World Forum 2023 Agenda

Registration

Refreshments

Photography Exhibition, Prince Hussain Aga Khan

Welcome

Professor Cameron Hepburn, Director, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment 

Opening Address

Professor Irene Tracey CBE, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford

09.55

Global Diagnosis

Taking stock of the dynamic geopolitical, economic and financial context within which the net zero transition must take place. 

How might ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges impact the transition to net zero? Where are there synergies between responses to these and tackling the climate crisis? Is finance getting to where it needs to be and how can this be better enabled? What are the most exciting developments in green technology and how can barriers to their use be overcome?

Chair

Professor Cameron Hepburn, Director, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment 

Panel discussion

Ben Rimmington, Director General, Net Zero Buildings and Industry, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, UK

Sir Nigel Wilson, CEO, Legal & General Group

Jamshyd Godrej, Managing Director, Godrej & Boyce

Professor Mette Morsing, Director Designate, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment

Audience Q&A

Prince Hussain Aga Khan introduces his photography exhibition. 

Biodiversity: Admire, Cherish and Protect It. 

Break

Ministerial Keynote

Climate Synergies

Professor Maisa Rojas Corradi, Minister for the Environment, Chile

Moderated discussion with Professor Cameron Hepburn and audience Q&A

Sustainability Litigation and the Boardroom

Legal action from regulators, shareholders and litigants on sustainability themes has reached the boardroom. Decision-makers navigating evolving legal and societal obligations are now exposed to heightened legal scrutiny and face difficult dilemmas. How do robust legal systems and standards support both climate action and competitiveness? What legal risks do organisations face as they strive to meet these standards, comply with new regulations, and meet sometimes conflicting societal expectations? We will discuss these questions from the perspective of the board, legal advisors, and agitators for a more rapid corporate sustainability transition. 

Chair

Jasper Teulings, Director, Climate - Strategic Litigation, CIFF

Vanessa Havard-Williams, Partner, Global Head of Environment & Climate Change, Linklaters

Jeff Twentyman, Chair, Sustainability and Responsible Business, Slaughter & May

Sophie Marjanac, Accountable Corporations Lead, ClientEarth

Audience Q&A

Lunch

Specialist Spotlights

These spotlight sessions will be interactive and roundtable style. They are held under the Chatham House rule. 

Delegates are invited to choose between sessions.

A: Investing in Resilience
 

How can environmental, economic and social resilience be improved through development finance? 
What is the role of development finance institutions? How do these approaches align with internal fiscal strategies?

Part of the Climate Compatible Growth programme.

Hosted by

Professor Sam Fankhauser, Professor of Climate Change Economics and Policy, University of Oxford
with
Dr Nicola Ranger, Resilience and International Development Programme, Environmental Change Institute

B - Mobilising Private Sector Capital for Climate Mitigation 

What has been the experience for large-scale institutional investors in green infrastructure in developed and emerging economies and how can this be improved? What role might de-risking play, and how can this best meet the needs of these investors? What innovative ideas exist in the blended finance space and elsewhere?

Hosted by Uday Khemka, Vice-Chairman, SUN Group
with Dr Gireesh Shrimali, Head of Transition Finance Research, Oxford Sustainable Finance Group

Discussants include
Katherine Stodulka, Director of the Blended Finance Taskforce, Systemiq
Hubert Keller, Senior Managing Partner, Lombard Odier
 

C - Building Societal Resilience to Extreme Temperatures: The overlooked sustainability challenge in the UK and beyond. 

Resilience to extreme heat is a recognised challenge in the global south where focus is placed on utilising emerging technologies and reducing energy demand as well as more holistic solutions which incorporate welfare, sustainability and cooling. It is not the same in colder climates, such as the UK, where increasing temperature fluctuations are impacting human health, food security, infrastructure, education systems, economic productivity, and fuels wildfires, energy prices and migration. Currently, the issue is somewhat overlooked in national strategies. 

How can lessons be drawn from responses to extreme heat in the global south? How can policy be aligned with behavioural and consumption patterns? How can we move towards sustainable technological solutions that provide multiple societal benefits? And how can we protect those that are most vulnerable to such climate impacts?

Dr Radhika Khosla, Associate Professor, Smith School of Enterprise and Environment

with Professor Liz Bentley, CEO, Royal Meteorological Society

Discussants include

Jamshyd Godrej, Managing Director, Godrej & Boyce

Break

Oxford Debate

“This house believes that tackling climate change is good for global equality” 

Discussions will cover
•    What is the value of collaboration and competition around climate action globally?
•    Will climate action widen or narrow the development gap?
•    Can renewables enable the democratisation of energy?
•    How might legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act affect momentum in the global south?

Chair
Pilita Clark, Associate Editor, Financial Times
 

For

Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)

Charlotte Wargniez, MSc Student, Smith School on Enterprise and the Environment

Dr Suzi Kerr, Chief Economist, Environmental Defense Fund

Against

Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive, Energy UK

Asad Rehman, Executive Director, War on Want

Alexis McGivern, Net Zero Standards Manager, Oxford Net Zero

Conference round-up with Director Designate, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Professor Mette Morsing

Close

Drinks Reception - University College

Conference Dinner - University College

After-dinner speaker: The Rt Hon the Lord Patten of Barnes, CH

Breakfast
The New Climate Titans – Sharing Success 

Moderated by Professor Mette Morsing, Director Designate, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment

08.30 – Guests arrive and join a table hosted by one of the 'Climate Titans', as they choose. (Pastries and fruit)

08.40 – Welcome and introduction to the session from Professor Mette Morsing

08.45 – Each of the Climate Titans will speak for 5 mins each on their business and its potential to support the transition to net zero, then we will hear from a climate innovator.

• Fiona Howarth, CEO, Octopus Electric Vehicles

• Uday Khemka, Vice-Chairman, SUN Group

• Vaitea Cowan, Co-founder, Enapter

• Jamie Crummie, Co-founder, Too Good to Go

• Climate Innovator: Lucy Lyons, CEO and Co-founder, Kestrix

09.10 – Hot breakfast buffet and informal discussions at each table.

09.50 - Share responses and wrap up.

10.00 – Close

Close