Leading up to 2020, the climate world and much of progressive business had this year to be a landmark year for setting climate commitments that would close the ambition gap to achieve net zero emissions and keep the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement within reach. As the crucial year by which governments are expected to announce revised climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, 2020 is a crucial year for cementing the resilience of the UN Climate Change process.

Despite the impacts of COVID-19, leading companies and many governments understand that to build back better for a more sustainable future will require investing in low carbon solutions that will create jobs and growth and reduce climate change impacts on the health of people and planet. This virtual event will convene leading businesses from a wide range of sectors and geographies to highlight the major policy enablers needed to accelerate the transition towards a net-zero future.

The event will support other major initiatives and events taking place during the Climate Week, including, in particular, the Race to Zero campaign, and the Business Climate Leadership Now event by the We Mean Business coalition.

It will represent a call to action to governments, industry peers and other key stakeholders to align actions with net zero ambition and the 1.5°C of the Paris Agreement. Representatives from key business sectors will deliver interventions on concrete policy actions needed to drive the global markets and shift investments towards low carbon solutions and support companies in advancing their climate journey to achieve net zero emissions.

The headline policy focus of the session will include:

• Carbon Pricing
• Developing markets to support Natural Climate Solutions
• Delivering Finance for Climate Ambition and the role of TCFD
• Defining Net Zero for business and action to tackle Scope 3 emissions
• Innovative policies to scale up investment and deployment of low-carbon electricity