Shay Cloherty, MD, iQuest & Business Post LIVE
2024 Spring Agenda
The roadmap to Net Zero
8:50am
Change is happening but just not fast enough. How do we scale up the implementation of climate action? We open our event with global and national perspectives on climate action.
Board Member of Trocaire, former Ambassador and Chair of International Programmes Advisory Committee
Chairperson, Climate Change Advisory Council
9:20am
Head of the Climate Change Unit, the Central Bank of Ireland
9:40am
Progress in renewable power generation is a vital step towards climate action. A discussion on how the acceleration in development of renewable energy projects is needed if the State is to come anywhere close to the target of a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030.
Country President Ireland, Schneider Electric
Head of Renewable Energy, Bord na Móna
10:00am
How to create transition plans that stand up to investor scrutiny, inspire your industry and decarbonise your business.
- To what extent have net-zero transition plans been developed and executed?
- Where are the climate commitment gap hotspots and what are the practical solutions to close the commitment gap?
- How do you understand the risks and opportunities for access to finance?
- What role should government and policymakers play in the development and execution of climate transition plans?
- How do you anticipate incoming mandatory disclosure rules can help accelerate businesses’ transition to net zero operations?
- What are the talent and skills gaps to deliver Net Zero and how will we fill them?
CEO, Folens
Managed Services Country Lead, HP Ireland
Head of Sustainable Banking, Banking & Payments Federation (BPFI)
Director of Enterprise, Employees and Skills, SOLAS
Stream 1: Business & biodiversity
Why nature-related reporting is vital and how it can benefit your business
11:05am
11:10am
This year businesses are increasingly recognising the importance of their impact on nature, with disclosures on nature-related risks and impacts gaining prominence alongside climate reporting. We open with a talk on why businesses need to expand their sustainability beyond greenhouse gas emissions.
Executive Director, Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD), the Netherlands
11:30am
Platform Manager, Business for Biodiversity
11:45am
Sustainability Project Manager, ESB Networks
12:15pm
Lessons from an early adopter of the TNFD framework
Chief Sustainability Officer, Smurfit Kappa
12:30pm
There’s a growing recognition that the investor community plays a key role in mitigating biodiversity perils. And, the TNFD framework has brought nature and biodiversity further to the forefront of financial decisions. Will the recommendations generate enough momentum to deliver tangible change? What does nature positive investment look like?
CEO and founder, Scott Cawley
Partner, Resolve Ventures
Head of ESG Policy & Regulation, First Sentier Investors
Stream 2: Leading the Net Zero transformation
Meeting your net zero target means reducing carbon throughout your value chain.
11:05am
Steps to creating a credible, impactful climate transition plan: By assessing your current emissions, setting ambitious targets and taking action to reduce your carbon footprint, you contribute to a more sustainable future for both the planet and your business.
Managing Director, Goodbody Clearstream
Decarbonisation solutions
11:15am
How Digital Twin technology has been used to reduce the carbon emissions of European airports from the terminal buildings to the resource networks and electrification of the aircraft fleet. Plus, how internal barriers were overcome.
Chief Operations Officer, Environmental Solutions Ltd.
11:30am
Sustainability Programme Manager, DPD Ireland
Decarbonisation solutions
11:45am
When developing transition plans, companies should consider the full range of interactions and impacts associated with their business model, both up and down the value chain. This presentation describes how to use transition planning to drive decarbonisation in the value chain and in turn drive value for the company, its investors and stakeholders.
CEO, Chronos Sustainability
12:15pm
How decarbonisation – the reduction of carbon emissions – and circular economy – the reuse and regeneration of materials by design – are two powerful concepts that, when combined, create a potent force to combat climate change and drive sustainable development.
Assistant Professor in Environmental Systems Modelling in the School of Engineering and Director of TrinityHaus Research Centre at TCD
12:30pm
Our panel explores the main actions that companies can and are currently undertaking to reduce value chain emissions, focusing on challenges and opportunities.
1. Trends towards proactive supply chain management:
2. How to accelerate suppliers’ sustainability journey: practical action to address upstream emissions.
4.How can government help companies decarbonise: What type of incentives will accelerate companies’ decarbonisation journey?
Group Head of Sustainability, daa
CEO, PACE
Director of Sustainability, Carbery Group
Founder, Bon+Berg
STREAM 3: How to create an ESG-friendly business
11:05am
Independent Non-Executive Director, Investment & ESG Consultant
11:10am
Senior Executive, the Sustainability and Renewable Energy team, Enterprise Ireland
Country Manager for Ireland, the UN Global Compact
11:30am
Hear about the new flexible, user-friendly micro qualifications recently launched by Educational Training Boards around the country to upskill staff on the sustainability skills your business needs
Director of Enterprise, Employees and Skills, SOLAS
11:45am
If you don’t have an age strategy, you don’t have a growth strategy. Hear how the ‘S’ of ESG can unlock business value by addressing our aging population. Hear how leading companies are focussing on the 50+ demographic as an integral component of their ESG and growth strategies and the business case outcomes they are receiving.
Founder and CEO, 55/Redefined, UK
12:20pm
Chaired by Sarah Blake, Earthology
- Who should consider becoming a BCorp
- The pathways, processes and key insights on how to achieve certification
- How you can contribute to creating an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economic system
Head of Impact, Broadlake
CEO, Grid Finance
Sustainability Consultant, Earthology
The future of sustainability reporting
2:05pm
On March 15 the EU Council approved the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, a pivotal milestone in Europe’s climate action strategy. Once implemented the CS3D will impose an unparalleled and extensive corporate governance duty on many companies based in and outside the EU:
- Will this apply to your company? What are the key requirements?
- What is the scope and impact of the CS3D?
- The implications of non-compliance
- Timelines and next steps
Partner, Corporate and M&A, A&L Goodbody
2:20pm
How do businesses ensure that their consumers can purchase products with peace of mind, knowing that they are contributing to the protection of human rights and the environment. Drawing on recent research assessing the human rights performance of Ireland’s leading companies, Benn outlines the report’s recommendations on how to prepare for the CS3D.
2:35pm
With sustainability reporting requirements moving from voluntary to mandatory and new sustainability regulations on the horizon, will 2024 mark the year we see increased action and a shift in mindset?
- What sustainability means for business and what impacts, risks and opportunities does it present?
- First steps in mandatory sustainability reporting: Sustainability leaders share their insights on preparing for the CSRD
- Current strengths and weaknesses of current corporate reporting
- What are the latest EU developments and expectations on sustainability reporting?
- Towards greater international harmonisation of sustainability reporting
- The future: Incorporating nature-related and biodiversity disclosures into corporate sustainability reporting
ESG & Sustainability Lead, A&L Goodbody
Co-founder, SustainabilityWorks
Chief Transformation Officer, An Post