COP28 programming
Join EY teams at COP28 where they will be discussing the actions we can take to drive change at scale, ensuring lasting economic, societal and environmental impact for everyone. Learn more about the sessions below.
03 December 2023 | Sunday – health and relief, and recovery and peace
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Actionable health solutions for a just transition
03 December 2023 | Sunday, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. GST
Session description:
In this panel discussion, we will examine how climate change impacts human health — exacerbating existing health challenges and giving rise to new ones. We will also discuss actionable solutions. The panel will be moderated by an EY team, with a diverse range of industry professionals and NGO representatives as panelists.
Key topics:
- Extreme weather events and natural disasters
- Air quality and respiratory health
- Food security and nutrition
- Existing health challenges faced by marginalized communities in accessing quality healthcare and the disparities that persist in health outcomes
- Potential solutions and safeguards including the role equal access to health care and the use of technology
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Charting a green path: a vision for climate-resilient recovery and a sustainable future
03 December 2023 | Sunday, 14:00 - 15:00 GST
Session Description:
Amidst the conflict or more broadly understood crisis, some areas stand at the crossroads of reconstruction. This panel discussion focuses on the actionable strategies that can infuse sustainability into the recovery process. By aligning its efforts with ambitious global climate goals, discussed regions can not only rebuild their foundations but also emerge as leaders in the transition toward sustainability locally and internationally. This session will offer concrete insights into attracting investments for a greener future.
Key topics:
- Tangible green strategies: in-depth exploration of practical measures to integrate climate resilience and sustainability into post-crisis reconstruction, spanning policies, infrastructure and industry initiatives, with a special focus on decarbonization.
- Potential role model: in-depth analysis of how countries and regions’ green recovery can position them as frontrunners in the global and regional pursuit of carbon-neutrality, with lessons to inspire and guide other countries affected by conflict or crisis in general.
- Resilience drives investments: in-depth discussion of how investing in climate-ready solutions can safeguard the future of discussed countries, attract sustainable investments and foster economic stability. The event will feature key factors that enable green recovery.
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Making the energy transition human centered
03 December 2023 | Sunday, 16:30 - 17:30 GST
Session description:
Leaders from the public sector and youth climate activist communities share lessons from previous policies, programs and initiatives to see how we can adopt innovative ideas and best practices.
The panel will share examples of multi-stakeholder energy transition policy development and projects, identifying what makes for ideal collaboration.
The panel will reflect on critical success factors for a socially inclusive energy transition.
Key topics:
- Different ways the energy transition is impacting regions and countries across the globe
- Cost-of-living crisis and its impact on the energy transition
- Women and more vulnerable parts of all societies are at greater risk
- Access to health care and the use of technology
- Unemployment, migration and re-skilling programs
- Food insecurity and agriculture as an adaptation mechanism
04 December 2023 | Monday – finance, trade, gender, and equality and accountability
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Transition finance: the global state of play
04 December 2023 | Monday, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. GST
Session description:
In collaboration with Foresight Climate, this session showcases small and medium sized enterprises, and a European bank, to examine emerging thinking in the space of transition finance. The panelists will share progress on transition finance within a specific European city and EY teams’ recommendations to financial services firms.
Key topics:
- Transition finance is the most topical agenda item across the private finance sector for both financial services firms and corporates. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the US has proven to be a success and has already deployed $379bn in federal funding to green technology and clean energy projects.
- IRA and other jurisdictions.
- Global state of play of transition finance.
- Solutions to accelerate smaller countries’ decarbonization action plans.
- SMEs and the challenges they face when it comes to decarbonization.
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The role of inclusion in a just transition
04 December 2023 | Monday, 14:00 – 15:00 GST
Session description:
By valuing and integrating diverse perspectives, driving greater social equity and allowing a voice for all, we can:
- Build resilient communities
- Promote environmental stewardship
- Foster a just and prosperous future for all
Embracing these principles is not only a moral imperative but also vital for the effectiveness and long-term viability of sustainability efforts.
Moderated by Amy Brachio, EY Global Vice Chair - Sustainability, this interactive panel session will focus on the importance of embedding inclusion and equity across all aspects of sustainability initiatives to ensure long-term change.
Key sports figures, climate action entrepreneurs and private sector leaders, who are all raising their voices and mobilizing their networks for inclusive climate action, will bring different perspectives to the conversation.
Key topics:
- Creating environment or processes that are equitable
- Developing skills or training needed
- Building equity into entrepreneurship
- Developing inclusive business framework
- Enabling inclusion (gender, disability)
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Growing trust in voluntary carbon markets
04 December 2023 | Monday, 16:30 – 17:30 GST
Session description:
Carbon markets play a vital role in climate action, supporting innovation and driving finance to countries and projects that need it. However, their growth is threatened by a crisis of trust as questions are raised about the integrity and scalability of offsetting.
Corporations are increasingly taking on climate targets and looking to carbon markets to help deliver additional mitigation as they move towards net zero. At the same time, public discourse focuses on concerns about the integrity of mitigation action through voluntary carbon markets (VCM). EY teams will bring together private sector and civil society voices to explore how to ensure public trust in VCM as a growing driver of mitigation and finance.
Key topics:
- Lessons learnt from existing VCMs and progress with new exchanges or market frameworks
- Challenges faced by market participants when in efforts to scale VCM
- Current pain points in the value chain and EY views on this
- How to ensure public trust in VCM as a growing driver of mitigation and finance
05 December 2023 | Tuesday – energy, industry and just transition
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Energy transition: the handshake that will deliver the speed we need
05 December 2023 | Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. GST
Session description:
The current pace of the energy transition falls short of what is necessary to meet climate goals in time. The energy and resources industry is foundational to mitigating carbon emissions and accelerating the energy transition. More collaboration is required.
Serge Colle, EY Global Energy & Resources Leader, will introduce EY’s new global energy transition acceleration insight, which deep-dives into the critical interactions in the energy system, the impact of technology advancement, commodity demand and supply chain impacts, and the rise in consumer engagement.
The session, in collaboration with Foresight Climate, features five influential energy players – chosen to demonstrate diversity and inclusivity and the different stakeholder perspectives within the energy ecosystem.
Key topics:
- Particular focus will be placed on energy transition strategies and the resulting risks and opportunities for players within the energy ecosystem, enabling participants to consider what their “no regret” actions should be.
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Decentralized energy: are we in the eye of the perfect storm?
05 December 2023 | Tuesday, 13:30 – 14:30 GST
Session description:
The panel will discuss concerns around cost of energy, energy security and accelerating sustainability, and how many organizations are looking to decentralized energy systems as the answer to their complex energy challenges.
Governments are recognizing the challenges posed by EV adoption and the electrification of heat, especially in areas with constrained centralized grids or inadequate infrastructure, which can lead to energy poverty.
This comes at a time when new energy technologies and the utilization of AI mean that distributed systems will have the potential to be more predictive and effective than ever, with the potential of attracting better and more cost-effective capital.
The panel will cover how decentralized distributed energy can play a major role in delivering the energy transition while creating a secure, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative solution.
Key topics:
- We will be addressing some of the most important questions, including:
- Are decentralized solutions expected to accelerate?
- Which markets need these solutions most and why?
- Which technologies work best together?
- How much will the solutions vary across sectors – are the drivers different?
- How much of GenAI’s design, operation, and cost of capital will be improved?
- What models are we expecting to emerge, and do we expect the ESCO model to re-emerge?
- What funding models are going to be best suited, and do we expect the source of capital to be more dynamic?
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Energy transition acceleration
05 December 2023 | Tuesday, 15:00 – 16:00 GST
Session description:
Participants will be able to meet subject matter experts from the earlier session around the energy transition.
Key topics:
- Discover the insights contained within EY’s new global energy transition acceleration point of view.
- Explore EY’s new proprietary data app to understand the timelines for full-scale adoption and mainstream integration of energy transition technologies.
- Discuss energy transition strategies and the resulting risks and opportunities for players within the energy ecosystem with EY Global Energy & Resources leaders.
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Consumer engagement: the handbrake that could stall the energy transition
05 December 2023 | Tuesday, 16:30 – 17:30 GST
Session description:
Seventy percent of the benefits from the energy transition depend on consumer action, yet only 30% are currently engaged. Key consumer barriers, including cost, equity and complacency, require stakeholders to develop customer-centric approaches built around affordability, accessibility, and achievability. The ability to engage consumers around a broader value proposition will impact the scale, speed and overall success of the energy transition. The energy ecosystem needs to act now to address these barriers, engage consumers and transform their experience.
Key topics:
- Greg Guthridge, EY Global Energy Customer Experience Transformation Leader, will introduce EY proprietary global research insights on consumer perspectives related to the energy transition. The panel, made up of professionals within the consumer space, will share the global cross-sector actions needed to accelerate and broaden:
- Customer engagement
- Adoption of clean energy solutions and sustainable behaviors
- The collaboration needed across sectors and government to support an affordable and equitable transition
06 December 2023 | Wednesday – multilevel action, urbanization and built environment, and transport
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Cities and the green and equitable transition: opportunity or threat?
06 December 2023 | Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. GST
Session description:
Even before the disruption of the pandemic, there was consensus that many cities in their current forms were flawed. However, there is far less agreement on what a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient version should look like.
Amid a rolling wave of change – climatic, demographic, and economic – what is the emerging blueprint for a sustainable and equitable city?
In collaboration with Foresight Climate, this panel session will discuss the findings from interviews with 20 leaders and 6,000 citizens across 12 cities, together with mayoral insights from the EY City Citizen Podcast. The session will have up to three prominent thought leaders representing different stakeholder and regional perspectives within the cities ecosystem, e.g., a minister of environment, a mayor, and a city leader.
Key topics:
- Innovative ecosystems
- Inclusive technology
- New financing models
- Citizen engagement and people-centered urban design
- Infrastructure as catalyzers of sustainable and equitable change
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How can AI deliver sustainable infrastructure?
06 December 2023 | Wednesday, 14:00 - 15:00 GST
Session description:
In this panel discussion on AI and sustainable infrastructure, industry professionals will come together to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in building a greener and more resilient future.
Key topics:
- Intersection of artificial intelligence and its potential contribution to creating more environmentally-friendly and resilient infrastructure
- Changing customer patterns and its impact on green infrastructure
- Optimization benefits from AI in the fields of energy, transport and waste that impact infrastructure
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Emerging blueprints for a sustainable and equitable city
06 December 2023 | Wednesday, 16:30-17:30 GST
Session description:
Hosted by EY Global Government & Public Sector leader, a guest mayor speaker and other EY Government & Public Sector professionals, this fireside chat session will serve as an opportunity to connect and discuss the themes covered in the “Cities and the green and equitable transition: opportunity or threat?” session.
Key topics:
- FT Longitude research's key themes, e.g., equity
08 December 2023 | Friday – youth, children, education and skills
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Transforming the world: sustainable AI
8 December 2023 | Friday, 10:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. GST
Session description:
This session will be an opportunity to showcase cutting-edge thought leadership and technology capabilities accelerating climate action. The panel will be led by Nicola Morini Bianzino, EY AI Leader, to provide insights on how AI can be leveraged to enable climate change required solutions:
- Geospatial data and climate science used for critical climate mitigation and adaptation efforts
- Role of AI in supply chain optimization
- Just and sustainable energy transition driven by AI
- Consideration of trade-offs when using humans vs using AI, given the latter’s impact on emissions
- Factors involved in estimating carbon dioxide emissions from AI models
- Space technology demo and latest report presentation
- AI foundational model technology
- NASA Earth observation satellite data and/or
- Reduction levers AI uses to address decarbonization
Key topics:
- Climate insights and natural disaster prevention
- Satellite imagery recognition technology for waste and water management
- Supply chain optimization
- Equitable and just transition
- Emissions disclosures and transparency
- Optimizing ML training for sustainable outcomes
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Family businesses: visionary leadership embedding sustainability at the core of strategy
08 December 2023 | Friday, 14:00-15:00 GST
Session description:
As family businesses all around the world go through the greatest generational transition in history, the new generation of owners take the lead in transforming their businesses to meet the demands of tomorrow in a rapidly changing world.
During this panel session, we will discuss how the most visionary family businesses go beyond what’s forced by legislation, recognizing the need to innovate and thus invest in ESG as something fundamental to their existence.
This panel session will convene:
- Visionary world-class next generation leaders
- Transformers of industry at the leading edge of technological transformation
- Companies with international recognition
Key topics:
- What’s next for family businesses to become true champions in sustainability?
- What is the role of R&D, and how can corporate entrepreneurship be used as a pathway to sustainable ventures?
- Can the adaptation of climate-linked disruptive technologies build competitive advantage?
- How can family businesses successfully align their wealth, governance, philanthropy, and investment strategy to ESG-principles and subsequently deploy capital toward green technologies and innovations?
- What’s the ideal role governments should play in incentivizing green transformation?
- How can positive societal impact be achieved?
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Investing in climate innovation and technology to execute net-zero goals
08 December 2023 | Friday 16:30 – 17:30 GST
Session description:
As we approach 2030, we are rapidly moving to the execution phase of the net-zero commitments made over the last decade.
During this session, we will discuss the role of climate technology across different industries and geographies – such as electrification, food systems, green molecules, and climate adaptation solutions – to help achieve the net zero commitments.
We will bring together established technology players from EY’s alliance network and representatives from climate technology start-ups to:
- Showcase examples of how innovative technologies enable the net-zero transformation and create value for the community (via new revenue streams, cost optimization and risk management).
- Discuss the need for further investment in climate technology for development and scaling and equitable access to such funding.
- Discuss what is required to accelerate innovation and adoption and the education opportunities arising from this.
Key topics:
- Need for climate technology innovation to execute net zero transformation
- Challenges faced by climate technologies: Adoption and scaling up
- Role of climate-related ecosystems in accelerating the net zero journey
- Opportunities for youth education (and broader) to address sustainability and technology skills gap
09 December 2023 | Saturday – nature, land use and oceans
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Mobilizing the private sector for nature protection
09 December 2023 | Saturday, 14:00-15:00 GST
Session description:
Biodiversity loss challenges humanity and the planet, similar to climate change and its impact. Addressing this challenge will require all the innovation and capital the private sector can bring.
EY teams will host a diverse panel of TNFD, UNEP and private sector representatives, regulators, and independent professionals to discuss how the TNFD framework works and how it can drive corporate strategies focused on preventing biodiversity loss and accelerating its conservation.
Key topics:
- TNFD framework and its implications
- Progress made so far by the private sector when it comes to developing biodiversity-focused strategies
- How these biodiversity-focused strategies feed into their analysis of long-term environmental risks (including climate risk)
- How can the TNFD frameworks accelerate these efforts
- Tangible actions the private sector can take going forward
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A new oil: the Arabian Peninsula as a hydrogen hub
09 December 2023 | Saturday, 16:30 – 17:30 GST
Session description:
Hydrogen could be a crucial missing piece of the climate puzzle — offering mitigation solutions in industrial and transportation applications. However, building the infrastructure needed for green hydrogen to take off requires massive investment and innovation.
Given there have been a number of developments in the Arabian Peninsula when it comes to hydrogen, this panel session will bring a diverse set of speakers to discuss and share the progress made in developing power to a number of projects in the Arabian Peninsula, the challenges faced and the economic benefits
Key topics:
- The potential role of hydrogen in accelerating the Arabian Peninsula’s sustainability ambitions
- Challenges to large-scale implementation
- Technologies needed to drive green hydrogen production
10 December 2023 | Sunday – food, agriculture and water
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Agricultural technologies driving change
10 December 2023 | Sunday, 10:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. GST
Session description:
This session will showcase pioneering companies and how they are leveraging agricultural technologies to revolutionize farming practices and enhance productivity while combating climate change and reducing environmental impact. They will highlight how the future of food systems is shaped by data-driven solutions and digital innovations, offering useful insights into the potential of agricultural technologies.
Key topics:
- How these technologies are being adopted by farmers, industry and other stakeholders
- How are partnerships driving the scaling of these transformative agricultural technologies
- Role of data analytics in optimizing agricultural processes
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Water as a critical resource and its governance
10 December 2023 | Sunday, 14:00-15:00 GST
Session description:
The COP28 Water Agenda identifies three priority areas: conserving and restoring freshwater ecosystems, enhancing urban water resilience and bolstering water-resilience food systems.
Today, climate change is felt primarily through a change in water and is considered by the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report as one of the top five risks in all of reports since 2015. Most SDGs involve having access to adequate and safe water. The IPCC AR6 report has assessed observed impacts on different sectors and concluded that without adequate adaptation, future water-related impacts of climate change on various sectors of the economy are projected to lower the global GDP by mid-century, with higher projected losses expected in low- and middle-income countries.
In this session, we will discuss perceived impacts, successful adaptation, and mitigation strategies. Speakers include the CEO of Sabesp, the world's 4th largest water and waste management company and only UNFCCC official partner from Latin America.
Key topics:
- New models of water governance
- Digital transformation and sharing data points
- Empowering women
- Innovation in water finance
EY sessions at the COP28 Knowledge Hub main stage — Green Zone
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Building a confidence in a sustainable future
Further details coming soon
04 December 2023 | Monday, 16:00 – 18:00 GST , The Knowledge Hub main stage, Green Zone
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The Amazon Ecosystem: threats and solutions
Further details coming soon
09 December 2023 | Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 GST, The Knowledge Hub main stage, Green Zone
