Global climate policy and COP29: Implications for business
Sign up for this eventCOP29 comes at an incredibly important time for communities being devastated by the climate crisis. Taking place 11-24 November 2024 in Azerbaijan, it will be one of the last major opportunities for countries to signal their intention to put together new and enhanced climate plans, which to date fall far short of what is required to avert dangerous levels of climate change.
Join us shortly after the climate change conference to hear McKinsey’s expert analysis of COP29 - dubbed the “Finance COP” because negotiations for a new climate finance goal will dominate the agenda - and how Boards can help organisations make the most for what it might have changed for businesses.
The event will give attendees the opportunity to hear the outcomes of this year’s COP29, engage in dynamic discussions and connect with peers following the main session.
The session will start with a presentation from McKinsey experts and a panel discussion, followed by Q&A and networking drinks.
Find out more about the Chapter Zero x McKinsey series
Getting to net zero will require large-scale technology deployment across industries, creating massive opportunities to build entirely new businesses and open new markets. Businesses that innovate quickly and out-compete to establish a cost advantage will succeed in winning investors and consumers and creating strategic value.
Chapter Zero and McKinsey will run a series of face-to-face events in 2024/25 that convene non-executive directors. The objective remains to bring the best thinking to boardrooms on achieving net zero—and effecting real change.
The central idea in 2024 is out-competing to win. How should institutions across the UK (and beyond) become ambitious hyper-scalers? How can Boards help in balancing outrageous ambition with speed and execution? Where do Boards need to act to help their enterprises out-compete in the age of digital and AI/Gen AI? What impetus will the global context offer after COP29?
These events aim to equip non-executive directors with critical insights to effectively navigate and influence the future of business in an era of technological disruption and significant environmental policy shifts.
The third session on 'Unlocking sustainability success with technology' will take place on Tuesday 4 March 2025. Registration is now open.
Thomas Lingard
Global Head of Sustainability – Environment, UnileverThomas leads climate and environment within Unilever’s Global Sustainability Team. He first joined Unilever in 1999, before joining the Green Alliance as Deputy Director in 2005. Thomas rejoined Unilever in 2010, and has spent over a decade developing and launching successive generations of sustainability strategies, founding an in-house Global Advocacy Team, and advancing Unilever’s theory of change on systemic sustainability issues. Thomas currently serves as a Trustee Director of the Unilever UK Pension Fund and an Advisory Board member of Climate Catalyst. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Tech for Climate Adaptation Working Group, and has previously served on WEF Global Agenda Councils for Governance for Sustainability and Climate Change.
Vanessa Havard-Williams
Chair of the Transition Finance Market Review, HM TreasuryVanessa leads the UK Government’s Transition Finance Market Review and is a board member of UK Export Finance and chair of the UK Export Guarantee Advisory Group. Previously, she led Linklaters’ sustainability practice until her retirement in 2023 and still consults for the firm.
Fiona Howarth
CEO, Octopus Electric Vehicles
Susan Hooper
Board Member, Chapter ZeroSusan is an experienced senior board member, specialising in driving value through customer insight and data, ESG and company culture. She is Chair of Tangle Teezer and sits on the Boards of Moonpig plc (Chair of the Remuneration Committee and ESG lead) and Uber UK. Susan is also involved in several start-ups in carbon capture and sustainability and is also an Ambassador for the World Travel & Tourism Council.
Daniel Mikkelsen
Senior Partner, McKinsey & CompanyDaniel is a Senior Partner in McKinsey & Company's Financial Services, Sustainability, Risk and Digital practices. He primarily advises major financial institutions and has worked with some of the world’s top banks as well as many insurers, asset managers, and hedge funds. His main areas of focus are climate and sustainability, analytics, digital, risk, compliance, finance, and audit.
Harry Bowcott
Senior Partner, McKinsey & CompanyHarry is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, leading McKinsey Sustainability in the UK and Ireland, and co-leading their work in hyper-scaling green businesses. Harry is also a frequent speaker on the journey to net zero and advanced analytics in transportation and logistics.
Jayanti Kar
Partner, McKinsey & CompanyJayanti is a partner in McKinsey & Company's London office. She works with energy companies to deliver high-impact and sustainable performance transitions across the globe. Jayanti is also interested in strategic thinking, and has authored several articles on executive strategy setting and the nature and nuance of competitive dynamics.
Global climate policy and COP29: Implications for business
Sign up for this eventRelated Events
COP30 Debrief: What’s next for business?
Join the Climate Governance Initiative for a high-level webinar examining the key outcomes of COP30 and what they mean for board directors. This session will explore the most significant developments, assess whether expectations were met, and consider what these outcomes signal for corporate governance, strategy, and risk oversight.
Geopolitics, Resilience and Strategic Courage: How Boards Can Lead Through Uncertainty
In collaboration with McKinsey & Company, this in-person seminar will explore how boards can turn uncertainty into long-term advantage by embedding geopolitical foresight, scenario planning, and high-performance execution models to accelerate innovation, improve efficiency, and deliver growth and competitive advantage.
What does the future hold? A conversation on governance, sustainability and AI
As a pilot in our new series ‘What does the future hold? Boards and the future of climate action’, we bring together Vicky Moffatt, Chapter Zero CEO, and Emily Chien, Executive Fellow, Harvard Business School, with our members, for a thought-provoking dialogue at the intersection of AI governance and climate action.
