Event

The Business case of climate change: Driving innovation and competitiveness

DATE
27 Oct 2016

The Paris Agreement is a great political success, which will propel climate action around the globe for decades.

EU leadership was fundamental to the agreement and its ambitious objective to limit the global average temperature rise ‘well below 2°C’. The Agreement sends a strong signal to businesses globally and encourages collaboration across sectors. Now the focus must shift to implementation, successfully turning the Paris Agreement into real action.

The scale of foreseen investment to increase resilience and reduce emissions is remarkable, but to reach the 2°C goal further acceleration of climate action is an imperative. Fostering innovation and finding new, effective ways of cross-sector collaboration are key to ensure a transition to a thriving zero carbon economy.  

Does the world’s largest single market – the EU – provide the right incentives to drive low-carbon technologies and solutions? How do European companies benefit from the transition to a low-carbon economy? How do they anticipate, adapt and give shape to fast evolving changes such as a changing energy system/price? How does innovation help to mitigate climate change risks?

This Brussels event on 27 October will bring these issues to focus for European businesses. We will match the EU climate action priorities with good practices of innovation to show how climate change adaptation and mitigation can effectively create business opportunities. During the discussion we will explore these opportunities for action by sharing tools to overcome barriers and promote business-driven approaches to collaborative climate innovation. Business representatives will meet with DG Clima, CDP and Climate-KIC to discuss best practices, solutions and ways forward

Programme

09:30 – 10:00 Registration

10:00 Welcome

  • Katrina Sichel, Moderator

10:05 – 10:15 Scene Setting

  • EU Priorities and Climate Innovation
    • Jos Delbeke, Director-General, Climate Action

10:15 – 10:45 Climate Innovation Case Studies

  • Start-ups that Reached Scale
    • Lourens Zwart, Founder, ABC-Kroos
  • Large Company Collaboration Project
    • Mukund Bhagwat, Corporate Energy and Climate Affairs Aurubis Belgium

10:45 – 11:20 Overcoming Barriers of Action

  • Information: Setting Priorities of Corporate Action
    • Paul Simpson, CEO, CDP
  • Skills: Capacity for Action
    • WBCSDm Maria Mendiluce, MD of Climate and Energy
  • Tools for Action: How to Achieve Impact
    • Mike Cherrett, Director of External Partnerships, Climate-KIC

COFFEE BREAK

11:30 – 13:00 Exchange of Best Practices and Recommendations

  • Moderated Panel Discussion and Q&A with Audience
    • Policy: Jos Delbeke, DG Clima
    • Business Leadership: Maria Mendiluce, WBCSD
    • Carbon Price: We Mean Business Coalition: Paul Simpson, CDP
    • Investor: Grainne Davies, EFAMA
    • Corporate Disclosure: Mukund Bhagwat, Aurubis

13:00 – 13:05 Closing Remarks

  • Mike Cherrett, Director of External Partnerships, Climate-KIC

NETWORKING LUNCH

 

Details

Venue:  Climate-KIC Brussels Office | 22-28 Avenue d’Auderghem floor 6, 1040 Brussels, Belgium

Register: To register for the event, click here