I am looking forward to moderating three sessions at Economist Impact’s 3rd annual Sustainability Week: Countdown to COP28 next week.
My sessions include an in-person panel, “How should CSOs engage with other key functions of the business?”, with Peter Bragg, sustainability and government affairs director at Canon EMEA; Andrew Boyd, chief sustainability officer at Perfetti Van Melle; and Fiona Morgan, chief purpose officer at SailGP. This session will explore how the relationship between CSOs and CEOs, CFOs, CPOs has developed over time to ensure that sustainability is addressed holistically rather than through a PR campaign. What can these roles look like to ensure visionary leadership towards a just and regenerative future for their business, people and planet?
Another session is on “Manufacturing Net-Zero—How The Sector Can Lead The Way”, with Kara Fulcher, director of sustainability, North America at Michelin; Oriol Margó, EMEA sustainability transformation lead at Kimberly-Clark; John Dulac, group climate change manager at Saint-Gobain; and Sharon Bligh, health and sustainability director at The Consumer Goods Forum. In this session we will discuss industry-wide initiatives, in areas such as data-sharing, that can help manufacturers achieve their net-zero targets. We will explore case studies of decarbonisation already underway in the sector, and how decision-makers and the whole value chain are joining forces to advance the sector’s decarbonisation strategies.
And I will also moderate a fireside chat on “Mission Impossible? Decarbonising Hard-To-Abate Sectors”, with Thomas Guillot, chief executive at the GCCA – Global Cement and Concrete Association and Joanna Gilroy, group director of sustainability at Balfour Beatty. We will be exploring the challenges and opportunities associated with decarbonising the cement industry – one of those tricky “hard to abate” industrial sectors. Concrete is the most-used building material in the world. Cement, a core ingredient of concrete, requires vast amounts of energy, which makes cement production one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. How we design, construct and manage buildings and infrastructure is a critical factor in reducing emissions from our built environment. So, what are the most promising strategies to meet this huge decarbonisation challenge?
The event is taking place in London and virtual 2-5 October. You can register here.
I will be representing the international sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future, which is internationally recognised for its approach to driving systems change and inspiring alternative futures. Learn more about Forum here.
