As host of COP26, the UK Government has published several policies to guarantee the UK economy meets their 2050 Net Zero target. What changes will policies such as “Greening Finance” and “Build Back Greener” implicate for the UK’s economy?

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Lord Callanan, Minister for Business, Energy and Corporate Responsibility, UK Government

On Day 3 of COP26, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) created many headlines, with many welcoming it, as well as scepticism over those who signed up to the commitment. Five months after the announcement, how is GFANZ evolving and guaranteeing action is being taken by its members?

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Mark Campanale, Founder & Executive Chairman, Carbon Tracker

Kate Levick, Associate Director - Sustainable Finance, E3G

David Carlin, TCFD and Climate Risk Program Lead, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)

Thomas Tayler, Senior Manager, Sustainable Finance Centre for Excellence, Aviva

The effects of climate change disproportionately affect those in poverty, and can exacerbate economic, gender and other social inequalities. Bridging the finance gap in emerging markets is imperative to limiting climate change by no more than 2 degrees Celsius. At COP26 we heard that the finance to reach a net-zero world is there, so how can we unlock this capital? How can we guarantee the incentives are in place? Last, but most certainly not least, how can we ensure a Just Transition where no one is left behind?

Moderator: Mark Kenber, CEO, Climate Advisers UK

Sony Kapoor, Managing Director, Re-Define

Jens Sedemund, Head of climate change and environment, OECD

Nazmeera Moola, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ninety One

Catherine Koffman, Group Executive: Project Preparation, Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

“We can’t solve climate if we trash nature at the same time.” With more investment required into nature-based solutions, and hesitancy on how to approach this, the session will bring examples of how nature can become an attractive investment.

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Andrew Dreaneen, Global Head of Alternatives & External Manager Solutions, Schroders

Beccy Wilebore, Chief of Science, Natural Capital Research

More solutions are needed to meet decarbonisation commitments. Money seems to be pouring into technologies to combat climate change, yet recent studies highlight that the capital may not be necessarily backing the right climate tech companies. Given this, what makes a good technology to invest in? What role can investors play? How can we work with the public sector to de-risk?

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Dr Michal Nachmany, Founder & CEO, Climate Policy Radar CIC

Richard Burrett, Chief Sustainability Officer, Earth Capital

Leo Johnson, Head of Net Zero Innovation, PwC

Andrew Wordsworth, Co-Founder, Managing Partner & CEO, Sustainable Ventures

In this session led by Annabel Ross from CISL, we will hear about their guide to bank-client engagement, which serves to help the finance sector to have more meaningful dialogue with corporates about climate action. In this session, the panel will look specifically at how banks can better work with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to support their decarbonisation.

Moderator: Annabel Ross, Banking Environment Initiative - Lead, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership

Rich Lees, Director in Sustainability and Regional Development, Lloyds Banking Group

Robert King, Head of Sustainable Finance, HSBC

William Butler-Adams, Group CEO, Brompton Bicycle

Turbo-charged by the combination of political resolve and investor appetite, the green bond market is expanding rapidly. According to the Climate Bonds Initiative, annual issuance could hit $1 trillion in 2023. With plenty of room for green bonds to keep on growing, they are here to stay, so how can businesses start looking into raising and issuing green bonds?

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Sean Kidney, CEO, Climate Bond Initiative

Nicholas Beatty, Founder Director, Zenobe

Jessica Pulay, Co-Head of Policy and Markets, UK Debt Management Office

In this session, James Murray sits down with Julian Mylchreest, Executive Vice Chairman for Global Corporate and Investment Banking at Bank of America to discuss some of the practicalities banks are wrestling with as they look to turn ambitious net zero targets into actionable policies.

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Julian Mylchreest, Executive Vice Chairman, Global Corporate and Investment Banking, Bank of America

Want to hear what happened on one of the sessions that happened earlier? Our Net Zero Insights Team is here to recap for you the highlights on the sessions so far, as well as analysing the implications of the comments made by our speakers

James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Josephine Moulds, Finance and Fossil Fuels Reporter, Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Nina Seega, Research Director for Sustainable Finance, Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership (CISL)

There is so much detailed talk about ESG, metrics, measures. Useful but just not sufficient. Fragments of conversation are moving beyond ESG to how finance actors drive deeper change – in the macro or meso system. In terms of carbon emissions, finance actors are now recognising some role and responsibility, but the idea that ‘finance is neutral’ remains common. With all of the above, can the finance sector step up as an agent of system change for a just and regenerative future?

Moderator: Caroline Ashley, Global Director of System Change Programmes, Forum for the Future

Dr Gillian Marcelle, CEO and Founder, Resilience Capital Ventures LLC

John Friedman, Asia Director, AgFunder

Emilie Goodall, Impact Investing Consultant, Fidelity International

In this session, we will unravel what setting a science-based target as a Financial Institutional may look like and the key aspects in the SBTi net-zero financial standard development process.

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Nate Aden, Senior Associate – Finance Lead, Science-Based Target Initiative

Stephanie Chang, Head of ESG Integration, Schroders

Following on from the first Deep Dive, we will hear from Asset Owners and take a look into what it takes for a Pension Fund to become Net Zero, as well the processes they will need to implement to reach their objectives.

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Tim Lord, Head of Climate Change, Phoenix Group

Maria Nazarova-Doyle, Head of Pension Investments and RI, Scottish Widows

Recent research carried by Aegon shows that most people want to contribute to a more sustainable world, but only 9% think of their savings as a way of acting more sustainably. The intent is there, with environmental concerns driving the conversation, but there is a sizeable mismatch between values, savings intent and real-life investment choices. In this session, Aegon will reveal their latest Financial Wellbeing research, shedding some light on how clients feel about their savings and the role responsible investing, as well as how campaigns such as Make My Money Matter are pushing for a similar agenda and values

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Hilkka Komulainen, Head of Responsible Investment, Aegon 

David Hayman, Campaign Director, Make My Money Matter

There couldn’t be a net zero finance conference without mentioning ESG. In this session, Jane Thostrup Jagd from We Mean Business Coalition, will delve into how companies can use ESG data directly. This includes what the predictive value of various ESG KPI’s may be, as we all how you can integrate them directly into your fundamental investor analysis and whether it is possible to go beyond ESG ratings.

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Dr. Jane Thostrup Jagd, Deputy Director – Net Zero Finance, We Mean Business Coalition

The purpose of this session will explore and provide insight to A4S’s initiative with CFOs on developing net zero commitments and net zero pathways. There will also be thorough reflection on outcomes to date and top tips for finance teams

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Kathryn Jackson, Senior Technical Advisor, Accounting for Sustainability (A4S)

Ian Pass, Assistant Treasurer – Risk and Sustainable Finance, Anglian Water

Carbon Tracker recently launched a report which stated, “Investors are Flying Blind as over 70% of reviewed companies and 80% of auditors fail to disclose climate risk in the financials.” In this session we will hear deeper about the findings of this research, as well as how ClimtaTech can be the key for companies and financial institutions to easily meet stakeholder and regulatory climate disclosure requirements.

Moderator: James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Barbara Davidson, Head of Accounting, Audit and Disclosure, Carbon Tracker

Ryan Miller, VP & GM Private Capital Markets, Persefoni

In our final session of the day, we will bring together representatives from the wider economy to have an open conversation about how we can bring everyone together, start to work in cohesion and achieve the overall objective of Net Zero by 2050.

Moderator: Kerry Perkins, Head of Capital Markets, A4S

Tony Burdon, CEO, Make My Money Matter

Mardi McBrien, Managing Director, IFRS Foundation

Rick Lacaille, Head of ESG, State Street

James Vaccaro, Executive Director, Climate Safe Lending Network

Want to hear what happened on one of the sessions that happened earlier? Our Net Zero Insights Team is here to recap for you the highlights on the sessions so far, as well as analysing the implications of the comments made by our speakers

James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen

Cecilia Keating, Senior Reporter, BusinessGreen

Michael Holder, Deputy Editor, BusinessGreen

James Murray, Editor-in-chief, BusinessGreen