Knowledge Partner

BCG

Partners

Coke
HP

Accelerating Sustainable Systems: From Pledge to Practice

As the world emerges from a global pandemic, a focused response to climate risk will be critical to accelerating an economic recovery and strengthening long-term market and environmental resilience. Investments in climate resilient infrastructure and commitments to low-carbon future could simultaneously decrease environmental threats and drive capital formation and long-term job creation.

We are now at a catalytic moment for global business–one in which actionable commitments to invest, mitigate and respond to this new climate reality are key to building a more sustainable path forward.  As companies around the world adapt to new ways of doing business, a unique opportunity has emerged to engage in sustainability transformation that complements digital-transformation efforts already underway in the wake of the pandemic.

Like all FORTUNE conferences, the Global Sustainability Forum will feature informative interviews, and interactive breakout sessions, with participation from top-level executives, investors, decision-makers and thinkers from around the world. Confirmed speakers include U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, CEOs Robert Blue of Dominion Energy, Jesper Brodin of Ingka Group, Michele Buck from The Hershey Company, Jim Fitterling of Dow, Rich Lesser of BCG, and Mike Roman from 3M, as well as leaders from UBS, American Airlines, General Motors, Kimberly-Clark, L’Oreal, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Walmart, GM, and The Coca-Cola Company.

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Overview

FORTUNE’s second  Global Sustainability Forum will convene virtually on September 28 to dissect the key trends, challenges and innovations now converging to make sustainability core to business strategy, including:

  • Resource Revolution: The interplay of market conditions, technology development and regulation during the pandemic accelerated a paradigm shift for the power sector. With demand for fossil fuels likely to never return to pre-pandemic levels, how can the public and private sector work together to pave the way for more rapid adoption of renewable energy and other clean technologies?
  • Getting to Net Zero: Global greenhouse gas emissions could cause economic damage equivalent to having a COVID-sized pandemic every 10 years. While businesses have responded over the last few years with a wave of net-zero commitments and initiatives, how can we capitalize on the urgency of this moment to define more comprehensive net-zero strategies?
  • The Plastics Paradox: While coronavirus lockdowns around the globe have led to a dramatic 5% drop in greenhouse gas emissions, the use of single-use plastics increased significantly. How can businesses mindfully use plastics to grow a low-carbon economy while also ensuring it doesn’t become harmful waste?
  • Green Bottom Line: Institutional investors, sovereign-wealth funds, and other large investors are dramatically reallocating capital in response to climate change as a strategic risk. But how can we better measure and manage these investments? And how will innovative finance mechanisms like emissions trading systems, green bonds and climate funds help build more resilient economic systems?

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Speakers

Jennifer Granholm

Secretary of Energy

U.S. Department of Energy

Jesper Brodin

Chief Executive Officer

Ingka Group

Rich Lesser

President and CEO

Boston Consulting Group

Ellen Jackowski

Chief Impact Officer, Head of Sustainable Impact

HP

Agenda

* All items are in US/Eastern time. Click on the agenda items to find out more.
11 - 11:05 AM
WELCOME
11:05 - 11:15 AM
BENDING THE CURVE ON NET-ZERO TARGETS
Mike Roman
11:15 - 11:25 AM
SUPPLY CHAINS AS A CLIMATE GAME CHANGER
Rich Lesser
11:25 - 11:35 AM
SHARED GOODNESS: DELIVERING SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE VALUE CHAIN
Michele Buck
11:35 - 11:45 AM
THE PATH TO A CLIMATE-POSITIVE BUSINESS
Jesper Brodin
11:45 - 11:55 AM
POWERING A CLEAN ENERGY REVOLUTION
Robert Blue
11:55 AM - 12:05 PM
NAVIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE AS A FINANCIAL RISK
Marcie Frost
12:05 - 12:15 PM
CURBING PLASTIC WASTE
Jim Fitterling
12:15 - 12:20 PM
SWITCH BREAK
12:20 - 1:15 PM
STRATEGY SESSION: GREEN BOTTOM LINE

Institutional investors, sovereign-wealth funds, and other large investors are dramatically reallocating capital in response to climate risk and opportunity and their own net-zero commitments. Investments in green business are projected to grow to $3.4 trillion by the end of the decade. Despite these capital shifts, an estimated $100 trillion–$150 trillion investment is needed over the next three decades to transition to a low-carbon economy, according to the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). How can we better measure and direct these investments to create true climate (and financial) impact? And what is the role for innovative finance mechanisms like blended finance, emissions trading systems, carbon credits, green bonds, and other mechanics in catalyzing the climate impact that investment dollars can have?

Hosted by Boston Consulting Group

12:20 - 1:15 PM
STRATEGY SESSION: TACKLING THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS

Water remains one of the surest sources of both life and death on this planet. Two billion people around the world are living in water-stressed areas, where the demand is high, but the supply is low. How can business leaders prioritize water stewardship? What impact do business operations have on water resources and why is clean water access critical to long-term business success and the health of the communities in which these businesses operate? As populations rise and climate change further disrupts the water cycle, the call for major corporations to take action has never been louder.
Hosted by The Coca-Cola Company 

12:20 - 1:15 PM
STRATEGY SESSION: GETTING TO NET ZERO

Global greenhouse gas emissions could cause economic damage equivalent to having a COVID-sized pandemic every 10 years. Businesses have responded to this risk over the last few years with a wave of net-zero commitments and initiatives; one-fifth of the world’s 2,000 largest public companies have committed to meeting net-zero targets by 2050. How can we capitalize on the urgency of this moment to define more comprehensive net-zero strategies?

12:20 - 1:15 PM
STRATEGY SESSION: THE PLASTICS PARADOX

While coronavirus lockdowns around the globe have led to a dramatic 5% drop in greenhouse gas emissions, the use of single-use plastics increased significantly. Nearly 8 million metric tons of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans every year. Whether it’s creating new packaging, reducing single-use plastic across the supply chain, or finding innovative ways to repurpose plastic waste, what can business leaders do to reduce plastic waste pollution without hurting the bottom line?

Hosted by HP

1:15 - 1:20 PM
SWITCH BREAK
1:20 - 1:40 PM
STRATEGY SESSION REPORT BACKS
1:40 - 2:00 PM
KEYNOTE CONVERSATION: AMERICA’S CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE
Jennifer Granholm

Contact Us

The FORTUNE Global Sustainability Forum program is developed with the guidance of FORTUNE editors, whose journalistic perspective provides unique insights into the key trends and dynamic people that are driving business. The program is tailored to the immediate needs of its audience, with themes and speakers carefully selected to deliver maximum value.

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For Participation:
Email: sustainabilityforum@fortune.com

For Press Inquiries:
Alison Klooster
Senior Manager of Brand Communications, FORTUNE
E-mail: alison.klooster@fortune.com