COP26: how can business contribute to its success?

In its 26th edition of the event, the imminent UN Conference of the Parties, or COP26 - looks set to be an epoch-making event for the future of our climate and planet. Deemed by Alok Sharma, President of COP26, as the event to ‘’set the trajectory for future generations’’ and serve as the ‘’last, best chance of making progress’’ towards meeting the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement – the gravity of this conference cannot and should not be understated

Spanning over 13 days from 31 October to 12 November – world leaders will arrive in Glasgow alongside thousands of negotiators, government representatives, academics, businesses, and citizens in the goal of paving the way for the future and getting back on track to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement. As a uniquely urgent, future-defining event, the recognition of and engagement with all stakeholders will be key to finding a sustainable way forward.

Recognising the critical role businesses must play moving forward, on Friday 22 October, AmCham EU hosted a webinar bringing together business representatives  prior to the event to exchange, set expectations for, and deep dive into what role business can play in its success. The event also sought to reaffirm the commitment of the transatlantic business community to tackling climate change and highlight the particular role of EU-US cooperation

An esteemed panel comprising Susan Danger (AmCham EU), Frank Heemskerk (European Round Table for Industry), Norine Kennedy (United States Council for International Business), and Gary Litman (US Chamber of Commerce) provided much food for thought in a discussion that was deftly moderated by Leah Charpentier (First Solar).

Although to varying degrees, the business panellists expressed general optimism in the lead up to the event. A shared hope identified by the panellists was constructive dialogue between business leaders, societies, and NGOs. Equally, other recurring themes included the need to prioritise international cooperation and enabling the innovation of low-carbon tech through increased investment in R&D for industry. In the concluding remarks, the moderator and panellists attested to the creative and adaptable nature of the business community to rise to the challenges at hand. The need to remain flexible and mobile to find innovative climate friendly solutions were described as musts moving into COP26. The business community remains optimistic that COP26 can provide the platform to find mutually beneficial solutions with all stakeholders that will allow for a clean and sustainable future.