The seventh edition of Sustainability Week will examine how businesses can rise to the challenge of becoming more sustainable

Members of the media are invited to register here.

• The four day hybrid event, organised by Economist Impact, will also explore how existing policy and regulatory frameworks have addressed climate change
• António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, will open the event with keynote remarks and Alok Sharma, president of COP26, will give a keynote address at the in-person event in London
• Adina Vălean, commissioner for transport, European Union will discuss how to effectively invest in green transport infrastructure
• Nick Watts, chief sustainability officer, NHS will detail how the NHS has become the world's first national health system to commit to becoming carbon net zero

LONDON, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sustainability Week, the leading conference on helping businesses on their path to achieving their sustainability goals, announced the final speaker line-up for the 2022 hybrid event. The event will run from Monday, March 21st to Thursday, March 24th virtually and with an in-person day on Tuesday March 22nd at etc. venues, St Paul's, London. Members of the media are invited to register here.

Over 190 leading figures from across the sustainability community, from business to intergovernmental organisations, investors, national governments, central bankers and civil society, are confirmed to speak at this year's event. António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations will give his keynote remarks to open the virtual event at 9.00am GMT, Monday, March 21st. Alok Sharma, president of COP26, will present at the in-person event on Tuesday March 22nd, 8:15am GMT. 

Further speakers confirmed for next week's event include Alexander Van der Bellen, president, Republic of Austria; Carine Smith Ihenancho, chief governance and compliance officer, Norges Bank Investment Management; Alison Dolan, chief financial officer, Rightmove; Warren East, chief executive, Rolls-Royce; Jean Rogers, global head of ESG, Blackstone; Rebecca Marmot, chief sustainability officer, Unilever; Leyla Ertur, head of sustainability, H&M; Fatih Birol, executive director, International Energy Agency; Mark Read, chief executive, WPP; François Villeroy de Galhau, governor, Banque de France. A full list of speakers is available here.

The theme of the four-day global event, organised by Economist Impact, is "Accelerating transition, building resilience". Its aim is to support policymakers and business leaders in implementing practical strategies to become more sustainable. The cross-industry agenda will examine how businesses and governments need to unite efforts and take a society-centred approach to solve our generation's biggest challenge: climate change. The programme will consist of live conversations, interactive sessions, roundtables and a virtual exhibition. Last year, the event attracted over 12,500 registrants from 138 countries. Sustainability Week will provide delegates with the tools to optimise their sustainability strategy based on the experience and insights of global changemakers. 

Themes that will be explored throughout the week include: 

• How can more organisations develop their net-zero targets and roadmaps?
• How will rapid sustainable transformation insulate you from the impending energy crisis?
• How can financial markets and regulators come together to mobilise capital towards a greener, more inclusive and more climate-resilient economy?
• How can firms best understand the business risks that arise from environmental degradation and their own impact on biodiversity?
• What investment is needed to ramp up infrastructure development for the net-zero transition?
• What changes will businesses need to bring to their operations to ensure that the social dimension is being taken into account?
• How can green stimulus contribute to a "just transition" to net zero?
• How effective are taxonomies like the EU taxonomy in addressing the problem of greenwashing?

Key talks through the week will include Fatih Birol, executive director of IEA, on how the energy transition will be accelerated in the coming years; Anna König Jerlmyr, mayor, Stockholm on how cities can be transformed to reach net-zero emissions by 2030;  Martin Jetter, chairman, IBM Europe on how society can be enhanced through technological innovation.

Additionally, Nick Watts, chief sustainability officer, NHS will detail how the NHS has become the world's first national health system to commit to becoming carbon net zero. Hear from them on how they will bring along their 80,000 supplies on this journey. Warren East, chief executive, Rolls-Royce on decarbonising hard to abate sectors and François Villeroy de Galhau, governor, Banque de France on the challenges central banks are facing in adapting to new EU taxonomy rules for green investment and what impact that they may have.

Speaking ahead of the summit, Harry Chapman, head of sustainability events at Economist Impact said, "we are looking forward to hosting four days of remarkable and memorable discussions. With sustainability a key priority for many organisations, this event offers the perfect opportunity to help businesses become more sustainable faster, while also showcasing the latest innovations in the sector".

More details about the week including the programme and a link to register are on the event website. 

To stay-up-date with the topics throughout the year, visit the Sustainability Project website.

Thanks to all our sponsors: Deloitte, IBM, Infosys, OneTrust, Avery Dennison, Google Cloud, Mott MacDonald, Siemens, Alcoa, Baker Hughes, BASF, BP, British Business Bank, Citrix, Ecovardis, Emerson, GFK, Hedera Hashgraph, Interos, Melrose, National Grid, SAP, SkyCell, Standard Chartered, Wellington Management, BCG, Johnson and Johnson, Turkish Airlines, Novisto, Accenture, Resilience.

Additionally we are working with TreeApp as our tree planting partner and rePurpose as our sustainability partner. 

About Economist Impact

Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyse progress. The services offered by Economist Impact previously existed within The Economist Group as separate entities, including EIU Thought Leadership, EIU Public Policy, Economist Events, El Studios and SignalNoise. 

Our track record spans 75 years across 205 countries. Along with creative storytelling, events expertise, design-thinking solutions and market-leading media products, we produce framework design, benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting and scenario modelling, making Economist Impact's offering unique in the marketplace. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more information.

About The Economist (www.economist.com) 

With a growing global circulation and a reputation for insightful analysis and perspective on every aspect of world events, The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current affairs publications. The paper covers politics, business, science and technology, and books and arts, concluding each week with the obituary. In addition to the web-only content such as blogs, debates and audio/video programmes available on the website, The Economist is available to download for reading on Android, Blackberry PlayBook, iPhone or iPad devices. The Economist Espresso, our daily briefing smartphone app, is also available for download via iTunes App Store or Google Play.

View the Economist Group ESG policy here

SOURCE Economist Impact