure financing and project finance advisory opportunities associated with the transition to a low carbon economy in our strategic markets. In addition,
overseeing the Pentagreen joint venture, and enhancing HSBC debt origination and distribution channels, including establishing additional partnerships in both the public and private sectors. Previously Sir Danny was Vice President, Policy and Strategy, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
(AIIB). He joined the AIIB – the first new multilateral development bank of the 21st century and the first to be headquartered in Beijing – at its inception in 2016 and led the Bank through its start-up and growth phases. Sir Danny was responsible for AIIB’s strategic direction, including its thematic sectoral
and country priorities. He led the Bank’s ambitious climate agenda and oversaw AIIB’s environmental and social and other operational policies. He represented AIIB at the G20 Finance Ministers meetings, climate COPs, and other international meetings. He led the Bank’s partnership with the World Bank and other multilateral, bilateral, and private sector partners.
From 2010-2015, Sir Danny was Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the United Kingdom Cabinet. He led the Liberal Democrat negotiating team that established the Coalition that governed in that period, and was one of the four member ‘Quad’ that provided the core political leadership of that
government. In government, he was responsible for the UK’s deficit reduction, pension reform, and national infrastructure plan. He was a member of the National Security Council. He was MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey from 2005 to 2015. He was Knighted by Her Majesty the Queen in 2015 for his services to government. He holds a BA in philosophy, politics and economics from the University of Oxford and is an honorary fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford. He was born and brought up in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.March 11th 2025 -
View Profile Harry Boyd-Carpenter
Managing director, green economy and climate action, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
XHarry Boyd-Carpenter
Managing director, green economy and climate action, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Harry Boyd-Carpenter has been managing director for climate strategy and delivery at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) since 2021. He co-ordinates the bank’s work across the green-economy and climate agendas, with the goal of meeting its commitment to achieve a green-finance ratio of at least 50% of annual investment by 2025. Mr Boyd-Carpenter leads a group that drives climate and green financing, policy and analysis across all economic sectors and financing instruments. He joined the EBRD in 2005, and prior to his current role he led investment activities in the energy sector in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
March 11th 2025 -
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Daniel Cotter
Deputy under secretary (acting), Science & Technology, DHS.
March 11th 2025 -
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Andrew Cross
Chief financial officer, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
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03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
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04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
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04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
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05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Panel. Powering down emissions: a clean slate for the hard-to-abate?
Heavy-duty trucking, shipping, aviation, iron and steel, and chemicals and petrochemicals together consume about a quarter of the world’s energy and emit around a fifth of total CO2. What new policies can give these industries a fair chance to decarbonise? Is current policy causing carbon leakage and making local markets uncompetitive? What innovative tech could help with reaching net zero, and how can it be financed? Are customers happy to pay a green premium?
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Jonathon Counsell
Group head of sustainability, International Airlines Group (IAG)
Jonathon Counsell is group head of sustainability for the International Airlines Group, a role he has held since 2015. Mr Counsell served as chair of the International Air Transport Association’s Sustainability and Environment Advisory Council between 2019 and 2022, and also chaired the oneworld Alliance’s Environment Strategy Board from 2020 to 2023. In 2020 he became chair of the UK Government’s Jet Zero Council’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Delivery Group, and in the same year was appointed visiting professor at Cranfield University supporting their work towards achieving net-zero emissions in the aviation industry by 2050. In February 2024 Mr Counsell joined King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiative leading the Aviation Taskforce.
March 11th 2025 -
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Joanna Gilroy
Group director of sustainability, Balfour Beatty
Joanna Gilroy is group director of sustainability at Balfour Beatty, a role she assumed in 2022. Prior to working at Balfour Beatty, Ms Gilroy was head of sustainability and environment at Kier Group, where she developed the organisation’s sustainability framework. Before this, she served as head of sustainability at the Bunzl Group, where her work included collaborating with government bodies and customers in the hospitality and retail sectors, to address the issue of ocean pollution caused by single-use plastics. In addition, Ms Gilroy has international experience working with SAB Miller in India, IKEA in Sweden, and the mining sector in Australia and New Zealand.
March 11th 2025 -
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Andreas Follér
Chief sustainability officer, TRATON GROUP
Andreas Follér is chief sustainability officer at commercial vehicle manufacturer TRATON Group, comprising Scania, MAN Truck & Bus, International and VW Truck & Bus. In this role he leads a team responsible for sustainability, circular economy and climate-related issues at group level. Prior to joining Scania, Mr Follér worked in a range of senior sustainability, strategy, education and management roles in the energy, pharmaceuticals, automotive and textile industries. In addition, he has run his own business, and has worked on climate change issues for the World Wildlife Fund.
March 11th 2025 -
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Mike Smeed
Managing director InMotion Ventures
As managing director of InMotion Ventures, Mike Smeed is responsible for shaping the company’s strategic direction, leading new deals and aligning fund activities with Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) transformation plans. He joined InMotion from Chery Jaguar Land Rover, a Shanghai-based joint venture between JLR and Chinese car manufacturer Chery Automobile Co., where he was vice-president of finance. Prior to this Mr Smeed was commercial finance director within the global brands division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, a cross-functional team responsible for launching new brands, products and services.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Matus Samel
Senior research manager, Economist Impact
Matus is a public policy expert at The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Resources, Climate & Sustainability, and Globalisation & Trade practices. Matus oversees the execution of projects focused on sustainable development and trade, including the Blue Peace Index partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC) on sustainable management of shared water resources and promotion of transboundary cooperation. Matus also leads programmes with the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and USAID in Central Asia. Prior to joining the EIU, Matus worked at energy policy, sustainable development, and international trade projects at UNESCAP, Chatham House and Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he specialised in Economic and Political Development, Energy Policy and International Trade and Competitiveness.
March 10th 2025-
03:45 pmPanel. The fossil fuel dilemma: crude necessity or barrier to progress?
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05:15 pmPanel. Building the green workforce: addressing the skills gap
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02:20 pmPanel. Powering down emissions: a clean slate for the hard-to-abate?
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05:00 pmCase-study. Stewards of scope 3: taking responsibility for supply-chain decarbonisation
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Panel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
How are firms using AI to boost sustainability ? Can the technology provide more valuable data for decision-making on sustainable action? How can AI help drive sustainable behaviour while solving customer problems? What are practical examples of how AI can extend the lifetime of a product? Which case studies show how AI has helped businesses improve sustainability? Can they be replicated in different sectors and regions? Does any of this go far enough given AI’s carbon emissions are so high and its energy demands are rising?
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Daniel Hengeveld
Vice-president, investment attraction, Toronto Global
March 11th 2025 -
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Sarah Schaefer
Vice-President (Europe and APAC&MEA), Electrolux
Sarah Schaefer leads sustainability for Electrolux’s Europe business area. She previously held senior leadership roles in sustainability at Unilever and Mars. Prior to that she was a special adviser in the UK government for David Miliband, first at the Department for the Environment and then at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
March 11th 2025 -
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Charlotte Degot
Chief executive, CO2 AI
March 11th 2025 -
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JoAnn Stonier
Mastercard fellow, data and AI, Mastercard
March 11th 2025 -
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David Croft
Group head of sustainability, Reckitt
David Croft leads global sustainability for Reckitt, a leading health and home-hygiene company. He works with farmers, communities and manufacturers internationally alongside Reckitt’s global supply-chain and brand teams. Mr Croft has extensive leadership experience in global companies, having held senior roles at Diageo, Kraft Foods and Cadbury, and the UK retailers Waitrose and the Co-operative Group, where he led technical, marketing and sustainability functions. Mr Croft chairs the Business Industry Advisory Council’s Development Committee, leading private-sector input to the OECD Development Committee, and is a member of the Food Ethics Council.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Katherine Stewart
Principal and team lead, policy & insights, Economist Impact
Katherine leads Economist Impact’s London policy and insights team, overseeing new globalisation programmes, with a focus on people-centred policymaking. During her more than ten years at The Economist Group Ms Stewart has developed, designed and led policy analysis, benchmarking and strategies for investment and growth research programmes, covering issues from technology and migration to food security, and from climate-change mitigation to education, trust and safety.
March 10th 2025-
12:15 pmFireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
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01:15 pmCutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
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02:20 pmPanel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
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04:05 pmInterview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
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05:00 pmFireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
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05:20 pmPanel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
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05:40 pmFireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
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Fireside chat. Byte by byte—trimming data centres’ energy appetite
As the world’s demand for digital services continues to grow, the energy consumption of data centres has come under intense scrutiny. While data centres are the backbone of the digital economy, from cloud computing to AI, their growing energy appetite is becoming a critical sustainability challenge. How are industry leaders reducing the carbon footprint of data centres without sacrificing performance? What role do innovations like liquid cooling, renewable energy sourcing, and AI-driven energy efficiency play in reducing operational emissions? How can regulation and policy frameworks support a greener data centre industry, and what incentives are already in place?
Moderated by
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Jeremy Kingsley
Senior manager, policy and insights, Economist Impact
March 11th 2025
Panel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) manage an estimated 10% of global GDP, positioning them as pivotal players in driving sustainable transformation. With the unique ability to make long-term investments, they are well-suited to support renewable energy projects and other initiatives that yield returns over time. But how can they fully leverage their potential to catalyse new sustainable economies and shape a greener, more resilient world?
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View Profile Carine Smith Ihenacho
Chief governance and compliance officer, Norges Bank Investment Management
XCarine Smith Ihenacho
Chief governance and compliance officer, Norges Bank Investment Management
Carine Smith Ihenacho is chief governance and compliance officer at Norges Bank Investment Management, responsible for investment activities, control and operational risk, compliance and legal services. She assumed her current role in 2020 having joined the organisation in 2017 as global head of ownership strategies and was promoted to chief corporate governance officer in the following year. Prior to joining Norges Bank Investment Management, Ms Ihenacho was vice-president, legal and chief compliance officer at Statoil ASA. She has extensive experience as a lawyer, working in the financial sector, the oil and gas industry, and in law firms.
March 11th 2025 -
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Carmen Nuzzo
Executive director, Transition Pathway Initiative Centre, LSE
March 11th 2025 -
View Profile Valentina Ramirez
Head of climate strategy and implementation, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change
XValentina Ramirez
Head of climate strategy and implementation, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
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03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
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04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
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04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
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05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Case study. Three is a magic number: tackling supply-chain emissions in retail
Even before the covid-19 pandemic, changing consumer preferences, evolving trade conditions, pressure on margins and a demand for greater sustainability were reshaping retail supply chains. In meeting customer expectations, retailers have needed to respond swiftly to change and to rethink their procurement and supply-chain strategies to become more sustainable. How can retailers, make tackling scope 3 emissions through collaboration with suppliers a top priority?
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Martin Jermiin
Chief executive, Flying Tiger Copenhagen
Martin Jermiin is chief executive at Flying Tiger Copenhagen, overseeing the brand’s growth and expansion, since assuming the role in 2019, to become a global retailer with 1,000 stores across 37 markets. Under his leadership, the company has also achieved an absolute reduction of 26% in carbon emissions, reinforcing a commitment to sustainability through a strong operating model rooted in principles of circular economy, ambitious targets, and data-driven management. Prior to working in his current role, Mr Jermiin has been an analyst at Goldman Sachs, a partner at McKinsey & Company, chief strategy officer at TDC A/S, Denmark’s largest telecommunications company, and chief executive at fibre-cement manufacturer Cembrit Holding.
March 11th 2025
Case study. The path forward for aviation: green or growth
In 2021, Virgin Atlantic made a bold pledge to reach net zero through fleet improvements and cleaner fuels. Since then, it has operated Flight100 to show the potential of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and it now boasts the youngest and most fuel-efficient aircraft crossing the Atlantic. But with passenger numbers soaring and SAF in short supply, what lies ahead? Britain now has a SAF mandate and a Revenue Certainty Mechanism is on the horizon—but where are the country’s SAF production plants? And how can the aviation industry take flight towards real progress?
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Shai Weiss
Chief executive, Virgin Atlantic
Shai Weiss is chief executive at Virgin Atlantic and an executive director of the Virgin Atlantic board, having joined the company as executive vice-president and chief financial officer in 2014. Prior to this, he was an investment partner at Virgin Management and a founding partner of Virgin Green Fund. In 2017 Mr Weiss was appointed executive vice-president and chief commercial officer at the airline. Before joining Virgin Group, he held several senior management positions at ntl:Telewest (now Virgin Media), established the European office of early-stage technology venture fund JVP and was a senior associate with Morgan Stanley. Mr Weiss also serves as a non-executive director of cyber-security firm Checkpoint Software Technologies.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Gabriele Bowen
Senior analyst, Economist Impact
Gabriele Bowen is an analyst on the policy and insights team at Economist Impact. He works within the sustainability and new-globalisation practice areas. Mr Bowen has a master’s degree in European and international public policy from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Surrey.
March 11th 2025
Viewpoints. Seasoning the alphabet soup: Making supplier transparency and procurement compliance more rewarding
Supported by EcoVadis
Putting economies and business models on a more sustainable footing is urgent work. Amid ambitious climate disclosure regimes and net-zero goals, regulatory compliance is now a cornerstone of sustainable procurement. As leaders contend with an alphabet soup of legislation, how are businesses and their supply chains making sense of the full suite of European Union (EU) and British rules, policies and standards and innovating within this environment? Following the introduction of rules from the CSRD to CS3D, CBAM, RFI and RFIQ, and Britain’s incoming Procurement Act and as the volume of data points increases, how are businesses adapting—and even thriving—in a compliance-focused setting.
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Pascal Brun
Vice-president of sustainability and D&I, Zalando
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Nicolette Bartlett
Chief impact officer, CDP
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View Profile Juliette Enser
Executive director for competition enforcement, Competition and Markets Authority
XJuliette Enser
Executive director for competition enforcement, Competition and Markets Authority
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Lazar Armianov
Regional director, Northern Europe, Middle East & Africa, EcoVadis
Lazar Armianov is regional director, Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa, at EcoVadis which provides business-sustainability ratings, enabling companies to comply with their ESG reporting requirements. In this role he leads EcoVadis’s development in these regions, supporting public and private sector organisations to achieve their sustainability objectives. Mr Armianov has extensive international experience in sustainability and responsible procurement with a focus on business development across a range of industries, including the financial services, telecoms and manufacturing sectors.
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Hannah Pathak
Chief executive, Forum For the Future
Interview and Panel. Closing the loop — How circularity drives profit and sustainability
In a world grappling with growing environmental challenges, the idea of circularity—using resources for as long as possible—has shifted from the margins to the core of business and policy discussions. But how can its full potential be realised? The key may lie in technology. What is the role of technology in advancing the circular economy? From AI-driven waste management and blockchain-enabled supply chain transparency to IoT-based product tracking and design software for sustainable production; what innovative tools are transforming industries and redefining sustainability?
An interview with Alex Baldock 15.20
Panel 15.35
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Alex Baldock
Chief executive, Currys
Alex has been CEO of the UK and European market-leading technology retailer since 2018, and is leading an ambitious transformation to build a Currys that helps everyone enjoy amazing technology. Alex was previously CEO of Shop Direct, now the Very Group (2012-18), where he led the business’s digital transformation from a catalogue retailer to the UK’s second largest e-commerce pureplay, and through four consecutive years of record growth in sales, profits, customer satisfaction and colleague engagement. Before that, Alex was managing director of Lombard, leading the turnaround of Europe’s leading asset finance company back to growth and profitability (2008-12), and commercial director at Barclays. He started his career in strategy and operations consulting with Kalchas and Bain & Company, is a scholar of Worcester College, Oxford, and a non-executive director of RS Group plc.
March 11th 2025 -
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Inga Doak
Head of sustainability and ESG, The Royal Mint
Inga Doak has more than 20 years’ international experience as both an in-house adviser and external consultant, working with organisations ranging from small and medium enterprises to multinational corporations. She has lived and worked in the UK, Germany, Ireland, Finland and Australia, and has completed short-term assignments in the Pacific island countries of Tuvalu, Samoa and Vanuatu. A chartered environmentalist, Ms Doak joined the Royal Mint in 2021 and is responsible for driving an ambitious sustainability programme, integrating key ESG topics into the wider business strategy.
March 11th 2025 -
View Profile Courtney Savie Lawrence
Global innovation advisor, United Nations, co-lead, Oxford Climate Tech Initiative, co-founder, Circular Design Lab
XCourtney Savie Lawrence
Global innovation advisor, United Nations, co-lead, Oxford Climate Tech Initiative, co-founder, Circular Design Lab
March 11th 2025 -
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Mads Twomey-Madsen
Senior vice president, Communications and Sustainability, Pandora
Mads Twomey-Madsen is senior vice-president for sustainability at Pandora, the world’s largest jewellery brand, where he is leading the company’s sustainability drive to become carbon-neutral and only use recycled silver and gold. He previously held positions with Novozymers and Ericsson and has been a partner and board member in strategic communications consulting. Mr Twomey-Madsen has worked at the intersection of policy, media and business for more than 25 years, with a special focus on innovation and technology. He has directed strategic positioning in major industry transformations, including the introduction of mobile broadband networks, fuel from waste, bio agriculture, and shifts to fully recycled metals.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Eddie Milev
Analyst, policy and insights, Economist Impact
Eddie is an Analyst at Economist Impact, working within the Sustainability and New Globalisation practice areas. He has experience in public policy, environmental policy and politics, and international relations. He holds a BSc in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from University College London (UCL), and an MSc in Global Politics from The London School of Economics and Political Science.
March 11th 2025-
02:20 pmPanel. The big picture: innovation and economic impact in supply-chain management
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03:20 pmInterview and Panel. Closing the loop — How circularity drives profit and sustainability
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Panel. From lifesaving to Earth-saving: healthcare and pharmaceuticals transition to save the planet and its people
Pharmaceuticals and healthcare have always prioritised life. And as climate change increasingly affects health, these industries’ focus is evolving. Traditionally, environmental impact has not been their primary concern, but that is rapidly changing. The health sector is now making strides to transform its operations. How are healthcare and drug companies collaborating to achieve a net-zero future while putting up a healthy competition? With many shared suppliers, who bears the cost and effort of helping them towards net zero? How can collective buying power of large healthcare organisations provide much better savings, quality and sustainability in the long-term? What is the effect of this transition on patients? And does circularity have a chance in an industry that increasingly favours single use for sanitary reasons?
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Heidi Barnard
Head of sustainability, NHS Supply Chain
Heidi Barnard is head of sustainability at NHS Supply Chain, where she helps organisations to understand their sustainability impact with the aim of meeting the NHS Net Zero and Social Value agenda. Ms Barnard has extensive experience across the manufacturing, construction and health-care sectors. Her expertise includes developing strategies and action plans, and collaborating across stakeholder groups. She supports mentoring teams to achieve their goals and engaging future generations on green skills and careers.
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Jeffrey Whitford
Vice-president, sustainability and social business innovation, Merck
Jeffrey Whitford is vice-president, sustainability and social business innovation at global health-care company Merck. In this role he aims to embed sustainability principles to reduce the business’s impact on the environment. Innovative initiatives launched under his leadership include the award-winning DOZN™ tool for quantifying the ‘greenness’ of a chemical product, a Biopharma Recycling Program for single-use plastics, and a new line of bio-based alternative solvents (Cyrene™). He is a board member of MyGreenLab and is a member of the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute Advisory Board.
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View Profile Daniel Rodriguez
Director, procurement and supply management, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) (WHO)
XDaniel Rodriguez
Director, procurement and supply management, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) (WHO)
Daniel Rodriguez is director of procurement and supply management at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) In this role, which he has held since 2018, he leads the procurement and logistics operations for PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds, ensuring the efficient and sustainable delivery of essential health supplies—including vaccines, injection devices, antiretrovirals, and diagnostics—across 42 countries and territories in the Americas. Mr Rodriguez has extensive experience in both health technologies and consumer packaged goods supply-chain management, and in leveraging digital technologies to enhance operational efficiency.
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Sahil Tesfu
Chief strategy and sustainability officer, Essity
Sahil Tesfu is chief strategy and sustainability officer at hygiene and health company Essity and is a member of the company’s global executive management team. In this role she is responsible for the group’s portfolio strategy and business strategy development across Essity’s three business areas (consumer goods, health and medical, professional hygiene) as well business development activities. Prior to joining Essity, Ms Tesfu was a partner with McKinsey & Company in Munich, consulting companies and public institutions on strategy development, organisational development, transformation and human-resources management.
Moderated by
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Elizabeth Sukkar
Senior research manager, Economist Impact
Fireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
Supported by Ceezer and Schneider Electric
As of 2023, carbon pricing initiatives cover approximately 21.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, reflecting a significant increase from previous years. This expansion includes various carbon taxes and emissions trading systems implemented worldwide. While carbon pricing is a powerful tool for addressing climate change across borders, how effective is it in practice? What is the current status of carbon pricing globally? As regulatory pressure increases on mandatory markets with mechanisms like CBAM, what implications does this have for the voluntary carbon market?
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View Profile Chandra Shekhar Sinha
Global lead for carbon markets and finance, climate finance and economics, World Bank
XChandra Shekhar Sinha
Global lead for carbon markets and finance, climate finance and economics, World Bank
March 11th 2025 -
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Juliane Sterzl
Chief revenue officer,, CEEZER
March 11th 2025 -
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Stuart Lemmon
Chief executive, global head of practices, sustainability, EcoAct
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
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03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
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04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
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04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
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05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Panel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
Transition finance plays a critical role in helping corporations move towards net-zero emissions by providing the capital to support decarbonisation. How are firms building on progress, and what strategies are they using to further boost deployment of green finance? What kinds of green investment funds are helping to finance an inclusive climate transition?
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Antonina Scheer
Policy fellow, Transition Pathway Initiative Centre (TPI Centre), LSE
March 11th 2025 -
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Kate Levick
Associate director - finance and resilience, E3G
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
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03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
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04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
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04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
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05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Fireside chat: General counsels’ pre-competitive push to deliver on the SDGs
Supported by Enhesa
General Counsels (GCs) play a pivotal role in ensuring that corporate boards uphold their obligations to shareholders, comply with legal frameworks, and embrace ethical practices. As businesses face mounting pressure to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), GCs are emerging as critical leaders in the push towards net-zero and sustainable transformation. From billable hours to breathable air, how are GCs influencing boardroom strategies to align business priorities with long-term societal value? How are GC’s navigating an increasingly complex web of sustainability regulations, fostering pre-competitive collaboration, and integrating sustainability into core corporate governance? What innovative approaches are GCs adopting to drive accountability, resilience, and impact in the boardroom and beyond?
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View Profile Margot Fransen
General counsel sustainability, global general counsel oral care and head of legal, Netherlands, Unilever
XMargot Fransen
General counsel sustainability, global general counsel oral care and head of legal, Netherlands, Unilever
March 11th 2025 -
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Mary Foley
Contributor, Forbes, expert services strategy director, Enhesa
March 11th 2025
Case study. Is sustainability a source of growth?
Can sustainability be a business opportunity, not just an overhead? Explore how procurement executives harness sustainability for competitive advantage. Learn about how Evri has embedded ESG awareness into its procurement culture by viewing it as a source of growth. How does it engage with suppliers? How do the executive dynamics work? What new skills are needed by leaders in the business and executives at the suppliers in Evri’s value chain? How does Evri measure and report on the costs and returns associated with sustainability?
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Pauline Potter
Director of sustainability and procurement, Evri
Pauline Potter is director of procurement and sustainability at delivery and courier service Evri, responsible for all third-party spending and for the company’s ESG strategy. In this role Ms Potter has implemented policies, such as a sustainable supplier selection process and a supplier code of conduct, which have improved the firm’s environmental and ethical performance and reduced risk. She has also initiated a supplier sustainability training programme, and fostered the creation of sustainable products and services, transforming Evri’s entire value chain. She is an ambassador for The Sustainable Procurement Pledge
March 11th 2025
Fireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
The transition to net-zero is heavily dependent on the ability of emerging markets to lead a green industrial revolution that simultaneously improves living standards and accelerates the pace of change. Achieving this requires overcoming the green premium—the additional cost associated with greener alternatives—and equipping the workforce with the necessary green skills. How can effective financing lead to not just sustainable development, but also to enhancing their resilience to climate risks? How can investments yield returns and be de-risked? What are some of the leading success stories that could be replicated at scale?
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Rhian-Mari Thomas
Chief executive, Green Finance Institute
Rhian-Mari Thomas is chief executive of the Green Finance Institute, an independent, commercially focused organisation seed-funded by the UK Government. She has spent 20 years working in investment banking and corporate finance. Ms Thomas was an emeritus member of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (until its disbanding in 2023) and co-chaired the launch of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, to which she remains an adviser. Ms Thomas sits on the World Economic Forum’s Clean Energy Financing steering committee and co-chairs the leadership council for Snowball Impact Investments.
March 11th 2025 -
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Leila Kamdem
Chief risk officer, South Pole
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Workshop 3. From chaos to clarity: mastering ESG data for smarter compliance and strategy
Invitation Only (only accepted participants will be participating, please ensure you have received a confirmation to join this session)
Supported by Sweep
Navigating the world of ESG reporting can be overwhelming. Data sits in silos, reporting frameworks overlap and compliance deadlines loom. The challenge? Making ESG data work for your company—not the other way around.
This interactive workshop will explore how businesses can streamline ESG data management, reduce reporting time and unlock insights that drive sustainability progress. From automation to AI, participants will share practical strategies to transform ESG data from an administrative burden into a competitive advantage.
Presentation (15min) Cut the clutter, boost the impact: rethinking ESG data for real results
Roundtables (45min) The ESG data dilemma: efficiency vs accuracy
Panel (30min) Future-proofing ESG data management
- As regulations evolve and investors demand more transparency, businesses need an ESG data strategy that is adaptable, accurate and actionable.
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Raphael Güller
Co-founder, Sweep
Raphael Güller is co-founder and chief design officer, at Sweep, a company that creates software to allow organisations to track and reduce their carbon emissions. Mr Güller uses his experience and deep interest in business, psychology and design to help large companies decarbonise their operations, both in their business and across the value chain. Previously, Mr Güller served as creative director at Zendesk, a software company, and at creative studio Winkreative, sister agency of lifestyle magazine Monocle, where he helped global brands from Lexus to Wimbledon extend their reach across print and digital.
March 11th 2025
Interview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
As artificial intelligence drives data optimisation and decision-making, the role of human leadership in sustainability is evolving. This session explores what sustainable leadership looks like in an AI-powered world. How can leaders balance machine-driven efficiency with ethical, human-centred decision-making? What role does emotional intelligence play when algorithms set the course? Discover how to navigate the intersection of AI and sustainability while keeping humanity at the core of leadership.
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Jon Miller
Partner, ESG and sustainable business global lead, Brunswick Group
Jon Miller is a partner at the Brunswick Group where he leads on ESG and sustainable business, helping companies to demonstrate financial value alongside societal value. Mr Miller founded Open For Business, a coalition of 40 global companies campaigning for LGBTQ+ rights in countries hostile to LGBTQ+ people. He works with many of the world’s leading companies on their critical societal issues, including climate change, biodiversity, human rights, and diversity, equality and inclusion. He writes regularly on these topics, and co-authored “Everybody’s Business” with Lucy Parker.
March 11th 2025 -
View Profile Mansoor Soomro
Future of Work research lead, Teesside University; author, The Generalist Advantage
XMansoor Soomro
Future of Work research lead, Teesside University; author, The Generalist Advantage
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Katherine Stewart
Principal and team lead, policy & insights, Economist Impact
Katherine leads Economist Impact’s London policy and insights team, overseeing new globalisation programmes, with a focus on people-centred policymaking. During her more than ten years at The Economist Group Ms Stewart has developed, designed and led policy analysis, benchmarking and strategies for investment and growth research programmes, covering issues from technology and migration to food security, and from climate-change mitigation to education, trust and safety.
March 10th 2025-
12:15 pmFireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
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01:15 pmCutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
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02:20 pmPanel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
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04:05 pmInterview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
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05:00 pmFireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
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05:20 pmPanel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
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05:40 pmFireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
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Coffee break
Panel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
Green investment opportunities support environmental sustainability and can present attractive financial returns and risk profiles. As global efforts to combat climate change intensify, the demand for these opportunities is expected to grow, giving investors a wide range of choices to align their portfolios with net-zero and sustainable objectives. How can green projects be scaled up for greater impact? How can companies show the financial viability and attractive risk-adjusted returns of their green projects?
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Evelina Olago
Managing director of client and strategy, Just Climate
Evelina Olago is managing director of client and strategy at investment business Just Climate. Prior to this, she held positions at Helios Investment Partners, first as part of the firm’s value-creation team working with management teams in Africa and the UK in the energy, real-estate, telecommunications and financial-services sectors, and then as investor relations senior manager, where her role covered fundraising and client engagement, as well as the development of the firm’s impact and climate strategies. Ms Olago also worked at McKinsey & Company as a strategy consultant and started her career at Ernst & Young in the energy and resources group.
March 11th 2025 -
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Lamé Verre
Sustainability director – Net Zero, The Crown Estate
Lamé Verre is sustainability director, net zero at The Crown Estate in the UK. Previously, Ms Verre was head of strategy, innovation and sustainability for SSE where she worked on the firm’s net-zero strategy, and, prior to that, director of renewable energy and energy transition at Alaric & Associates. She co-founded ScanTech International, which provides solutions to the energy industry, and Lean In Equity & Sustainability, a gender diversity and inclusion organisation. She also participates in the World Economic Forum, the Global Future Council for Energy Transition, the Board of Equitable Origin in the USA and the Green Alliance in the UK. In 2021 Ms Verre launched the African Female Leaders Power list.
March 11th 2025 -
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Katharina Neureiter
Co-head of sustainability, The Carlyle Group
Katharina Neureiter is Managing Director and Co-Head of Sustainability at The Carlyle Group. She focuses on developing ESG integration and sustainable investment strategies across Carlyle’s flagship funds and partners with portfolio companies to drive value through ESG initiatives. Previously, Katharina was at British International Investment (BII), where she developed and integrated enhanced impact and ESG practices within equity, debt and fund of funds investment teams. Prior to that, Katharina spent six years in public policy reform and supported companies and investors in ESG compliance. She holds an MBA from London Business School and an MSc from London School of Economics.
March 11th 2025 -
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Rob Edwards
Managing director, Hamilton Clark Sustainable Capital, Inc
Rob Edwards is an adviser to and raises capital for companies driving the energy transition. He is an energy-industry executive and strategic adviser on global next-gen energy solutions and investments. Mr Edwards has spent 25 years in banking, project development and finance, government service and law, focusing on companies and projects in the climate tech, renewable energy, electric vehicles and related sectors. A current focus of his work is helping companies to access funds under the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
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03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
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04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
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04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
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05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Presentation with fireside chat. Sponsorship with soul: how brands can benefit society
How can brands make an impact that really matters? In this session, Rexona will share their research on social impact, alongside a conversation with Hannah Mills, the most successful sailor in Olympic history and a sustainability advocate.. The conversation will further explore the influence sports and positive role models can have on young people. Can social impact also benefit the brand’s bottom line?
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Emily Heath
Global Brand director, Rexona, Unilever
Emily has 18 years of experience in public relations, social media, innovation, and engagement with Unilever’s top brands. Before Unilever, she worked in brand marketing at a major pharmaceuticals company. In her role, Emily emphasises the transformative power of sport through Rexona’s partnerships and communications. Her focus includes women’s football and creating inclusive environments at the grassroots level. Emily plays a crucial role in the Breaking Limits Programme, a social impact initiative that challenges narrow views on who can be active. The programme trains coaches, mentors, and teachers from NGO partners and schools, covering disability inclusion, gender equality, anti-bias, and mental wellbeing. This training supports inclusive activities that build confidence and inspire young people, highlighting the broader benefits of physical activity.
March 11th 2025 -
View Profile Hannah Mills
Double Olympic champion, founder, Big Plastic Pledge, global sustainability ambassador, Sail GP
XHannah Mills
Double Olympic champion, founder, Big Plastic Pledge, global sustainability ambassador, Sail GP
Hannah Mills is a three-time world champion and double Olympic champion—most recently as a gold medallist at both the 2019 World Championships and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics—making her the most successful female sailor in Olympic history. She joined the Great Britain SailGP team in 2021 as part of the women’s development programme. As an athlete and as SailGP’s global sustainability ambassador, Ms Mills’s aspirations are for a more inclusive sport and a more sustainable world. She helped launch Protect our Future, a national campaign developed by the 1851 Trust to empower young people and educators with the skills and knowledge to understand climate science and take positive action.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Charlotte Bullard Davies
Senior manager, primary research, Economist Impact
March 10th 2025-
11:00 amInteractive roundtable: driving business transformation in the energy sector
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04:00 pmMaking the leap: from energy transition to consumer empowerment
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Interview. Sourcing for security: how procurement can cultivate sustainable agriculture
Farming is the backbone of global food security. But it is a fragile enterprise. Tensions between farmers and other producers, new thinking that looks at nature as an asset, the costs of controlling pests in produce, and attempts to grow tropical fruits in cold climates, all put food supply chains and the environment under stress. Sustainable procurement offers a way to build supply-chain resilience in agriculture while safeguarding the climate, ecosystems and biodiversity. How are private equity, investment in farmland and climate tech influencing sustainable sourcing? Should businesses start procurement decision-making by calculating the carbon footprint of the available options? And what sourcing solutions can help get investment to the right places in a timely way?
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Gisle Bakken
Head of sustainable innovation, Norsk Kylling
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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John Ferguson
Global lead, new globalisation, Economist Impact
March 11th 2025 March 12th 2025
Case-study. Stewards of scope 3: taking responsibility for supply-chain decarbonisation
Supported by Trio and Santander
Getting all of a firm’s suppliers to have a green strategy is the holy grail of sustainable procurement. Seeing the whole supply chain and its scope 3 emissions is challenging enough. Most big businesses are now segmenting their complex supply chains to apply tailored approaches to groups among their diverse suppliers. Through a series of case studies, the session will explore what initiatives and ways of thinking are taking hold, from the board-level down, to educate internal stakeholders and supply-chain partners on cutting scope 3 emissions. Where is there a backlash against green initiatives? How can firms work with suppliers who plan to achieve net zero well beyond 2030, with pace and progress? What is the market intelligence showing us, and is the EU doing better on supply-chain ESG management compared to other regions?
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Yann Teste
Vice president, purchasing, Volvo Construction Equipment
Yann Teste is vice-president, purchasing at Volvo Construction Equipment, where he manages a global team responsible for the strategic sourcing of battery materials, electromobility-related components, electronics, automation, connectivity and hydraulics systems. Mr Teste’s extensive experience in the automotive and construction sectors encompasses senior roles at braking-systems manufacturer Knorr-Bremse group, which included establishing the firm’s first manufacturing plant in China, following which he became Asia purchasing director. Since joining Volvo, Mr Teste has focused on new technologies and sustainability along with resilience and supplier relationships.
March 11th 2025 -
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Oliver Hurrey
Founder and chair, Scope 3 Peer Group
Oliver Hurrey has been getting equally excited and frustrated about sustainable business and responsible supply chains for nearly 20 years. He imagines a world where collaboration on sustainability is better co-ordinated, more focused on doing, and involves less duplication of effort. Mr Hurrey founded and chairs the Scope 3 Peer Group, with over 800 global brands and retailers collaborating and benchmarking best-practice supply-chain-emissions reduction. At the Sustainable Procurement Pledge he co-ordinates and chairs the global ambassador meetings and has created and developed the SPP’s Champions programme, as well as leading fund-raising efforts. He also founded the Indirect Spend Alliance and is launching the Nature & Biodiversity Peer Group.
March 11th 2025 -
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Radharaman Jha
Vice-president, supply chain, Flaconi
A senior Supply Chain leader with experience in building and executing E2E transformation across Supply Chain, Planning, S&OP, warehouse automation, and Analytics that delivers profitable & sustainable growth. Managed & optimized large-scale operations for all categories of Apparel, Footwear, Beauty & Home in the Middle East and Europe.
March 11th 2025 -
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Stella Constantatos
Global supplier climate programme lead, Unilever
March 11th 2025 -
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Emma Arnold
Sustainability director, Trio
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Matus Samel
Senior research manager, Economist Impact
Matus is a public policy expert at The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Resources, Climate & Sustainability, and Globalisation & Trade practices. Matus oversees the execution of projects focused on sustainable development and trade, including the Blue Peace Index partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC) on sustainable management of shared water resources and promotion of transboundary cooperation. Matus also leads programmes with the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and USAID in Central Asia. Prior to joining the EIU, Matus worked at energy policy, sustainable development, and international trade projects at UNESCAP, Chatham House and Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he specialised in Economic and Political Development, Energy Policy and International Trade and Competitiveness.
March 10th 2025-
03:45 pmPanel. The fossil fuel dilemma: crude necessity or barrier to progress?
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05:15 pmPanel. Building the green workforce: addressing the skills gap
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02:20 pmPanel. Powering down emissions: a clean slate for the hard-to-abate?
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05:00 pmCase-study. Stewards of scope 3: taking responsibility for supply-chain decarbonisation
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Fireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
The music industry is starting to embrace sustainability, rethinking its practices across the board—from recording studios to live performances. Artists, streaming platforms, and live organisers are exploring ways to reduce their environmental impact, whether through energy-efficient touring, innovative technologies for reducing the carbon footprint of streaming, or renewable energy integration at live events. Circular economy principles, such as reusing materials for staging and merchandise, are also gaining momentum. But can the music industry’s creativity spark sustainable solutions that extend beyond its own boundaries? And what lessons can it share with other industries? Most importantly, fans—integral to the industry’s success—must play a key role in driving this green transformation, adopting behaviours that contribute to a music ecosystem that not only entertains but also sustains.
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Hanna Grahn
Sustainability lead, Spotify
Hanna Grahn is Co-head of Sustainability and Climate Action at Spotify, and joined the company in 2021 to head its climate-related work. Spotify is committed to combat climate change, both in its own operations and through its audio platform – building awareness and driving engagement among listeners and creators. Prior to Spotify, Hanna was Senior Sustainability Specialist at the private Equity firm EQT, supporting the organisation, its wide range of portfolio companies and the broader financial industry on sustainability topics. Other work experience include advising companies on sustainability communication and public affairs. She holds a MSc in Finance from Stockholm School of Economics.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Katherine Stewart
Principal and team lead, policy & insights, Economist Impact
Katherine leads Economist Impact’s London policy and insights team, overseeing new globalisation programmes, with a focus on people-centred policymaking. During her more than ten years at The Economist Group Ms Stewart has developed, designed and led policy analysis, benchmarking and strategies for investment and growth research programmes, covering issues from technology and migration to food security, and from climate-change mitigation to education, trust and safety.
March 10th 2025-
12:15 pmFireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
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01:15 pmCutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
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02:20 pmPanel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
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04:05 pmInterview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
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05:00 pmFireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
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05:20 pmPanel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
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05:40 pmFireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
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Case study. Influencing the world with sustainability: Lessons from Paris 2024
Much has been learnt about sustainability at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games in Paris. This presentation will get into the detail of what, how and why new records have been set, from carbon reduction to circularity, from single-use plastic reduction to sustainable sourcing. How can organisers of any large event use their media exposure to showcase sustainable practices to the world? Can renewable energy replace fossil fuels completely? What are the ways to engage the audience in sustainable practices?
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View Profile Georgina Grenon
Director of environmental excellence, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic
XGeorgina Grenon
Director of environmental excellence, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic
An expert in renewable energies and clean-technology innovation, Georgina Grenon began her career in business development at YPF, the national oil company in Argentina. She was a director at Booz Allen Hamilton, an international strategy consultancy, and then joined the Directorate-General of Energy and Climate (DGEC), part of the French Ministry of Ecology and Energy, where she supported the development of renewable-energy policies and markets for six years. She also represented France at the International Energy Agency, where she helped create the International Solar Alliance. Ms Genon worked at ENGIE Group before joining the Organising Committee for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games as director of sustainability.
March 11th 2025
Panel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
This panel will be moderated by The Economist’s Vijay Vaitheeswaran and an environmental activist Bella Lack, representing the young generation. Each economist will represent their model for the future, with focus on what needs to change to become much more sustainable. Which economic model is the best fit for a sustainable future? Are the different economic models compatible in any way? What’s the path to take?
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Delton Chen
Founder, Global Carbon Reward
March 11th 2025 -
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Sue Miller
Head of global networks, Stop Ecocide International
Sue Miller is Head of Global Networks at Stop Ecocide International. Having worked as a commercial litigation lawyer, a marketing director and a small business owner, Sue brings her many years of experience to help advance the global movement to create a new international crime of ecocide to provide a powerful protection for the planet.
March 11th 2025 -
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Jon Alexander
Co-founder, New Citizenship Project
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
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04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
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05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Bella Lack
Author, environmentalist and founder, Reserva: The Youth Land Trust
March 11th 2025
Panel. From jerseys to journeys: can sports go green for good?
As sports grapple with their environmental footprint, can the industry make a lasting shift towards sustainability? From stadium construction and event logistics to travel and merchandise, sports have a serious impact on the environment. This session explores how teams, leagues and organisations are rethinking operations to go green. Is sustainability in sports just a short-term play, or can it drive long-term change? With fans increasingly expecting eco-conscious efforts, the conversation will examine case studies of success, the challenges of balancing profit and planet, and the role sports play in inspiring social change. Can sports go green for good?
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Tania Braga
Director, Impact and Legacy, International Olympic Committee
Tania Braga leads the implementation of the IOC’s Legacy Strategic Approach, ensuring that the Olympic Games create long-term benefits for host cities and communities. She works closely with organizing committees, governments, and stakeholders to embed sustainability, social impact, and economic development into the Games’ planning and delivery. Before joining the IOC, she served as Head of Sustainability, Accessibility, and Legacy for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee. Her expertise combines a PhD in applied economics with extensive experience in sustainability and corporate responsibility, spanning private corporations, local and national governments, research institutions, and NGOs.
March 11th 2025 -
View Profile Georgina Grenon
Director of environmental excellence, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic
XGeorgina Grenon
Director of environmental excellence, Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic
An expert in renewable energies and clean-technology innovation, Georgina Grenon began her career in business development at YPF, the national oil company in Argentina. She was a director at Booz Allen Hamilton, an international strategy consultancy, and then joined the Directorate-General of Energy and Climate (DGEC), part of the French Ministry of Ecology and Energy, where she supported the development of renewable-energy policies and markets for six years. She also represented France at the International Energy Agency, where she helped create the International Solar Alliance. Ms Genon worked at ENGIE Group before joining the Organising Committee for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games as director of sustainability.
March 11th 2025 -
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Tanja Dik
Chief executive, Johan Cruijff ArenA
Tanja Dik is chief executive of the Johan Cruijff ArenA, home to AFC Ajax, the Dutch national team, live entertainment and business events. Prior to taking up this role in 2021, Ms Dik served as director, consumer products and services, at Schiphol Airport where she was responsible for all commercial activities aimed at passengers, including retail, food and beverages, parking and media. Before assuming this role in 2015, she worked for 16 years at the international theatre company Stage Entertainment in several senior positions including managing director, Stage Entertainment Netherlands, and international venue director. Ms Dik began her career in finance.
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Susie Tomson
Senior partner, thinkBeyond
March 11th 2025
Panel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
Hydrogen is hailed as a game-changer for green transport, but is it truly the solution it promises to be, or just another overhyped technology? Can it compete with electrification in terms of efficiency and scalability? What infrastructure challenges need to be overcome and how viable is hydrogen as a fuel source for heavy-duty and long-haul transport? With grand investment policy frameworks put into play can the value chain lead to a future for hydrogen?
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Alejandro Agag
Chairman, Formula E
Alejandro Agag is a former Spanish Politician, businessman, entrepreneur and visionary; Founder & Chairman of Formula E, Founder & CEO of Extreme E, Extreme H, and Founder & Chairman of the new E1 series.
Having won a seat in the European Parliament, becoming the youngest Spanish person to ever do so at the age of 28, Alejandro decided to leave the world of politics and move into motorsport, purchasing the F1 TV rights in Spain. A few years later after investing in the English football club QPR, together with his business partner he began Formula E Holdings, winning the tender to promote the new FIA Formula E Championship.
As the Founder and Chairman of Formula E Alejandro has steered the ABB FIA Formula E Championship from an initial idea, and a note on a napkin, to becoming the fastest-growing category in racing, touted by many as the future of motorsport.This sparked the idea of Alejandro’s next ventures, Extreme E. Launched in 2019, this series was credited as the first sport to ever be built out of a social purpose. The radical electric off-road racing series used its electric sporting platform to showcase futuristic technologies and gender equal racing in some of the world’s most challenging environments, including Greenland, Chile, Uruguay, Senegal and Saudi Arabia. The series is currently undergoing evolution to become Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen racing series, coming in 2025. E1 is Alejandro’s newest venture, an Electric powerboat series with a boat that will revolutionise marine mobility. Launched in 2020 the E1 series aims to build the most exciting sport event in order to increase the awareness around the conservation of the most important ecosystem for the survival of our planet: Water.
In recognition of his achievements, Alejandro has received multiple awards, including in June 2024 when he was awarded the most prestigious personal award of the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Motorsport Industry’, at the UK’s House of Lords. Past winners include Toto Wolff, Ross Brawn OBE, Sir Jackie Stewart and Adrian Newey OBE amongst many others.
March 11th 2025 -
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James Budgett
Chief executive, Metier Ventures
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Katherine Stewart
Principal and team lead, policy & insights, Economist Impact
Katherine leads Economist Impact’s London policy and insights team, overseeing new globalisation programmes, with a focus on people-centred policymaking. During her more than ten years at The Economist Group Ms Stewart has developed, designed and led policy analysis, benchmarking and strategies for investment and growth research programmes, covering issues from technology and migration to food security, and from climate-change mitigation to education, trust and safety.
March 10th 2025-
12:15 pmFireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
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01:15 pmCutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
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02:20 pmPanel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
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04:05 pmInterview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
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05:00 pmFireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
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05:20 pmPanel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
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05:40 pmFireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
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Networking drinks
Fireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
Supported by ASAHI
Drinks served in the room
From whiskey to beer, sustainability is reshaping brewing in unexpected ways. Globally, the industry produces over 196bn litres each year—the equivalent of 78,400 Olympic-sized swimming pools—with a significant carbon footprint and water draw. How might innovations in sustainable distillation, regenerative agriculture, local sourcing, and waste reduction and reuse, transform not just brewing, but other sectors such as transport? Companies like BrewDog are becoming carbon negative, and more distilleries are adopting energy-efficient processes. How can pubs work with brewers to raise the bar towards a carbon-neutral tipple, and what practical steps can turn pub chatter into meaningful change?
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Drahomira Mandikova
Group chief sustainability officer, Asahi Group Holdings
March 11th 2025 -
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Heather Gardner
Policy manager, sustainability, British Beer and Pub Association
March 11th 2025 -
View Profile Will Rogers
Group technical director, Charles Faram (largest global hop vendor) and Member, 4HopsUK
XWill Rogers
Group technical director, Charles Faram (largest global hop vendor) and Member, 4HopsUK
March 11th 2025
Moderated by
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Katherine Stewart
Principal and team lead, policy & insights, Economist Impact
Katherine leads Economist Impact’s London policy and insights team, overseeing new globalisation programmes, with a focus on people-centred policymaking. During her more than ten years at The Economist Group Ms Stewart has developed, designed and led policy analysis, benchmarking and strategies for investment and growth research programmes, covering issues from technology and migration to food security, and from climate-change mitigation to education, trust and safety.
March 10th 2025-
12:15 pmFireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
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01:15 pmCutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
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02:20 pmPanel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
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04:05 pmInterview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
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05:00 pmFireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
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05:20 pmPanel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
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05:40 pmFireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
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Registration and light breakfast
Opening remarks
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View Profile Patricia Espinosa
Former executive secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
XPatricia Espinosa
Former executive secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
In today’s complex world, no one can solve problems alone.
Ambassador Patricia Espinosa understands this better than most people.Her broad perspective, convening power, ability to build bridges with disparate parties and trusted relationships with influential global players enables her to find solutions to the most difficult situations. Actions that contribute to a more sustainable and safer world for everyone.
For over 40 years she’s worked at the highest levels of diplomacy, multilateral negotiations and international relations. She’s experienced on both the national and the international stage and brings these perspectives to projects relating to sustainability, green growth, multilateralism, environmental stewardship, gender equality, and the protection of human rights.
To tackle these big, global topics, having great ideas alone is not enough. It’s how you make those ideas happen that’s key to success. And that’s where Patricia’s experience really makes the difference. She will identify the best way to reach your goals, help you overcome obstacles and advise you on your narrative, so it talks to all the relevant parties.
Here is a snapshot of her previous experience:
– Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (Undersecretary General) for 6 years
– Ambassador of Mexico to Germany for 4 years
– Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs for 6 years
– Ambassador of Mexico to Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia and the UN
Organizations in Vienna for 4 yearsPatricia has also received multiple international awards and decorations, speaks four languages and loves spending time with her family.
March 12th 2025-
08:25 amOpening remarks
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Virtual fireside chat. Liquid assets: Can microfinance quench the global water crisis?
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X
Matt Damon
Co-founder, Water.org and WaterEquity
March 12th 2025 -
X
Gary White
Co-founder and chief executive, Water.org and WaterEquity
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Charlotte Howard
Executive editor, The Economist
March 12th 2025
Fireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
In a fireside chat, Breakthrough Energy, will reflect on a decade of achievements and lessons, exploring how breakthroughs in energy innovation have moved us towards a carbon-neutral future. With more than $2bn invested in companies developing everything from novel carbon-capture technologies to green industrial processes, Breakthrough has been pivotal in catalysing the clean-energy revolution. What’s next for the transition, and how can businesses, governments and investors work together to meet the 2050 net-zero targets? With sectors like electricity needing renewable generation to triple, how will momentum built in the past decade be sustained and scaled up globally?
*Virtual
-
X
Bill Gates
Chief executive, Breakthrough Energy
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Fireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
Despite the Paris Agreement, the world is still heading towards a dangerous 3°C rise in temperature. Understanding the full costs of inaction—including those of mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage—highlights the urgent need for climate action. How can current research on these costs be used to drive action? What steps can we take to overcome challenges in measuring the wide-ranging costs of migration, human losses, ecosystem collapse and more? How can the public and private sectors work together to implement effective mitigation and adaptation measures, preventing damage and reducing transition cost? Swift action is crucial if we are to minimise the long-term effects of climate change and ensure a sustainable and resilient future for all. Accurately assessing and incorporating the costs of inaction into decision-making is essential to achieve this goal.
-
View Profile Wendy Woods
Vice-chair, social impact, climate and sustainability; managing director and senior partner, BCG
XWendy Woods
Vice-chair, social impact, climate and sustainability; managing director and senior partner, BCG
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Panel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
With climate change pushing traditional farming methods to their limits and the global population still rising, can regenerative agriculture deliver food security, or is it just another passing trend? This panel brings together leaders in agriculture, business and policy to examine whether regenerative practices, which restore soil health, biodiversity and ecosystems, can scale up quickly enough to meet global food demand. What are the barriers to adoption, and who stands to win or lose? Can businesses, governments and consumers unite to drive a farming revolution? What bold actions could feed a growing planet without wrecking it in the process?
-
X
Andy Cato
Musician, Groove Armada, and co-founder, WildFarmed
Andy Cato has been fully focused on farming for 15 years, ever since he read about the environmental consequences of food production. A quest to become self-sufficient led to a fascination with the soil, plants and the miracle at work in the few inches of topsoil that sustains us. He sold the rights to his songs to buy a farm and attempt to join the ranks of those building new kinds of farming systems. Alongside co-founders George Lamb and Edd Lees, he established Wildfarmed, growing regenerative wheat to make flour. Mr Cato believes that offering a largely urban population affordable food choices allows them to participate in the restoration of nature and health.
March 12th 2025 -
X
Lucinda Langton
Head of sustainability, M&S
March 12th 2025 -
X
Meagan Kaiser
U.S. soybean farmer and soil scientist
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
-
X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Interview: An interview with Syngenta
Supported by Syngenta
By 2050, the world’s population is projected to exceed 9 billion, demanding a 50% increase in global food production. Conventional farming and supply chains are struggling to keep pace, especially in regions most vulnerable to climate change. Harnessing technology is not just an opportunity—it is an imperative. This discussion will provide insights into the future of food security, highlighting cutting-edge solutions, investment opportunities, and policy frameworks.
Moderated by
-
X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Fireside. From farm to fork: how smarter supply chains can tackle food waste and insecurity
Supported by Lineage
Globally, about 1bn tonnes of food are wasted each year. Concurrently, around 733m people faced hunger in 2023, highlighting inefficiencies in supply chains as a significant factor in food insecurity. How might smarter supply chains, enhanced cold-chain infrastructure and scalable innovation reduce waste and improve access to food? How can solutions be scaled up for meaningful long-term impact? And what are the moral and business imperatives involved in reducing waste while strengthening global food security?
-
X
Sean Vanderelzen
President, Europe, and chief human resources officer, Lineage
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
-
X
Pratima Singh
Principal, policy and insights, Economist Impact
March 12th 2025-
10:00 amFireside. From farm to fork: how smarter supply chains can tackle food waste and insecurity
-
02:30 pmEconomist Impact Report. Fast, green, and affordable: The future of mobility
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03:10 pmFireside chat. Technology and innovation in biodiversity monitoring
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03:30 pmPanel. Eat your green: showing consumers why regenerative agriculture matters
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Panel. The evolving role of the CSO
Supported by Tokio Marine Group
As sustainability becomes a core strategic priority for businesses, the role of the chief sustainability officer (CSO) is rapidly evolving from a compliance-focused position to a central driver of corporate strategy and innovation. How are CSOs navigating the increasing complexity of sustainability challenges, from managing ESG reporting and regulatory pressures to spearheading long-term climate strategies and fostering a culture of sustainability across the organisation? How are they influencing others in the C-suite, and broader business decisions? What new skills and partnerships do CSOs need to cultivate as the role expands?
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X
Virginie Helias
Chief sustainability officer, Procter & Gamble
With more than thirty years in brand management and innovation, Virginie has broad experience across multiple categories, which has built her skills in global to local brand management. She has worked on several of P&G’s high-profile brands, including Pantene, Ariel/Tide and Pampers. Virginie has extensive international experience, having been based in France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States.
Today, Virginie serves as P&G’s Chief Sustainability Officer, where her mission is to develop the company’s strategies and goals on sustainability and operationalize them across businesses and regions.
March 12th 2025-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
-
X
Leyla Ertur
Chief sustainability officer, H&M
Leyla is the Head of Sustainability at H&M Group since 2021, reporting to the CEO, she is a member of the company’s executive leadership team. She is responsible for delivering H&M Group’s ambitious sustainability commitments across climate, environment, social and ESG agendas, working with a global team of more than 250 people. Having joined H&M Group in 2000, Leyla has worked in multiple continents, leading teams across a variety of areas including Production and Global Supply Chain Management. She has worked and lived extensively in production countries including Bangladesh, China and Turkey, she has also led global sourcing teams based out of regional hubs in Hong Kong and Istanbul. Leyla brings with her over two decades of deep, hands-on experience in operations as well as sustainability.
Leyla is the Co-chair the Fashion Pact’s Operations Committee, and a Board member of Looper Textile Co.
March 12th 2025-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
-
X
Annette Stube
Chief sustainability officer, The Lego Group
Annette Stube is Chief Sustainability Officer at the LEGO Group and is a world-leading sustainability executive. She was Executive Vice President, Head of Sustainability, at Swedish-Finnish packaging company, Stora Enso, and Head of Sustainability at Maersk for over ten years, and held senior sustainability roles at Novo Nordisk. She is a member of the Presidency of WWF Denmark. a member of the board of Solvay, and has acted as advisor to the Danish Government on a range of sustainability topics. Annette is the co-author of Squaring the Sustainability Circle and an Adjunct Professor at Copenhagen Business School, a role she’s held for the past ten years.
March 12th 2025-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
-
X
Anke Ehlers
Managing director international sustainability, Aldi
Anke joined the ALDI SOUTH Group as a Corporate Responsibility Manager in 2010. From 2012 to 2014 she was seconded to the ALDI Asian Office to build up the CR Units in Hong Kong and Bangladesh. In 2014 she was promoted to Director before she took up her role as Group Director in 2017, both in the Corporate Responsibility department in Mülheim, Germany. In 2019, Anke became Managing Director of the department in the course of the move from Mülheim, Germany to Salzburg, Austria building up the International Sustainability department as part of the ALDI SÜD Holding.
March 12th 2025-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
-
X
Mika Nabeshima
Chief sustainability officer, Tokio Marine Group
March 12th 2025-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
Moderated by
-
X
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
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03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Workshop 4. Harnessing Earth’s chemistry: scaling up carbon removal through enhanced rock weathering.
Supported by AltCarbon
What is enhanced rock weathering (ERW) and how can Carbon Removal (CDR) be carried out through this method? This discussion will answer these questions through a case study from the tea estates of Darjeeling, that considers the benefits and the limitations of the method and its potential for scaling CDR. What do scientists say about ERW? How about clients? It will also examine the policy landscape, regulatory challenges and international opportunities around ERW to understand how they can help in applying it at scale. What are the climate finance opportunities that ERW represents for the global south? What are the co-benefits derived from ERW, and how can this complex and expensive process be profitable?
(15min) Presentation
(45min) Roundtables
(30min) Panel discussion
(15min) Groups report findings
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Yusuke Tsuji
Head, Tech CDR, Mitsubishi Corporation
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Stacy Kauk
Head of sustainability, Shopify
Stacy Kauk joined Shopify in 2020. As head of sustainability she ensures that the millions of businesses and shoppers using Shopify’s platform, and climate entrepreneurs globally, are working together in the fight against climate change. Ms Kauk leads Shopify’s Sustainability Fund, which has committed more than $32m since 2019 across 28 entrepreneurial, tech-driven companies to accelerate carbon-removal solutions globally. She also serves on the advisory board of the Carbon Management Research Initiative at Columbia University. Prior to joining Shopify Ms Kauk led the Ozone Layer Protection Programme at Environment and Climate Change Canada and was a member of delegations for the Stockholm convention and the Montreal protocol.
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Gabrielle Walker
Chief scientist and co-founder, CUR8
Moderated by
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Emily Jackson-Keßler
Senior vice-president, sustainability, The Economist Group
Emily Jackson leads environmental sustainability at The Economist Group, and is responsible for driving strategy and embedding sustainability across the organisation. The Group is taking ambitious climate action and its commitments include the SBTi’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C and the UNFCCC’s Race To Zero.
Emily’s career began in sales and business development with The Economist Group, leading the commercial sponsorship strategy of The Economist Intelligence Unit in Continental Europe before managing The Economist Events in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Most recently she has been leading brand partnerships and key accounts for the Group in Germany and Austria.
Emily has lived and worked in Europe and Asia, and currently lives in Frankfurt. She holds an MA in German and Management from the University of St Andrews; attended a University of Cambridge business sustainability management online course, and is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business focusing on value chains at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).
March 11th 2025-
02:00 pm -03:45 amWorkshop 1. Carbon removal: practical steps to reach net zero faster
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Networking break
Fireside chat. Corporate lessons in session: how big business can provide the chalkboard for sustainable education
Supported by Santander UK
Sustainability is a relatively new skill set in which today’s leaders have had little formal education, particularly on best practice and the financial risks of inaction. In 2023, a LinkedIn report showed a 40% gap between demand for green skills and the supply of qualified professionals. With action on sustainability needed before today’s freshmen will finish their degrees, where will this green workforce come from? How can corporations help expedite the education of their clients and suppliers, and celebrate and reward the successful implementation of sustainable practices? What can board members do to deliver lessons on sustainability from the top down?
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View Profile Nicky Morgan
Independent non-executive director - chair of the board responsible banking committee, Santander UK plc
XNicky Morgan
Independent non-executive director - chair of the board responsible banking committee, Santander UK plc
Nicky Morgan was appointed Independent Non-Executive Director of Santander UK plc on 10 August 2021 and Santander UK Group Holdings plc on 1 January 2024.
Nicky is a former MP, Cabinet Minister and Chair of the House of Commons Treasury Committee and is now a member of the House of the Lords. She is a qualified solicitor by background and before being elected to Parliament spent 16 years with City law firms, focused on mergers and acquisitions and advisory work. Nicky possesses significant experience as a senior leader of high-profile large organisations, responsible for setting and overseeing implementation of strategy and communicating the organisation’s narrative and capabilities. She brings a wealth of experience from both a public and private perspective of the financial services sector, communications & media, and digital & technology.
Nicky is also Chair of the Association of British Insurers, a non-executive director of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and Chair of the Board of the Careers & Enterprise Company.
On her appointment Nicky became Chair of the Board Responsible Banking Committee and a member of the Board Risk Committee. On 1 October 2023, Nicky was appointed as a member of the Board Nomination & Governance Committee. Nicky is also the Board’s appointed Consumer Duty Champion.
Moderated by
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Flora Letanka
Chief executive, The Economist Educational Foundation
Interview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
Supported by Link Logistics
With 5% of US GDP flowing through their warehouses, even marginal improvements in logistics efficiency can unlock significant emissions reductions. How are logistics providers reimagining last-mile delivery to meet sustainability targets? From AI-driven route optimisation and IoT-enabled tracking to renewable energy integration and strategic energy partnerships, which innovations are driving measurable progress? What challenges remain in balancing customer demands with emissions goals, and how can collaboration across the supply chain accelerate the transition to greener last-mile solutions?
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Luke Petherbridge
Chief executive, Link Logistics
Luke is Link Logistics’ chief executive officer, responsible for the company’s strategic direction with a particular focus on driving profitability, enhancing customer outcomes and building a winning corporate culture. He has over 20 years of financial and global real estate management experience, most recently serving as president and chief executive officer of ShopCore Properties and LivCor. Luke previously held the positions of chief financial officer and treasurer of DDR Corporation, one of the largest owners of shopping centers in the U.S. While at DDR, he held responsibilities including capital raising activities, balance sheet management, lender relations and execution of various corporate-level transactions. Before DDR, Luke served as chief executive officer and executive director of shopping center owner EDT Retail Trust (formerly Macquarie DDR Trust) and as director of transactions for Rubicon Asset Management, where he oversaw approximately $5 billion of transactions across real estate and real estate structured finance markets in the U.S., Europe and Japan.
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Panel. The net-zero commute: strategies for sustainable transport
As cities and businesses decarbonise, transport systems must transform to support a net-zero future. This conversation will explore innovative strategies for sustainable commuting, from electrifying public transit to encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles and promoting active options like cycling and walking. It will cover the role of governments, businesses and individuals in creating the infrastructure and policies needed to drive the shift towards greener mobility. Emerging technologies and partnerships are paving the way for sustainable commuting, and organisations can play a critical role in incentivising low-carbon travel options for employees. Transport’s rapid evolution to meet the demands of a net-zero world offers insights into how to stay ahead of the curve.
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Vanessa Butani
Head of global sustainability, Volvo Cars
Vanessa leads Volvo Cars sustainability ambitions and the continuous evolution of our sustainability strategy. She also plays a key role in driving our organisation’s transition from a century-strong global carmaker into a leading sustainable mobility provider. Vanessa was previously VP Group Sustainability at Electrolux Group, a global appliance company. She was part of developing the Electrolux Group’s sustainability platform and helping to achieve its first Science Based Targets. Her experience includes several other leadership roles in sustainability and strategy at both Accenture and Scandic Hotels.
March 12th 2025 -
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Thomas Becker
Vice-president of sustainability and mobility, BMW
Thomas Becker has been vice-president for sustainability and mobility at BMW Group since 2019. He supervises the integration of sustainability into corporate strategy, including defining the implementation of the objectives of the Paris agreement at the corporate level, the group’s strategic approach to the circular economy, and the role of individual mobility in the urban environment. Mr Becker joined BMW Group in 2007 as vice-president for government and external affairs. He began his career in the Department of Environmental Policy at the Federation of German Industries (BDI), and later held several leadership positions at the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA).
March 12th 2025 -
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Andrew Savage
Vice president of sustainability and founding team member, Lime
Andrew is an experienced leader at the intersection of business, government, and sustainability. Part of the founding team at Lime, he led new market development, government relations and policy strategy through its global growth. He now leads sustainability at Lime and in 2024 was named to TIME100’s Climate List recognizing the world’s most influential leaders driving business to real climate action. Prior, Andrew served on the executive team of an Inc. 500 solar company and served on the Board of Directors to the Solar Energy Industry Association, representing the 1,000+ businesses in the U.S. solar industry. He previously worked in the U.S. Congress and on successful local, state and presidential campaigns. He is a graduate of Middlebury College summa cum laude, mentor at Harvard’s iLab, and advisor to several impact mobility start-ups.
March 12th 2025 -
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Jonas Bruenig
Lead, sustainability relations, Volkswagen
March 12th 2025
Panel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
Supported by Schneider Electric
Scope 3 emissions, often the largest and most complex part of a company’s carbon footprint, represent the carbon elephant in the room. Tackling them can seem an insurmountable task: indirect emissions from supply chains, business travel, product usage and more are notoriously difficult to measure and manage. This panel will explore strategies for cutting scope 3 emissions, featuring insights from industry leaders who are driving change in their organisations. How can companies gain visibility into emissions from their value chain, collaborate with suppliers, and meet growing regulatory and investor expectations? How can products be designed to a carbon budget? What can companies do to reduce emissions through innovative shipping and processing techniques? Discover the tools, partnerships and innovations needed to eat the carbon elephant—one bite at a time—and make real progress towards net-zero goals.
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View Profile Hanne Søndergaard
Executive vice-president, agriculture, sustainability and communications, Arla Foods
XHanne Søndergaard
Executive vice-president, agriculture, sustainability and communications, Arla Foods
March 12th 2025 -
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Aron Gelbard
Chief executive, Bloom & Wild
March 12th 2025 -
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Gabrielle Ginér
Group head of environmental sustainability, BT Group
Gabrielle has managed BT Group’s strategy, thought leadership and advocacy programmes on climate action and environmental sustainability since 2009. Her work has spanned BT’s carbon targets, including developing BT’s 1.5°C science-based target and carbon abatement methodology for BT’s products and services. She has also led on BT’s climate transition plan, investigating BT’s nature and biodiversity impacts, as well as supplier engagement on sustainability. Gabrielle represents BT Group with external stakeholders and numerous external fora advocating for climate action.
March 12th 2025 -
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Fabien Chene
Head of sustainability business, Europe, Schneider Electric
March 12th 2025 -
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Marianne Matthews
Group head of responsible business and sustainability, Sky Group
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Fireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
Supported by Carbonfuture
Carbon removal is a critical tool for fighting climate change, especially with the IPCC noting that it can be deployed to neutralise residual emissions as part of work to reach and maintain net zero. This fireside chat explores the role of carbon removal in corporate sustainability strategies. How can it complement efforts to reduce emissions and speed progress towards net-zero targets? What measurable environmental and social benefits can carbon-removal initiatives deliver, adding value to firms’ sustainability programmes? Finally, what business models and investment incentives are needed to use carbon-removal technologies on a larger scale, and how can governments and the private sector work together to unlock this opportunity?
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View Profile Brian DiMarino
Managing director, deputy director of global sustainability, JPMorgan Chase & Co
XBrian DiMarino
Managing director, deputy director of global sustainability, JPMorgan Chase & Co
March 11th 2025-
02:00 pm -03:45 amWorkshop 1. Carbon removal: practical steps to reach net zero faster
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Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
-
Networking lunch and exhibition
Economist Impact Report. Fast, green, and affordable: The future of mobility
Supported by Nissan
The future of mobility is not just electric—it’s cultural, economic, and generational. How can the automotive industry bridge the gap between affordability, accessibility, and innovation? Scaling EV adoption requires more than just technology—it demands cultural shifts, cost efficiencies, and a deep understanding of Gen Z, the consumers shaping future demand. This session will explore the intersection of consumer behaviour, regulatory landscapes, and business models that can drive mass adoption of sustainable transport. How can automakers balance sustainability with affordability? What role do cultural preferences and urban infrastructure play in accelerating EV uptake? And how can brands engage Gen Z—a generation driven by climate consciousness but concerned about cost? What does the road ahead look like?
Moderated by
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Pratima Singh
Principal, policy and insights, Economist Impact
March 12th 2025-
10:00 amFireside. From farm to fork: how smarter supply chains can tackle food waste and insecurity
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02:30 pmEconomist Impact Report. Fast, green, and affordable: The future of mobility
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03:10 pmFireside chat. Technology and innovation in biodiversity monitoring
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03:30 pmPanel. Eat your green: showing consumers why regenerative agriculture matters
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Panel. Cunningly conscientious: the what, when and why of getting value for sustainable action
As businesses strive to show their sustainability credentials, the challenge is to choose actions that deliver real value for both the planet and the bottom line. This panel will explore how companies can strategically implement sustainable initiatives to reduce environmental impact while lifting profits and reputation. What actions should be taken, and when? Why do some sustainability measures drive more value than others? What are the drivers behind successful action on sustainability, and how can companies avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing? Learn how to be commercially savvy and cunningly conscientious in the pursuit of sustainability.
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Jean Garris Hand
Vice-president of ESG, Hilton
With over 20 years of experience in sustainability, environmental and community impact programs, Jean is a seasoned leader with deep hospitality sector expertise. As VP, global ESG and Head of Sustainability, Jean leads Travel with Purpose, which is Hilton’s global enterprise-wide strategy to drive responsible travel across over 8,300 properties operating in 138 countries and territories. This includes global accountability for strategy and delivering on ambitious Travel with Purpose 2030 goals, including science-based emissions intensity targets, and water and waste reduction goals, advancing human rights programs, contributing to responsible sourcing efforts, and to community impact programs and targets.
March 12th 2025 -
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Nick Falkowski
Chief executive, Meaningful Planet
Nick Falkowski is the co-founder and chief executive of Meaningful Planet, an innovative mobile network that allows consumers and businesses to effect environmental change through their everyday mobile usage. It does this by dedicating a share of revenue to fund high potential biodiversity-net-gain and environmental projects, thereby enabling businesses to address their Scope 3 emissions and ESG reporting requirements and make a tangible difference while meeting their own sustainability targets. Prior to co-founding Meaningful Planet, Mr Falkowski gained extensive experience in product leadership at leading consumer-tech, business-to-business utility and software-service companies.
March 12th 2025 -
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Jia Liu
Global sustainability director, TUV Rheinland
March 12th 2025 -
View Profile Jon Banner
Executive vice president, global chief impact officer, McDonald's Corporation
XJon Banner
Executive vice president, global chief impact officer, McDonald's Corporation
McDonald’s Global Chief Impact Officer, Jon Banner is leading the effort to harness the unmatched scale and reach of McDonald’s to affect purposeful change around the world. The Global Impact team integrates the company’s Sustainability and Social Impact, Government Relations and Public Policy, Communications, and Security teams, as well as Ronald McDonald House Charities, in a collaborative effort to build trust and bring the company’s purpose, to feed and foster communities, to life.
Prior to McDonald’s, Banner spent 10 years at PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies. As Executive Vice President, Communications at PepsiCo, and President, PepsiCo Foundation, he co-created the company’s sustainability vision, PepsiCo Positive (pep+), linking the business with the future of the planet and people through positive agriculture, positive value chain and positive choices. He also played a pivotal role in setting PepsiCo’s global communications strategy and revitalized the Foundation’s strategy through new partnerships and investments to alleviate hunger, provide access to safe water, and drive economic empowerment around the globe.
Banner has more than two decades of journalism experience. Prior to PepsiCo, he spent the majority of his career at Disney/ABC, traveling the world as the Executive Producer on some of the most influential news programs, including “World News Tonight” and “This Week.” He has earned 16 Emmy Awards for his work in journalism, grounded in a breadth of experiences. During his time at ABC, Banner led the rebranding of the news division, worked with the world’s leading anchors, controlled all editorial, creative and financial aspects of the network’s flagship broadcast, and managed a global team that included several hundred employees around the world.
Outside of McDonald’s, Banner is a member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Board of Trustees. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for World Food Program USA, a nonprofit that supports the mission of the UN World Food Programme to advance the global movement to end hunger.
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Katherine Stewart
Principal and team lead, policy & insights, Economist Impact
Katherine leads Economist Impact’s London policy and insights team, overseeing new globalisation programmes, with a focus on people-centred policymaking. During her more than ten years at The Economist Group Ms Stewart has developed, designed and led policy analysis, benchmarking and strategies for investment and growth research programmes, covering issues from technology and migration to food security, and from climate-change mitigation to education, trust and safety.
March 10th 2025-
12:15 pmFireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
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01:15 pmCutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
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02:20 pmPanel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
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04:05 pmInterview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
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05:00 pmFireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
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05:20 pmPanel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
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05:40 pmFireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
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Workshop 5. CSRD: a definitive “How to?”
Supported by Novisto and GIST
Navigating the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) can seem challenging, but this session will clarify the process and provide businesses with a straightforward guide to achieving compliance.
The workshop will simplify the CSRD’s key reporting requirements, explain how firms can align business targets with the EU’s sustainability goals and offer practical steps for integrating ESG data and preparing for third-party audits. The session aims to help businesses incorporate sustainability into their reporting practices, avoid common mistakes and turn compliance into a competitive advantage.
Hear from regulatory experts, corporate leaders and ESG strategists to gain practical knowledge and tools. Learn how to meet CSRD requirements and set the standard for transparent, effective sustainability reporting.
Case study interview: How is Sanofi tackling CSRD? CSRD
- Laurent Lhopitallier, Head of ESG at Sanofi
(45min) Roundtables
(15min) Groups report findings
(30min) Panel discussion
- Nick Sanscartier: head of commercial strategy, Novisto
- Sam King, senior vice president corporate, GIST Impact
- Aurelia Figueroa, chief sustainability officer, Breitling
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James Payne
Global director, Purpose of Business Transition, Forum for the Future
James Payne is a leading regenerative business practitioner, with a particular interest in how business can be a force for both social justice and regeneration. As lead author of ‘A Compass for Just and Regenerative Business’, he has been at the forefront of highlighting more effective ways for business leaders to think and act given the ever-greater volatility and disruption in their operating contexts. In his current role at international sustainability organisation Forum for the Future, James leads the work on engaging executive teams on the visionary leadership expected from them at this critical inflection point for our civilisation. He has led sustainability strategy development for businesses as diverse as Diageo, Target and Eicher Motors. His career spans over two decades in industry, consultancy and NGO roles.
March 12th 2025 -
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Nick Sanscartier
Head of commercial strategy, Novisto
Nick Sanscartier is head of commercial strategy at Novisto, a management platform that enables organisations to put their ESG data into action. At Novisto he leads partnerships and new verticals. Before joining Novisto Mr Sanscartier worked at Bloomberg, where he supported asset managers in implementing their ESG strategies to accelerate their transition to more sustainable investments. He later transitioned to publishing thematic ESG research and contributing to the development of Bloomberg’s ESG rating methodologies.
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Sally Uren
Chief acceleration officer, Forum for the Future
March 12th 2025
Panel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
Supported by Ørsted
Nature-based solutions (NBSs) are becoming integral to corporate strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity. By adopting practices like reforestation, wetland restoration and sustainable agriculture, companies can address climate risks, protect ecosystems and create long-term value. But how can these solutions be effectively integrated into business operations and supply chains? Success depends on measuring impact, overcoming regulatory challenges and fostering collaboration. Can NBSs truly balance ecological responsibility with business growth, and what role do companies play in scaling up these efforts?
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Tullis Matson
Founder and chair, Nature's SAFE
Tullis Matson is founder and chief executive of Nature’s SAFE, which cryopreserves tissue samples with the aim of protecting the genetic diversity of the world’s most threatened species. To date, the charity has established biobanks in six countries worldwide, with more planned. After growing up on a horse stud farm in the UK, Mr Matson formed Stallion AI Services, offering semen-collection, fertility assessment and worldwide semen export, and pioneering new techniques in horse breeding. Following the establishment of commercial enterprises, including Equine Reproduction Supplies, pet- and horse-cloning company Gemini Genetics, and Elite Kennel Fertility, Mr Matson founded Nature’s SAFE in 2020 to safeguard the genetic material of endangered species in an effort to address the biodiversity crisis.
March 12th 2025 -
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Ivo Mulder
Head of climate finance unit, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Ivo Mulder leads United Nations Environment Programme’s Climate Finance Unit, which focuses on the need to transition to sustainable land use. During the last five years the organisation has secured more than $1bn in public and private capital towards sustainable agriculture, forestry restoration and other initiatives in developing countries. Mr Mulder co-founded the Natural Capital Finance Alliance, which was launched at the Rio+20 Earth Summit in 2012 and signed by the heads of more than 40 financial institutions. This, in turn, paved the way for the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosure. In addition to his experience with UN projects, Mr Mulder has worked for private consulting firms and non-governmental organisations.
March 12th 2025 -
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Pierre Decroix
Chief executive, Suntory Beverage & Food Europe
Pierre Decroix is the Chief Executive Officer of Suntory Beverage & Food Europe (SBFE) and is based in Amsterdam. He joined Suntory in 2022 as Managing Director of Suntory Beverage & Food France, where he drove the growth of iconic brands such as Orangina, Oasis, and Pulco, even in a challenging market environment.
Pierre has over 32 years of experience in the FMCG sector, including previous roles such as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing in France and Managing Director in Sweden for Coca-Cola European Partners and Sales Director at Mars Wrigley.
March 12th 2025 -
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Sunam Sarkar
President, Apollo Tyres
Sunam Sarkar oversees Human Resources, Integrated Supply Chain including Raw Material sourcing, Production Planning & Logistics Operations, Information Technology, Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Strategy. Sunam, who is best known for his innovative perspectives and participatory management style, in his previous role as the CFO, had successfully led and executed Apollo’s international acquisitions and greatly strengthening the company’s Balance Sheet. Sunam joined Apollo Tyres as Head, Marketing, NonTruck Tyres in 1999. Since then he has pioneered a number of initiatives that have had a significant impact on revenue, profitability, employee satisfaction and customer delight. He took over as the Chief Financial Officer in 2009, and as Chief Business Officer in
November 2014. Sunam has been a Director on the Board of the
Company since 2004.March 12th 2025 -
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Emma Hospes
Global head of environment and permitting CoEx biodiversity lead, Ørsted
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
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03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
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04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
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04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
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05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Panel. Procurement reform on the horizon?
The world is seeing the biggest shake-up to procurement law and practice in a generation. Adding the new skill requirements that come with advances including AI, sophisticated carbon-accounting tools and climate tech, the way procurement and supply chains are managed will inevitably be reshaped. What will tomorrow’s procurement landscape look like? Will certain regions be more favourable to do business with? Will sustainability agendas in procurement open new careers and board-level opportunities for some professionals while others are displaced? Will greater knowledge and data-sharing deliver improved impact and encourage resilience-boosting competition and innovation?
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Sandra Bour Schaeffer
Senior vice-president, procurement, Airbus
Procurement SVP in charge of the Cabin & Cargo scope for all Airbus commercial aircraft programs with multi-billion dollar annual spend. Cabin & Cargo are the most important differentiators for airlines, requiring extensive customisation.
March 12th 2025 -
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Jurriaan Lombaers
Former chief procurement officer, Air France KLM Group
March 12th 2025 -
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Bridget Ferrari
Director, supplier sustainability, Takeda
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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John Ferguson
Global lead, new globalisation, Economist Impact
March 11th 2025 March 12th 2025
Fireside chat. Betting big on carbon: Canofftake agreements scale CO2 removal?
Supported by Supercritical
The market for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is expanding, but the path to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 requires removing 10bn tonnes of CO2 annually—a staggering target compared to today’s capacity of less than 0.01%. Offtake agreements, where buyers commit to purchasing future capacity at predefined terms, could play a crucial role in securing the estimated $100bn investment needed for CDR technologies by 2030. These agreements also provide market stability for carbon removal credits, where prices currently fluctuate widely, ranging from $10 to $1,000 per tonne of CO2 removed. How can corporations design offtake agreements that align with net-zero priorities while fostering the growth of carbon removal markets?
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Michelle You
Chief executive, Supercritical
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Emily Jackson-Keßler
Senior vice-president, sustainability, The Economist Group
Emily Jackson leads environmental sustainability at The Economist Group, and is responsible for driving strategy and embedding sustainability across the organisation. The Group is taking ambitious climate action and its commitments include the SBTi’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C and the UNFCCC’s Race To Zero.
Emily’s career began in sales and business development with The Economist Group, leading the commercial sponsorship strategy of The Economist Intelligence Unit in Continental Europe before managing The Economist Events in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Most recently she has been leading brand partnerships and key accounts for the Group in Germany and Austria.
Emily has lived and worked in Europe and Asia, and currently lives in Frankfurt. She holds an MA in German and Management from the University of St Andrews; attended a University of Cambridge business sustainability management online course, and is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business focusing on value chains at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).
March 11th 2025-
02:00 pm -03:45 amWorkshop 1. Carbon removal: practical steps to reach net zero faster
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Panel. Technology and innovation in biodiversity monitoring
Technology is transforming the way companies track, analyse and protect biodiversity. With ecosystems facing unprecedented threats from climate change, habitat loss and human activity, the demand for accurate and timely biodiversity data has never been greater. How can technologies such as remote sensing, AI, drones, and the internet of things help monitor species populations, habitat health and environmental changes? What challenges and opportunities arise in implementing these technologies? How can innovation drive conservation, inform policy decisions and promote sustainable development?
Case study. Corporate sustainability and leadership
In the face of mounting environmental challenges, forward-thinking companies are redefining leadership by embedding sustainability at the core of their corporate strategies. This case study explores how organisations navigate the complexities of sustainable transformation, highlighting best practices, leadership approaches, and measurable outcomes.
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View Profile Eirini Etoimou
Head of corporate sustainability, supply chain development, Sellafield Ltd
XEirini Etoimou
Head of corporate sustainability, supply chain development, Sellafield Ltd
March 12th 2025
Fireside chat. The media's role in shaping a sustainable future
Media companies have a bit of cultural influence (though surely deserve more, along with staff pay raises…). Audiences are aware of sustainability matters, but there are shortcomings in how the issues are presented. What sustainability problems are most severe? What solutions are most effective—and ineffective? This session looks at how the media can provide information that empowers people to make sustainable choices. Who holds more sway—media companies or individual influencers—and how does that affect the strategy of firms seeking to inform public opinion?
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Jeremy Mathieu
Head of sustainability, ITV
March 12th 2025 -
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Meghan Lyvers
Executive director of original scripted, UK and Ireland, Sky Group
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Katherine Stewart
Principal and team lead, policy & insights, Economist Impact
Katherine leads Economist Impact’s London policy and insights team, overseeing new globalisation programmes, with a focus on people-centred policymaking. During her more than ten years at The Economist Group Ms Stewart has developed, designed and led policy analysis, benchmarking and strategies for investment and growth research programmes, covering issues from technology and migration to food security, and from climate-change mitigation to education, trust and safety.
March 10th 2025-
12:15 pmFireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
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01:15 pmCutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
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02:20 pmPanel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
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04:05 pmInterview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
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05:00 pmFireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
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05:20 pmPanel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
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05:40 pmFireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
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Maeve Campbell
Producer, Channel 4 News
March 12th 2025
Fireside chat. Technology and innovation in biodiversity monitoring
Technology is transforming the way companies track, analyse and protect biodiversity. With ecosystems facing unprecedented threats from climate change, habitat loss and human activity, the demand for accurate and timely biodiversity data has never been greater. How can technologies such as remote sensing, AI, drones, and the internet of things help monitor species populations, habitat health and environmental changes? What challenges and opportunities arise in implementing these technologies? How can innovation drive conservation, inform policy decisions and promote sustainable development?
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Antoine Sautenet
Chief sustainability officer, Michelin
Antoine Sautenet is chief sustainability officer for the Michelin Group, where he oversees the firm’s corporate social responsibility performance. Prior to assuming this role, Mr Sautenet served as Michelin’s head of public affairs and international trade in North America, Asia and Europe. Previously, he worked as an adviser on economic diplomacy at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has been a senior lecturer in various universities as well as an associated research fellow at the French Institute for International Relations.
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Pratima Singh
Principal, policy and insights, Economist Impact
March 12th 2025-
10:00 amFireside. From farm to fork: how smarter supply chains can tackle food waste and insecurity
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02:30 pmEconomist Impact Report. Fast, green, and affordable: The future of mobility
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03:10 pmFireside chat. Technology and innovation in biodiversity monitoring
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03:30 pmPanel. Eat your green: showing consumers why regenerative agriculture matters
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Presentation. From the cradle to the grave: how is data informing investments into product, process and supply-chain sustainability?
Scope 3 emissions, although not directly controlled by an organisation, typically form the majority of its carbon footprint. Reducing these emissions to achieve net zero is costly and data-intensive. As sustainability data from supply chains increases, will this empower procurement leaders or complicate matters? With various stakeholders involved, who owns this data, where should it reside and how should it be organised? How can businesses use this data to drive sustainability, improve supplier practices and build models to assess impacts on human rights and carbon reduction to align with broader goals?
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View Profile Marco Baren
Head supplier sustainability, regulatory, business partner personal health, Phillips
XMarco Baren
Head supplier sustainability, regulatory, business partner personal health, Phillips
Fireside chat. Making it count: carbon credits and scope 3
Supported by Patch
With scope 3 emissions often representing more than 70% of a company’s carbon footprint, accurately accounting for them has become one of the biggest challenges in corporate sustainability. This interview will explore how businesses can track and manage scope 3 emissions and look at the role carbon credits play in offsetting indirect emissions. What are the best practices for calculating emissions across supply chains, and how can companies ensure the credibility of their carbon credits? Get practical insights into measuring, reducing and offsetting scope 3 emissions on the way to net-zero goals.
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Joe Cruttwell
European general manager, Patch
Joe Cruttwell is European general manager at Patch, a technology platform that enables organisations to buy, manage and sell carbon credits. The company allows corporate clients to buy high-integrity carbon credits in order to reach their sustainability goals, providing access to a wide network of projects with in-depth vetting and managing credit procurement. Prior to joining Patch, Mr Cruttwell worked for several years at financial and software-services company Stripe, acting as site lead in London and leading go-to-market teams across sales and account management. He has also worked to provide financial services and private equity strategy consulting at management consultancy Bain & Company, in addition to roles in the charity sector.
March 12th 2025 -
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Pia Tanskanen
Head of environment, ESG, Nokia
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Matus Samel
Senior research manager, Economist Impact
Matus is a public policy expert at The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Resources, Climate & Sustainability, and Globalisation & Trade practices. Matus oversees the execution of projects focused on sustainable development and trade, including the Blue Peace Index partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC) on sustainable management of shared water resources and promotion of transboundary cooperation. Matus also leads programmes with the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and USAID in Central Asia. Prior to joining the EIU, Matus worked at energy policy, sustainable development, and international trade projects at UNESCAP, Chatham House and Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he specialised in Economic and Political Development, Energy Policy and International Trade and Competitiveness.
March 10th 2025-
03:45 pmPanel. The fossil fuel dilemma: crude necessity or barrier to progress?
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05:15 pmPanel. Building the green workforce: addressing the skills gap
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02:20 pmPanel. Powering down emissions: a clean slate for the hard-to-abate?
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05:00 pmCase-study. Stewards of scope 3: taking responsibility for supply-chain decarbonisation
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Panel. From metrics to meaning: reporting frameworks for sustainable business
As global rules start to tighten, businesses are under pressure to report accurately on their emissions and supply chains. Is there a silver lining, where good data leads to effective business decisions that save money along with carbon? What are the expectations of different stakeholders in a business, and how are companies identifying the most relevant metrics and making the data actionable? And when talking with consumers and investors, are firms transparent enough about their wins and losses on the route to net zero?
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Harold Pauwels
Director standards, Global Reporting Initiative
March 12th 2025 -
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Elena Dimichino
Chief corporate sustainability officer, EssilorLuxottica
Elena Dimichino is chief corporate sustainability officer at vision-care and eyewear firm EssilorLuxottica. In this role, which she has held since 2021, Ms Dimichino leads the company’s Eyes on the Planet programme, which aims to foster multi-stakeholder collaboration to embed sustainability throughout the organisation in a measurable and consistent way. Ms Dimichino initiated sustainability reporting while working as an investor relations manager in the financial sector and went on to secure qualification as the first European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies ESG analyst in her field in Italy.
March 12th 2025 -
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Andrew Boyd
Chief sustainability officer, Perfetti Van Melle
March 12th 2025 -
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Una Kent
Vice-president, ESG and DEI International, Walgreens Boots Alliance
Una Kent is vice-president of ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) international at Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), a role she assumed in 2021 after nearly 30 years heading communications and PR at companies including Motorola, Fox Interactive and Boots UK. At Boots No7 Beauty Company and International Retail Ms Kent drove integrated communications strategies to respond to growing consumer and stakeholder expectations around social impact, sustainability and transparency. In her current role she oversees ESG and DEI strategy design and delivery and provides strategic counsel to WBA’s international divisions and businesses.
March 12th 2025 -
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Jay Ruckelshaus
Co-founder, Gravity
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Sally Uren
Chief acceleration officer, Forum for the Future
March 12th 2025
Panel. Eat your green: showing consumers why regenerative agriculture matters
Regenerative agriculture, though relatively costly, is crucial to ensure a sustainable food supply by going beyond traditional farming to restore and enhance ecosystem health. Conventional farming often depletes soil and harms biodiversity, but regenerative practices rebuild soil health, increase biodiversity and improve water cycles. How can consumers learn to distinguish regenerative products from organic ones in an already saturated market? Most importantly, how can businesses engage price-sensitive buyers and encourage them to choose regenerative options?
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View Profile Charlie Angelakos
Vice-president, global external affairs and sustainability, McCain Foods
XCharlie Angelakos
Vice-president, global external affairs and sustainability, McCain Foods
Charlie Angelakos is Vice President, Global External Affairs and Sustainability at McCain Foods Limited. In this role, Charlie leads the company’s external communication, public affairs and sustainability strategy across 160 countries.
Before joining McCain, Charlie worked at Labatt Breweries of Canada for 18 years, most recently as Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs. He also spent time in Canadian politics, working as an advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.March 12th 2025 -
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Beth Hart
Chief sustainability officer and social impact officer, McDonalds
Beth was appointed as McDonald’s Chief Sustainability and Social Impact officer in March 2024. She leads the global team accountable for international strategy and delivery of McDonald’s sustainability and social impact priorities. Acting as a leading ambassador for the McDonald’s brand, engaging stakeholders and representing McDonald’s business interests with governments and NGOs.
Prior to becoming CSO, Beth served as a member of the McDonald’s UK&I Executive team accountable for supply chain and brand trust, including The Plan for Change.
Beth started her career in food retail and has worked for leading brands including Sainsbury’s, Diageo, Marks and Spencer and Mars.
Beth is passionate about resilient communities and food systems.March 12th 2025 -
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Rishi Kalra
Group chief financial officer, Ofi
Rishi Kalra is group chief financial officer at sustainable food company ofi (Olam Food Ingredients). He joined the company in 2000 and assumed the role of executive director and group chief financial officer following the reorganisation of Olam, which he helped to lead. Mr Kalra also led the company’s Finance for Sustainability policy to enable Olam’s efforts to enhance sustainability-related data and create a numerical link to sustainability through the development of an integrated impact statement. In addition, Mr Kalra became co-chair of Accounting for Sustainability’s Asia Pacific leadership chapter upon its launch in 2021.
March 12th 2025 -
View Profile Patrick Sheridan
Vice-president, global agriculture, sustainability and seed, KraftHeinz
XPatrick Sheridan
Vice-president, global agriculture, sustainability and seed, KraftHeinz
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Pratima Singh
Principal, policy and insights, Economist Impact
March 12th 2025-
10:00 amFireside. From farm to fork: how smarter supply chains can tackle food waste and insecurity
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02:30 pmEconomist Impact Report. Fast, green, and affordable: The future of mobility
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03:10 pmFireside chat. Technology and innovation in biodiversity monitoring
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03:30 pmPanel. Eat your green: showing consumers why regenerative agriculture matters
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Panel. New perspectives on old problems: navigating global supply disruptions and building resilience
Tackling weaknesses in the supply chain is essential for future resilience. With climate change a growing concern, how do businesses bring supply chains on their journey to ensure continuity during disruptions? Where are the pinch points in supply-chain operations and logistics? How do issues like the smuggling of conflict metals, EU battery regulations, modern slavery and poor value-chain management affect global supply chains? How can firms holistically consider sustainability, risk and resilience while exercising responsibility to stakeholders, investors and customers?
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John Manners-Bell
Director, Foundation for Future Supply Chain
Professor John Manners-Bell is a highly experienced author, speaker and thought leader with a career spanning research, operations, strategy and marketing within the global supply chain industry. He is Founder and CEO of consultancy Ti Insight which since 2002 has developed a market leading position in the provision of market research to a range of blue chip customers and governmental organisations. In 2021 he founded the Foundation for Future Supply Chain dedicated to improving the understanding of sustainability, risk, innovation, ethics and public policy in the industry.
John was formerly Chair of the Logistics and Supply Chain Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF), speaking and moderating at the annual Davos meeting and many of their other events in Asia and Africa. He continues to act as an advisor to the WEF, United Nations and other transnational organizations and is an Honorary Visiting Professor at London Metropolitan University’s Guildhall Business School.
He has authored six books, most recently ‘The Death of Globalization’ and the award winning ‘Supply Chain Risk Management’ now in its fourth edition.
John is a Chartered Fellow of the CILT, a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Carmen. -
View Profile Paul Wilson
Chair, Smart Cities World Advisory Board, and chief business officer, Connected Places Catapult
XPaul Wilson
Chair, Smart Cities World Advisory Board, and chief business officer, Connected Places Catapult
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Kerrina Thorogood
Partnership director, Fair Trade
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View Profile Johannes Wassenberg
Chief executive and founder, S-cubed Strategic Sustainability Solutions Ltd
XJohannes Wassenberg
Chief executive and founder, S-cubed Strategic Sustainability Solutions Ltd
Moderated by
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Eddie Milev
Analyst, policy and insights, Economist Impact
Eddie is an Analyst at Economist Impact, working within the Sustainability and New Globalisation practice areas. He has experience in public policy, environmental policy and politics, and international relations. He holds a BSc in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from University College London (UCL), and an MSc in Global Politics from The London School of Economics and Political Science.
March 11th 2025-
02:20 pmPanel. The big picture: innovation and economic impact in supply-chain management
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03:20 pmInterview and Panel. Closing the loop — How circularity drives profit and sustainability
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Panel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
Plastics are everywhere—from packaging to consumer products and beyond. Over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year, with 91% of plastic waste never being recycled. This has devastating effects on the environment, from ocean pollution threatening marine life to microplastics infiltrating our food chain and water supplies. However, emerging technologies such as advanced recycling processes and biodegradable materials offer a glimpse of hope, with the potential to drastically reduce plastics’ environmental impact. What’s next for alleviating plastic pollution through innovation? This session will explore cutting-edge technologies, scalable solutions, and the pathways to a circular plastics economy.
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Kris Renwick
Sustainability packaging strategy manager, Reckitt
March 12th 2025 -
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Stephanie Downs
Chief executive, Uncaged Innovations
March 12th 2025 -
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Charlie Tan
Chief executive, Global Impact Coalition
March 12th 2025 -
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Alexandra Cousteau
Co-founder and president, Oceans 2050
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
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03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
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04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
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04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
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05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Fireside chat. A fleeting success - how to deliver a net-zero fleet
Transitioning to a net-zero fleet is no small task, but it is critical for achieving sustainability goals in the transport and logistics sectors. This fireside chat will explore the practical steps, challenges, and opportunities in decarbonising vehicle fleets. From electrification and alternative fuels to route optimisation and fleet efficiency technologies, discover how businesses are navigating the path to zero-emissions transportation. What lessons can be learned from early adopters, and how can companies scale their efforts to meet ambitious climate targets?
Presentation. EUDR “How to?”
Around 43% of businesses consider themselves ready for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), while 41% are still addressing challenges, and 16% are unprepared. The EUDR, initially set for December 2024, has been delayed by a year, now applying from December 2025 for large companies and June 2026 for SMEs. Many firms remain unready, with only 6.4% of timber and pulp companies able to trace 100% of their supply. Businesses must use the extra time to enhance due diligence and supply chain transparency. Non-compliance could result in fines of up to 4% of annual EU turnover, product confiscation, and market restrictions. With little time to act what steps can companies take to expedite their compliance?
Fireside chat. Take a seat: CSOs at the helm
As the role of the CSO becomes increasingly business-critical, CSOs are starting to be offered a seat at the long table. How are CSOs dealing with the transition to a new business culture that gives them greater influence and responsibility?
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Rob Colmer
Head of sustainability, Aston Martin Lagonda
Rob Colmer joined Aston Martin Lagonda in 2022. As head of sustainability he leads and directs the company’s new sustainability programme, “Racing. Green”. Prior to Aston Martin Mr Colmer worked at Shell for nearly 20 years in a variety of global positions in the corporate relations and safety, environment and social-performance functions.
March 12th 2025 -
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Dorothée D’Herde
Group head of responsible business, Kingfisher
Dorothée D’Herde is group head of responsible business at multinational retail company Kingfisher. Prior to joining Kingfisher in 2023, she led the sustainable business team at Vodafone, and before that worked at McKinsey & Company, first as head of external relations for the sustainability practice and then as director of sustainability and social impact. Previously, Ms D’Herde worked in politics, public affairs and communications, including for the Belgian deputy prime minister, in the European Commission’s spokesperson service and at a public affairs agency. She is also a trustee at Earthwatch Europe, an environmental charity.
March 12th 2025
Fireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
What it means for your company
The Global Plastics Treaty is set to reshape the way businesses handle plastic production and waste. What does this landmark agreement mean for your company? With stricter rules on plastic use, new recycling standards and global targets for waste reduction, governments and corporations are scrambling to align with its ambitious goals. How can businesses adapt, mitigate risks, and seize new opportunities in a rapidly changing regulatory landscape? Is your company prepared to navigate the challenges ahead and take a leadership role in the circular economy? Find out how the Global Plastics Treaty might affect your operations, supply chain and sustainability strategy.
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Thomas Philipon
Chief executive, TotalEnergies Corbion- Luminy® PLA
Thomas Philipon is the CEO of TotalEnergies Corbion. The company manufactures and sells Poly Lactic Acid (PLA), one of the leading and fast-growing bioplastics on the market. Contributing to reduce our dependency on fossil resources and lowering carbon emissions, Luminy® PLA is a certified 100% biobased, recyclable, compostable and biodegradable polymer alternative. Thomas advocates for sustainable business practices and leadership strategies that drive positive environmental and social impact while maintaining profitability. He is passionate about the value of collaboration and partnerships in achieving sustainability goals and driving meaningful change on a global scale.
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
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04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Turning the dial on frozen: How a temperature tweak is transforming storage and transport
Supported by Nomad Foods
Frozen food storage and transport account for up to 5% of global electricity use, with many freezers running colder than necessary. Recent studies show that raising storage temperatures by just 2-3°C can cut energy consumption by 10-15%, without compromising food safety or shelf life. This small shift could reduce global CO₂ emissions by millions of tonnes annually, while also lowering costs across the cold chain. With businesses under pressure to meet net-zero targets and cut operational expenses, could optimising freezer temperatures be the simplest way to drive impact? What does this mean for cold storage infrastructure and regulatory compliance? And how quickly can industry-wide adoption reshape supply chains for a more sustainable future?
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Eduardo Bachiega
Chief supply chain officer, Nomad Foods
March 12th 2025
Coffee break
Fireside chat. Engaging employees with sustainability goals: strategies and tools
Harnessing employee engagement is essential to achieve corporate sustainability goals. With just a few years to train staff and transform business models to reach net zero, every aspect of a company’s processes must put sustainability at the core of decision-making. How can mindsets be shifted? What role do incentives play? How can employees be given a sense of ownership?
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Laurence Fontinoy
Head of circularity, Decathlon
Laurence Fontinoy is global head of circularity at sporting goods retailer Decathlon. Before joining Decathlon, she co-founded a tech company focused on women’s health, which was acquired by Apricity. Ms Fontinoy has also held positions as marketing director at Google Spain and Portugal and marketing director and business development manager at eBay. Her extensive international experience in the US, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain and France encompasses technology, entrepreneurship, circularity and sport in high-growth startups and larger corporations.
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Maë Faugere
Sustainability strategist, Kite Insights
Maë Faugere is a founding member of Climate Fresk UK, a network of more than 375 members raising public awareness about climate change. She is also an associate at Kite Insights’ Climate School, which aims to enable businesses to effect sustainable transformation. As a sustainability strategist with extensive experience in climate science communications, stakeholder engagement and sustainable business transformation, she has delivered climate education and activation programmes to a diverse range of global organisations, including The Economist Group, Coca-Cola, LinkedIn, and Crédit-Agricole.
March 12th 2025
Fireside chat. Working with suppliers on sustainable innovation
In the push for sustainability, working closely with suppliers is essential to unlocking innovative solutions. This fireside focuses on two projects. One, the Lower Thames Crossing, is a proposed project for a controversial new tunnel beneath the river Thames which has been criticised for threatening trees, woods and woodlife. Despite this, National Highways plans for it to be designed to be the greenest road ever built in Britain. How have strong, collaborative partnerships been built with potential construction suppliers to achieve shared sustainability goals? What will be done to protect the ancient woodlands threatened by the project? Explore how companies foster transparency, trust and alignment with suppliers to create a more resilient and sustainable supply chain.
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View Profile Andrew Kidd
Director of environmental sustainability, lower Thames crossing programme, National Highways, UK
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Director of environmental sustainability, lower Thames crossing programme, National Highways, UK
March 12th 2025 -
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Shirley Cooper
Crown representative small businesses, Cabinet Office
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Oliver Sawbridge
Manager, trade and geopolitics, Economist Impact
Fireside chat. Soil health and wealth
More than 60% of EU soils are unhealthy. In Britain, which lacks accurate data, studies are examining the state of the soil. The importance of soil health and farming to climate and biodiversity is widely acknowledged by scientists, farmers and policymakers. How should soil be managed for food security, climate resilience and profitability? Which projects show the best way forward to ensure soil health and wealth?
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Willem Ferwerda
Founder, Commonland
March 12th 2025 -
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Wayne Honeycutt
President and chief executive, Soil Health Institute
March 12th 2025
Panel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
In their attempts to make retail more sustainable, businesses have turned to sustainable sourcing, improving energy efficiency of their stores, waste reduction programmes, circular economy models, as well as engaging employees and customers to change behaviour. How can technology help to make these efforts more effective, faster and easier to adopt? Do sustainability and technology align or conflict in achieving environmental goals, particularly regarding the balance between physical infrastructure and digital innovations like building digital twins? Can AI support greener practices or will it increase energy consumption? What are the emerging green technologies that can help retailers substantially improve their stores’ energy consumption and reduce waste? How can retailers reduce negative environmental and social impacts but stay profitable?
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Ruth Andrade
Earth care strategy lead, Lush
Born in the Brazilian Atlantic Moist Forests bioregion (Mata Atlântica), Ruth Andrade grew up in a concrete jungle, witnessing first-hand the destruction of the natural environment. This prompted her interest in environmental issues, nurtured a deep love for the rainforest and fuelled her passion for change. She considers herself a systems activist, identifying key nodal interventions in systems to support the transition to regenerative cultures. Ms Andrade has been co-creating Lush’s environmental strategy since 2004. She is a trustee and co-founder of Re.Alliance, a collective of practitioners bringing regenerative design to the humanitarian and development sectors, and a co-creator of Regenerosity, an initiative to direct resources to grassroots regenerative projects.
March 12th 2025 -
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Renee Morin
Chief sustainability officer, ebay
March 12th 2025 -
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Marija Rompani
Director of sustainability and ethics, John Lewis Partnership
Marija Rompani is director of ethics and sustainability at John Lewis Partnership, where she drives the environmental and social agenda and works to achieve the partnership’s purpose “For a happier world” for its Waitrose and John Lewis brands. She joined the partnership in 2021 with over 20 years of experience in sustainability across retail, finance and fast-moving consumer goods sectors, having worked at Federated Hermes, Sainsbury’s, Reckitt and UBS. Ms Rompani is passionate about transforming the food system, protecting nature and driving responsible consumerism.
March 12th 2025 -
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John Atkinson
Chief product officer, LiveEO
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
-
10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
-
12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
-
12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
-
08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
-
09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
-
09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
-
09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
-
10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
-
10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
-
11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
-
12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
-
12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
-
02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
-
03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
-
03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
-
03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
-
04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
-
04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
-
05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
-
08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
-
09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
-
09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
-
09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
-
10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
-
11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
-
12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
-
01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
-
02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
-
03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
-
04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
-
04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
-
05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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Fireside chat. Inspiring sustainable consumer behaviours: Aligning purpose with profitability
81% of consumers say that trust in a brand’s sustainability claims influences their buying decisions. However, 42% express scepticism about greenwashing. This fireside chat explores the delicate balance between driving profitability and fostering sustainable consumer behaviours. Industry leaders will share insights into aligning corporate purpose with sustainability goals, leveraging innovation, marketing strategies, and partnerships to influence eco-friendly choices. What strategies truly resonate with consumers, and how can businesses ensure that purpose-driven approaches contribute to long-term profitability?
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Ian Stanton
Head of sustainability, Beggars Group
Ian Stanton is head of sustainability at Beggars Group, a large group of independent record labels, which includes Matador, Rough Trade Records, XL Recordings, 4AD and Young Recordings, where he is furthering the sustainability ambitions of the recorded-music industry via initiatives such as the Music Climate Pact. Following a career as a music journalist, Mr Stanton has spent the last 20 years working in sustainability across a range of sectors at organisations including Jaguar Land Rover, British Telecom and Microsoft. He has also worked alongside leading climate scientists at the British Antarctic Survey and the Natural Environment Research Council as head of sustainability.
March 12th 2025 -
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Katherine Brown
Vice-president, Social Impact & Sustainability, Europe, Visa
March 12th 2025 -
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Tanya Larsen
Chief executive, questionZERO
March 12th 2025 -
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Jorge Laguna-Celis
Head, One Planet Network, United Nations Environment Programme
March 12th 2025
Panel. Feeding the world — From leafy green to chrome-plated
Agriculture is pressed on three sides, by a growing population, extreme weather and declining soil quality—all made worse by rising temperatures. Confronting this takes new thinking. What can be done to improve soils so they can increase yields? Does society need to rethink the future of food, moving away from romantic visions of green pastures to chrome-plated fermenting tanks and hydroponic labs bathed in purple light?
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Jeff Tripician
Chief executive, Meatable
Jeff Tripician is chief executive of pioneering cultivated meat company Meatable. Mr Tripician believes that by using patented technology to produce real meat in a cost-effective and speedy way, Meatable’s innovations can address the global challenges of climate change and food security by providing a sustainable and humane solution for protein production. Before joining Meatable, Mr Tripician served as chief executive of Grass Fed Foods, establishing the company as the leading regenerative grass-fed beef business in the US. He was also president at Perdue Premium Meat Company, where he led the growth of premium meat brands, including Niman Ranch and Coleman Natural.
March 12th 2025 -
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Sally Smith
Chief sustainability officer, Flora Food Group
March 12th 2025 -
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Roel van Poppel
Chief sustainability officer, Ofi
March 12th 2025 -
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Isaac Berzin
Chief technical officer, VAXA
March 12th 2025 -
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Sara Guaglio
Co-founder, FUL Foods
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Katherine Stewart
Principal and team lead, policy & insights, Economist Impact
Katherine leads Economist Impact’s London policy and insights team, overseeing new globalisation programmes, with a focus on people-centred policymaking. During her more than ten years at The Economist Group Ms Stewart has developed, designed and led policy analysis, benchmarking and strategies for investment and growth research programmes, covering issues from technology and migration to food security, and from climate-change mitigation to education, trust and safety.
March 10th 2025-
12:15 pmFireside chat: optimising the energy mix: how to solve the challenge of intermittency?
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01:15 pmCutting carbon without cutting corners: from heavy footprint to positive impact
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02:20 pmPanel. Bringing AI and sustainability together
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04:05 pmInterview. What does sustainable leadership look like in the age of AI?
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05:00 pmFireside chat. From stage lights to streaming: can the music industry lead a sustainable revolution?
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05:20 pmPanel: The hydrogen debate: Smoke and mirrors or the future of green transport?
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05:40 pmFireside chat. A night at the pub: raising the bar on sustainability
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Case studies and panel. Decarbonisation incentives and support for smaller suppliers
The small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in big businesses’ supply chains are often the lifeblood of an economy. But stewarding a concerted effort to ensure supply-chain partners pull in the same direction as business objectives tied with ESG is often beset with challenges. What tools, policies and support can help suppliers in tiers 2, 3 and beyond to develop climate literacy and adopt sustainable practices? What education and initiatives are helping to build and measure circularity in supply chains? Should there be sector-based ESG standards? How can larger businesses and governments help SMEs lessen the cost burden to address ethical and environmental issues?
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Andrea Vena
Chief climate and sustainability officer, European Space Agency
March 12th 2025 -
View Profile Josetxo Pérez Apesteguía
Corporate procurement and logistics senior director, Palladium Hotel Group
XJosetxo Pérez Apesteguía
Corporate procurement and logistics senior director, Palladium Hotel Group
March 12th 2025 -
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Aled Guy
Head of sustainability and net zero carbon management, NHS Wales
March 12th 2025 -
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Abe Eshkenazi
Chief executive, Association for Supply Chain Management
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Oliver Sawbridge
Manager, trade and geopolitics, Economist Impact
Panel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
Ports contribute significantly to global greenhouse-gas emissions and pollution. But many are pioneering practices such as onshore power supply, renewable-energy integration and green logistics. What can technology do to advance sustainability in port operations, and what are the latest innovations? How can ports engage with local stakeholders to promote sustainability in neighbourhoods, and how are they engaging with shipping and logistics firms to deliver shared sustainable value?
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Øistein Jensen
Chief sustainability officer, Odfjell SE
March 12th 2025 -
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Guy Janssens
Vice president, corporate affairs, Port of Antwerp-Bruges
March 12th 2025
Moderated by
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Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Global energy and climate innovation editor, The Economist
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is the new Global energy & climate innovation editor, covering the energy and utility industries, the clean energy transition, climate innovations and low carbon technologies. He leads our coverage of America’s climate and green infrastructure efforts, and keeps a watchful eye on ESG trends and corporate pledges of net-zero emissions for signs of promise as well as greenwashing.
An award-winning senior journalist, he previously served as both US Business Editor and China Business Editor. He also serves as chairman of The Economist Innovation Summit, a provocative series of global conferences on innovation.
He joined the editorial staff in 1992 as its London-based Latin America correspondent, and opened the magazine’s first regional bureau in Mexico City. From 1998 to 2006, he covered the politics, economics, business and technology of energy and the environment. From 2007 to 2011 his portfolio encompassed innovation, global health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
His latest book, published by Harper Collins, is “Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems”. Amazon named it a Book of the Month and Kirkus Reviews called it “the perfect primer for the postindustrial age.” In reviewing the book, the Financial Times declared that “Vaitheeswaran is a writer to whom it is worth paying attention.” It has been translated into Chinese and several other languages. His second book, “ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future,” co-authored with Iain Carson, was named a Book of the Year by the Financial Times.
Vijay is a life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos, and his commentaries have appeared on NPR and the BBC, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has addressed groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas and AAAS conferences.
March 10th 2025-
08:45 amImpact investing: catalysing the energy transition through purposeful capital
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10:00 amPanel. Electrification everywhere: managing the ripple effects on the grid and economy
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12:30 pmThe investment paradox: are markets rewarding the wrong climate strategies?
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12:45 pmPanel. Fully charged: the positives of battery breakthroughs
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08:55 amKeynote Interview. An interview with Andrew Forrest
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09:10 amKeynote Interview. An interview with John Kerry
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09:25 amFireside chat. CFO on disclosure challenges: Is perfection the enemy of progress?
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09:45 amPanel. The view from the top: chief executives’ views on sustainability
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10:05 amFireside chat. Driving the future: what young consumers want from net-zero auto makers
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10:20 amKeynote interview. Can oil and gas companies drive a new energy economy?
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11:45 amInterview. Critical minerals, critical questions: mining’s role in the energy transition
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12:00 pmPanel. Financing the green transition: aligning policy, investment and innovation
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12:40 pmEducation Education Education - How to upskill sustainable leadership across companies
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02:20 pmInterview and Panel. Financing sustainable and resilient infrastructure
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03:00 pmPanel. Sovereign wealth and sustainability: patient capital working for the future
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03:20 pmFireside chat: Carbon pricing—the state of international carbon markets
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03:45 pmPanel. Transition finance: enabling corporations to achieve net zero
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04:00 pmFireside chat. Success stories — net-zero investment in emerging markets
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04:40 pmPanel: Green investment opportunities: expediting the flow of green capital
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05:20 pmPanel. Grilling economic models. What’s the best fit for a sustainable future?
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08:55 amFireside chat. Breakthrough energy: ten years of progress
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09:00 amFireside Briefing. Sleepwalking into a 3°C future: Why climate inaction is the costliest choice
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09:20 amPanel. Feeding the future: regenerative agriculture for global food security
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09:45 amInterview: An interview with Syngenta
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10:15 amPanel. The evolving role of the CSO
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11:55 amInterview. Leveraging the last mile: how can last-mile logistics be made more sustainable?
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12:40 pmPanel. Eating the carbon elephant: managing scope 3 emissions while driving profitable growth
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01:20 pmFireside chat. Clearing the air: carbon removal in sustainability and net-zero strategies
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02:30 pmPanel. Nature-based solutions: strategies for climate resilience and biodiversity
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03:30 pmPanel. Preventing plastics pollution through novel approaches
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04:10 pmFireside chat. The Global Plastics Treaty — What it means for your business
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04:50 pmPanel. Paradox or reality: can technology help to make retail sustainable?
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05:20 pmPanel. Greening the waterfront: advancing sustainability in modern port operations
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CLOSING FILM: DOWNSTREAM
A Film screening of Downstream
Directors fireside
Moderated by Vijay Vaitheeswaran, The Economist
Networking drinks
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