Corporate
05 October 2020
This year we explore ways to turn climate ambition into climate action; the role of technology and carbon markets in achieving net zero; and how to accelerate climate finance in emerging markets.
Over the next ten years we need to see proven renewable technologies deployed at an ever increasing scale, new technologies urgently advanced, decarbonisation extended beyond energy and climate resilience move into the mainstream.
This year, and for the first time, the Macquarie GIG Green Energy Conference (GEC) will be held virtually. Our agenda is driven by the topics paramount to the decisive decade, and delivered through a series of sessions, curated and chaired by some of the world’s leading organisations and experts.
Key speakers include:
Other speakers include leaders from Siemens Gamesa, BloombergNEF, the IEA and the Global Center on Adaptation.
GEC began with Shemara Wikramanayake, CEO of Macquarie Group, delivering a powerful keynote speech detailing Macquarie’s role and capabilities in working with clients and stakeholders to drive action on climate change and the energy transition.
Jon Moore, CEO BNEF, then set the scene on market developments throughout the pandemic, the opportunities emerging from government stimulus packages and the actions required to address the challenges.
With corporates across the globe increasingly adopting ambitious climate goals and adapting their strategies to align to targets like net zero, we heard from the businesses at the forefront of the energy transition. A fireside chat between Shemara Wikramanayake and Patrick Pouyanné, CEO Total (highlights below), focused on Total’s plans to achieve net zero by 2050; while Macquarie Group leaders interviewed executives from Telstra, Storegga, Cadent Energy and NAB to discuss their business's climate ambitions.
Focus then shifted to the issue of climate resilience and adaptation. A panel discussion, delivered in partnership with the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) and led by Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of GCA, explored what governments, the private sector and intergovernmental institutions need to do to address the obstacles slowing down adaptation action.
Mark Dooley provided an update on GIG's activities over the past 12 months (download the GIG Progress Report 2020 here), before the day closed with two live workshops. David Viner, from GIG, hosted a workshop to assess the attributes required by the private sector to manage their transition to a net zero and climate resilient future; while Richard Abel, UK Climate Investments, led the discussion on the particular challenges associated with climate finance in emerging markets.
Follow all the day two action tomorrow on our social channels.
Highlights from the fireside chat between Macquarie Group CEO Shemara Wikramanayake and Patrick Pouyanné on Total’s climate ambitions and their plans to get to net zero by 2050.
In a much anticipated panel held in partnership with Global Optimism, Christiana Figueres explored the actions needed to align capital flows with the delivery of net zero by 2050 alongside Michael Liebreich, CEO of Liebreich Associates; Kingsmill Bond, Energy Strategist at Carbon Tracker; and Wanjira Mathai, Vice President and Regional Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute.
The challenges and opportunities surrounding the delivery of established technologies at an ever increasing scale while deilvering the new technologies and systems that will transform our energy sytems, was the topic of discussions facilitated by GIG’s Samuel Leupold and Greg Callman. C40 CEO Mark Watts then discussed the role of cities in the global green transition with officials from cities tacking the climate challenge head on.
Day two came to a close with five separate workshops. These covered a broad range of topics: the imperative of resilience for infrastructure; developing green finance institutes as a way to achieve a low carbon economy; a focused discussion on hydrogen and the decisions that will make a difference in its deployment; a deep dive into green sector M&A; and finally a workshop on carbon offsetting and the roadmap to Paris.
Keep an eye on our social channels in the coming weeks for further highlights from the conversations at GEC.
