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Industry Decarbonization: the next decade

To meet the Paris Agreement goals, we must cut emissions from heavy industries (30 percent of global emissions), but steel, cement, and chemicals (the top emitters) are also the hardest to decarbonize.

At this Climate Week NYC event, government, industry, and youth leaders will share insights and demonstrate leadership while addressing the challenges issued by the UN Secretary-General at the Climate Ambition Summit: to raise ambition, ensure credibility, and achieve implementation globally.

They will discuss:

  • The urgent need for heightened ambition in industry decarbonization.
  • Developments over the past five years and anticipated challenges for the coming five.
  • The credibility of corporate strategies and plans.
  • Implementation partnerships, financial strategies, and related policies required to achieve near-zero emissions in heavy industry sectors and a globally just transition.
  • Policy innovations and collaborations that are expected to drive significant decarbonization by 2035.

Event speakers:

  • Beniamin Strzelecki, UN Secretary General’s Youth Advisor on Climate Change
  • Sigrun Rawet, Deputy Director General, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden
  • Mahendra Shunmoogam, Director, International Trade Policy, Dept. of Trade and Industry, Government of the Republic of South Africa
  • Martin Pei, Executive Vice President and CTO, SSAB
  • Cori Petersen, Chief People and Sustainability Officer, FLSmidth
  • Cédric de Meeus, Group Head, Sustainability, Holcim
  • Annika Ramsköld, CSO Vattenfall
  • Jennie Cato, Global Director for Public Affairs & Partnerships, Scania
  • Karin Svensson, Chief Sustainability Officer, Volvo Group
  • Tom Rollason, Private Sector Engagement Officer, Breakthrough Energy, Mission Innovation
  • Amarinda Bazeley, Head of International Buildings and Industry, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, UK

The Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) has brought the issue of decarbonizing emission-intensive industries to the forefront of the global agenda since its launch by Sweden and India at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit.

Program

14:30

Registration and coffee

15:00

Welcome keynote: Sigrun Rawet, Deputy Director General, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden

15:10

A critical decade: Beniamin Strzelecki, Youth Advisor on Climate Change to the UN Secretary-General

15:20

Leadership panel: Steel and transport

Recent progress in low-carbon comes mainly from off-take agreements. Adjusting national and global policy and regulatory frameworks along with support for energy-intensive industries in emerging economies, is key to continuing decarbonization and creating sustainable global value chains.

  • Martin Pei, Executive Vice President and CTO, SSAB
  • Karin Svensson, Chief Sustainability Officer, Volvo Group
  • Mahendra Shunmoogam, Director, International Trade Policy, Dept. of Trade and Industry, Government of the Republic of South Africa

15:45

Q&A

15:50

Leadership Panel: Fossil-Free Energy

Leading companies have demonstrated the feasibility of decarbonizing industries such as steel, cement, and heavy transport. The emphasis now is on scaling these projects commercially, which involves intensified efforts to decarbonize energy, grids, and infrastructure.

  • Tom Rollason, Private Sector Engagement Officer, Breakthrough Energy, Mission Innovation
  • Annika Ramsköld, CSO Vattenfall
  • Jennie Cato, Global Director for Public Affairs & Partnerships, Scania

16:15

Q&A

16:20

Leadership Panel: Cement and Concrete

While a growing number of carbon capture projects are being launched, continued attention is needed on the immediate potential of material efficiency in driving decarbonization. Both public and private actors can also play an incentivizing role in reducing the green premium of low-carbon cement. 

  • Amarinda Bazeley, Head of International Buildings and Industry, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, UK
  • Cédric de Meeus, Group Head, Sustainability, Holcim
  • Cori Petersen, Chief People and Sustainability Officer, FLSmidth

16:45

Q&A

16:50

Closing remark: LeadIT Secretariat

Practical information

Date

18 September 2023

Time

3:00 PM

- 5:00 PM

Venue

Gateway - The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, 900 Third Avenue, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10022