Climate Action Summit – Delivering a Net Zero Future
12-13th October 2022
During COP26, a range of commitments were announced aimed at reducing global emissions and protecting ecosystems upon which human life is dependent. However, action is currently lagging behind what is required to limit average global warming to 1.5°C and protect those most vulnerable to climate change. In the lead up to COP27, businesses must recognise how they will meet the expectations and demands of key stakeholders to reach net zero by 2050.
Urgent emissions reductions are required to meet climate targets. However, a climate strategy that focuses solely on reducing emissions is not enough and will likely fail to realise opportunities to incorporate ongoing reporting requirements, realise efficiency and cost savings, and demonstrate holistic climate leadership.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) and a circular economy model offer comprehensive and practical principles that can minimise climate and environmental-related risks and foster business resiliency, while advancing companies’ progress towards achieving net zero emissions across their value chain. While these concepts are not new, they are now emerging in the business space as key drivers for restoring and protecting biodiversity, ensuring climate justice, and building a truly sustainable economy.
About the Summit
This two-day hybrid event will bring together business, government, and civil society leaders to demonstrate effective solutions for achieving net zero. The Summit will focus on two inter-linked themes – Nature-based Solutions and Circularity – that contribute to company mitigation strategies and the achievement of science-based emissions targets while building overall business resilience, and broader environmental and societal resilience.
The Summit sessions will aim to answer several questions:
- How can Nature-based Solutions and the Circular Economy facilitate the transition to net zero, and how can businesses implement them?
- How does circularity promote the conservation and regeneration of nature?
- How can these concepts be used to mitigate climate-related risks and ensure business resilience?
- How can business go beyond requirements to foster greater societal benefits?
- How can finance be mobilised to scale and support these solutions?
Day 1: Circular Economy – 12th October
Day 2: Nature-based Solutions – 13th October
12th October 09:30 - 10:45 BST
This session will provide a high-level overview of practical solutions for reducing emissions and supporting a just transition to net zero, including nature-based solutions, the principles of a circular economy, and other low-carbon/green technological advancements. The event will support participants understanding of the complex relationships organisations have with natural resources and the interlinkages between nature-based solutions, technology, and circularity in developing a truly sustainable and resilient economy.
Attendees will hear from high-level speakers in business, UK Government, and civil society for a conversation on why business ambition and action on these concepts must be scaled, and how it can practically be done. CEOs will be convened to outline the business benefits of comprehensive climate strategies and share how these solutions help them meet the expectations and demands of internal and external stakeholders.

Sanda Ojiambo
Assistant Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer
United Nations Global Compact

Dr. Márcia Balisciano
Chief Sustainability Officer, Global Head of ESG and Corporate Responsibility
RELX

Neliswa Hare
Race to Resilience Business Engagement Lead
COP27 UNFCCC Climate Champions Team

Sean Lockie
Climate and Sustainability Services Director UKIMEA
Arup

John Atkinson
Associate Director: Environmental Protection
AstraZeneca

David Saddington
Head of International Nature Campaign COP26
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
13th October 09:00 - 10:30 BST
The event will feature presentations on how businesses can measure and report on their impacts and dependencies on nature, as well as how they can incorporate this knowledge into decision-making, planning, and risk-management. The session will introduce frameworks like TNFD and the Natural Capital Protocol and how these fit in to regulatory elements like the new UK Environmental Act and sustainability disclosure requirements. Business case studies will also present on how they are using these reporting frameworks and considering nature in their operations.

Mark Gough
Chief Executive Officer
Capitals Coalition

Sarah Dyson
Head of Corporate Responsibility
GSK

Andrew Mitchell
Vice Chair
TNFD Stewardship Council and
Founder & CEO
Equilibrium Futures

Annabel Nelson
Head of ESG Policy & Disclosure
M&G plc
12th October 11:15 - 12:30 BST
Measuring companies’ circular economy performance with regards to material flows, physical assets, and services, as well as a range of factors that enable a transition to a circular economy, is a crucial first step in the adoption of circular economy principles. This session will explore various metrics, tools, and methodologies available to support companies to understand their circularity performance and areas where they can improve to minimise waste, utilise and keep products in use longer, and subsequently reduce emissions and pollution.

Jacco Verstraeten-Jochemsen
Business Solutions Lead
Circle Economy

Wouter van Tol
Head of Government, Community Affairs & Sustainability
DS Smith

Suzanne Kuiper
Senior Sustainability Manager
KPMG Netherlands
13th October 11:00 - 12:30 BST
This session will focus on how to identify and implement credible, effective Nature-based Solutions (NbS) schemes, and how these can not only be used to offset remaining carbon emissions that cannot be addressed with mitigation, but also move a company towards net positive. It will feature presentations from companies taking part in the Net Positive Project for a conversation on what it means to be net positive, and what business benefits can be realised by using NbS to achieve its principles.

Dr Sally Uren OBE
Chief Executive
Forum for the Future

João Teixeira
Sustainability Manager
Natura &Co

Didier Bergeret
Director, Sustainability
The Consumer Goods Forum

Vanessa Maire
Global Head of Regenerative Agriculture
Diageo
12th October 13:30 - 15:00 BST
Energy, land, and valuable resources (both renewable and non-renewable) are required to produce goods and services but often create negative impacts including GHG emissions and the pollution of air, land, and water. This session will explore how products, systems, and business models can be designed to eliminate waste before it is created and maximise utilisation of energy and materials to reduce emissions and pollution.

Harald Friedl
Cement and Aluminium Lead
COP27 Climate Action Champions Team

Sokhna Gueye
Head of Packaging UK & I
Nestlé

Thea Kleinmagd
Circular Material Chains Innovator
Fairphone
13th October 13:30 - 14:45 BST
To support the global need for expanded investment in nature and conservation, this session will explore how and why businesses should mobilise capital for nature-based solutions. It will look at the benefits that companies may experience in investing in natural capital connected to their operations, and how this builds business resiliency. The event will also examine growing investor expectations and requirements for nature and biodiversity to be considered in investment portfolios, and how this supports net zero commitments.

Jessica Smith
Nature Lead
UNEP Finance Initiative

Greta Talbot-Jones
Associate Director, Responsible Investment
Aviva Investors

Cécile Girardin
Director
Nature-based Insetting,
Technical Director
Nature-Based Solutions Initiative

12th October 15:30 - 16:45 BST
In this session we will be joined by a range of financial actors and businesses discussing how they see the circular economy as an opportunity to create long-term value. The role of different actors in scaling up financing for a circular economy and how to overcome current barriers will also be explored.

Lisa Lange
ESG Engagement & Stewardship Manager, EOS
Federated Hermes

Gary Kendall
Head of Climate Strategy Implementation
NatWest Group

Keith James
Head of Policy and Insights
WRAP
(Held in-person and streamed online)
13th October 15:15 - 17:00 BST
Two teams of three debaters will deliberate on the role of nature vs. technology as our most effective means of tackling climate change.

Stuart Hayward-Higham
Technical Development Director
Suez

Mattie Yeta
Chief Sustainability Officer
CGI

Claire Brady
Head of Strategy & Innovation
Bioregional

Mathew Frith
Director of Research and Policy
London Wildlife Trust
Reception 17:00-18:00 BST (in-person)
Tickets for the in-person debate and reception will be made available in due course. This event is free and open to the public. Click buttons to register for all or some of the sessions.
Special Thanks to:






Please contact Alexandra Ranft, Climate Action Project Manager, for more information or to discuss speaking or sponsorship opportunities.