Investing in Climate Action

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The make-or-break decade has begun. The steps taken between now and 2030 will determine whether we can avert the most devastating effects of climate change in the future. If we act in the right way, this undertaking will yield high returns: a sustainable and resilient economy that delivers prosperity, fairness, and quality of life for all.

The climate challenge demands determined action and significant investment – going far beyond current levels. But the costs of not acting will be far greater. Investing in climate mitigation and resilience will support the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and lay the foundation for a sustainable future.

Join us as we outline what instruments can already be deployed to support the global decarbonization effort. Our task is to determine how public and private investment mechanisms can be used to achieve a just transition to a “net-zero” emissions economy, both in the European Union and around the world. Genuine climate leadership is more urgent than ever before.

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Speakers

Agenda

Moderators: Jo Coburn & Sean Whelan 
2:00PMOpening Remarks
  1. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
  2. Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank
  3. Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission
2:15PM  Keynote Address  Michael Bloomberg, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions
Session One – Getting Our Hands Green: Climate Action for the Critical Decade With the EU and many others preparing or having already submitted updated emissions-reduction targets as outlined in the Paris agreement, there is no shortage of ambitious climate commitments on the table. The question now is how to make climate action a reality through concrete policies – and without leaving anyone behind. Are current approaches to regulation, taxation, investment, and other forms of policymaking sufficient, or are more robust and innovative strategies needed?
2:20PM Keynote Address  Laurence Tubiana, Chair of the European Climate Foundation
2:25PM Call to Action  Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Environmentalist and Photographer
2:30PMPanel Discussion
  1. João Pedro Matos Fernandes, Minister of the Environment of Portugal
  2. Christopher Hurst, Director-General of the Projects Directorate at the European Investment Bank
  3. Ma Jun, Chairman of China’s Green Finance Committee
  4. Mauro Petriccione, Director-General for Climate Action at the European Commission
  5. Samantha Smith, Director of the Just Transition Centre at the International Trade Union Confederation
3:20PM Keynote Address Elizabeth Wanjiru Wathuti, Founder of the Green Generation Initiative
3:25PMClosing Remarks Ambroise Fayolle, Vice President of the European Investment Bank
3:30PMBreak
Session Two – A New Green Boom: Revolutionizing Sustainable Investment Key to the global fight against climate change will be a revolution in finance to align market incentives and public funding with sectoral and global net-zero targets. With the financial industry already moving in a greener direction, what can governments, investment banks, and multilateral organizations do to accelerate this necessary re-orientation and make the most of the new opportunities on offer?
3:40PM Opening Remarks  Teresa Czerwińska, Vice President of the European Investment Bank
3:45PM Keynote Address  Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and the Capital  Markets Union
3:50PMPanel Discussion
  1. Oliver Bäte, Chairman of the Board of Management of Allianz SE
  2. Eila Kreivi, Director of Capital Markets at the European Investment Bank
  3. Fiona Reynolds, CEO of the Principles for Responsible Investment
  4. Irene Tinagli, Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament
  5. Maarten Verwey, Director-General of Economic and Financial Affairs (ECFIN) at the European Commission
4:40PM Keynote Address  Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute
4:45PM Keynote Address  Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank
4:50PMBreak
Session Three – Climate Action Goes Global: Toward a Greener Multilateralism After years in the wilderness, international cooperation is taking root once again. While the United States re-engages constructively with the rest of the world, Europeans have started to unite behind a shared climate agenda, and both have recognized climate as not just an environmental but a geopolitical issue. What forms will – and should – international climate engagement and diplomacy take in the years ahead?
5:00PM Opening Remarks  John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
5:05PMFireside Chat
  1. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
  2. Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank
  3. Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme
5:45PMKeynote Address  Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
5:50PMFireside Chat
  1. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
  2. Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission
6:25PM Closing Remarks  Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission

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  1. Many people here at the bank agree that this was the most professional looking, well moderated, and entertaining event we have supported or participated in... The speakers were top-level and highly knowledgable throughout, and the whole design was very slick.

    Dirk Heilmann
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