Chapter Zero

Before we start looking ahead to 2025, we are reflecting on our last event of the year in partnership with McKinsey & Company on global climate policy and COP29. Our expert speakers analysed the international climate policy landscape following COP29 and surfaced key insights for the boardroom. You can read the full summary here: https://lnkd.in/eJkbrfqa   With thanks to the team at the Centre for Climate Engagement. 

Jules Peck, Global Partner at ERM, and Jennie Dodson, Senior Director at the WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development, explain why board oversight of the changing policy landscape is fast becoming an area of risk and opportunity for business and how it is also a key element of emerging transition planning guidance. Read the article about why boards should take a strategic approach to the changing policy landscape in line with societal and investor expectations at https://bit.ly/4gmB28Z Thank you, Jules and Jennie, for your expertise and insights. #climateaction #netzero

Does your company have a credible transition plan? Or has 2024 just been another year of pledges?     More companies than ever before are disclosing their transition plans and momentum is growing to establish standards, policy and regulation on transition planning across the world.     No matter where your company is on its journey, our Transition Planning Toolkit can help you successfully integrate climate strategy into core business, to ensure you are meaningfully contributing to a transition to a climate-resilient economy.    The Toolkit is aligned with the Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) Disclosure Framework and Implementation Guidance and is made up of four elements: a Briefing, Scorecard, Governance Compass, and Barriers and Enablers. It is designed to be revisited and reused as companies progress and challenges and opportunities shift.    Directors, it’s time to lead. Get your guide: https://bit.ly/3OmsBhO    #DirectorsItsTimeToLead #TransitionPlanningToolkit #TransitionPlanning 

Last week we launched Nature for Boards: A primer, created in collaboration with Pollination and Korn Ferry. The report details the critical role #NonExecutiveDirectors and #Boards have in managing and mitigating nature-related risks and seizing opportunities for #NaturePositive approaches to drive value. It also provides a comprehensive view of what future-facing leadership from the boardroom on #Nature could look like and more. As James Cameron says in the report, “a board should know the impact of its decision making on nature and the natural environment. For some companies it ought to be obvious before it is mandatory. ... Step one is to take the issue seriously and get informed.” If you haven't read the primer yet, you can view some of the key takeaways below and can download the full report at: https://lnkd.in/etTDPBvk Huge thanks again to the report’s author Thea Philip, and all the contributors and teams at Pollination, Chapter Zero and Korn Ferry that worked on and supported this piece: Annick G. Paradis, Mark Lancelott, Sarah Barker, Jane "Carter" Ingram, Phoebe Roberts, Suzanne Blake, Vicky Moffatt, Jo D., Madeleine Bertie, Joanne Murray, Sashawne Smith, and our grateful thanks to our Chapter Zero Fellow who kindly reviewed this piece for us Zoe Howorth. #Nature #NaturePositive #NaturalCapital #NEDs #Boards #NonExecutiveDirectors #CorporateGovernance #Leadership #Governance #ClimateAction #COP16 #COP29

🔔 New January masterclass with ERM and the Green Finance Institute for non-executive directors in the financial services sector. Join us on 14 January 2025 for an exclusive in-person session to explore adopting a value-led approach to accelerate and scale decarbonisation and how climate transition plans can enhance your bottom line.  The session will be run by industry-leading ERM experts Irem Yerdelen and Charles Allison, and joined by guest speakers Ingrid Holmes, Executive Director at the Green Finance Institute and Vicky Moffatt, CEO of Chapter Zero. During the masterclass, you will:   💡 Discover how NEDs can catalyse the actions required to prepare a transition plan that aligns with accepted good practice and emerging regulatory norms globally.  💡 Learn how to refine and prioritise climate transition planning efforts to achieve portfolio goals.  💡 Uncover the critical elements of decarbonisation success – from integration to financial planning and business transformation to harnessing enablers and overcoming implementation barriers. Spaces are limited and exclusively for NEDs in the Financial Services sector. Find out more and sign up for the event here:  https://lnkd.in/gqcnsWTk #ChapterZeroUK #ClimateTransition #FinancialServices #ClimateEvents  

Pollination, in collaboration with Chapter Zero and Korn Ferry have produced Nature for Boards, a practical guide tailored for Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) and board members. This report is designed to arm leaders with actionable strategies to embrace the nature-positive economy and align governance with sustainability imperatives.   The stakes have never been higher. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse rank as the third most severe global risk for the next decade, according to the World Economic Forum. Forward-thinking organisations are stepping up: over 500 entities, collectively managing assets worth $17.7 trillion, have committed to disclosing nature-related risks through the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). Nature isn’t just a climate ally; it’s a business imperative in its own right.   James Cameron, NED of Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust, sums it up: “Boards must recognize the impact of their decisions on nature and the dependencies on natural systems. With TNFD, CSRD, ISSB standards, and new interpretations of corporate law, the expectations on businesses are shifting rapidly.”   This report explains how integrating nature into corporate strategies can unlock resilience, future-proof supply chains, and generate long-term value. While addressing nature risks may seem daunting, the most proactive companies are already turning it into a competitive edge. Download the report: https://lnkd.in/e-ciEwkx #corporategovernance #regulation #nature  

These are exceptional times for climate law. We are in week two of the International Court of Justice’s hearings requested by individual states for advisory opinions on the obligations of states in respect of climate change.   While the outcomes of these hearings may herald new legislation in time, understanding and navigating the changing landscape of climate law and regulation remains crucial for Boards. Working in partnership with Freshfields and the Centre for Climate Engagement, Chapter Zero’s report on the legal implications of climate change can support boards to address current and emerging legislation, whether it is regulatory in nature, a result of increased transparency, investor-based, transactional, activist or litigious.   A deeper understanding of the board’s role in oversight for climate law can also help drive better strategic decision-making around climate plans, investments, transactions and transition pathways.   See the report at https://bit.ly/4iu5rDE   @climateaction @netzero

How effectively is your board tackling, and contributing to, the climate transition? 🤔  Complete our free, boardroom-aligned Transition Planning Scorecard to find out.     The Scorecard will help you assess how well your board is responding to the net zero transition and how ready your company is for transition plan disclosures.    Complete the Scorecard here: https://bit.ly/4f4CKub    The Scorecard is one of four elements of the Chapter Zero Transition Planning Toolkit, created in collaboration with Chronos Sustainability and the Centre for Climate Engagement, with support from LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group). Find out more about the full Transition Planning Toolkit in the comments.    #DirectorsItsTimeToLead #TransitionPlanningToolkit #TransitionPlanning 

📣 REPORT LAUNCH 📣 Throughout 2024, #Nature has risen higher up the boardroom agenda with increasing emphasis on nature risks and dependencies from regulators and investors.    While November’s #COP16 galvanised global action, Non-Executive Directors and Boards looking ahead to 2025 have much to gain from ensuring nature remains central to climate strategy - not only as an enabler of net zero through its critical role in carbon sequestration and emissions reduction, but also because integrating nature and investing in it represents a significant and essential opportunity for businesses to secure long-term value and resilience. Launched today, Nature for Boards: A primer, created in collaboration with Pollination and Korn Ferry, offers the latest thinking on: 🏛️ What future-facing governance and leadership looks like  🌳 Nature fundamentals for business  🚦 Directors’ duties and nature risks  💡 Understanding nature-related opportunities  🪜 What steps directors can be taking now  🌳 How to align your Board’s talent strategy with nature To view a short excerpt, please click on the below, and to read and download the full report, please visit: https://lnkd.in/etTDPBvk Huge thanks to the report’s author Thea Philip, and all the contributors and teams Pollination, Chapter Zero and Korn Ferry that worked on and supported this piece: Sarah Barker, Jane "Carter" Ingram, Annick G. Paradis, Phoebe Roberts, Vicky Moffatt, Jo D., Madeleine Bertie, Joanne Murray, Mark Lancelott, and our grateful thanks to Chapter Zero Fellow who kindly reviewed this piece for us Zoe Howorth. #Nature #ClimateAction #COP16 #COP29 #Boards #NonExecutiveDirector #CorporateGovernance #NaturalCapital

The implications of global climate policy and COP29 were the focus of our event for NED members in partnership with McKinsey & Company last night. Joined by speakers Vanessa Havard-Williams, Chair of the Transition Finance Market Review at HM Treasury, Thomas Lingard, Global Head of Sustainability at Unilever, Fiona Howarth, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles, and Daniel Mikkelsen, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, the lively panel discussion addressed the developments from COP29 and relevance for boards. Key topics included the strengthening of carbon markets, the role of digital technology to aid climate solutions, raising corporate ambition in line with UK leadership and NDCs, and how to collaborate across public and private stakeholders to derisk investments, support scaling of innovative solutions, and unlock capital. The key takeaways from the event will be available on our Knowledge Hub soon, including what boards should consider on the road to COP30. Did you miss out on our COP29 event? There is still time to register for tomorrow’s online webinar hosted by our partners at the Climate Governance Initiative, who will provide a global outlook on key discussion points and takeaways from COP29 and what this means for the board director community. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g7AYpVpE With huge thanks to all who attended and participated in the discussion, and to our brilliant speakers and organisers: Vicky Moffatt, Susan Hooper, Jayanti Kar, Harry Bowcott