GLOBE Forum will be a turning point in the conversation about the clean economy.

Thought leaders from the public and private sectors will challenge and inspire us across five key themes: Climate Crisis, Sustainability as Strategy, Energy Transformation, Circular Economy, and Mobilizing Capital.

GLOBE 2020 will also be where we turn talk into action: our program is geared toward generating impact, action and outcomes — for you, for your business and for the planet.

 

Our Guiding Principles

LEARN: Get the information and inspiration you need to adapt to a changing world.

CONNECT: Meet the people who can help you achieve your goals.

ADVANCE: Grow your career and your business.

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A Tale of Time Frames: Opportunities and Challenges in the CCUS Ecosystem

  • Energy Transformation
Major international bodies, including the IEA and IPCC, acknowledge much of the world will not be able to meet their emissions reduction targets without carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). These technologies are often seen as a stepping-stone in the path to decarbonization. Extrapolating the role of CCUS over the upcoming ­­­­­several decades, this dialogue will answer challenging questions in this dynamic space:
  • What's in the CCUS pipeline in Canada and abroad in between now and 2030? 
  • Who should be doing what to facilitate advancement and uptake of the technologies once they are viable at large scale? 
  • Looking beyond, what are the long-term challenges (technical, market, financing) for CCUS technologies in an increasingly decarbonized world? 

Achieving a Just Transition in the Climate Crisis: Who, What, and How?

  • Climate Crisis
  • Energy Transformation
An increasing number of actors, Canadian and international, are reaffirming their commitment to meeting the Paris Agreement, focusing on an inclusive approach to climate action and the economy. Join us in a working dialogue as we bring together leaders in labour force transitions from around the world to share their experiences, learn from one another, and ask the hard questions about how we continue to build inclusivity into climate action.
  • What does the just transition mean? Where did it come from?
  • What the common features of just transition programs around the world? What are best practices and what are common mistakes?
  • What are the gaps in existing programs and are there still new approaches needed to be brought into these programs?
  • How are the roles of industry, government and civil society changing with the evolving landscape?

Autonomous, Shared, Connected and Electric Mobility: Big Opportunities, Big Challenges

  • Climate Crisis
  • Energy Transformation
Ridesharing has arrived in Vancouver and automation is sweeping across mobility at large. Shared scooters and bikes line the streets of many major international cities, pointing toward a clean mobility future. As ease of access increases rapidly, we consider the marked obstacles in this space:
  • Will an increase in convenient and accessible shared mobility (electric scooters, for example) really lead us to a lower-emissions future?
  • How do we build and refit infrastructure in cities appropriate for these means of transportation?
  • How can we transition with equity and inclusion in mind?
  • What are the avenues to overcome barriers standing in the way of scale-up?

Checking In: Progress and Prospects on the TCFD Recommendations

  • Climate Crisis
  • Sustainability as Strategy
  • Mobilizing Capital
In light of the FSB Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) efforts, we explore how these recommendations have impacted corporate performance in disclosing climate risks and setting forward-looking targets. This enlivened debate will bring together asset owners and corporate players to share perspectives on implementing TCFD recommendations in a quest to turn the dial on increased transparency.  
  • What successes, failures, and barriers are we seeing from TCFD recommendation integration across industries?   
  • Where and why are there gaps between the recommendations and what we are witnessing on the ground from finance and industry?  
  • Is disclosure driving industry to prioritize projects and investments that have lower climate risk?  
  • Given corporate tendency to adhere to selective TCFD parameters, is increased commitment to guidelines the answer or are alternate measures and regulatory reform required to ensure companies set and disclose comprehensive, long-term climate targets?  
  • Will uptake facilitate the necessary changes to ensure we stay below 2 degrees? 

Circularity and Plastics: Collaborating Across the Value Chain

  • Circular Economy
Achieving a circular plastics economy in Canada – wherein plastics never become waste – requires strong dialogue, commitment, action, and innovation across the packaging value chain. This workshop will bring together key stakeholders from upstream manufacturers and producers to downstream brands, retailers and consumers, alongside government, NGOs and academia to tackle important questions, including: 
  • What are the largest barriers plaguing actors across the value chain and how can these be overcome?  
  • What are the most promising alternatives to single-use plastic out there and how can these be fostered? 
  • What is the role of government (of all levels) and how will the federally-proposed single-use plastic ban impact direction in Canada? 

Climate Change on Trial: Youth Advocacy, Litigation & Innovative Industry Responses

  • Climate Crisis
Recognizing the enveloping climate crisis as an imperative challenge and defining issue of our lifetime, we explore litigation as an emerging tool to affect policy change for those at the forefront of ardent climate action. Hear the state of play from compelling youth advocates who will join in a dynamic conversation alongside those they seek to influence – today’s government and business leaders.
  • Can recognizing the rights of young people and future generations spur climate action?
  • How are youth strikes, advocacy and litigation driving innovative industry and government responses?
  • What are the implications of climate change lawsuits for your business?

Closing the Loop with Circular Cities

  • Climate Crisis
  • Circular Economy
A circular economy is the solution to the climate crisis. Responsible for three quarters of economic activity and greenhouse gas emissions, cities have the power to create a low-carbon circular economy. City leaders are already taking practical steps to boost car-sharing, modular energy efficient building, the sustainable management of organic waste streams, while exploring new models of consumption to reduce emissions that create new jobs and strengthen industries and competitiveness. Making more efficient use of energy, materials and assets puts cities in the driver’s seat in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Step up your city’s circular game as we discuss:
  • What encouraging examples are we seeing across the globe from cities transitioning toward smarter and more sustainable urban solutions?
  • How can private and public stakeholders collaborate and what are the barriers for integrated action amongst industry and solution providers to ensure cities are safer, more sustainable and better connected?

Creating Courageous, Competent Boards: Communicating New Risks and Expectations

  • Sustainability as Strategy
  • Mobilizing Capital
We live in changing times with shifting expectations for companies and boards of directors. Dissatisfied with business as usual, many stakeholders are expecting change to come from the top. A change that will require a dynamic skillset, mindset and commitment from the boardroom. Key considerations surround what boards should do to ensure they and the businesses they serve are fit for the future. Join executive leaders in panel and workshop to explore:
  • How are mega-trends, including geopolitical issues, environmental concerns and human values, impacting expectations for businesses, investors and boards?
  • How are emerging business models such as the circular economy, sharing economy, gig economy and future of work disrupting business as usual?
  • What are the different views and understandings of fiduciary duty and how is this being reshaped in the 21st century?
  • What is the role for sustainability professionals to support board leadership?

Debate: Global Growth – good, bad, or sustainable?

  • Climate Crisis
  • Sustainability as Strategy
  • Mobilizing Capital
It's 2020 - can we finally confront the challenges inherent in capitalism? Speaking to the essence of sustainability in our modern age, don’t miss GLOBE’s pivotal debate on what growth means today.  Economics 101 tells us that growth is essential for a system to thrive, as do the billions of people living in poverty. Yet, there is little doubt the over consumption this system produces only perpetuates global environmental crises. Will propositions for 'green growth' and 'degrowth' as alternatives offer a better path? Where does 'climate capitalism' fit. Join us for an existential reality check:
  • Is there such a thing as sustainable growth, what does it look like and how do we measure it? 
  • What opportunities for 'good' growth are being borne of the climate crisis?   
  • What approaches are delivering a win-win outcome - the circular economy, a Green New Deal…?  
  • What is the role of the GLOBE community in providing answers and a road map for 'sustainable growth'?

Debate: The Energy Panacea?

  • Energy Transformation
As universal energy demands rise alongside escalating climate concerns, active pursuit of the clean energy transformation has begun. Despite well-intentioned policy initiatives, significant investment in renewables and rapidly growing awareness of the perils posed by climate change, we are yet to witness a meaningful shift in the global energy nor are we anywhere close to achieving the Paris commitments. Ready your organization for the imminent energy landscape as those at the vanguard debate what an ideal energy scenario entails if we are to evade the threshold of potential catastrophe.
  • What are optimum energy road maps and why aren’t we seeing noticeable progress?
  • What are the prospects for continued or expanded use of nuclear as part of a clean energy portfolio?
  • How can the energy industry transition quickly enough to make a difference given the alarming speed of climate change?
  • How can your organization navigate such a fundamental transformation?

Digital Innovations Enabling Tomorrow’s Cities Today

  • Energy Transformation
Expectations soar for an efficient, reliable electricity outlook for tomorrow’s cities. As we navigate the complexity of the technologies making our cities more resilient, connected and lower-carbon, key industry players are stepping up to unite and fortify the system with leading-edge digital solutions. Join energy industry luminaries to tackle some of the formidable questions in the way of a smarter, cleaner urban future.
  • What technologies and digital tools are allowing us to create smarter buildings and more resilient, lower carbon cities?
  • How much can be electrified now and what needs to shift in order to get there?
  • What factors influence the speed at which technologies are impacting our cities?
  • How are corporations and government preparing for infrastructure renewal and refurbishment?

ESG Today and Tomorrow: Overcoming Challenges and Preparing for What’s Next

  • Sustainability as Strategy
As the demand for ESG information rises and investor coalitions continue to grow, issuers need to consider how they’ll prioritize their engagements with investors. Investors increasingly desire standardized ESG information to help inform their decisions. However, many corporates release ESG information that is immaterial, unorganized, and developed using different reporting frameworks. To combat this confusion, investors are starting to develop proprietary models to evaluate ESG information. What’s more, it’s been shown that companies that disclose performance metrics on their material ESG issues are the ones generating the greatest returns, showing there are real benefits to prioritising ESG. Join us to workshop these issues from both corporate and investor angles as we ask:
  • How can companies best engage investors directly in order to own the information that is going out to the marketplace about them?
  • Are investors getting what they need from corporations?
  • How does ESG integration lead to better financial performance?

Heavy Industry: Doubling Down on Climate Friendly Investments

  • Climate Crisis
  • Energy Transformation
  • Mobilizing Capital
As the world hastens to address GHG emissions contributing to our perilous climate crisis, investment flows will continue to be a focus of considerable attention. While clean energy and autonomous vehicles are capturing much of the attention, there is a substantial role for heavy industry to play as investment in this sector will have a sizeable impact. Hear from those at the forefront of climate smart investment regarding the capital flow needed to target these intensive sectors. 
  • What are the factors driving investment and where are these trends heading long term? 
  • Why are investors betting on innovation and scale of adoption and is this approach opportune? 
  • What promising mega innovation projects are drawing attention in this space? 

Inspiring a Canadian Moonshot to a Circular Economy

  • Sustainability as Strategy
  • Circular Economy
Canadian companies large and small are rethinking their business strategies to enable circularity in their supply chains. But the road to success is often long, winding and littered with challenges. In this conversation with Canada’s ‘first-movers’ we ask:
  • What does a corporate commitment to the circular economy really look like and what are innovative organizations in this realm doing to push the envelope?
  • Which industries are excelling in closing the loop, how have they approached change management and what do others need to succeed?
  • How can circularity align with customer demand?
  • How can challenges, such as adulteration, logistics, traceability and increased costs in the value chain be overcome?

Moving Goods in the Clean Economy: Utilizing Systems Thinking to Reduce Transportation Emissions

  • Climate Crisis
  • Sustainability as Strategy
  • Energy Transformation
Effective, multi-modal and collaborative transportation systems are needed to reduce energy consumption and drive cost savings internationally. However, logistics encompasses a whopping 10% of global CO2 emissions, freight is expected to triple globally by 2050, and the transportation system is simply not optimized for GHG reduction. We need solutions. To spark collaborative action, we ask:
  • How can our freight transportation system be better optimized to reduce GHG emissions while remaining economic?
  •  What is the role of modal shift vs. making individual modes (e.g. marine, rail, trucking etc.) less GHG intensive, and what might this look like in the future given changing technology and fuel costs?
  • What are the opportunities and barriers for collaboration between the marine, rail, aviation and trucking sectors? 
  • What innovations and solutions are helping key stakeholders reduce emissions despite these barriers? 

Nature as a Solution: Discover the Benefits for Your Business

  • Climate Crisis
  • Sustainability as Strategy
Nature-based solutions play a vital role in decarbonisation, establishing climate resilient societies, creating jobs and addressing biodiversity crises. For industry, these holistic and cost-effective solutions represent an emerging opportunity to complement and amplify traditional CSR initiatives. Join leaders from business and civil society to unearth:
  • How can your corporate sustainability shift to address the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity using nature as a solution?
  • Restore. Fund. - How can innovative partnerships in the space enable your business to manage risk and future proof growth?
  • How can barriers to implementation be  overcome to ensure nature applied as a solution reaches its full potential for reducing risk for your business or industry?

Scaling the Blue Economy: Ocean Project Financing

  • Mobilizing Capital
Numerous reports have highlighted the challenges that Oceans and Seas face from pollution to climate change to over exploitation. Despite representing two thirds of the planet’s surface oceans are only beginning to become a focus for project financing. This panel will explore the emergent area of financing mechanisms for ocean and coastal zones and potential for deployment and why this topic should be on every financial institution’s radar. We address:
  • What examples exist that point to innovative financing mechanisms and best practices for the blue economy?
  • Who are the key players and what role do their respective financing mechanisms play in the ocean ecosystem?
  • What unique risks are present in the financing of ocean-related projects?
  • What barriers exist to capital deployment and scaling and how might these be overcome?

SDGs Driving Corporate Purpose and Performance

  • Sustainability as Strategy
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are succeeding in their ambition to engage a wider group of businesses on global sustainable development priorities. Companies large and small are adopting the goals and aligning them with their corporate strategies, purpose and results. This session will feature  experienced practitioners sharing how to successfully implement and integrate the SDGs into an organization’s DNA. Hear from leaders in the space as we ask:
  • How have the SDGs evolved into important business tools?
  • What frameworks exist to help companies leverage SDG alignment with investors?
  • What are examples of innovative SDG inspired collaborations between companies and stakeholders?

Social Purpose from the Ground Up: How to Define and Activate Social Purpose in Business

  • Sustainability as Strategy
In September 2019, 181 members of the US Business Roundtable (BRT) signed a Statement of Purpose endorsing stakeholder-inclusive purpose for corporations, indicating a departure from the shareholder-focused mentality that has dominated the corporate sphere for decades. This dynamic session will put you at the forefront of social purpose in business. First, hear from the leadership of major social purpose companies who will share their pivot to purpose, along with the drivers, benefits and challenges. Then, join a hands-on interactive workshop with selected organizations who are designing their social purpose in real-time. Help these businesses find their purpose and leave the session with insights on how to advance purpose in your business or with your business partners.
  • What is a social purpose business and why are businesses pivoting to purpose?
  • How can leading with purpose provide a platform for increased customer engagement and integration of sustainability as a key element of strategy?
  • How do business leaders find their purpose and build it into their businesses?
  • Good, better, best – what are the criteria for a good social purpose?

Step Up or Step Aside: Collaborative Action for our Shared Climate Future

  • Climate Crisis
‘Step up or step aside.’ In this SPARK Talk, hear from Sunrise Movement co-founder Varshini Prakash and prepare to leave with collaborative approaches to tackling formidable climate questions. This tenacious activist will inspire you to bridge gaps and give you fresh tools to build strategic partnerships and effectively tackle climate action challenges. You will leave with pathways for challenging apathy as we dig deep into the era of climate crisis.
  • How can the Canadian community transform at the scale needed to address the climate crisis?    
  • What lessons can be learned from American counterparts?   
  • How can business, government and the public build momentum toward a blueprint for change? 

Talking Climate: Why Facts are Not Enough

  • Climate Crisis
Discover how climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe untangles the complex science connecting our choices today to future impacts. Even though the challenge posed by human-induced climate change has been carefully and methodically summarized by thousands of peer-reviewed studies and decades’ worth of exhaustive international reports, we continue to struggle with communicating climate change.More importantly, communicating the need for both social and political action to combat climate change, remains challenging and divisive. Explore: 
  • How do we communicate climate change effectively given the political rhetoric the public hear, particularly during election cycles?   
  • How can community support for climate action be translated into support for initiatives that work to meet tangible targets (carbon pricing, etc.)?  
  • What role do shared values play in this dialogue?   

The Bioeconomy: A Critical Foundation to Canada’s Low Carbon Transition

  • Circular Economy
  • Mobilizing Capital
Canada’s late to the dance with its Bioeconomy Strategy, released in the summer of 2019. Yet Canada’s enviable natural resource wealth positions us favourably to capitalize on value-added products and services, from biofuels, bio-based textiles, chemicals and bioplastics. The bioeconomy presents a massive trillion dollar opportunity for Canada that underpins a more circular economy and delivers measurable climate benefits. As Canada’s strategy rolls out, critical questions around how biomass will be deployed are timely, especially in light of competition for valuable feedstocks and capital, emerging technologies and foreign markets looking to capitalize on the opportunities. Join us in reimagining our natural resources under a lens of higher value as we discuss the bioeconomy as a crucial piece in Canada’s low carbon transition.
  • How do we create the market demand and value chains necessary to accelerate the move to a bioeconomy?
  • What are the promising pathways for high value deployment of forestry and agriculture biomass and how can Canada lead in this space?
  • What is the job potential associated with the bio-economy and where do we expect to see growth in the near-term?
  • How is capital being deployed in this arena and where are entrepreneurs likely to find financing and assistance with scale?

The Business Challenge and Opportunity of Unchecked Consumption

  • Sustainability as Strategy
  • Circular Economy
Our current consumption patterns have brought us close to, and in some cases beyond, our planetary limitations. If it remains unaddressed, unchecked consumption threatens to put a brake on business growth and the four-fold growth in GDP anticipated by 2050. Join the sharp end of consumer-retail for a working session on how companies are meeting the challenge, where they see opportunities, and what it might mean for your business along the supply chain.
  • How do we break the dependency between business growth and selling more stuff to more people? What models have companies tried and what did and did not work?
  • How do we move consumer aspirations away from buying and owning stuff and instead focus on  utility and service?
  • How do we ensure this is not yet another example of wealthier countries telling emerging and low income economies they cannot follow our growth path?

The Era of Enhanced Ambition: Global Climate Leadership & Cooperation

  • Climate Crisis
  • Mobilizing Capital
The call for global climate action is hitting a critical peak, and 2020 is a crucial year for international climate policy. However, policy alone will not be enough to create the ambitious action needed to meet this call. Finance and investment will have to play a critical role in creating the tangible action necessary to combat climate change. This dynamic session will stage the first major gathering of international climate experts since Chile’s crucial UN deliberations to discuss what policy is needed unlock the finance that will drive change. Come prepared for big ideas as they discuss these pivotal questions:
  • What were the critical highlights from COP-25, how are its outcomes directly feeding into the first year of Paris Implementation and what does this mean for Canadians?
  • How close are countries to achieving their current targets and what needs to be adjusted to achieve those in 2030/2050?
  • In the face of growing uncertainty, how do companies manage and seize opportunities?
  • How will policy help to unlock the finance necessary to drive climate action?
  • What is Canada’s current role in the international community and what solutions are we bringing to the table?

The Future of Work in a Digitized World

  • Sustainability as Strategy
The world in which we work is rapidly evolving. And as we see automation, digitization, AI and robotics advance, the speed and direction of change could be bewildering. The promise of increased productivity will be accompanied by broader impacts on wages, employment opportunities and the very nature of our work. How we understand and navigate the shifts is critical because one thing is certain: almost every aspect of work will change. Prepare yourself and your organization to excel in the new world of digital as we demystify growing concerns:
  • Will there be adequate jobs to gainfully employ all?
  • How can we ensure talent is not underutilized in a digital age?
  • Where can we expect to see exciting job opportunities?
  • How can we equip our work force to adapt and thrive in an age of automation?

What if? Unpacking Energy Futures and What They Mean for Canada

  • Climate Crisis
  • Energy Transformation
Canada's energy future holds an incredible amount of opportunity in the nexus of job creation, climate mitigation and economic growth. Hear from world-leading analysts and forecasters as they unpack assumptions behind the models and show where Canada has the potential to lead the pack. 
  • Why do energy models matter to your work and decision making?
  • What are the assumptions behind the data that different forecasters are making and how do those impact you?
  • What is the disconnect between climate science and energy models? 
  • How can we bridge the gap and how can companies address the concerns of consumers?

Why Sustainable Finance is Canada’s Biggest Opportunity

  • Mobilizing Capital
GLOBE 2020 is rich in discussions around emerging innovations, technologies and practices that will help shift Canada, and the world, to a low-carbon future. Yet unresolved questions surround the financing of this meaningful transition. A push is forthcoming to close the S90 trillion global infrastructure gap and position Canada to unlock funds. This engaging discussion will explore how Canada can attract capital for investments in infrastructure, innovation and technology that are critical to thrive through the 21st century. We'll answer:
  • What are the market developments defining the next frontier of sustainable finance?
  • Where will the requisite capital come from to shift all aspects of the economy and how can Canada attain its share?
  • What needs to happen to ensure investment flow starts now?

Workshop: Ecocities Emerging: Exploring the Role of Business in Transforming Cities

  • Circular Economy
With over half the global population living in cities, how cities enable citizens to live sustainably becomes an essential consideration. Cities that are making commitments to climate action, staying within planetary boundaries and supporting just transitions recognize the pivotal role that business plays for implementation. In this workshop, we will explore the model’s risks and opportunities for business as we ask:
  • What is the ecocity model and what barriers lay in the way of implementation?
  • What are the hotspots to focus on in order to achieve sustainable lifestyles?
  • What is the scope for business leadership in achieving resilient cities and responsible lifestyles?

NEW VENUE
Vancouver Convention Centre West
1055 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC
V6C 0C3

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