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Net Zero

Tuesday, February 9th, 2021

10:45am to 11:30am

The Opportunities and Challenges on the Path to Zero

Breakout

As more companies, communities and utilities set their sights on carbon neutrality goals, an uncomfortable truth is coming to the forefront: reaching carbon neutrality is very hard. Join experts leading organizations that are on the path to zero who are thinking pragmatically about what needs to happen to decarbonize operations — from getting started to reaching the last 20 percent.

11:45am to 12:30pm

Nature and Regeneration in Brand and Corporate Targets

Breakout

What does it mean to set science-based targets for nature and regeneration targets at the company and brand level? Join this session to hear from some of the early adopters of these approaches to understand how to establish goals, define regeneration, learnings from early progress and results, and how you can apply these principles to your own work. Participants will learn what science-based targets for nature are, understand how companies and brands are establishing and progressing against these, and how regeneration and these types of targets fit into this approach.

1:00pm to 1:45pm

How Innovation is Growing the Market for Nature-Based Solutions

Breakout

As more and more companies set ambitious climate targets, one form of offset is in particular demand. By purchasing nature-based offsets, companies can draw down carbon dioxide, regenerate natural ecosystems and bolster local economies. Demand for these offsets could outstrip supply, but a suite of technological and product innovations is rapidly growing the market for forest and soil credits. Come to this session to hear from the entrepreneurs behind these solutions and the offset procurement teams they're working with.

2:00pm to 2:30pm

Roundtable: Immediate Actions Organizations Can Take on their Journey to Net Zero

Networking

What emission reduction opportunities are available today to help organizations meet net zero goals? Many companies are now expanding their sustainability programs from focusing solely on renewable energy to a more comprehensive net zero emissions program. In this session, we will focus on the immediate actions organizations can take across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions on the path to net zero. Join us to discuss tools available to reduce your organization's emissions as much as possible, as soon as possible.

Join GreenBiz 21 roundtables to connect with like-minded participants for interactive virtual discussions around a big question or hot topic. Select your topic of interest to join a group discussion hosted by experts. Bring your own challenges, questions and ideas to these interactive discussions. Cameras on!

Wednesday, February 10th, 2021

10:45am to 11:30am

Growing Our Future: Scaling Regenerative Agriculture

Breakout

As part of creating an agricultural system that is fit for the future, regenerative agriculture practices have the potential to create more resilient supply chains, restore soil health and enable farmers and businesses to thrive. At its heart, regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that puts more back into the environment and society than it takes out. While activity and investment in regenerative agriculture in the US has accelerated over the last five years, there are significant barriers holding us back. The sector is now at a critical point where collectively, different actors can enable the urgently-needed and just transition of the agriculture system towards resilience and regeneration. This will require breaking down silos between seasoned regenerative practitioners with deep experience and ambition, and incumbent stakeholders with resources and expertise to drive transformation across the country. Join this session to hear from representatives from across the agriculture system who will share the key findings from the first phase of the Growing our Future project, which identified the key actions that players across the supply chain – including farmers, businesses with agricultural supply chains, agribusinesses, non-profits, investors and financial services, research institutions, philanthropists and policy makers – must take to drive change. Using the report findings as a foundation, attendees will explore their role in implementing concrete, coherent action to accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.

Aligning Climate and Packaging Strategies

Breakout

How do circular packaging initiatives advance — or hinder — carbon reduction goals, and how should companies approach and align these strategies? Climate commitments and circular packaging goals can often reflect two pillars under one company's sustainability strategy, yet these initiatives are rarely aligned and sometimes at odds. Some circular strategies like reusable packaging or selecting widely recyclable materials (like PET versus plastics films) can sometimes come with a higher upfront environmental cost despite life cycle emission reductions — though this calculus can be difficult to quantify. This session will explore how companies have aligned their circular initiatives with GHG reduction goals, and approached these strategies holistically. We’ll learn what circular projects have provided emission reductions, and how companies are measuring success.

11:45am to 12:30pm

Closing the Decarbonization Strategy to Execution Gap

Breakout

Decarbonization commitment is just the start for companies working to reduce their GHG emissions. Join EY moderator Matt Handford and guests from Cox Enterprises, JP Morgan Chase, and BAE Systems for a breakout session focused on how closing the gap between strategy to execution positions companies for successful decarbonization outcomes. This session will explore how strategic intent is only the start of a low/zero carbon transformation and the importance of execution priorities against established time horizons. It will explore different enablers companies can leverage to achieve their carbon reduction goals and how outcomes and value realization should be defined early stage to drive continual improvements.

Improving Supply Chain Resilience to Manage Climate Risks

Breakout

As climate risks become more and more disruptive, how can companies prepare for these disruptions and ensure resilience throughout their supply chain? How can companies formally incorporate climate change risk assessment into their supply chain risk management strategy? How are investors evaluating supply chain risks due to climate change? Join this session to explore why climate change risks must be addressed within a supply chain risk management program and the opportunities that companies have to create greater supply chain resilience.

Trees as a Pathway to Social Equity

Breakout

Trees are more than something pretty to look at or sit under. Much like schools, streets and sewer lines, trees are essential infrastructure. They are vital to the health and wealth of people, especially as climate change-induced heat waves are leading to more and more deaths and illnesses. But a map of tree cover is too often a map of income and race—especially in cities. That’s because, often in U.S. cities, trees are sparse in low-income neighborhoods and some neighborhoods of color. The inequitable distribution of trees exacerbates social inequities. Companies, governments and nonprofits throughout the U.S. are stepping up to address this challenge by creating Tree Equity—which, simply put, means trees in every part of every city. Many are doing so through the new (launched in August) U.S. Chapter of 1t.org, a community of people committed to conserving, restoring and growing 1 trillion trees globally by 2030. Join this session to learn why and how you and your company can join the global trillion trees movement.

1:00pm to 1:45pm

Strategies for Scope 3 Supplier Engagement Towards Net Zero Ambitions

Breakout

Join this session for a discussion on scope 3 supplier engagement from the perspective of the suppliers, including effective engagement approaches, insights on the target-setting process, and recommendations on how to accelerate action. Speakers will share their perspectives from the ongoing journey of engagement and collaboration on carbon reductions, as there is no one formula for success and best practices are all a work in progress.

2:00pm to 2:30pm

Roundtable: We’re Experts in Nature-Based Solutions — Ask Us Anything!

Networking

What is the current and future role of nature-based solutions in carbon drawdown and net zero pledges? Join SilviaTerra and Verra experts to talk about the market landscape of nature-based solutions. With demand for carbon offsets accelerating and more and more corporations pledging net zero, how can we ensure forest carbon credits are real, transparent and have high impact? What trends in forest carbon and nature-based solutions are we expecting to see in the short and long term?

Join GreenBiz 21 roundtables to connect with like-minded participants for interactive virtual discussions around a big question or hot topic. Select your topic of interest to join a group discussion hosted by experts. Bring your own challenges, questions and ideas to these interactive discussions. Cameras on!

Roundtable: How to Develop an Integrated Energy Decarbonization Roadmap

Networking

How can an integrated energy strategy help decision-makers in an organization execute on their sustainability goals? Historically, sustainability has been siloed – leading to inefficient allocation of funds and management attention as well as lost opportunities to make the biggest energy and carbon reduction impact. By taking a holistic approach to crafting an integrated strategy, decision-makers and stakeholders in an organization can better understand the range of available products and solutions (e.g. efficiency, onsite generation, offsite renewables) and then prioritize those that will be most impactful at meeting the company’s cost, risk and sustainability goals though an integrated roadmap. In this roundtable, we will explore the benefits of taking a portfolio approach to decarbonization, and how doing so can help organizations gain line-of-sight for how new opportunities can be most efficiently incorporated into a decarbonization portfolio.

Join GreenBiz 21 roundtables to connect with like-minded participants for interactive virtual discussions around a big question or hot topic. Select your topic of interest to join a group discussion hosted by experts. Bring your own challenges, questions and ideas to these interactive discussions. Cameras on!

Thursday, February 11th, 2021

10:45am to 11:30am

Getting to Net-Zero: Acting on a Well-Honed Transition Plan

Breakout

On the path to net zero, many have pledged, some have planned, but few have certainty. This kind of large-scale business transformation requires a faultless plan, with a ready flow of capital to support it. With the market acting as the ultimate arbiter, how can you make sure your pledge will turn into actions and eventual successes? We’ll be joined by panelists across industries to hear what steps they are taking in crafting transition plans, the trade-offs they have had to make, and the successes and challenges they’ve faced so far.

11:45am to 12:30pm

What’s Next for Corporate Renewable Energy?

Breakout

Renewable energy procurements are looking beyond a company's Scope 2 emissions. Clean energy deals are increasingly taking into account more holistic considerations, prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion principles, and considering Scope 1 and 3 emissions. This session features panelists sharing how they're thinking beyond the megawatt to support broader social and sustainability goals.

2:00pm to 2:30pm

Roundtable: Collaboration on Supply Chain Engagement and Setting SBTs

Networking

What are the best approaches for engaging your supply chain to align on mutual sustainability goals and set science-based targets? And who can help? What resources are available? What are the opportunities and challenges? There are different ways to set science-based targets but not a lot of clear understanding on how to do it, what resources are available, and how customers and suppliers can collaborate. This session will explore best practices to setting scope 3 science-based targets, engaging supply chains on sustainability goal setting through the procurement process, and leveraging lessons learned across different industries.

Join GreenBiz 21 roundtables to connect with like-minded participants for interactive virtual discussions around a big question or hot topic. Select your topic of interest to join a group discussion hosted by experts. Bring your own challenges, questions and ideas to these interactive discussions. Cameras on!

Roundtable: Energy Strategies for a New Age in Climate Action

Networking

Join us for an interactive discussion on innovative approaches to energy decarbonization in the private sector, including renewables sourcing, in a time marked by an unprecedented acceleration of sustainability commitments from across the business community.

Join GreenBiz 21 roundtables to connect with like-minded participants for interactive virtual discussions around a big question or hot topic. Select your topic of interest to join a group discussion hosted by experts. Bring your own challenges, questions and ideas to these interactive discussions. Cameras on!