10 November 2021
NBI Carbon Pricing Work
Hosted by the National Business Initiative
Climate change is wide-spread, rapid and intensifying. The current and impending climate related impacts make it impossible for governments and the private sector to ignore. As such, a growing number of countries have either adopted or are considering setting set net-zero targets. Whilst todays’ climate action plans in the form of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC’s) may fall short of what is required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, carbon pricing remains one of the most meaningful measures that can be taken to help transform our economies towards low-carbon development paths. Appropriately designed, the tool can be used to incentivise low-carbon action and assist in avoiding locking in more fossil-fuel intensive investments.
Whilst the beginning of this year saw China becoming the world’s largest carbon market, the other key trend is that of companies globally and across different sectors using internal carbon prices to integrate climate risk and opportunity into their business strategies. As a voluntary coalition of South African and multinational companies, working towards sustainable growth and the shaping of a sustainable future through responsible business action, the National Business Initiative (NBI) has a stellar record in facilitating dialogue around South Africa’s carbon pricing instruments and the implications for the country’s economy.
The NBI has piloted a methodology for sectors to collaboratively interrogate the impact of a carbon price on sector transition and competitiveness. Working with the World Bank's Carbon Pricing Leadership coalition we think this approach, which uses some objective data points, allows multiple stakeholders to engage on price setting strategy and complimentary policy. We welcome you to a short informal conversation to hear about and input into this potentially useful approach.
Time:
09:30 to 10:30 GMT
11:30 to 12:30 SAST
To attend this event, click on the link here.
Introduction to the Just Transition Day: Unlocking South Africa's green hydrogen potential - the need for public-private partnerships (Session 1).
Hydrogen has become an increasingly prevalent topic on the agenda of governments and industries alike as a viable option in combatting climate change. Southern Africa is well positioned to play a major role in the global green hydrogen economy, while enabling South Africa’s just transition and contributing to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
The region is blessed with large endowments of sun, wind, platinum group metals and ample land and water, as well as a significant industrial base, which includes Sasol’s green hydrogen vision leveraging its Fischer-Tropsch technology, in which it has unsurpassed expertise globally.
This session will explore the vision of positioning Southern Africa as a global green hydrogen hub through catalytic public-private partnership projects already committed.
Time:
11:30 to 12:30 GMT
13:30 to 14:30 SAST
to attend this event, click on the link here.
Implementing a Just Transition in South Africa: challenges, innovations and lessons learned
Hosted by the National Business Initiative
South Africa’s mining and agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sectors are key socio-economic contributors. As part of the Just Transition Day, the NBI will be hosting a discussion on the importance of implementing a Just Transition in South Africa. This will take place at the South Africa COP26 Pavilion. Join this event to explore the challenges of implementing the Just Transition and the innovations, insights and lessons learnt in decarbonising the mining and AFOLU sectors. This session will feature a panel of speakers including, Exxaro, the Minerals Council South Africa (MINCOSA), African Climate Foundation (ACF), and the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA).
The NBI, in partnership with Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) recently launched a series of reports that focus on decarbonising key sectors in line with a net-zero future. These reports have considered how to achieve a Just Transition that is economically and environmentally sustainable and which leaves no one behind, for each of the various sectors. Given its vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, South Africa understands the need to transition its economy and to decarbonise its coal intensive sectors, as well as to build resilience to the impacts of climate change. Navigating the transition will be complex and will require a high degree of collaboration across industries and amongst government, private sector, civil society, and the public.
A just transition in developing countries is about more than just jobs and reskilling. Climate transitions must run in parallel to solving structural challenges in local and global economies. South Africa must also solve for poverty, inequality, and unemployment. We invite you to join a panel of seasoned practitioners as we debate what a just transition really means in the context of a developing country.
Time:
13:00 to 15:00 GMT
15:00 to 17:00 SAST
Adaptation Research Alliance: radical collaboration for adaptation
The Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) is a global coalition of over 70 adaptation actors including researchers, funders, policymakers, and grass-roots organisations. Following its official launch at COP26 on 9 November, the ARA will introduce its Research for Impact Principles and its efforts to facilitate a paradigm shift in how adaptation research is done – a shift where the needs of those most vulnerable to climate change take centre stage and where research becomes a highly valued tool of all actors in the climate adaptation space.
Time:
15:30 - 16:30 GMT
17:30 - 18:30 SAST
To attend this event, click on the link here.
The Fashion Challenge for the Future: Sustainable Fashion
Does Fashion need to cost our future? Is there any way to make it different? The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. This panel will show that there are options to change it. Get to know Grupo Malwee, a Brazilian fashion company that for more than 50 years is committed to build solutions to make affordable sustainable fashion possible. The panelists will present the last ESG achievements and, for the very first time, the 2030 ESG Plan – Group Malwee’s way to make public the next 10 years commitment with environmental and social goals based on science and aligned with the UN SDG.
Time:
17:00 to 18:30 GMT
19:00 to 20:30 SAST
To attend, click on the link here.
