Environment Analyst Global Business Summit 2021

From Crisis to Opportunity: The Decisive Decade

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Conference agenda:

The conference took place on Tuesday 8th June at 9am ET / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST.

The sessions below are available to watch on-demand here.

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Tuesday 8th June 

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9.00am ET - Welcome from Environment Analyst   

 

Julian Rose, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Environment Analyst

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9.10am ET - Opening Remarks from the Chair

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Ross Griffiths, Content Director, Environment Analyst

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9.20am ET - Opening Keynote

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Frank Sweet, Global Business Line Chief Executive for Environment, AECOM

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Session One: Global Environmental Market Outlook: Opportunities, Challenges, Drivers & Disruptors 

 

9.40am ET - Focus on the North American Market: Key Policy Drivers & Priorities for a Green Recovery

 

• Detailing key steps in achieving President Biden’s environment and climate goals:

  • policy and regulatory shifts

  • interim targets and transition milestones

  • achieving transparency in climate risk reporting    

• Examining green reform policies in the US and Canada - how will a post-Covid green recovery be achieved?

• What will policy changes mean for federal - state - local spending in the US?

• Managing the energy transition and its impact on the resource and commodities industry

• Assessing the extent to which environmental reform and an acceleration in climate spending will result in increased opportunities for the environmental consultancy sector and where these might lie

 

Gabriel Malek, Investor Influence Coordinator, Environmental Defense Fund

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10.05am ET - Exploring the Global Evolution Of Sustainable Debt Markets & Green Finance Instruments

 

• Exploring how different types of green and sustainability debt instruments have evolved in light of recent market shifts, focusing on the growth of green bonds, green loans, sustainability-linked loans and bonds and the various features of such instruments

• Analysing regional variations in green investment trends, including implications of EU taxonomy for sustainable activities 

 

Michael Wilkins, Senior Research Fellow, Sustainable Finance, S&P Global Ratings

 

10.30am ET - Reviewing the State of the Global Environmental Consulting Market and Outlook

 

Environment Analyst share their latest findings on the global environmental consultancy services market dynamics, including: 

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• Update on the current market state and future forecasts:  

• assessing the toll that COVID-19 has had on the sector and how business leaders are responding

• Examining the current competitive landscape, industry rankings and leading players in the context of recent M&A activity

• Identifying “opportunity hotspots”; those countries or regions prioritising investment in green recovery and transition 

• Reviewing sector specific insights, key disruptors and sustainability trends impacting service demand and provision

• Assessing how business models are evolving to respond to these

 

Liz Trew, Research Editorial Director & Co-Founder, Environment Analyst

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Session Two: Industry Response

 

11.40am ET -  Industry Panel Discussion  

 

Industry panellists will offer their perspective on current and future market and policy drivers and the business response, sharing insight into how their companies are responding to different threats and opportunities.

 

• Assessing how the environmental consulting sector can better position itself to help clients to enter new markets

• Exploring evolving global business models to address current and future challenges and compete with professional advisory and management consultants

• Assessing the implications of social and environmental injustice in achieving sustainability goals, and how this can be addressed 

• Achieving resilience to adapt and progress in times of change and help our clients to do the same 

 

Kathleen M. Abbott, President Environment, Arcadis

Lisa Kay, Chief Operating Officer EHS, NV5

Peter Skinner, Chief Operating Officer, SLR Consulting

1:15pm ET - Close of Session 

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Wednesday 9th June 

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9.00am ET - Welcome Back from the Chair  

 

Session Three: The Rising Global ESG Imperative 

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9.10am ET - Exploring the Evolving Focus and Influence of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Risk Factors in Global Markets & Optimising the Role of the Consulting Sector 

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• Examining the increasing global influence and impact of ESG factors and where the big initiatives are being led from:

  • where does North America sit alongside Europe and Asia Pacific and what impact will the Biden administration have?

• Assessing what is required from ESG data and goals to really drive the sustainability agenda forward 

• Aligning ESG strategies with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 

 

• Managing the shift towards increased ESG accountability in business finance and investment decisions: 

  • implications of the EU Taxonomy  

  • impact on the supply chain 

• Marrying net zero and sustainability terminology with client objectives and regulatory frameworks to produce appropriate metrics and benchmarks

• Strategies for helping clients to better understand, and respond, to climate change targets

  • defining “sustainability” and what it means for different stakeholders

  • developing positive sustainability strategies integrated into procurement frameworks and project deliverables

 

Adrian Bliss, Environment and Sustainability Account Leader, Mott MacDonald

André-Martin Bouchard, Global Director Earth & Environment & Global Executive Director ESG, WSP

Craig Riley, Executive Advisor - ESG, Climate Change & Strategic Sustainability, GHD

Rebecca Healey, Co-Chair EMEA Regional Committee, EMEA Regulatory Subcommittee & ESG Working Group, FIX Trading Community

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Session Four: Exploiting Digital Transformation to Add Value to your Service Proposition 

 

12.00pm ET -  Exploiting Digital Transformation to Provide Environmental and Sustainability Solutions at a Global Level 

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• Integrating digital advances and innovation into the services we offer in a cost- and time-effective manner:

  • ensuring it is socially and generationally inclusive

  • managing ownership, sharing and privacy concerns

• Optimising data and information frameworks and management to achieve efficiencies and facilitate business decision-making:

  • re-purposing digital outputs to create accessible, usable “data reservoirs”  

  • using digital tools to explain complex sites and projects to stakeholders

• Examining how digital technologies will enable the energy transition to advance and achieve sustainability goals

• Exploring how partnerships / JVs / acquisitions play an important role in enabling digital investment and future proofing the sector 

• “Next Steps” in the digital transformation: what capabilities and opportunities are on the horizon? What are the challenges to realising these?

 

Hank Tran, Director, Knowledge Management, BST Global

Eve Joseph, Sustainability Customer Engagement Lead, Microsoft
Ann Rosenberg, Senior Vice President for Sustainable Development, Wood

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1.15pm ET - Closing Remarks from Environment Analyst and Close of Global Business Summit