At the COP26 climate conference, starting next week in Glasgow, Scotland, governments will be asked to come forward with robust 2030 emissions reductions targets that align with reaching net zero by mid-century.

To achieve these targets, the public and private sectors must work together. Policymakers must remove obstacles and provide incentives to encourage the energy transition and the adoption of cleaner technologies. The private sector must provide the technological solutions to enable a low-carbon society.

In this fireside chat with ABB’s Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, Theodor Swedjemark, we look at some of the leading technologies that are already helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve quality of life. And we explore the challenges and opportunities to drive climate action from the perspective of a leading global technology company.

How do we balance the needs of humans, agriculture and energy production against one another in a world of growing water stress? Climate change is drastically shifting water cycles across the globe, with significant impacts on the future of agriculture. Food and ag companies are now tasked with adapting to these climatic changes as part of their business models. In this session, industry leaders will discuss the strategies, technologies and techniques they are using to adapt the food value chain to this new reality, including what else will be needed in the coming years.

Supply chains hold most of the food industry’s climate impact. Reducing these emissions is the sector’s next big challenge. 

Food companies large and small aren’t working fast enough to reduce their Scope 3 emissions. But it’s where 80 to 90 percent of their emissions occur. What’s preventing companies from assuming accountability for emissions from purchased goods and services, agriculture and land-use change? How can these barriers be broken down? This conversation will shed light on one of the toughest sustainability challenges. It will propose steps businesses can take to account for and reduce their supply chain impacts in their carbon disclosure efforts and science-based targets.

VERGE Accelerate is a series of fast-pitch competitions featuring leading climate tech startups. Today’s session highlights five entrepreneurs building solutions for energy. Hear expert reactions to each pitch, and then cast your vote to help determine the winner, who will get to pitch in the main stage finals on Thursday, October 28.

Imagine what would happen if companies could track the embedded carbon in every ingredient, part and service they purchase.

It’s notoriously hard to calculate the carbon emitted in the creation of a product, whether it's a cereal bar or a computer. To determine a carbon count for the finished item, manufacturers need to know the emissions associated with each part of the product and the services used in its creation — data that can be extremely hard to come by.

A new generation of solutions is now available to help tackle this problem. Learn about the technologies and strategies your organization can use to illuminate the carbon flowing through its supply chain — and how to reduce it.

Not all megawatts are made the same. Join small group discussions, lead by energy experts, to dig into the top considerations to ensure renewable energy procurements are incorporating circular design principles, supporting local communities and considering land use concerns.

How much private funding will it take to supplement the federal dollars needed to fully address aging infrastructure concerns?

Biden’s landmark infrastructure bill could provide billions of much-needed funding for projects, but it’s just a fraction of what’s needed. What role can private investments play in financing infrastructure that is sustainable and climate resilient? This session looks at emerging options to finance infrastructure replacement, repair and maintenance as well as new infrastructure

VERGE Accelerate is a series of fast-pitch competitions featuring leading climate tech startups. Today’s session highlights five entrepreneurs building solutions for water infrastructure. Hear expert reactions to each pitch and then cast your vote to help determine the winner, who will get to pitch in the main stage finals on Thursday, October 28.

The U.S. is in a critical moment for the adoption of climate policy. Corporates should step into their power now to support policymakers.

Climate policy and regulation is an essential component of getting the U.S. on the path toward a net-zero future in line with the Paris Agreement. Corporate lobbying has an important role to play in blocking or enabling policy efforts but this opportunity too often gets left on the table. Now is the time for every company to make climate a top advocacy priority – on par with tax or trade or any other core business issue – and drive that advocacy from the C-suite. This Q&A will dive into the importance of climate lobbying and outline strategies to influence your company’s stance.

International renewable procurements are becoming more common as companies look to reduce carbon impacts throughout their operations. What do you need to know about these contracts and the fastest-growing markets? Bring your questions to our expert.

American and European supermarket experts compare sustainability tactics and examine approaches for raising the industry’s climate ambition.

From airing controversial ads on palm oil and meat consumption, cutting food waste and plastics, to greening refrigerants and cleaning products, supermarkets have a big climate toolbox to work with. And for good reason. Grocers exert significant control over food supply chains while interfacing directly with consumers. What are their most successful approaches? And what enables them to act? We compare the strategies, assess their impact to date and discuss how businesses from across the big pond can learn from each other.

How can frontline communities and next-gen tech innovators work together to advance climate tech? In developing and launching the Forward for Good Accelerator in Climate Justice, the Verizon team uncovered the lesson that there are two silos of climate tech work occurring — community-led and tech-led. What solutions could we create if these two communities worked together rather than in separate lanes?

This session brings together representatives of climate tech startups, corporations and frontline communities to ideate around what could be achieved by working together better. What are the strengths each group rings to the table? What are the gaps in perspective? Are there trust issues? What specific steps could bridge the gap?

This isn’t about matching problems with solutions, it’s about coming to a common understanding of the problems and co-creating the solutions.

What if we could harness nature’s services to replace traditional concrete-and-steel infrastructure?
Humanity has historically accessed and managed water through the design and construction of “grey infrastructure” — dams, seawalls, pipes, water treatment plants and other structures to manage water. While grey infrastructure historically has revolutionized cities and the world, it has significant environmental and social costs, as well as financial ones. It is also vulnerable to the ravages of a changing climate. Green infrastructure, in contrast, harnesses natural systems such as forests, floodplains, wetlands and soils to provide the same protection in a way that is more sustainable and resilient with potentially lower costs and environmental impacts. This session presents alternatives and case studies of next-gen green infrastructure projects.

Traditionally, the goals associated with healthy buildings and energy-smart buildings have seemingly been at odds. But the urgency to decarbonize offices, factories and other structures to meet climate goals and the increased awareness of healthy indoor environments following the pandemic are creating new opportunities to make real estate portfolios cleaner and healthier at the same time. Join experts discussing how to balance comfort, health and emissions goals in commercial spaces.

Thoughtworks is on a mission to develop and accelerate the adoption of more climate-friendly software, tools, and services that generate sizable environmental dividends while optimizing cost savings for our clients. Our new open source solution, Cloud Carbon Footprint, provides the visibility to measure and monitor cloud usage data, and provides tailored recommendations to help clients take action and achieve their sustainability goals. Also hear from tech giant Atlassian on why and how they are prioritizing sustainability across their company and software teams. 

How are companies planning for and mitigating climate risk in the built environment? In this session, experts will cover how to understand the impact climate chaos may have on your facilities and how to keep the lights on through the unpredictable.

Household corporate names are experimenting with carbontech fuels and plastics

In just the past year, some of the world’s largest companies have announced plans to test packaging and chemicals made from captured carbon. These trials will be the latest steps towards an economy in which plastics, chemicals and fuels are created not from oil, but from carbon dioxide sucked from the air or captured from industrial waste streams. Leaders behind the latest trials will explain why they decided to experiment with these materials and what their companies — and the planet — stand to gain.

What does it take to scale a climate tech startup from idea to market viability in an industry that is historically difficult to decarbonize? Hear from a CEO who is tackling the transition to zero-emissions transportation through long-haul freight. ClearFlame is modifying diesel engines to use clean-burning, renewable alternative fuels to simultaneously improve performance and drastically reduce emissions for a wide range of engine applications. Learn how this company scaled from research to product development to landing initial strategic partners — all in the pursuit of the fastest path to a sustainable and clean heavy-duty transportation industry.

Healthy soils are the foundation for the future of food. Take your chance to ask questions about the latest insights and practices.

Farmers, scientists and food and agriculture companies agree that investing in soil is key to sustainable agriculture. A lot has been happening in the past years to advance best management practices and put soil to work as a carbon sequestration opportunity. What is the state of play when it comes to the potential and limit of storing carbon in soil, measuring and verifying such practices and integrating them into soil carbon and offset markets? An agronomist breaks down the most important developments and answers your questions.

Business and political leaders recognize that time is running out to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis. As U.S. corporations drive almost 60% of electricity demand, the business sector is in a unique position to have a direct bearing on the fight against climate change. As the energy transition accelerates, the time is ripe to find out how decision-makers in corporate America think about and act on renewable energy procurement. It falls to America’s energy decision-makers to accelerate the adoption of clean energy and begin to act on what needs to be done to avert the worst of a climate crisis. To begin this critical dialogue, BayWa r.e. commissioned a study to learn how business leaders approach renewable energy opportunities, barriers, goals, energy expectations and much more. In this session we discuss both the major gains that corporate renewables procurement has made in the U.S. but also the serious challenges that lie ahead.

How can innovative technologies help us meet the water demands of a growing population?
The U.S. Congress’ $35 billion Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act would allow communities with aging water lines to make long-needed upgrades. But this investment would also allow us to reimagine where our drinking water could be sourced. In this session, we explore new water trends such as atmospheric water generation, also known as zero-source water, and micro-desalination, that are helping to secure water access for future generations and allow for more remote communities to access water.

Almost all major organizations have a footprint in aviation, through commercial business travel, air freight or corporate jets. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are a key solution to reducing Scope 1 or Scope 3 emissions, both for airlines and the corporations who make use of their services. Join this panel discussion to find out how sustainable aviation fuels can play a role in corporate decarbonization strategies. The speakers on this panel include SkyNRG, Microsoft, RMI, and WWF.

While every state will have different transportation needs, they are united in their need for electrified mobility. New tech innovations usually favor cities, where scaling up can happen quickly and offer a compelling return on investment. Electrified mobility will be no different, as urgency builds to reduce congestion and air pollution in urban centers. However, focusing only on cities may impede progress to scale country-wide electrification efforts - as well as significantly impact issues of equity. Speakers in this session offer varying perspectives from the public and private sector on both urban and rural EV infrastructural development. They’ll discuss challenges, opportunities, the unique needs of urban and rural communities, and how electrification can increase connectivity between the urban and rural divide.

There is so much excitement surrounding the green hydrogen market and its potential to support the deep decarbonization of industry, transportation and electricity. But getting there is complex and many technical and economic challenges remain. Join experts to hear about the latest green hydrogen developments and opportunities.

Connect with fellow participants in the ‘Networking’ areas to learn more about leading clean economy companies and to engage in one-on-one video chats.

The clean energy revolution has launched, but it’s moving too slowly to prevent catastrophic climate disruption. Now that we know basically where we’re going, how can we get there on time? What’s the role of public policy, and what’s the role of business in effectuating policy?

Want to know the hottest trends in climate tech investing? Sophie Purdom of the Climate Tech VC newsletter, has you covered! This is your chance to learn about Sophie’s journey starting in consulting, to founding an agtech startup, writing a book along the way, to now co-leading Climate Tech VC. The newsletter has covered broad market trends related to solar, EV and carbon capture and published deep dives on corporate VCs and sustainable infrastructure. Come hear how Sophie got started in climate tech, the data behind the content, and what’s next.

Has your company set a science-based target, or started planning for you? If so, you're likely grappling with the complexities involved in integrating Scope 3 into your emissions reduction strategy. Help is at hand! Bring your questions to this session, where an expert from the Science Based Targets Initiative will help you navigate one of the thorniest challenges in the transition to net zero.

By launching a new scalable framework, 150+ organizations are collaborating to help 99 percent of U.S. agriculture get on a better path.

More and more companies across the food and agriculture industry are promising to collaborate with farmers and ranchers to scale farming practices that improve soil health, carbon capture, water use, biodiversity and equity. Many are committed to achieving results by 2030. Yet key questions remain unanswered. How should farmers be incentivized? What are the best ways to measure, verify and report soil health outcomes? What will a regenerative marketplace look like? This is why Green Brown Blue, a food accelerator directed by the Lexicon and backed by Google, brought together experts from the entire food and agriculture ecosystem over 18 months to co-create and launch REGEN1. This new model is marketplace-driven and inclusive of the entire value chain — bringing together food companies, NGOs, farmers, ranchers, government agencies, soil scientists, academics, storytellers, and supply chain experts. The creators will explain the ins and outs of their new platform and how everyone can get involved to bring its benefits to life.

The current wave of tech innovation isn’t confined to traditional hubs in Silicon Valley and New York. New opportunities for partnership and investment are growing every day in regions across the United States. In this session, you will hear from climate tech accelerators launching programs in places such as Texas, Tennessee, Florida and Maryland. This creates new opportunities for entrepreneurs and technologies that have not traditionally been able to access funding, and brings together public and private partners to support and further accelerate the transition to a clean economy.  

The deadline for net-zero is 2050, but there’s a more immediate milestone to hit first.

The science of drawdown tells us that all organizations have to achieve a 50 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 in order to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees. That’s a significant challenge for many, but help is at hand. Leaders from companies that are well advanced on their journey toward this target will share details of the technologies, strategies and partnerships that are propelling them toward a 50 percent cut by the end of the decade — if not before.

Innovators lay out the logistics and economics behind reusable packaging programs emerging across the food industry. 

The Covid-19 pandemic had a detrimental impact on hard-won improvements in the reduction of food packaging and disposable tableware. Nonetheless, circular economy warriors have continued to refine reusable packaging programs over the past year, overcoming complex economical and logistical challenges. Experts will share the important lessons to help other companies curb their waste footprint and become part of a circular future. Discover models that work, the essential steps for starting your own reusable program and what mistakes to avoid.  

Connect with fellow participants in the ‘Networking’ areas to learn more about leading clean economy companies and to engage in one-on-one video chats.

Biodiversity loss is a systemic risk threatening future food supplies and ecosystem services essential to thriving agricultural communities. Yet the focus on decarbonizing global economies often overshadows building biodiversity into sustainability strategies. Tackling this challenge, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has developed a framework that food companies can apply to design nature-positive portfolios. Gain key insights for making the case for biodiversity in your company and discover starting points in your product design processes and supply chain partnerships.

Many people are worried about autonomous vehicles displacing taxi drivers and gig economy workers alike, as we race towards automation. However, the massive increase in the production of electric cars presents an enormous opportunity for new jobs — ones providing expanded benefits and transferable skills. How are successful public-private partnerships figuring out a new model of work, and what does that look like? This session will explore different pathways to a new type of workforce environment — where people don't just service and maintain EVs, but also get skilled up for the operational jobs of tomorrow.

Making a carbon commitment for your company can be challenging. Companies need to balance the timelines and expectations of many stakeholders with their own internal processes and strategies. They also need to disclose the right data through trusted channels. In this session, experts from OneTrust will share insights on the best practices for defining climate commitments and disclosing the data behind those goals.

Join Generate Capital CEO Scott Jacobs for a discussion about how mitigating climate change doesn’t depend on the invention of new technology. In fact, we have the infrastructure solutions we need to both mitigate and adapt, we just need to invest in and deploy them at scale. If we take a multigenerational approach to infrastructure development and invest in existing technology now that will last for decades, the world will transition to a sustainable future on a much more efficient timescale.

The grid is moving from a one-way distribution system to a two-way energy network. This session will cover what you need to know about interconnections, including how to work with your utility and the future of policy. This timely conversation will help level set what you can do to take advantage of new technologies.