The Economist's Sustainability Week: Countdown to COP26

Presentation

The Economist launched the Sustainability series of events in 2016 to foster conversation between policymakers, business, scientists and investors around finding solutions to the problems of climate change, and wider sustainability issues.

Of growing importance is the investment and finance part of the programme, both in terms of looking for opportunity for investors and scrutinising claims of ESG investors.

The Economist is seeing growing momentum from business to showcase the steps they are taking to tackle emissions and other negative impacts of their activities, and to share experiences, best practice and scalable, actionable solutions.

As COP26 approaches can governments, corporations and private businesses change how society works in order to meet the Paris agreement targets on time?

Organised from October 4th to 7th 2021 by The Economist, the Sustainability Week: Countdown to COP26, hears from global corporations, policymakers, and investors who are committed to reversing climate change through innovative thinking. Methods to lower emissions, improve sustainability and the transition to renewables that actively protect the environment will be discussed in depth. Packed with insightful panel discussions and case studies, innovative investment opportunities and hackathons, the event’s deep analysis from senior-level speakers creates opportunities that can influence the emergence of a sustainable economy.

The Economist Events

On October 4, at 2:35pm BST, Gianfranco Gianfrate, Professor of Finance, EDHEC Business School, Climate Change & Sustainable Finance Lead Expert, EDHEC-Risk Institute, will participate in a plenary session, together with:

Gabriel Makhlouf, Governor, Central Bank of Ireland
Alessandro d’Eri, Senior Policy Officer, ESMA
Crystal Geng, Head of ESG, Ping An Group

Gianfranco Gianfrate | EDHEC-Risk

The session entitled: "HOW TO DETECT AND PREVENT GREENWASHING" will explore the following topics:

In the decade for action, what can policymakers do to prevent greenwashing and speed up the transition to net zero?
Company transparency and adequate reporting is critical. What metrics should ESG measurement be built around to drive positive outcomes at both a financial and social level?
What questions do investors need to ask to be confident of the ESG credentials of their investments?

Further information on the conference can be found on The Economist Website.

Date

Monday 04/10/2021 - Thursday 07/10/2021

Place

Digital Conference

About EDHEC

Operating from campuses in Lille, Nice, Paris, London and Singapore, EDHEC is one of the world’s top 15 business schools. Fully international and directly connected to the business world, EDHEC commands a strong reputation for research excellence and the ability to train entrepreneurs and managers capable of breaking new ground. EDHEC functions as a genuine laboratory of ideas and produces innovative solutions valued by businesses. The School’s teaching is inspired by its research work and a focus on “learning by doing”, all with the aim of equipping people with the skills to succeed in business.

About EDHEC-Risk Climate Impact Institute

Marking the priority assigned by the School to sustainability issues and building on its research programmes exploring the relationships between climate change and finance, EDHEC-Risk Institute became EDHEC-Risk Climate Impact Institute in October 2022. The Institute's mission is to help private and public decision-makers manage climate-related financial risks and make the best use of the financial tools available to transition to low-emission and climate-resilient economies. The Institute’s research programmes explore the relationships between climate change and finance and our key ambition is to become a leading academic reference point for long-term investors, helping them to manage the asset-pricing implications of climate change as well as mitigation and adaptation efforts.