Agenda

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Day One

The agenda displayed is subject to change

DAY ONE – Monday 26 June

Arrival for light breakfast from 08:30 am

9:15 – 10:00

Location: Hall 1

Opening Keynotes - Plenary

Introduction

To be confirmed

Reflections on 20 years of Gold Standard outlook on 2030

Margaret Kim, Chief Executive Officer, Gold Standard

Keynote by guest speaker

Luiz Amaral, Chief Executive Officer, Science Based Targets Initiative

10:00 – 10:40

Location: Hall 1

Panel Discussion - Plenary

Challenges to 2030: How to finance a climate-secure, sustainable society

Trillions are needed for a just transition that supports a secure climate and an equitable, sustainable society. There are big challenges to overcome but also big opportunities to grasp, in financing local, national and global goals.

This panel will discuss the overarching question of the conference: how to finance a climate-secure, sustainable society?

Moderator: Margaret Kim, Chief Executive Officer, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Tom Mitchell, Executive Director, International Institute for Environment and Development
Manuel Pulgar Vidal, Global Leader, Climate and Energy, WWF-International and Gold Standard Board of Directors
Kate Hughes, CEO, Resilient Water Accelerator, Water Aid

10:40 – 11:10 BREAK

11.10 – 12:00

Location: Hall 1

Panel Discussion - Plenary

What does ‘corporate responsibility’ for climate change really look like?

As essential actors in our fight against climate change, corporates have a responsibility to take action and go above and beyond - to lead by example. Metrics, frameworks and guidance from experts are of vital importance if their efforts are to succeed. The Gold Standard draft Guidelines on Corporate Responsibility (released May 2023) offers a strategy for ambitious corporate climate action.

The panel will discuss what corporate responsibility for climate action can and should look like.

Moderator: Owen Hewlett, Chief Technical Officer, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Luiz Amaral, Chief Executive Officer, Science Based Targets Initiative
John Mitchell, Director, Household Energy and Clean Air, US Environmental Protection Agency
Kerry Constabile, Gold Standard Technical Advisory Committee Member (previously at Google, Standard Chartered and US State)

12:10 – 13:30

Location: Hall 1

12:10 – 13:30

Location: Pancras

Breakout – Panel Discussion

Navigating Article 6 + VCM

The rulebook for Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, adopted in Glasgow in 2021, provides a route for companies in the voluntary carbon market to use correspondingly adjusted credits towards their climate claims. But the path forward is still not clear: are countries ready and willing to apply corresponding adjustments for the voluntary carbon market? When should companies be using adjusted credits? And what are the wider implications of Article 6 for the functioning of the voluntary market?

In this workshop we will be navigating these questions, with guiding remarks from expert speakers.

Facilitator: Hugh Salway, Senior Director, Market
Development and Partnerships, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Lisa DeMarco, Senior Partner and CEO, Resilient LLP
Gilles Dufrasne, Carbon Market Watch
Amy Merill, Senior Director, Head of Global Carbon Markets, C2ES (virtual attendance)
Frederic Gagnon-Lebrun, Director, Climate Policy & Carbon Pricing, South Pole
Anshari Rahman, Director, Policy and Analytics, GenZero

Breakout Session

How to finance nature?

The vital role that ecosystems play in climate security and sustainable development is increasingly well understood. We now have a global agreement on biodiversity preservation and regeneration that is testament to this. Yet finance flowing towards nature must increase – and rapidly so - in the coming years, if we are to meet our global goals.

In this session we will discuss the developments that have (and have not) happened so far, where the most promising solutions lie, and opportunities for scaling.

Moderator: Caitlin Drake, Officer, Sustainable Finance and Innovation, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Parth Shah, Vice President, Pegasus Capital Advisors
Peter Beare, Manager, Nature-based Solutions, WBCSD
Scarlett Benson, Beyond Value Chain Mitigation Lead, SBTi
Marco Van Der Ree, Founder, Brokering Solidarity

13.30 – 14:30 NETWORKING LUNCH

14:30 – 15:30

Location: Hall 1

Panel Discussion - Plenary

Real talk: Evolution of the voluntary market

After a period of seemingly unstoppable growth, the voluntary carbon market is in the midst of a more challenging period. With a long way to go towards a ‘perfect’ market, it is necessary to keep asking the hard questions and taking time to reflect.

This panel takes the opportunity to reflect on some of the major developments and disruptions over the past few years, their impact on the market, and what the near and long- term future might hold.

Moderator: Ben Garside, Correspondent and Co-founder, Carbon Pulse

Panellists:

Pedro Carvalho, Head of Portfolio, Ecosecurities
Mark Kenber, Executive Director, VCMI
Sagar Farkiya, Deputy General Manager, EKI Energy Services Ltd
Andrea Abrahams, Managing Director, ICROA

15:30 – 16:00 BREAK

16:00 – 17:30

Location: Pancras

16:00 – 17:30

Location: Hall 1

Workshop - Round Table

Vision for Assurance

Credible impact claims depend on the highest level of validation and verification of associated activities; thus, assurance should be at the heart of every standard. Gold Standard holds a vision for an assurance model of tomorrow – one which is digitally enhanced, better supported and as robust as ever.

This workshop will include roundtable discussions on working together to realise this vision of assurance for environmental markets.

Facilitator: Martha Djourdjin, Senior Manager,
Oversight, Compliance and Innovation, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Eric Tolcach, Quality and Compliance Director, SustainCert (virtual attendance)
Lucy Redmore, Associate Manager, Credibility and Innovations, ISEAL
Archit Srivastava, Vice President , Strategy and Growth, Earthood
Andrea Vera, Director of Natural Solutions, Forliance
Amit Anand, Chief Executive Officer, CarbonCheck

Breakout - Panel Discussion

A just transition to a net-zero future

As plans of action for socioeconomic transformation for a green transition to net-zero future are built, it is imperative that justness is factored in across the board. If not managed well, we run the risk of further exacerbating social inequality, exclusion and Civil unrest.

But what qualifies as a ‘just’’? How can we best measure and ensure equality and inclusion? What barriers and solutions exist for decommissioning fossil fuels?

This breakout session we will look to some best practice examples for guidance and inspiration for a just transition.

Moderator: Owen Hewlett, Chief Technical Officer, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Yasmine Moezinia, Program Director of Climate Finance, Sequoia Climate Foundation
Carel Cronenburg, Senior Technical Advisor, CEB
Harry Clemens, Senior Business Developer Biogass, Fair Climate Fund
Barbara Rambousek, Director of Gender and Economic Inclusion, EBRD
Oliver Crouch, Investment Manager, Climate Asset Management

18:00 – 21:00

Location: Battlebridge

EVENING NETWORKING EVENT

Join us for an evening of building connections over canapés and drinks, in the beautiful Battlebridge room and terrace of Kings Place.

Featuring keynote speakers from Gold Standard and Earthood

DAY TWO – Tuesday 27 June

Arrival for light breakfast from 8:30am

9:30 – 10:00

Location: Hall 1

Opening Keynotes - Plenary

Introduction

Sarah Leugers, Chief Growth Officer, Gold Standard

Keynote

Yvo de Boer, President of Gold Standard and former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC

10:00 – 11:00

Location: Hall 1

10:00 – 11:00

Location: Pancras

Breakout – Panel Discussion

Blended finance: Can it deliver on impact?

Unlocking private and public capital is essential in funding our transition to a sustainable future. To meet this need, different models of blended finance are being developed across sectors. Gold Standard Fund Requirements were created in 2022 to support sustainable project development by creating optimal enabling conditions to attract climate finance, and de-risk investments through robust measurement and reporting of impacts.

This panel will discuss the benefits and potential advantages of different finance models – all with the aim to scale to trillions.

Moderator: Felicity Spors, Senior Director, Sustainable Finance and Innovation, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Jiao Tang, Directors of Programmes, Regions 20
Leah Pedersen, Senior Director, Market Acceleration and Design Innovation, Convergence
Pierre Rousau, Enzo Consulting
Dr. James Smith, NbS Director, Posaidon Capitol

Breakout – Panel Discussion

Carbon Markets in the UK: What Might the Future Hold?

The UK is, and has long been, a believer in the power of markets. The past few years have seen the introduction of a UK Emissions Trading System following Brexit, the launch of a UK Voluntary Carbon Market Forum, the release of recommendations on carbon markets by the Committee on Climate Change and by the Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP in his Net Zero Review, and plans to unlock the potential of carbon and nature markets in the UK Government’s recent Green Finance Strategy.

In this breakout session we will be asking experts what the future might hold for carbon markets in the UK.

Moderator: Thomas Kansy, Partner, McKinsay & Company

Panellists:

Zoe Norgate, Deputy Director, Green Finance and Capability, UK Department for Net Zero and Energy Security
Catherine McGuiness CBE, Councillor and Member of the UK VCM Forum, City fo London Corporation
Ed Hanrahan, Director, Climate Impact Partners
Chris Leeds, Head, Carbon Markets Development, Standard Chartered

10:50 – 11:30 BREAK

11:30 – 12:30

Location: Hall 1

11:30 – 12:30

Location: Pancras

Breakout – Panel Discussion

New opportunities for accessing investment using innovative finance for impact approaches

Gold Standard has expanded its scope of work in recent years through Fund Requirements and value chain activity guidelines. How do these developments help project developers access
investment?

In this workshop we will look at how financial instruments like funds, bonds, value chain activities or landscape interventions can provide new opportunities.

Facilitator: Sarah Leugers, Chief Growth Officer, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Sandeep Roy, CEO, VNV Advisory
Vedantha Kumar, Trustee, Murmur
Pricilla Negrelros, Senior Manager, Climate Policy Initiative

Breakout – Panel Discussion

Breaking barriers to Scope 3 investment

Current GHG accounting and target-setting guidance lacks methods by which companies can credibly calculate and claim reductions from most value chain decarbonisation efforts.

But it is possible to unlock solutions to these challenges. By building a robust and transparent accounting, claiming and reporting framework that enables companies to take credit for indirect emissions reductions achieved in the sectors or activities associated with their supply chain, the Advanced and Indirect Mitigation Platform (AIM) will pave the way for vastly increased contributions to critical climate solutions.

In this breakout session we will discuss the AIM platform and other frameworks that are improving value chain emission reduction capabilities.

Moderator: Owen Hewlett, Chief Technical Officer, Gold Standard

Facilitator: Dan Magrath, Manager, Corporate Responsibility, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Meinrad Burer, Global Carbon Technical Director, Louise Dreyfrys Company
Caitline Bitzer, Target Analyst, SBT
Allison Bain, Program Manager and Impact Investment Specialist, Pur Project

12.30 – 14:00 NETWORKING LUNCH

14:00 – 14:50

Location: Hall 1

Panel Discussion - Plenary

Small producers, BIG impact

To achieve global net-zero goals we need to ensure climate finance reaches great projects regardless of scale. By empowering and supporting smaller actors, the collective impact of their efforts can contribute significantly to global emission reductions and sustainable development outcomes.

In this panel session we will hear from those at the forefront of delivering climate action, either through networks of small producers, or through bespoke projects. We will also explore about Gold Standard’s plans to increase capacity for governments, project developers and validation and verification bodies.

Moderator: Margaret Kim, CEO, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Lord Sarfraz, Founder and CEO, NetZeroA

Feisal Hussain, Senior Director, Innovative Finance, Clean Cooking Alliance
Neera van der Geest, Director, Fair Climate Fund
Representative from Co2 Balance

15:00 – 16:15

Location: Hall 1

15:00 – 16:15

Location: Pancras

Breakout - Panel Discussion

Future of Claims: Communicating for Impact

Corporate sustainability claims have never been under more scrutiny than now. With the era of conscious consumerism and activism well underway, organisations must be seen to be having a real positive impact, and telling their story accurately has a major part to play in this.

In this workshop we will look at the latest Corporate Responsibility Guidelines from Gold Standard and hear insights and best practice examples from a number of organisations.

Moderator: Dan Magrath, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Renat Heuberger, CEO, Southpole
Lydia Sheldrake, Director of Policy and Partnerships, VCMI
Owen Hewlett, Chief Technical Officer, Gold Standard
Rob Moore, Head of Carbon Finance, UK Government (TBC)

Breakout – Panel Discussion

Tokenisation beyond the hype: how well-designed digital assets can benefit the last mile

For some, it represents the market’s future; for others, it represents a risk to that very same future. The tokenisation of carbon credits on blockchain may be stalled pending ongoing reviews by Gold Standard and other standards, but it remains an important part of market discussions.

In this breakout session, Gold Standard and expert panellists will be looking beyond the hype, at the tangible benefits that web3 and Regenerative Finance (ReFi) could bring to the carbon market, project developers and local communities.

Moderator: Hugh Salway, Senior Director, Market Development and Partnerships, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Dan Graf, CEO and Co-Founder, Earthchain
Ryan Gledhill, CEO and Co-Founder, Thallo
Adam Shedletsky, Head of Policy, Flowcarbon
Raphaël Haupt, CEO & Co-founder, Toucan Protocol

16:15 – 16:45 BREAK

16:45 – 17:30

Location: Hall 1

Panel Discussion - Plenary

The future is digital: MRV, Open APIs, Connected marketplaces

For the carbon market and climate action to scale, we need to harness the full potential of technology across the value chain. Some progress has been made over the past few years to adopt new technologies, but a step-change is needed to streamline monitoring and reporting, to connect platforms across the carbon market, to enable funds to channel back to communities within project sites, and to tap into and learn from the full breadth of data contained within registries across the world.

In this panel, we will look at how technologies can support greater impact for climate and sustainable development, and the steps Gold Standard is taking to mainstream these.

Moderators: Sarah Leugers, Chief Growth Officer and Matthew Violet, Senior Digital Systems Director, Gold Standard

Panellists:

Anna Lerner Nesbitt, CEO, Climate Collective
Wes Geisenberger, VP Sustainability and ESG, HBAR Foundation
Marion Verles, CEO, SustainCERT
Raphael de Ry, CEO, Allcot IO

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