Climate Change: Threat or Opportunity for the Global Economy?

The result of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election has created uncertainty regarding constructive action on climate change. Following the landmark Paris Agreement, reached last December, more than 170 countries agreed to reduce and eventually replace greenhouse gases used in cooling systems. Furthermore, Canada announced a tax on carbon to reduce emissions and, in an another agreement, nearly 200 nations agreed to offset carbon emissions from aviation. Far more is required to meet the Paris accord’s goal of holding the global temperature increase to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F). The solution will involve the transformation of economies, a $1 trillion-a-year challenge that will require the support of leaders in the private and public sectors as well as academia. But some experts say that without U.S. participation, other nations may be reluctant to fulfill their obligations. This session will explore the implications of the Paris agreement for innovation and planning, capital allocation, the dynamics among the major emitters and the potential effects of a wavering U.S. commitment. Moderator Mike Scott, Contributor, Forbes; Founder, Carbon Copy Communications Speakers Lord Gregory Barker, Baron Barker of Battle, Member, House of Lords; Former Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, United Kingdom Ben Goldsmith, CEO, Menhaden Capital Management Ltd. David Hone, Chief Climate Change Adviser, Shell Sonia Medina, Executive Director, Climate Change, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation Gérard Moutet, Chairman, Executive Committee, Oil and Gas Climate Initiative