The 16th annual Climate Change & Business Conference, on 9-10 September in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, falls at a critical time for Aotearoa New Zealand as the country determines its next set of emissions reduction budgets and targets, according to the organisers.
Delivered in partnership between the Environmental Defence Society, the Sustainable Business Council and Climate Leaders Coalition the conference will bring together hundreds of delegates for two days of kōrero around timely and relevant topics. These include:
- The role of government and business in the transition.
- Climate adaptation and resilience.
- Transition planning.
- International trade and competition.
- Nature.
- The latest clean technologies and solutions.
A statement from the organisers says this year’s programme will feature nearly 35 different sessions and over 100 New Zealand-based and international speakers, “bringing global insights to the table and applying them to Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique political, economic and cultural context”.
Joëlle Gergis, an award-winning Australian climate scientist and writer, will be delivering a keynote presentation on the global transition to net zero and what stands between us and 1.5.
“The science is telling us we’re not moving fast enough, and the Pacific is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world …”
“The science is telling us we’re not moving fast enough, and the Pacific is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world when it comes to our changing climate,” she says.
“We know we have the tools and technology to get there. We need to keep looking at things like our use of fossil fuels, the scaling up of renewable energy, electrification of transport, and the rehabilitation of deforested land.”
There will also be several leading business voices offering an international perspective including Mirja Viinanen, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Australia and New Zealand.
“Business has huge influence through what it takes to the market and to consumers, and it also has an enormous amount to gain by leveraging the opportunities presented by the transition. Investing in sustainable solutions (and at pace) makes financial sense, not only for organisations, but also for government and for households,” she says.
Westpac NZ is supporting the Conference as a Foundation Sponsor for an 8th year and the conference also welcomes Beca as a Foundation Sponsor.
Registrations for the 2024 Climate Change & Business Conference close on 3 September. Full programme and speakers can be found on the conference website.
