By Matt Mace
Copyright edie
Taking place on the evening of Thursday 20 November, the COP30 UK Business Leaders Forum is co-hosted with the BBC and sustainability and net-zero certification organisation Planet Mark. It will take place within the BBC’s Broadcasting House in London.
The event will provide a much-needed update on the progress being made at the summit in Belém, Brazil, with high-level speakers discussing the role of government and businesses in turning the global climate ambitions of COP into local sustainability actions.
The free-to-attend event is now open to registrations of interest from business leaders and sustainability decision-makers across all industries, including public, private and third-sector organisations.
Launching the event, edie’s Publisher Luke Nicholls said: “By connecting edie’s frontline coverage of the climate summit with the BBC’s leadership on corporate climate action and Planet Mark’s expertise in driving sustainable business, we’re delivering a must-attend COP30 event for UK business leaders.
“The COP30 UK Business Leaders Forum will capture all the energy and insights from Belém, whilst offering a unique opportunity to network with peers during one of the most important climate moments of the decade.”
BBC’s Director of Sustainability Danielle Mulder said: “I’m delighted the BBC will host this exciting brand-new event at such a vital moment during the COP30 climate summit. I look forward to welcoming fellow sustainability leaders to Broadcasting House as we discuss our collective role in delivering on climate action.”
Planet Mark’s Policy Director Andrew Griffiths said: “Through our work supporting over 700 organisations on measuring and certifying their decarbonisation journeys, we know businesses want to engage with the outcomes of major geopolitical moments like COP30, but often don’t know how.
“This event will provide practical insights and a platform to act, bringing businesses together as part of a global coalition calling for high ambition action in the final days of the negotiations.”
Marking almost 10 years since the historic signing of The Paris Agreement at COP21, there is no mistaking the vital importance of this year’s climate summit in Brazil, which is scheduled to take place from 10-21 November.
The central themes of the COP30 UK Business Leaders Forum will echo those of the main climate negotiations: clean energy, nature, and the Just Transition. Global leaders have reiterated that we must see strong climate action and renewed commitments on all fronts, and the interdependencies of decarbonisation and regenerative restoration of nature will therefore be a central talking point of the evening.
It has been reported that many UK businesses will not be attending this year’s summit in Brazil in-person, for various reasons, including high costs, lack of accommodation, and the environmental impacts of travel. The COP30 UK Business Leaders Forum will therefore act as the primary UK-based event for business leaders seeking to understand the key issues being debated at the talks and engage in high-level networking.
Crucially, the COP30 UK Business Leaders Forum will also include an opportunity for attendees to join together in taking action through a collective open letter statement of support – something that has historically happened every year but often with less planning and advanced coordination. Further details will be released in due course.
The COP30 UK Business Leaders Forum will take place on the evening of Thursday 20 November at BBC Radio Theatre in London. Registrations of interest to attend are currently open, with capacity for in-person attendance limited to 300.
Find out more about the COP30 UK Business Leaders Forum here and register your interest in attending the event here.
