What is COP28 and what does it mean for my organization?

Recorded: 23 November 2023

Timing: 12:30 – 14:00 (GMT)

What’s this COP28 webinar about?

We’re now seeing record temperatures across the globe on a regular basis, and, to underline this, wildfires, floods, storms and droughts are becoming more frequent. At COP28, from 30 November, the world will once more convene to tackle climate change.

On 23 November we’re asking what that might that means for your organization. Our short lunchtime webinar will set out what you should know about the COP process; discuss this year’s key themes and their potential impact on your organization; and suggest practical steps you can take towards meeting your net zero targets.

Who should attend the COP28 webinar?

This session will be relevant to all markets and sectors including:

• built environment
• energy
• manufacturing
• agrifood
• retail
• healthcare
• finance
• transport

What will participants gain?

• a deeper grasp of the COP process and progress
• a stronger understanding of the key themes and possible implications for your business
• ideas and information on how your business can make progress towards net zero, supported by standards
• the chance to feed back your opinions and put your questions to our panel of experts
• a post-event copy of a recording of the webinar.

Agenda

12:30 - 12:35 Welcome & introduction, 

12:35 - 12:45 What is the Conference of the Parties? How did it begin, what has it achieved? 

12:45 – 12:55 What are the key themes of COP 28? 

12:55 - 13:15 What could this mean for UK organizations? 

13:15 - 13:55 Panel Q&A session and audience opinion polls

13:55 - 14:00 Closing remarks and end of the webinar

Alexis McGivern is Net Zero Standards Manager at Oxford Net Zero, working to translate academic research on net zero into actionable insights for the business sector. She works to strengthen the standards landscape to improve the integrity of net zero, including through addressing justice and equity concerns of net zero.

Alexis previously completed a dual degree as a Pershing Square Scholar at the University of Oxford, undertaking an MPhil at the School of Geography and the Environment. Her MPhil looked at the politics of waste incineration and the communities who are resisting the installation of new incinerators in the UK. She also completed an MBA at the Saïd Business School to understand the language and motivations of businesses to create long-lasting change across the stakeholders needed to address the climate emergency.

Ira is a Research Assistant in the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group and a member of the Transition Plan Taskforce Secretariat. Her research interest lies in understanding how financial policy can ensure that private finance scales up investment in activities that support the post-carbon transition.

Prior to joining Oxford, Ira worked in the Green Economy Transition team of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, where her work focused on developing methodologies to assess the green transition impact of projects. Ira holds an MPhil. in Environmental Policy (with distinction) from Cambridge University, an MSc. (with distinction) in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a BSc. In International Business and Politics from Copenhagen Business School. 

Martin works in the UK and internationally to support the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and sustainable economy.

Martin leads IEMA’s policy and external engagement activity with government and business. A strategic thinker with the capability to lead and influence others, he has national and international experience in developing and negotiating global and European standards and developing capacity for effective and widespread implementation. Martin is head of the UK delegation to the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) on environmental management and chairs the ISO environmental management systems committee of ~100 countries.

Martin has experience in networking and communicating at all levels – including with senior parliamentarians, Government officials, business leaders and academia. He is an acknowledged expert on environmental management and a regular spokesperson on corporate sustainability.

Martin is a Board member of IEMA and the Society for the Environment (SocEnv).

Scott joined BSI in January 2012 and was appointed to the Board in October 2012.  An engineer by profession, he started his career as a Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Cambridge before moving to industry where he spent over 20 years as a consultant working in the Built Environment sector. He was a Non-Executive Board Member of the Port of London Authority from 2009 to 2015 and served as Vice-President (Policy) for the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) from 2013 to 2017 and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) from 2017 to 2021.

This event contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.