The Paris Agreement marked the beginning of a new era in policymaking — one aimed at transforming our global economic model from dependence on fossil fuels to a net zero, climate-resilient, and sustainable future.
Nearly a decade later, policy development — accelerating markedly over the past five years — has produced a wide range of measures targeting companies and financial institutions to support their transition efforts.
This event will explore how these policies are taking shape, from the emergence of key tools across the G20 and beyond — such as transition plans and target setting, taxonomies of sustainable economic activities, disclosure requirements, and scenario analysis in prudential regulation — to real economy measures like carbon pricing and public procurement frameworks that directly influence corporate and financial transitions.
Participants will discuss the effectiveness, integrity, and credibility of these policy frameworks, examining how they shape companies’ and financial institutions’ transition plans and strategies. The debate will focus on the role of carbon markets, transition planning, resilience and nature-based policies, just transition approaches, taxonomies, and scenario analysis — and how these tools can work together to turn ambition into tangible results.
Objectives
- Examine the evolution, diversity, and effectiveness of national, regional and state-level policy frameworks developed since the Paris Agreement to guide companies and financial institutions in their transitions toward net zero.
- Assess key policy tools — including carbon markets, transition plans, taxonomies, disclosure requirements, and scenario analysis — in driving real-economy decarbonisation and mobilising capital toward sustainable investments
- Explore pathways to strengthen policy coherence and alignment between financial and real-economy measures, as well as across jurisdictions for cross-border transactions, ensuring that net zero ambition translates into tangible, system-wide results.
Moderator
Helena Viñes. Commissioner of the Spanish Financial Markets Authority and Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Net Zero Policy.
Speakers
- Mathilde Mesnard. Deputy Director for the Environment OECD.
- Dr. Ma Jun. Chairman, China Green Finance Committee. Chairman, Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI) / China
- Diana Acconcia. Director for International Affairs and Climate / European Commission.
- Isabela Maia Damaso. Head of Sustainability and International Portfolio Investors Unit, Central Bank of Brazil / Brazil
- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. US Senator for Rhode Island / US