Business, finance and cities: climate action for Paris

2015 is a key year for international climate negotiations. In December in Paris, States will be asked to sign a new universal and legally binding treaty to tackle climate change. If successful, it will be the first time in over 20 years that there has been a new international agreement on climate.

But while much of the focus will be on States' obligations, non-state actors — the financial services, businesses and major city municipalities — are already responding to the challenge of climate change. They are developing sustainable ways of working, investing in innovative green technology, and building carbon-friendly transport systems, amongst others. Totalled up, their existing commitments already add up to many billions of dollars.

Looking ahead to Paris, this event explores: What role will these non-state actors play? What contributions can they make? What coalitions between public and private actors are forming? How are the private sector and civil society collaborating to further net zero emissions?

The event features a keynote speech by Mary Robinson, President of the Mary Robinson Foundation and UN Secretary General's Special Envoy on Climate Change. The panel is chaired by James Cameron (Chair, ODI and Chairman and Co-Founder, Climate Change Capital) and includes panellists Arunabha Ghosh (CEEW India), Yacob Mulugetta (UCL), Ian Simm (Impax Asset Management), Namita Vikas (YES BANK), and Shelagh Whitley (ODI).