B4IG Newsletter - COP26 Special Issue

B4IG is organizing a panel “Putting people at the heart of climate action” on the OECD COP26 Virtual Pavilion on 8 November 2021 | 3-4 pm CET.

The session will focus on the social impact of climate change and will take place shortly after the release of the B4IG statement “Putting people at the heart of climate action”.

Climate change and in turn climate change strategies and policies have the potential to cause major social repercussions that must be addressed in a systematic manner. While policies will open new opportunities, they could also concentrate skills shortage, skills mismatch and job losses on certain geographies and industries, with the likelihood to increase inequalities in access to essential goods and services such as transport, housing, and energy. We can only ensure a Just transition if we put the people at the heart of climate action. As stated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2015, “[a] just transition contributes to the goals of decent work for all, social inclusion and the eradication of poverty”.

Businesses have a central role to play in ensuring the social challenges of the transition are met, by partnering with governments, social partners, and other stakeholders, and by taking action to properly integrate the social impact of their ecological transition strategies into corporate policies and action. Governments, business, and other stakeholders must collectively ensure that no one is left behind in the process.

The session will focus on how to address the social impacts of the ecological transition. Panelists will discuss key topics such as public-private partnerships and corporate policies to minimize the negative social impact of climate policies and turn decarbonization into an opportunity.

• Yoshiki TAKEUCHI, Deputy Secretary General of the OECD

• Jean-Laurent BONNAFÉ, CEO of BNP Paribas

• Emmanuel FABER, Co-Chair of B4IG

• Xavier MUSCA, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Crédit Agricole, Lead of the B4IG working group on Just Transition

• Maive RUTE, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (GROW) at the European Commission

• (Moderation) Camille PUTOIS, CEO of B4IG

Click here to register on the OECD Virtual Pavilion and to bookmark the event.

Looking forward to seeing you at the panel!

The B4IG Team