The 2023 BNP Paribas Sustainable Future Forum took place in 16 countries across several weeks throughout September and October.
The events welcomed over 1,800 participants from corporate and institutional organisations, regulators and investors, research and academia, and our own BNP Paribas sustainability experts.
This community of ESG leaders across sectors and regions delivered their insights and discussed perspectives across a broad range of topics, including clean energy technologies, biodiversity and water risks, scope 3 emissions and AI, with the shared commitment of driving collective action towards a net-zero and sustainable future.
View the selection of video replays of these events available below.
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Check the replays by geography
Paris
Keynote | Yannick Jung
Welcome opening keynote by Yannick Jung, Head of Global Banking, BNP Paribas CIB.
European Decarbonisation Lens
European Decarbonisation Lens
With the latest decarbonisation developments in Europe focussed on accelerating renewables with industrial policy, channelling capital to transition technologies, and tackling carbon emissions through CBAM regulation, what are the challenges and opportunities across corporates and investors?
Speakers:
- Martin Brough, Co-Head of ESG Research, BNP Paribas Exane
- Mathilde Ketoff, Head of Debt Investment, RGREEN INVEST
- Xavier Barbaro, Chairman and CEO, Neoen
Moderated by: Trevor Allen, Head of Sustainability Research, Markets 360, BNP Paribas
How is End-investor Demand and Regulation Shaping Sustainable Investing
Sustainable investing and ESG are being defined by end-investor demand and ESG regulations. This is determining the portfolio weight by sector and how companies are assessed. The panel will discuss how this is changing and impacting investment decisions.
Keynote intro by: Marie-Gwenhaelle Geffroy, Global Head of Sustainability and Private Capital Practice, Financial Institutions Coverage, BNP Paribas
Speakers:
- Elise Attal, Head of EU and UK Policy, PRI
- Jean-Philippe Desmartin, Head of Responsible Investment, Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management
- Patrick Simion, Change Management, CEO Chief of Staff and Public Affairs, BNP Paribas Asset Management
Moderated by: Laurie Fitzjohn-Sykes, Co-Head of ESG Research, BNP Paribas Exane
Tackling the European Water Crisis and Addressing Physical Climate Risk
By 2025 globally, more than 1.8 billion people will be living in conditions of absolute water stress and experts predict that France will face challenges from 40% less water in coming years. Adapting business models and driving investment to manage this physical climate risk requires multiple sectors to address water management, and technology developments. Our panellists share insights into how they’re leading the way.
Speakers:
- Jean-Pierre Maugendre, Nature & Biodiversity Vice-President, Veolia
- Juliette Lassman, Policy Analyst, Water Governance and Circular Economy, OECD
- Sophie Flak, Member of Eurazeo Executive Board, Managing Partner – ESG & Digital, Eurazeo
Moderated by: Sumati Semavoine-Jain, Sustainability Research, BNP Paribas
How can AI Accelerate the Climate Action Agenda
AI has been touted as a silver bullet to many problems. It offers us the compelling opportunity to do more with less, by enabling us to take complex actions rapidly and at scale. How can we harness the power of AI to address the climate crisis?
Speakers:
- Gareth Jones, Director of Operations, Centre for Net Zero (Octopus Energy Group)
- Marie d’Argentré, Head of CIB ESG Data & Transformation, BNP Paribas CIB
Moderated by: Sarisher Mann, Global Head of Sustainable Finance Marketing & Communications, BNP Paribas CIB
Tackling Scope 3 Through Supply Chain
Are supply chains the key to addressing scope 3 emissions? How could harnessing circularity, data assessment and broader supplier engagement tackle this critical challenge in the coming years?
Speakers:
- Agnes Gourc, Head of Sustainability Capital Markets, BNP Paribas
- Antoine Bateman, Sustainability Senior Manager and Climate Expert, Ardian
- Domingos Antunes, Group Head of Treasury, Decathlon
- Mehdy Sueur, Group Chief Financial Officer for Environment, Decathlon
- Sylvain Guyoton, Chief Rating Officer, Ecovadis
Moderated by: Delphine Queniart, Head of Sustainable Finance Client Engagement for Global Markets, BNP Paribas
Keynote | Constance Chalchat
Closing remarks by Constance Chalchat, Head of CIB Company Engagement & Global Markets Chief Sustainability Officer, BNP Paribas
London
Keynote | Craig Leeson
Craig Leeson, award winning film maker of ‘A Plastic Ocean’ and ‘The Last Glaciers’, shares his insights and experiences on ESG.
Opening remarks by Emmanuelle Bury, UK Country Head, BNP Paribas
Catalysts For The UK Clean Energy Revolution
With the UK government targeting 100% renewables by 2035, massively scaling up clean energy is a priority across the country, with value opportunities in all sectors. What will catalyze the clean energy revolution to plug the current gap in the UK, and which technologies are at the forefront of this movement in the power generation and hard to abate space? Is policy helping, which barriers need to be overcome, and what financing approaches will drive private capital into the low carbon energy transition?
Speakers:
- Lucy Yu, CEO, Centre for Net Zero, Octopus
- Martin Brough, Co-Head of ESG Research, BNP Paribas Exane
- Richard Crawford, Head of InfraRed’s Energy Income Funds, Investment Manager at TRIG
Moderated by: Marie-Gwenhaelle Geffroy, Global Head of ESG, Sustainability and Private Capital Practice, BNP Paribas
The Scope 3 Emissions Mountain
For most companies, Scope 3 is the biggest mountain to climb when it comes to achieving net zero. Addressing supply chain emissions can be hard, and our panel will share practical perspectives on how they are tackling the Scope 3 challenge across sectors, and levers across finance and investment.
Speakers:
- Chris Dearing, Group Sustainability Director, Coats
- James Chamberlayne, Director, Sustainable Finance Programme, Carbon Disclosure Project
- Katie House, Director, Global Credit Research – Sustainability, MetLife
Moderated by: Laetitia Girolami-Boyer, Sustainability Officer, Global Banking EMEA, BNP Paribas
Hydrogen Value Chain: Opportunities & Challenges
The UK is targeting £4bn of hydrogen investment by 2030, and the US and Europe have significantly ramped up investment in hydrogen as a transition energy vector. What is needed to de-risk this technology across the value chain? How will the hydrogen roadmap develop in the UK and beyond, which sectors are set to benefit and what do successful pilot projects look like? BNP Paribas Asset Management and the Low Carbon Transition Group will speak about the potential opportunities ahead in the space.
Speakers:
- Edward Lees, Co-CIO Environmental Strategies Group, BNP Paribas Asset Management
- Mark Muldowney, Managing Director, Low Carbon Transition Group, BNP Paribas
Moderated by: Sarisher Mann, Global Head of Sustainable Finance Communications & Marketing, BNP Paribas CIB
Surfing the Biodiversity Wave: Data & Supply Chain Engagement
Data will be the driving force that transforms biodiversity challenges into tangible investment and business opportunities in the next few years and facilitates investor engagement on nature loss. Following the release of the latest TNFD guidance (likely due in late-September), the panel assess which data will be needed, and what are companies and investors already doing to revolutionize biodiversity monitoring.
Does eDNA have the power to help decision makers address the dual priorities of nature and net zero? Our expert corporate, investor and scientific panel will share practical perspectives on other tools being used to improve nature protection and investment, particularly engagement.
Speakers:
- Donna Lyndsay, Strategic Market Lead for Environment & Sustainability, Ordnance Survey
- Laura Plant, Business Development Director, NatureMetrics
- Rachel Crossley, Head of Stewardship, Europe, BNP Paribas Asset Management
Moderated by Sumati Semavoine-Jain, Sustainability Research Analyst, Markets 360, BNP Paribas
Sustainability Leadership
Fireside Chat on leadership in sustainability space.
Speakers:
- Anne-Marie Verstraeten, Vice Chair United Kingdom, BNP Paribas
- Jenn-Hui Tan, Chief Sustainability Officer, Fidelity International
ESG standard-setting
Fireside chat between Richard Barker, Board Member, ISSB & Laurie Fitzjohn-Sykes, Co-Head of ESG Research, BNP Paribas Exane on setting the ESG standard.
Speakers:
- Richard Barker, Board Member, ISSB
- Laurie Fitzjohn-Sykes, Co-Head of ESG Research, BNP Paribas Exane
Sustainable Finance: 2023 Reality Check & Outlook Ahead
The panel shares insights on sustainable finance investment approaches and practical tips, insights into investor engagement, and a view on regulation and disclosure pressures facing corporates and investors.
Speakers:
- Agnes Gourc, Co-Head of Sustainable Finance Markets, BNP Paribas
- Franck Rizzoli, Head of ESG Financing and Advisory, BNP Paribas
- Natasha Page, Director of Fixed Income ESG, Janus Henderson
Moderated by: Tessa Walsh, Green/ESG Financing Editor, IFR/London Stock Exchange
Frankfurt
Climate change and biodiversity do not compete, they complement each other
Speaker:
- Eva Meyer, Chief Sustainable Officer & Member of the Group Management Board Germany
Biodiversity – our global economy and the “library of life“ are closely related
Speaker:
- Prof. Dr. Klement Tockner, Generaldirektor SENCKENBERG Gesellschaft für Naturforschung
More investors should adopt and push forward biodiversity roadmaps
Speaker:
- Hagen Schremmer, CEO BNP Paribas Asset Management Germany
Zurich
ESG landscape, trends, and implementation of ESG strategies
Speakers:
- Franck Rizzoli, Head of ESG Financing and Advisory, BNP Paribas
- Alicia Argüello, Head of Sustainability, Hitachi Energy Ltd
ESG Financial Market: outlook, trends, regulation
Roundtable ‘ESG Financial Market: outlook, trends, regulation’
Speakers:
- Loïc Grenier, Head of ESG for CIB, Switzerland, BNP Paribas
- Franck Rizzoli, Head of ESG Financing and Advisory, BNP Paribas
Seoul
Highlights from Seoul
Sustainable Future Forum 2023
Highlights from Sustainable Future Forum 2023 in Seoul.
Shanghai
Highlights from Shangai
Sustainable Future Forum 2023
Highlights from Sustainable Future Forum 2023 in Shanghai.
Tokyo
Highlights from Tokyo
Sustainable Future Forum 2023
Highlights from Sustainable Future Forum 2023 in Tokyo.