The Tortoise Climate Summit: How can we accelerate net zero?

08.30-09.00 BST

Keynote session with Nigel Topping

All eyes will be on world leaders in November for the most influential climate meeting of the year – COP26. Over 200 countries, businesses and NGO’s will gather in Glasgow to discuss their roles in accelerating Net Zero. But what promises can we expect to hear at the conference? How can companies and countries really create purposeful, global action on climate? Will COP26 actually make a difference to Net Zero targets?

As the UK High Level Climate Action Champion, Nigel Topping will be at the heart of COP26 trying to bridge the gap between governments and business action on climate in the race to Net Zero.

Previously, Nigel was CEO of We Mean Business, a coalition of businesses working to accelerate the transition to a zero carbon economy and Executive Director of the Carbon Disclosure Project, a system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. He is also an advisory board member for the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & the Environment

09.00-09.50 BST

Presenting the Tortoise Climate100 Index

in partnership with

An exclusive look at the data of the Tortoise Responsibility100 Index, which measures the gap between the words and actions of some of the world’s biggest and most carbon-intensive companies.

10.00-10.50 BST

Can companies become part of the solution?

Covid and the climate crisis have delivered a seismic shock to the energy system that powered the planet for a century. Oil prices may never return to pre-pandemic levels. Governments are bringing forward deadlines for phasing out petrol and diesel, and the oil majors are racing to adapt. Most have announced net zero targets; many want support from governments and investors to make the energy transition. Should they get it? Do governments need to go beyond carbon pricing and underwrite a wholesale switch to renewables, or have the big polluters – and the consumers and investors who support them – failed to grasp the scale of their own responsibilities? What are the obstacles to moving faster, and what’s at stake for those that don’t?

11.00-11.50 BST

Is pure clean power a fantasy?

in partnership with

Without clean energy, we face accelerating global warming. 100 per cent clean energy is possible because sources of wind and solar power are all but infinite and unit costs keep coming down. Against that, demand will soar as EVs and electric heating become the norm and green hydrogen is called upon to even out supply. At the same time the inertia of petrostates and legacy oil and gas firms will be a drag on change. So is there a role for nuclear in getting to net zero? What mix of technology and policy will it take to reach escape velocity and leave fossil fuels behind?

12.00-12.50 BST

Build back greener: how can we create a truly sustainable global economy?

The climate crisis is a reason to rewire and replumb the global economy. The pandemic is a reason to do it now. That’s why the build back better mantra has caught on: it makes good sense. What it doesn’t do is set out what the infrastructure of the future looks like. What needs to be built? Is this the time to rebuild old roads and bridges, or pivot to free hyperfast broadband, and hyperloops for when we really have to travel? Are smart grids and cities more important than smart motorways? Why not ground humanity and focus on decarbonising freight? It’s hard to see the future in HD, but can we agree on the big picture?

13.00-13.50 BST

Trees for Zero: can reforestation help us meet our climate goals?

To get to a world of net zero carbon emissions, we have to cut emissions and sequester the carbon that remains. While the focus is largely on emissions, more and more attention is being paid to sequestration. Reforestation is one the most popular approaches: trees can sequester carbon above- and below-ground. But in reality the world’s great forests are under critical threat. Mass reforestation would require compromises with agriculture, urban planning and biodiversity. How much land could be reforested when global demand for food is growing? Can reforestation co-exist with growing cities and vital wildlife habitats? And when it falls short, what are the alternatives?

14.00-14.30 BST

What do young people need from their leaders now?

Over half of people around the world are under 30 years old, yet the average age of global leaders is over 60. It’s widely accepted that the real burden of climate change will fall on the next generation, but are their views being represented by those in power?

When it comes to climate however, young people aren’t just victims. From groups like Fridays for Future to powerful voices like Greta Thunberg, young people have been at the helm of campaigning for governments to pay attention and take action on the climate crisis for years.

So what do young campaigners want to see from world leaders at COP26? How do we make sure their concerns are taken seriously, and dealt with effectively?

For this special ThinkIn, we’re joined by young leaders from around the world to hear what they think our leaders must do to save the next generation from the climate crisis.

14.30-15.15 BST

Editorial Debrief

Join Tortoise editors as we reflect on the day’s conversations and discuss what to take forward in our journalism.