Conference Series: Achieving Net Zero

Speakers

• 
  Tony Danker Director General, CBI

A squeeze on gas supplies over the winter and the Ukraine conflict have sent wholesale energy prices soaring, driving up inflation and putting pressure on households and businesses. How should the UK’s energy strategy evolve in this context and how will that impact the achievement of our net zero goals?

Speakers

• 
  Bernice Lee OBE Chair, Sustainability Accelerator Advisory Council, Chatham House
• 
  Claire O’Neill Co-Chair, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
• 
  John Pettigrew Chief Executive Officer, National Grid
• 
  Tony Danker Director General, CBI
• 
  Adam Vaughan Chief Reporter, New Scientist

The net zero transition is an economic opportunity, as well as an environmental necessity. There is huge potential for green growth and increased competitiveness, from job creation in new sustainable markets, to thriving supply chains and innovation hubs for new green sectors.

Speakers

• 
  David Craig Co-chair, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)
• 
  Julian Critchlow Advisory Partner, Bain; former Director General Energy Transformation & Clean Growth, BEIS
• 
  Orral Nadjari Founder & CEO, Britishvolt
• 
  Grete Tveit Senior Vice President, Equinor
• 
  Ed Birkett Head of Energy and Climate, Onward

The challenges facing the UK to decarbonise whilst handling supply chain crises and seeking economic growth are not unique – they are global challenges. How can the UK show leadership? Where is there demand for collaboration? How can technology and finance accelerate the transition?

Tackling climate change and the nature crises is a global effort, and 2022 is the year to turn net zero ideas into reality. At COP26 we saw leaders from across the world coming together and looking in the right direction. But now we need action to follow. 

Speakers

• 
  Dr. Thomas Hale Associate Professor of Global Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
• 
  Chris Stark Chief Executive, Climate Change Committee
• 
  Tanya Steele Chief Executive, WWF
• 
  Sacha Wright Research and Curriculum Coordinator, Force of Nature

Speakers

• 
  Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP COP26 President
• 
  Tony Danker Director General, CBI

Heavy industry currently represents one sixth of the UK emissions and comprises some of the UK’s most energy intensive businesses. Sectors like steel and chemicals are at the heart of our critical supply chains but require rapid advancement in green technologies to decarbonise, all at a time when energy costs are increasing rapidly. 

Speakers

• 
  Dave Dalton Chief Executive, British Glass
• 
  Chris De Beer Global Hydrogen Lead, Mott MacDonald
• 
  Seamus French Europe Managing Director, CEO-designate, Laing O'Rourke
• 
  Isabelle Maddock CFO, James Cropper plc
• 
  Tom Thackray Programme Director - Decarbonisation, CBI

The Climate Change Committee has estimated that £50bn of investment will be needed every year to meet the UK’s net zero target, with the majority coming from the private sector. How do investors scale up to meet this challenge and how do we create the right regulatory conditions to unleash new capital for the transition?

Speakers

• 
  Sarah Breeden Executive Director for Financial Stability Strategy and Risk, Bank of England
• 
  Richard Dudley Global Head of Climate Strategy, Aon
• 
  Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas OBE Chief Executive, Green Finance Institute
• 
  Anne Marie Verstraeten UK Country Head, BNP Paribas
• 
  Rain Newton-Smith Chief Economist, CBI

Under the UK Presidency in Glasgow, COP26 delivered meaningful shifts in global commitments to tackling climate change with over 90% of emissions covered by countries with net zero targets. However, without raising ambitions further the 1.5 degree threshold for temperature rises will be overshot. Will world leaders do what’s required when they reconvene in Egypt later this year?

Speakers

• 
  Zahra Bahrololoumi EVP and CEO UKI, Salesforce
• 
  Alyssa Gilbert Director of Policy and Translation, Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment
• 
  Mary Robinson Adjunct Professor for Climate Justice, Trinity College Dublin; Former President of Ireland
• 
  Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL President, CBI

Speakers

• 
  Ed Miliband MP Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero
• 
  Syma Cullasy-Aldridge Chief Campaigns Director, CBI

Rocketing energy bills are contributing to a cost-of-living crisis where high inflation threatens to squeeze household spending power, hitting hardest for those with the least. Businesses too are struggling to manage higher prices and supply chain disruption. Can we afford the investments needed to meet our ambitious net zero objectives? Or is the question, can we afford not to act when fossil fuels are driving volatility and the economic opportunities for early movers are clear?

Speakers

• 
  Gillian Cooper Head of Energy Policy, Citizens Advice
• 
  Ian Funnell CEO, Hitachi Energy, UK and Ireland
• 
  Tim Lord Head of Climate Change, Phoenix Group
• 
  John Foster Director, Policy Unit, CBI

Speakers

• 
  Helen Whately MP Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
• 
  Matthew Fell Chief Policy Director, CBI

While high-level targets and strategies are set nationally, they are delivered locally. Shifting to net zero will require the direction and ingenuity of local leaders across the country. Managed correctly it is a chance to not only improve outcomes for the environment but to provide better economic opportunities and living standards for people right across the country.

Speakers

• 
  Polly Billington Chief Executive, UK100
• 
  Faye Bowser Head of Energy & Performance Services GB&I, Siemens plc
• 
  David Croft Global Director Sustainability, Environment and Human Rights, Reckitt Benckiser
• 
  Guy Newey Director of Strategy and Performance, Energy Systems Catapult
• 
  Rain Newton-Smith Chief Economist, CBI

Pricing carbon emissions is recognised as a fundamental tool to encourage business action towards net zero, whether through ‘cap and trade’ systems like the UK’s Emissions Trading Scheme or taxes on high carbon products. Businesses are also increasingly interested in accessing high quality offsets for emissions they have not yet managed to eliminate.

Speakers

• 
  Rachel Armstrong Director, Industrial Decarbonisation & Emissions Trading, BEIS
• 
  Jonathan Shopley Managing Director, Climate Impact Partners
• 
  Peter Chalkley Director, Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit

Speakers

• 
  Javier Echave Chief Financial Officer, Heathrow
• 
  Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL President, CBI

Responsible businesses know they have a crucial part to play in protecting the environment and are acutely aware of the high consumer demand for firms to be proactive. The new Environment Act places more onus on developers to enhance the natural environment

Speakers

• 
  Anna Bartle Regional Lead, Citizenship & Sustainability and Vice President, Corporate Affairs, The Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland
• 
  Minette Batters President, National Farmers' Union
• 
  Andrea Ledward International Biodiversity and Climate Director, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• 
  Richard Warneford Wastewater Director, Northumbrian Water Group
• 
  Tania Kumar Head of Decabonisation, CBI

Speakers

• 
  Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL President, CBI