Avoiding the worst impacts of climate change will require an urgent and inclusive transformation, where all people and institutions are involved in climate action efforts. The private sector, and in particular the market’s leading companies, play a crucial transformative role in achieving this.

The private sector recognizes the current climate crisis and has identified financial risks associated with the impacts of climate change, which will be reflected in its business plans. Companies are taking concrete steps to mitigate these risks and contribute to sustainability strategies. It is increasingly common for countries and companies to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving carbon neutrality targets –generally by 2050-.

Several companies in Latin America and the Caribbean are committed to this net-zero path. Their experiences and lessons learned are of vital importance to stimulate a transformation that must be emulated by the entire private sector, in full alignment with the plans of the countries in which they operate.

For UNDP, it is a key priority to continue supporting countries to accelerate the implementation of climate actions in line with the priorities of the Paris Agreement, and this includes achieving an active integration of the private sector into each of the national climate plans (NDCs).

This event, organized by UNDP, will bring together representatives of leading companies in the region, such as Toyota, Mabe, Allinfra and Credicorp, to share experiences, success stories and challenges, and explore future solutions towards greater climate ambition by governments and the private sector.

Agenda

09:00 am Opening: Introduction by Lyes Ferroukhi, Regional Team Leader (Nature, Climate and Energy), UNDP for Latin America and the Caribbean.

09:05 am Keynote Speaker: Michelle Muschett, UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean - The role of the private sector in achieving climate goals.

09:20 am Panel with high-level representatives of the private sector with activities in Latin America and the Caribbean in line with the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Moderator: Lyes Ferroukhi, Regional Team Leader (Nature, Climate and Energy), UNDP for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Panellists:

• Viviane Mansi, Director of Sustainability and Communications Toyota Latin America and the Caribbean
• Pablo Moreno, Corporate Affairs Manager, Mabe
• Erick Silva, ESG Credit Risk Manager, Credicorp
• Bill Kentrup, Co-founder, Allinfra

10:20 am Discussion and questions

10:55 am Conclusions and closing

The event will have simultaneous Spanish-English interpretation and will be of hybrid format, with both in-person and virtual participation. 

Follow the online streaming of the event here.