Economist Impact's second annual Sustainability Week US looks at how the promise of a green future can be kept

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Jun 01, 2022, 08:05 ET

The four day hybrid event will help organisations develop their net zero targets and roadmaps and discover practical ideas to accelerate this process.
Anita Bhatia, assistant secretary-general of the United Nations and deputy executive director for UN Women, will open the event with keynote remarks. She will also provide an update on the current state of gender equality around the globe and highlight key opportunities to work collaboratively to make gender equality a reality.
Economist Impact's principal for energy sustainability, Phillip Cornell will kick-off the in-person day event by hosting a fireside chat with David Livingston, senior advisor from the office of the special presidential envoy for climate, John Kerry, of the US Department of State, discussing delivering on the US Energy Transition.

LONDON, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This will be Economist Impact's second Sustainability Week held in the U.S., this time with the added in-person component. There are more than 8,000 registrants, with 400 plus expected for the in-person event. The conference will run from Monday, June 6th to Thursday, June 9th virtually and with an in-person day on Tuesday June 7th at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Members of the media are invited to register here.

Economist Impact’s second annual Sustainability Week US

Over 150 leading figures from across the sustainability community, from business to intergovernmental organisations, investors, national governments, central bankers and civil society, are confirmed to speak at this year's event. Anita Bhatia, assistant secretary-general of the United Nations and deputy executive director for UN Women, will give her keynote remarks to open the virtual event at 9:45 a.m. ET, Monday, June 6th. Tuesday's in-person event will kick-off with a fireside chat at 8:35 a.m. ET, Economist Impact's principal for energy sustainability, Phillip Cornell will discuss delivering on the US Energy Transition with David Livingston, senior advisor from the office of the special presidential envoy for climate, John Kerry, of the US Department of State.

Additional speakers confirmed for next week's event include Ben Ratner, executive director sustainability, JPMorgan Chase & Co; Caroline D'Angelo Deputy chief sustainability officer, office of management strategy and solutions, U.S. Department of State; Jeff Merkley, US senator, Oregon State; Ali Nouri, assistant secretary, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); Cassie Sutherland, managing director of the climate solutions and networks team; Charlene Lake Chief sustainability officer and senior vice-president, corporate social responsibility, AT&T; Elizabeth Lewis, managing director and deputy head of ESG, Blackstone; Fiona Morgan, global director, purpose & impact, SailGP; Glenn Llewellyn, vice-president, zero-emission aircraft, Airbus; Renee Morin, chief sustainability officer, eBay; Helaina R. Matza Director of energy transformation, Bureau of Energy Resources, US Department of State; Ivo Mulder, head, climate finance unit, UN Environment Programme; John Rogers, head of sustainability, North America, Anheuser-Busch, Julia Pallé, sustainability director, Formula E; Peter land Director of energy transformation, Bureau of Energy Resources, US Department of State; Roberto Marques, executive chairman of the board of directors, group chief executive, Natura & Co; Sara Bogdan, director, head of sustainability and ESG, JetBlue. A full list of speakers is available here.

The theme of the four-day global event looks at "how the promise of a green future will be kept." As with the Sustainability Week held in March, its aim is to help policymakers and business leaders in implementing practical strategies to become more sustainable. The cross-industry agenda will examine how businesses and governments can join their efforts and take a society-centred approach to solve the critical issue of climate change. The programme will consist of live conversations, interactive sessions, roundtables and a virtual exhibition.

Themes that will be explored throughout the week include:

How will rapid sustainable transformation insulate you from the impending energy crisis?
How can financial markets and regulators come together to mobilise capital towards a greener, more inclusive and more climate-resilient economy?
How can firms best understand the business risks that arise from environmental degradation and their own impact on biodiversity?
What investment is needed to ramp up infrastructure development for the net-zero transition?
What changes will businesses need to bring to their operations to ensure that the social dimension is being taken into account?
How can green stimulus contribute to a "just transition" to net zero?
What is the new status quo for climate related disclosures?
How ready is America's Economy for a voluntary carbon market?
How can a just transition provide new jobs and raise the socioeconomic status of society as a whole?
How can sustainable low emission development in emerging economies be ensured through green investment and partnership
How will the US deliver on a green transition amidst a backdrop of growing inflation and an energy crisis?

Some key sessions over the week include such topics as "How to drive forward a green agenda in a way that benefits society as a whole," moderated by Anne McElvoy, executive editor, strategy, The Economist; Making, measuring and maintaining - How to develop a strong net-zero company," Moderated by Anna Gueorguieva, senior economist, World Bank; "Treating decarbonisation as a business opportunity," moderated by Faith Taylor, former global environmental social governance leader, Tesla and global sustainability leader, Kyndryl. In addition, there will be some essential fireside chats such as, Allyson Anderson Book, vice-president of energy transition, Baker Hughes, and moderated by Jon Creyts, chief program officer, RMI, discussing "Accelerating the energy transition," and Vaibhav Sahgal, Principal, North America, Economist Impact speaking with Matthew Slovik, managing director and head of global sustainable finance group, Morgan Stanley about "Enabling sustainability through finance."

The virtual program will also feature pertinent conversations such as "Leading the energy discussion," moderated by Helaina Matza, director for energy transformation, Department of State. Also, "Building for the future - Investing in green infrastructure FY2022," moderated by Mike Bird, Asia business and finance editor of The Economist along with Danny Alexander, former secretary of state for Scotland, vice president, policy and strategy for Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Another session will examine if "nuclear microreactors bridge the energy gap" from an industry perspective, moderated by Sofia Economopoulos, manager, policy and insights for Economist Impact, along with Tom Samson, chief executive of Rolls-Royce SMR.

"The world is at an inflection point in the fight to reverse climate change, and develop a sustainable economy," said Harry Chapman, head of sustainability events at Economist Impact. "It is critical for governments and corporations to join together with the aim of reducing our carbon footprint and adopting executable sustainability programmes. Sustainability Week focuses on helping businesses and governments navigate the complexity surrounding sustainability and ultimately helps them achieve their goals, through practical case studies, roundtables and debate."

More details about the week including the programme and a link to register are on the event website.

To stay-up-date with the topics throughout the year, visit the Sustainability Project website.

Thank you to our sponsors: Avery Dennison, Baker Hugues, Deloitte, Dupont, Guidehouse, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, Invesco, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Nasdaq, National Grid, NCX, Novisto, OneTrust, Schneider Electric, Standard Chartered, The Integrity Council, Workiva.

Additionally we are working with rePurpose as our sustainability partner.

About Economist Impact

Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyse progress. The services offered by Economist Impact previously existed within The Economist Group as separate entities, including EIU Thought Leadership, EIU Public Policy, Economist Events, El Studios and SignalNoise.

Our track record spans 75 years across 205 countries. Along with creative storytelling, events expertise, design-thinking solutions and market-leading media products, we produce framework design, benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting and scenario modelling, making Economist Impact's offering unique in the marketplace. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more information.

SOURCE Economist Impact