Energy Group: Blah Blah Blah or COP26?
Wednesday 20 October, 18:00 – 19:15 online
Blah, blah, blah… These were the words Greta Thunberg used to describe global climate change initiatives announced by various world leaders last week. And with the growing energy-related emergencies & events that we have witnessed recently in the UK such as the rise in gas prices, subsequent collapse of energy suppliers and climate activists disrupting traffic, the importance of the upcoming COP26 summit in Glasgow for the world has never been higher. Join the Energy Group for two special events around the theme of COP26 that will look beyond the blah blah blah!
The first event will be looking forward to the summit. We shall be discussing issues such as NDCs, geopolitical tensions, financing and coal phase out with speakers who are closely involved with the preparations for COP26 including Melanie Onn, former MP for Grimsby and now Deputy CEO of Renewable UK, Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council and Jane Stevensen, Founding Director of JS Global.
The second event will be held in conjunction with the Global Energy Club and will be a look back after the summit has taken place to analyse the outcomes and their implications for society.
Ben Backwell is a leading commentator and strategist in the renewable energy sector. Prior to joining GWEC, he was a Managing Director at FTI Consulting, one of the world’s largest advisory firms, advising companies in the clean energy sector on strategy, communications, and government affairs, including work on a number of major M&A transactions. Ben is the author of two books on the wind industry as well as a number of reports and white papers on power markets and policy frameworks. His book Wind Power, the struggle for control of a new global industry,” has been described as the “definitive” story of the global wind industry.
Melanie Onn is Deputy CEO of Renewable UK, the UK’s leading renewable energy trade body. Her role includes helping RenewableUK’s supply chain members to grow, and developing the skilled workforce the industry needs, including opening up wider areas of the sector to more women. She also leads on public speaking and media work. She was elected twice as Labour MP for Great Grimsby, serving from May 2015 to November 2019, including periods as Shadow Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.
Jane Stevensen (MBA 88D) has over 20 years’ experience supporting businesses in addressing the challenge of climate change, building on expertise in creating global engagement programmes and developing sustainability-driven strategies for long term understanding of risk and opportunity. She established J S Global Advisory Services in 2018 to focus on sustainability and ESG strategy and practice, the energy transition and achieving the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Jane led Grant Thornton LLP’s global Sustainability Advisory Practice, creating corporate engagement programmes & advising on sustainability strategies across sectors.