Risks can be turned into climate opportunities
7 February 2019500 business people and students met yesterday to discuss how climate risks can be turned into climate opportunities - according to a new report, it will change how we do business profoundly.
Go Explorer Day 2019
2018 was the year of accelerating climate risks, 2019 has to be the year of accelerating climate solutions. That is the ambition behind the event Go Explorer Day 2019 that took place at BI Norwegian Business School 6th of February. The event, hosted by DNV GL, the UN Global Compact, Sustainia and BI, gathered 400 business leaders and 100 students to discuss how climate risks can be turned into climate opportunities and how academia can take initiatives to develop the education of tomorrow.
As an important part of the conference, Sustainia and DNV GL with support from the UN Global Compact, launch the Global Opportunity Explorer 2019 Insights. With many inspiring examples of new climate solutions, it confirms why climate change can be the biggest market disruptor ever and creates business opportunities worth trillions of dollars for the frontrunning companies. This is documented in in-depth analyses of the biggest climate risks and opportunities of the six business sectors most affected by climate change.
These perspectives was the center of the discussion amongst the high-level Norwegian businesses, political representatives and academic leaders gathered at Go Explorer Day.
"We will need far more corporate leadership to help reverse the implications of climate change. So let us work together to transform business models and spark breakthrough innovation. The Global Opportunity Explorer 2019 Insights proves that there is great potential in turning climate risks into new business opportunities, which can, in turn, drive the Sustainable Development Goals."
Her views are supported by outstanding global leaders interviewed in the Global Opportunity Explorer 2019 Insights. “CEO’s must be activists, greedy for sustainability and innovative” -to quote one of the leaders featured in the report. They include Unilever’s former CEO Paul Polman, the Pulitzer Prize winner, author and journalist Thomas Friedman, one of the world’s most influential climate thought leaders Connie Hedegaard, the Swiss aviation innovator Bertrand Piccard and others. They all expect business leaders to be the climate game changers.
Rasmus Schjødt Pedersen, CEO and Senior Partner, of Sustainia says:
“At Sustainia we will do our part to make 2019 a year of climate solutions. The launch in Oslo is the first stop on a world tour, where we present and discuss climate solutions with local partners“.
Next stops on the world tour are Shiga, Kyoto and Tokyo in Japan later this month followed by Nanjing, Quangzhou and Schenzhen in China.
"The risks facing the world are so large and complex that they cannot be tackled alone. The underlying logic of the Global Opportunity Explorer is to connect ideas with backers, and to create new networks in pursuit of sustainable solutions."
Inge Jan Henjesand, President of BI Norwegian Business School participated in the panle debate on The future of Sustainable Education together with Svein Stølen, President at Norwegian University of Oslo, Mari Sundli Tveit, President at Norwegian University of Life Science and Julie Maarud, Chairman of the Student Union at BI Norwegian Business School.
"BI has made the conscious decision to be part of the solution rather than the problem. We are working to integrate the UN's sustainable development goals inn all our programs, research and operations. Our ambition is to contribute to a sustainable societal development by equipping students with skills and a mindset to face future challenges in a sustainable way", says Inge Jan Henjesand.
Do you need further information? Please contact:
- Ulrike Haugen, DNV GL +47 409 24 389 ulrike.haugen@dnvgl.com
- Rasmus Schjødt Pedersen, Sustainia +45 22 95 03 04 rsp@sustainia.me
- Per Erik Johannessen, BI Norwegian Business School +47 464 10 094 per.erik.johannessen@bi.no
Facts:
Global Opportunity Explorer 2019 Insights is published on the 6th of February. It is published by Sustainia and DNV GL with support from the UN Global Compact. With a selection of solutions across six sectors directly exposed to climate change, the Global Opportunity Explorer 2019 Insights demonstrates that even when the risks are great, the opportunities are greater still. Global Opportunity Explorer 2019 Insights is a testament to the ongoing activities of the Global Opportunity Explorer, which is now the world’s leading open ecosystem for sustainable solutions. The platform is the first of its kind that identifies, verifies, and presents high-quality solutions that exist in the market.
Explore, read and download the Global Opportunity Explorer 2019 Insights: https://goexplorer.org/goe2019/
The whole event can be watched below: