The Race to Zero Europe – Countdown to COP26 event took place on 20 October. Business leaders from across Europe joined a panel of speakers to understand the role that businesses have in the race to net zero.
UN-backed Race to Zero is calling on businesses across the global economy to take rigorous and immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030 and deliver a healthier, fairer zero carbon world in time. All members are committed to the same overarching goal: reducing emissions across all scopes swiftly and fairly in line with the Paris Agreement, with transparent action plans and robust near-term targets.
Net Zero Business Champion, Andrew Griffith, MP, opened the event with presentations from Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng, MP, UK Secretary of State at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy.
The role of large businesses in addressing climate change was introduced by Alberto Carrillo Pineda, Managing Director Science Based Targets Initiative, and Harry Verhaar, Head of Global Public & Government Affairs for CLG Europe. The panel was joined by representatives from Volvo Cars, DSM and IKEA, and was chaired by Ursula Woodburn from CLG Europe.
Lydia Elliott, Supply Chains Manager and Partnership Lead at SME Climate Hub highlighted the scale and range of SMEs across Europe and the important role they have, individually and collectively, to address the climate emergency for their customers and businesses. She was joined on the panel by representatives from AMPECO, Sensefinity and G-Force.
The event was then closed with final comments from Pietro Benassi, Italian Ambassador to the European Union, and Neil Sachdev, Chair, Energy Saving Trust.
