The Business Case for Net-Zero in the United States

Hosted by: Duke University

Moderator: Jackson Ewing, Senior Fellow, Duke University Nicholas Institute of Environment, Energy & Sustainability

The United States is committed to a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions footprint by 2050. Incrementalist approaches will be insufficient to meet this goal, which requires combining public policy implementation, technological progress, and changes to operational norms and strategies in public and private sectors. These efforts will be successful only if they effectively galvanize private sector leadership in decarbonizing the US economy. This Energy Pathways USA panel brings together top US private sector leaders to discuss key net-zero challenges and opportunities for their own operations, and those effecting the broader American and international landscape.

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Showcasing Business Ambition, Action, and Accountability for Enhanced Policymaking

Hosted by: CDP

Moderator: Pietro Bertazzi, Global Director - Policy Engagement and External Affairs, CDP

COP26 marked an increased ambition to tackle climate issues by governments and businesses. However, both face challenges to turn this ambition into long term strategies and policies for governments, and Net Zero transition plans for businesses. This event at COP27 will bring together key policymakers and businesses in a crucial, interactive discussion on how evidence from the real economy can translate NDC ambition into strategies and policies towards a sustainable, 1.5°C aligned transition. Drawing from We Mean Business Coalition – CDP's Ambition Loop Project, the event will showcase evidence and insights – including energy-related business evidence and policy recommendations – focused on Germany, Japan, and India.

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Unleashing the power of business to create a regenerative future in Africa

Hosted by: Danone, Now Partners, B Lab

Business, alongside governments and other civil society actors, has a major role to play in addressing climate challenges and creating a regenerative economy in Africa - provided that business models evolve to seek not only economic success but also positive impact on people and planet. This session will explore how businesses are doing just this. It will look in particular at the B Corp movement, which is helping companies align with the highest environmental, social and governance standards. And it will showcase concrete examples of how local business leaders have transformed their ecosystems in line with B Corp principles.

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Opportunity Scope 3: How to exchange emissions data across value chains and why

Hosted by: WBCSD

There is a strong momentum to create greater accountability around greenhouse gas GHG emissions from across the value chain (Scope 3), with e.g., the SEC, ISSB and EFRAG more recently, all new requirements for transparency. However, today, most organizations do not have access to accurate, primary and verified data to fulfil such requirements or make truly informed emissions reduction decisions. Without this data, full transparency and hence decarbonization are difficult to achieve.
In this session, members of the Partnership for Carbon Transparency (PACT) – an initiative led by WBCSD and supported by We Mean Business Coalition bringing together different stakeholders to jointly put in place the methodological and technological infrastructure necessary for emissions data exchange – will share the progress made in enabling companies to understand their supply chain emissions truly. 

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Unlocking the Regenerative Power of Infrastructure

Hosted by: Acciona

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050, significant investment in sustainable and resilient infrastructure is required. The OECD estimates that USD 6.9 trillion per year are needed up to 2050 for investment in infrastructure to meet development goals and create a low carbon, climate resilient future.
This session will focus on how designing private and public partnership integrated upstream sustainable approaches can help to ensure that better projects are fed into the financing pipeline and creates more opportunities for climate resilience and economic growth. And downstream, project-level sustainable tools and approaches ensure that these investments translate into positive impacts on the ground, especially around water management as a primary regenerative infrastructure:
• Reinforcing the importance of accelerating action on water to secure the economic future of water-stressed regions heavily impacted by Climate Change.
• Highlight opportunities to increase the ambition and pace of climate action, with a particular focus on strategies for catchment, desalination, purification, distribution, sanitation, treatment, and regenerative water reuse.

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Launch of the Asia Clean Energy Coalition: Accelerating corporate renewable electricity procurement in Asia

Hosted by: Climate Group

Moderator: Jennifer Layke, Global Director of Energy, WRI

Climate Group, GWEC and WRI launch the Asia Clean Energy Coalition (ACEC), aiming to rapidly improve the policy and regulatory environments for corporate renewable electricity procurement in Asia to support decarbonisation goals. ACEC will convene a coalition of influential renewable energy buyers in Asia, in collaboration with sellers and financiers, to strategically shift policy and regulation in key Asian national and regional markets.

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How to build business readiness for a just transition

Hosted by: PwC

Moderator: Bridget Jackson, PwC Global Director of ESG Partnerships

This session explores what a just energy transition means for jobs and skills, and identifies practical and actionable steps to help business, in both developed and emerging markets, advance a just transition agenda according to their respective capabilities. Insights from several stakeholders’ conversations shed light on how businesses, policy makers and NGOs are preparing for these transformations, and the challenges businesses face at different stages of their decarbonization journey. PwC’s presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with representatives from policy and business, and concluding with Q&As.

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Carbon Pricing and Trade, What Future?

Hosted by: World Economic Forum, ERCST

The use of carbon pricing instruments is growing worldwide. So too, is interest in border carbon adjustments (BCAs), to ease industry competitiveness concerns. This reflects a growing need to improve dialogue between trade and climate governance forums. Many climate-trade discussions are underway, but there are few systemic or formalised processes. Would this be needed, and how can we ensure that trade policy is put at the service of accelerated climate action?

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Investing in the global goal to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030: The critical role of business, subnational governments, and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

Hosted by: We Mean Business Coalition, International Union for Conservation of Nature & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

At COP26 more than 140 countries committed to work collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation. At COP27, the Forests & Climate Leaders’ Partnership will be launched to unite action by government, business and community leaders, and shine a spotlight on global progress towards every year through 2030. This panel will highlight the necessity for countries to engage meaningfully with business, subnational governments, and Indigenous Peoples and Local communities in order to reach their commitment to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.
- Increasing investment in nature for climate mitigation through the voluntary carbon market (Natural Climate Solutions Alliance, 14:45-15:45)
- Feeding the world while preserving forests: Achieving agricultural supply chains decoupled from deforestation (FAO, 15:45-16:45)
- Indigenous and local government leadership in REDD+ Programs (Nature and Culture International, 16:45-17:45)

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Building resilience in the energy sector

Hosted by: National Grid

The conflict within Ukraine serves as a stark reminder of the impact that geopolitical relations have on energy cost and supply. The global covid pandemic has also profoundly changed the way we work. Society is reliant on a secure energy supply that is clean, fair and affordable but in an uncertain world, this will only be achieved by building more resilience into our organisations.
This event will discuss how we must work across organisational silos and beyond the energy industry, taking a whole of community approach to achieve resilience in the energy systems of the future.

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Strengthening global collaboration on business climate advocacy

Hosted by: Corporate Leaders Groups

Moderator: Eliot Whittington and Beverley Cornaby

The event aims to launch a reactivated global Corporate Leaders Network for climate action focused on catalysing business advocacy on climate policy at a national level and bringing together key policy and NGO stakeholders with contributors from international business networks across the world. A drinks reception open to all participants will follow directly after the event in the dedicated area of the WMBC Pavilion.

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Transatlantic Business Roundtable: Together out of the crisis: G7 climate leadership for industry transformation, energy security and social cohesion.

Hosted by: Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft

Moderator: Till Kötter & Dennis Tänzler, Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft / adelphi

Industrial Decarbonisation has been a key focus of the German G7 Presidency. Various Ministerials as well as the G7 Leaders Summit delivered outcomes for industry decarbonization like an IEA report on green product standards for cement and steel, a circular economy action plan as well as a green H2 action plan and the announcement of establishing a G7 Climate Club. Transatlantic collaboration as well as leadership by the upcoming Japanese G7 Presidency will be key to drive forward the implementation of those deliverables and to support industry frontrunners in the needed transformation.
This (hybrid) chatham house rule roundtable style event will take stock of what has been achieved during the German G7 Presidency and what needs to be done for a successful implementation during the time of the Japanese G7 Presidency, and after the upcoming US midterm elections. Invitation only.

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