Browse our COP28 Business Pavilion events, hosted in collaboration with We Mean Business Coalition sponsors and supporting partners. Those events listed with (*) take place outside the Business Pavilion.
Join us in-person at Business + Buildings Pavilion, Blue Zone, Zone B7, Building 88, Thematic Arena 3: Energy, Finance, Urbanisation & Indigenous Peoples TA3 – Pavilion 240 (Level 1). Watch the auditorium livestream and view previous sessions at the pavilion here.
Hosted by: The Climate Pledge and C40 Cities
Demand for urban last-mile delivery is expected to grow 78% by 2030, resulting in a 36% increase in delivery vehicles in the world’s largest 100 cities. An expected tripling in the demand for freight by 2050 could double its 8% share of global GHG emissions. Transitioning to electric freight vehicles is among the key ways to lower these emissions. Join The Climate Pledge, C40 Cities mayors, and others as they discuss their experiences advancing freight electrification. This event is recommended for those interested in identifying and proposing opportunities to accelerate the roll-out of electric fleets in cities worldwide.
Speakers:
Hosted by: Cemex
Moderator: Gonzalo Muñoz, UN Climate Change, High-level Champion
Explore what’s possible when the building materials industry leverages societal and industrial waste to substantially reduce CO2 emissions, conserve valuable natural resources, and build circular economies globally. Experts will discuss how waste can be reimagined to build a more sustainable world, how existing circular industrial practices are progressing, and how we can further advance circularity solutions at scale across the built environment. Understand where we are advancing circularity and what important breakthrough solutions, regulatory changes and other enablers are still needed to fully unlock a circular economy.
Speakers:
Fernando A. González, CEO, CEMEX
Dr. Marianne Kuhlmann, Co-Founder and Lead Circularity
Renae Kezar Global VP, Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs Johnson Controls
Ramon Arratia, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ball Corporation
Hosted by: National Grid
Moderator: Sarah Muckerjee, CEO, IEMA
The importance of cross-disciplinary partnerships and looking at resilience through a systems-based lens. In other words, in order to truly build resilience, we must work together across all levels of government, with local and vulnerable communities, academia, and across industries.
Speakers:
Keynote: Ali Zaidi, White House National Climate Advisor
Nat Keohane, President, C2ES
David Wright, Chief Engineer & Risk Officer, National Grid
Seth Schultz, CEO, Resilience Rising
Anjatiana Radoharinirina, President & Co-founder at AIKA, One Young World
Eva Hinkers, Europe Chair & Board Member, Arup
Hosted by: Mastercard
To address the climate adaptation financing gap between developed and emerging and developing economies, urgent multisector collaboration is needed. This presentation will showcase successful prototypes and innovations that offer practical solutions, specifically CIFAR Alliance's UCARE product. UCARE is an example of how multisectoral actors from the financial sector, climate think tanks and development entities are collaborating to deliver much-needed direct relief financing for vulnerable communities to increase resilience before climate disasters even occur.
Speakers:
Ellen Jackowski, Chief sustainability officer, Mastercard
Jacqueline Musiitwa, Senior climate finance advisor, USAID
David del Ser, Chair and chief innovation officer, BFA Global
Hosted by: SSE
The debate on how we keep the lights on and ensure affordability in a renewables and nuclear-led energy system characterised by intermittency and inflexibility is needed. Historically, this role has been played by unabated coal and gas-fired generation – and there is now an urgent need to find lower-carbon solutions to avoid further carbon lock-in.
This roundtable discussion will bring together senior policymakers, developers, and OEMs to discuss how we can deliver the low-carbon flexibility solutions of the future at the required pace and scale to ensure the clean energy transition is delivered in a secure and affordable way.
Invitation only
Speakers:
Hosted by: Visa
Moderator: Douglas Sabo, Chief Sustainability Officer, Visa
Transitioning to a net-zero economy necessitates both government and private sector commitment, but global consumers also influence this shift through daily decisions. Successful transition involves an evolution of traditional consumption patterns, encompassing behaviors, lifestyles and purchasing choices. This session explores recent global consumer research on aspirations and barriers, discussing the role of businesses in enabling millions -- if not billions -- of consumers to embrace sustainable choices in various aspects of daily life. The panel examines strategies and innovative content and solutions across the business ecosystem to inform and enable sustainable living, addressing areas such as food, mobility, travel, banking, apparel and household goods.
Speakers:
Brett Jenks, CEO, Rare.org
Emma Stewart, Ph.D., Sustainability Officer, Netflix
Karen Pflug, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ingka Group (IKEA)
Antonia Gawel, Director, Sustainability Partnerships and Engagement, Google
Friedrich Hubel, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Ecolytiq
Hosted by: Topsoe
Moderator: Christoph Wolff, CEO of the Smart Freight Center
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), derived from alternative sources, are pivotal in achieving the flight industry's net-zero goal by 2050. Global airlines' blending mandates and voluntary commitments are driving demand, while production goals aim to bolster SAF supply. Ensuring sustainable feedstock sourcing is crucial to meet growing demand and minimize environmental impact. Addressing feedstock availability challenges and reducing costs requires significant investments and innovations. This side-event explores strategies for scaling up SAF production in the years ahead, facilitating carbon-neutral flying and navigating the intricate balance between demand, production goals, and environmental considerations.
Keynote speaker is U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider
Speakers:
Keynote: Jane Hupe, Deputy Director, Environment, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
Kim Carnahan, Founder & CEO, Neoteric Energy & Climate, SABA
Elena Scaltritti, Topsoe, Chief Commercial Officer
Keith Tuffley, Chairman, Clean Energy Transition & Sustainability, Citi
Brian Moran, VP for Sustainability Policy & Partnerships, Boeing international
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