Transformational Leadership: Race to Zero Dialogues Closing Session

17 November 2020 –

The Race to Zero Closing Session, organized by the Club of Rome and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research on November 19th, marked the end of a ten-day series of virtual dialogues, with the objective to build momentum around the shift to a decarbonised economy ahead of COP26.

This full afternoon session marked the end of a ten-day series of virtual dialogues, with the objective to build momentum around the shift to a decarbonised economy ahead of COP26. Titled Transformational Leadership, the sessionbrought together political, business, science and academic leaders who are leading on this economic transformation to conclude the Dialogues. The aim of the closing session was to build on the different sectoral outputs by highlighting the systemic opportunities to emerge resilient from the global health, biodiversity and climate emergencies we face. The session focused on accelerating action by exploring new economic thinking and transformational leadership in the broadest sense, followed by closing remarks from the High-Level Champions.

 

 

Full Afternoon Programme

15.00-15.15GMT – The Case for Systems Transformation

  • Opening reflections by the narrator Lindsay Levin (Leaders’ Quest)
  • Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
  • Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of The Club of Rome

 

15.15-15.45GMT – Raising Ambition on the Road to Net-Zero: Highlights of the Sectoral Dialogues

  • Highlights video compilation
  • Meryam Omi, Head of Sustainability and Responsible Investment, LGIM
  • Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, United Nations Special Rapporteur (TBC)
  • Andreas Foller, Head of Sustainability, Scani

 

15.45-16.30GMT – Transformational Economics to Meet Net-Zero Ambition

  • Opening reflections by the Chair Tim Jackson (Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity)
  • Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation
  • Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
  • Naoko Ishii, Director, Centre for Global Commons, University of Tokyo
  • Jayati Ghosh, Professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University
  • Maja Göpel, Director of Research, THE NEW INSTITUTE

 

16.30-17.20GMT – Transformational Leadership to Meet Net-Zero Ambition

  • Chaired by Sandrine Dixson-Declève
  • Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of Costa Rica
  • Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland
  • Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Bhutan
  • Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for European the Green Deal
  • Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (video)

17.20-17.30GMT – Transformational leadership as the bridge to Glasgow

  • Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland (video – tbc)

17.30-18.00GMT – Reflections on the Road Towards COP26 in Glasgow

  • Nigel Topping, UK COP26 High Level Climate Action Champion
  • Gonzalo Muñoz, Chilean COP26 High Level Climate Action Champion
  • Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
  • Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of The Club of Rome
  • Marina Melanidis, Founder of Youth4Nature
  • Vanessa Nakate, Founder of The Rise Up Movement (tbc)

 

18.00-18.30GMT – Formal closing & handing over the baton

  • Nigel Topping, UK COP26 High Level Climate Action Champion
  • Gonzalo Muñoz, Chilean COP26 High Level Climate Action Champion
  • Carolina Schmidt, COP25 President & Minister of the Environment of Chile
  • Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC
  • Marianne Karlsen (Norway), SBI Chair
  • Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu (Democratic Republic of Congo), SBSTA Chair

 

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