– High level public and private sector experts in climate, carbon markets and finance to explore the potential for carbon markets in accelerating the road to net zero.”
– Convening under the patronage of the Supreme Council for Environment, Kingdom of Bahrain.
Sustainability Forum Middle East (SFME) announced that it will be hosting the first of its Decarbonisation Roundtable Series in the Kingdom of Bahrain on “Carbon Markets – Accelerating and Funding the Road to Net-Zero”.
The event, taking place on 23 May 2023, is being held under the patronage of the Supreme Council for Environment of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and is set to gather leading regional public and private sector experts in climate and sustainability, carbon markets and finance to assess the roleof carbon markets in helping businesses and countries achieve their net-zero ambitions.
The roundtable aims to help regional audiences build a better understanding of carbon markets – regionally and around the world, provide insight into their practical workings as well as the potential benefits they can provide as part of broader efforts to support, fund and accelerate MENA’s decarbonisation.
Joining as speakers are officials representing regional governments – Ms. Layla Sabeel, Head of Planning, Climate Change & Sustainable Development, Supreme Council for Environment, Kingdom of Bahrain and Mr. Okan Ugurlu, Climate Change Expert, Directorate of Climate Change, Department of Carbon Pricing, Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Republic of Türkiye.
Also speaking at the event is Ms. Riham AlGizy, CEO MENA Voluntary Carbon Market, which recently launched as a joint venture between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Tadawul and which has already held the world’s largest carbon credits auction in October 2022 where more than 1.4 million tons of carbon credits were purchased by leading regional industrial companies and banks.
Other high level speakers include Mr. Usman Ahmed, Group CEO, National Bank of Bahrain, Mr. Majed Al Khan, CEO of Infracorp, Ms. Venetia Bell, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Gulf International Bank, and Ms. Jessica Robinson, MENA Sustainable Finance Leader, EY-Parthenon.
Commenting, Ms. Laila Danesh, Managing Director of FinMark Communications, the founders and organisers of Sustainability Forum Middle East, said, “We’re delighted to announce this exciting line of speakers to explore the role of carbon markets and their potential for supporting and funding decarbonisation. Our experts will look at their development globally and in the region and assess their potential and effectiveness for helping businesses and countries achieve their net-zero targets. Following the successful launch of Sustainability Forum Middle East in January 2023, we’re keen to continue bringing together climate, sustainability and finance experts to look at a range of critical issues impacting MENA’s decarbonisation and especially raising awareness amongst senior decision makers of the various pathways and solutions available to advance their own organisational journeys to net-zero. This event on carbon markets is the first of a series of roundtables we will be hosting ahead of the much anticipated COP28 taking place in the UAE in November 2023, the second consecutive UN global climate meeting to be taking place in the region, after COP27 in Egypt in November 2022, further shining a spotlight on MENA’s important and unique role in global decarbonisation.”
Sustainability Forum Middle East was launched earlier this year in the Kingdom of Bahrain under the patronage of the Minister of Oil and Environment, Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, H.E. Dr. Mohamed bin Mubarak bin Daina, attracting participation from more than 400 regional and international decision makers, sustainability and climate experts, finance leaders and dignitaries at its inaugural event in January.
The Forum’s second edition is set to take place on January 9, 2024 in the Kingdom of Bahrain and will focus on “Achieving Net Zero – Pathways to Accelerating Implementation”. More details will soon be announced.
For more information on how to join the upcoming carbon markets roundtable on 23 May, please contact info@sustainmideast.com.