Agenda

Panelists:

The post pandemic recovery is getting up the speed. Learning on the pandemic inflicted failures, global leaders are reshaping political and economic foundations of the world. Incentives like Green New Deal prevail global economic transformation narrative, recently rooted in EU, the United States or South Korea. It emerged on the understanding that finance, economy and ecosystem are tightly bound together. The GND demands commitment to transformative overhaul of economy and financial system through responsible investment in decarbonisation and digitalization. Progressive transformation of international capital markets and sustainability regulations, as well as, availability of stimulus investment programs like EU Green Agenda for Western Balkans, pose both opportunity and risks for WB economies, seeking immediate attention. The opening panel explores the state of affairs in WB countries in understanding the global economic and policy overhaul in spearheading new sustainable perspectives within planetary boundaries, the risks if the policy and business stakeholders miss the opportunity to connect with the “train leaving the station” and the emerging opportunities to thrive if they timely embrace the change.

Panelists:

The transition to a green financial system means fundamental changes to the way decisions are made across the economy. To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and Western Balkans wider environmental ambitions, all finance will need to incorporate the financial risks and opportunities presented by climate change and other environmental challenges. Aligning private financial flows with clean, resilient and environmentally sustainable growth will require collaborative efforts across the public and private sector, and that leadership on green finance will in turn strengthen the competitiveness of the Western Balkans financial sector. This panel aims to discuss emerging topics, and provide opportunities for peer learning and exposure to latest practices on green finance.

Panelists:

In new global economic perspective, higher company returns are strongly linked with integrating climate risks as material risks into corporate strategy. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are at the heart of sustainability investing. Governments’ stimulus packages, as well as, institutional investors and asset managers are increasingly shifting from companies making profits at the expense of depleted natural resources and the planet and allocate funds towards companies with climate neutral and sustainable prospects. Top ESG propositions drive innovation, new markets and brand reputation, as well as, productivity uplift by instilling a sense of purpose. This panel explores the level of preparedness of WB corporate sector in shifting the decision making towards long term value creation and risk management.

Panelists:

As a conclusion of the conference, the session explores the concept of Western Balkans Green Navigator, a regional corporate flagship initiative, as a synergetic HUB at the intersection between international and WB business enabling environment, while nourishing and advancing corporate agenda.