- With the biggest climate conference event over, it is needful to understand the link between lives and livelihood. Hearing the discussions in the $24 trillion dollar room on ecological entrepreneurship.
By Professor Chris Imafidon – It was a pleasure to join global business leaders and industry heavyweights in the UK with Prime Minister Johnson – who discussed the new green economy. At the UK’s Global Investment Summit organised by the Department for International Trade has announced, it was clear that environmental stewardship can also make economic sense. But International consultant, Ms Terhas Hagos, (of Eritrean extraction) a Member of African Group Negotiator for Climate change under the UNFCC said during #Cop26 that “war is more destructive than CO2 and has negative impact on vegetation, biodiversity, livelihood and humanity at large”… Picture shows Ms Hagos in conversation with President Joe Biden
Ahead of COP26, the British government hosted a global investment summit to generate interest in the new green economy. It wanted to push a strong economic case for pursing greener products and services. In main hall of the summit, the combined net worth of the delegates in the room was over USD $24 trillion.
Speakers at the Summit included GlaxoSmithKline CEO Dame Emma Walmsley, who discussed the UK’s leading role in life sciences.
ECOLOGY Vs ECONOMY
Levelling up and attracting greener and more sustainable investment was also on the agenda, which saw the Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, NatWest Group plc CEO Alison Rose, Metro Mayors and Macquarie Group CEO Shemara Wikramanayake taking part in discussions about the opportunities for greener investment up and down the country. The UK’s expertise in generating tech unicorns was also discussed in a conversation with Poppy Gustafsson, CEO of Darktrace plc.
Director-General World Trade Organisation Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan addressed trade and investment’s role in shaping a more sustainable future for all, while Foreign Secretary Liz Truss addressed delegates to close the summit.
The Summit brought together investors from priority markets all around the world, with some 87% of attendees hailing from outside the UK, including 32% from the US and 11% from CPTPP nations.
Accenture, the global professional services company that specialises in strategy, consulting and technology services, has also been announced as the latest sponsor for the summit. The firm has pledged to create both financial value and sustainable impact through technology, with a goal to deliver net-zero by 2025, a 1.5 degree science-based-target and 100% renewable electricity by 2023.
CLEANER ENERGY
Ahead of the Summit, International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:
We welcome our latest sponsor Accenture, and our speakers who represent the innovation, agility and forward-thinking that sets the UK business community apart, making us the best place to start and grow a business.
These titans of enterprise showcase how the UK is using investment to cement itself as a science and tech superpower, and a pioneer of green technology ahead of COP26.
Dambisa Moyo, Global Economist, co-principal Versaca Investments, was master of ceremonies for the summit and highlighted the role of the summit in driving investment into the UK:
Investment – particularly, smart investment in climate action – will, no doubt, play a critical role in supporting economic growth, enhancing living standards, and driving human progress around the world.
As the world economy emerges from the ravages of the global pandemic, the Global Investment Summit brought together many of the world’s most important CEOs, business leaders, and investors with the explicit goal to find and fund climate action.
I am delighted to participate in this gathering, and these concerted efforts to deliver solutions to one of the greatest challenges our lifetime.
SUSTAINABILITY
Peter Lacy, Accenture’s global Sustainability Services lead and chief responsibility officer, said:
Accenture partnered with the UK Government on the Global Investment Summit and help shine a spotlight on the many exciting opportunities in the UK. With COP26……, the UK is in a unique position to not just lead the global conversation, but also the action and innovation needed on climate change.
Time is rapidly running out to deliver on our collective climate change commitments, but it is not too late to deliver the 50% decarbonisation required by 2030, and net-zero by 2050. So it is critical that events such as this take place to drive investment that will allow business to do what it does best – which is to compete in a race to the top by innovating new markets, products, and services that deliver for shareholders and stakeholders.
The role of green finance was discussed with Group CEO of Aviva Amanda Blanc, BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink, JP Morgan Chase & Co Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon and Barclays CEO Jes Staley.
The Summit was two weeks ahead of COP26 and convened global business leaders – and crucial partners in achieving Net Zero globally – to look at green growth and highlight the significant inward investment opportunities in the UK in support of the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan.
TALK LEADERS
Speakers at the summit were:
• Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson
• DIT Secretary of State, Anne-Marie Trevelyan
• BEIS Secretary of State, Kwasi Kwarteng
• Minister for Investment, Lord Gerry Grimstone
• COP26 President, Alok Sharma
• Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss
• Dr Dambisa Moyo, Co-Principal of Versaca Investments, Global Economist, Author & Board Member
• Dame Kate Bingham, Managing Partner, SV Health Investors
• Sir Richard Sykes, Chair, Vaccine Taskforce
• Dame Emma Walmsley, CEO, GlaxoSmithKline
• Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organisation
• Avinash Rugoobur, President, Arrival
• Poppy Gustafsson, CEO, Darktrace plc
• Nigel Toon, CEO and Co-Founder, Graphcore
• Dame Vivian Hunt, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
• Hannah Jones, CEO, Earthshot Prize, The Royal Foundation
• Stephen Fitzpatrick, CEO and Founder, Vertical Aerospace & Founder, OVO
• Alison Rose, Group CEO, NatWest Group
• Chris Grigg CBE, Chair, UK Infrastructure Bank
• Shemara Wikramanayake, CEO, Macquarie Group
• Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, CEO, Green Finance Institute
• Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO and Co-Founder, Klarna
• Larry Fink, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Blackrock
• Steve Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder, Blackstone
• Jes Staley, Group CEO, Barclays
• Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co
• Amanda Blanc, Group CEO, Aviva
Professor Chris Imafidon a multi-Guinness World record holder; internationally renowned adviser to monarchs, governments, presidents and corporate leaders; Mentor to multi-millionaire tech entrepreneurs & many world record holders. His research and innovation have been recognised internationally, winning multiple awards in many continents across multiple disciplines and his mentees are global leaders in pioneers. He is a WallStreet Journal Best seller, Mentor to New York Times Bestellers and a Sunday Times Op-ed author. He is a 5X international best selling author. [Twitter @ChrisImafidon; Instagram @CoImafidon; Facebook/Linkedln –Professor Chris Imafidon and Clubhouse]
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