In the run-up to COP26, commitment to net zero targets has been impressive. But there's a growing awareness of the scale of action needed to drive down carbon, and the innovation required to make net zero achievable. Against this backdrop, Carbon Trust's Route to Net Zero Event Series will outline the necessary steps to reach net zero, by deep-diving in one-day summits focusing on Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the UK. In these summits, Carbon Trust will present key learnings from climate leaders in the respective region and provide recommendations for how stakeholders can take action.
The content of the respective summits will build on Carbon Trust's 20 years of experience across a range of business sectors, as well as on their insights into what businesses and organisations need. As such, this series will showcase best practices, build understanding of climate risk exposure, in addition to demonstrating how businesses can increase transparency to their stakeholders and consumers.
The series will bring together a range of sustainability and environment practitioners, compliance managers, CSR and corporate strategy professionals, marketing and brand managers, investor relations and ESG managers, policymakers and local authorities, academia and more. The content will be presented with subtitles in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tamil and Vietnamese.
Regional summits
Asia: 13:30-17:30 GST, 20 October
Asia is accountable for over 50% of global emissions emitting nearly 10 billion tonnes of carbon each year. This is set to increase rapidly as the urban population is projected to grow by 90 million by 2030. To make net zero achievable in Asia, significant emissions reductions are crucial. The Route to Net Zero: Asia deep dives into the challenges and opportunities faced in managing climate risks in the region and presents some of the latest developments and best practices in driving climate action among key actors. The event is hosting a panel of experts, putting the topic of green finance under the magnifying glass to explore how financial investment and environmental responsibility intersect.
UK: 09:00-13:00 GMT, 3 November
With the UK hosting the COP26 climate summit, the country’s role in strengthening ambition, building back better and facilitating climate action has never been more critical. Progress has been made since the Paris Agreement and the UK is demonstrating leadership with clear plans to reduce emissions by 68% by 2030 and 78% by 2035, leading to net zero by 2050. But businesses have a huge role to play in delivering this reduction, requiring innovation, investment and value chain reconfiguration.
Route to Net Zero: UK will present solutions for businesses on their journey towards climate leadership. In light of this, the event will cover:
- The state of the market for carbon removals
- Latest debates on corporate claims versus demonstrable action
- Setting rigorous net zero targets and what best practice in communicating net zero action looks like
- The benefits of the move to clean cooling for key sectors beyond industrial
Latin America: 09:00-13:00 CDMX, 17 November
Latin America is accountable for 5% of global emissions, however, this share is increasing. The effects of climate change in the region are already being experienced critically, from prolonged droughts to severe storms, and the Brazilian Amazon is currently emitting more carbon dioxide than it absorbs.
The Route to Net Zero: Latin America summit seeks to support companies in their path towards climate leadership. In the event, Carbon Trust will address the carbon footprint by demonstrating how it is relevant to reducing emissions. The event will also be a space to understand the challenges and opportunities of implementing rigorous net-zero objectives in the region.
Europe: 09:00-13:00 GMT, 25 November
Pledging to reduce emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030, the European Union has set the blueprint for progressive change towards net zero. But they are not on track to meet their targets. In the run-up to COP26, commitment to net-zero targets has been impressive, but concerns remain over the reliance on offsetting to meet targets, rather than cutting emissions at source. Stronger policies and more ambitious action in line with the Paris Agreement are required by both government and businesses to facilitate this shift.
In light of this, the Route to Net Zero: Europe summit will cover:
- Analysis from Carbon Trust's experts on the outcomes from COP26 and what implications there may be for your business
- Why you should set rigorous net-zero targets and what best practice in communicating net-zero action looks like
- The latest debates on corporate claims versus demonstrable action
Africa: 14:00-19:00 SEST, 8 December
Despite having contributed least to global warming, Africa stands out disproportionately as one of the most exposed regions to the adverse effects of climate change. Now is the time to act. African businesses have a major role to play in delivering a recovery that is both good for growth and the climate. Key to this will be the corporate sector’s ability to set and achieve ambitious net-zero targets.
As part of the Carbon Trust’s global event series, Route to Net Zero: Africa aims to support businesses on their journey towards climate leadership.
- The challenges and opportunities of implementing rigorous net-zero targets within the region from best practice case studies
- How financial investment and environmental responsibility intersect
- The importance of transparency and reporting to demonstrate effectiveness of action to stakeholders and consumers on your route to net zero