Agriculture generates an estimated 25% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. This panel will explore pathways for decarbonizing the sector through more sustainable agricultural practices and technological innovations. We will specifically highlight opportunities for partnership in the sector, including collaboration between startups, large companies, and policymakers.

Explore the reality of food waste in the US, where a staggering 38% of the annual food supply goes unsold or uneaten. This wastage costs households, food producers, and businesses $444 billion each year and generates a massive 380 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Uncover key insights from government, the food industry, and innovative startups as we discuss strategies to cut waste, reduce environmental impact, and address the ambitious goals set by EPA/USDA to cut 50% of food waste by 2030.

85% of the world lives in the Global South. Adopting climate solutions at scale won’t happen without a devoted strategy to understand the state of climate in the Global South, develop context relevant tech, and invest in entrepreneurs to scale solutions in these regions. Join us in learning about the state of climate preparedness and climate solution adoption in the Global South - the overlooked opportunities to accelerate and invest in local climate business solutions and entrepreneurs, and ultimately create a more equitable future.

The panel will explore strategies for effectively amplifying green energy generation, with a spotlight on pivotal sources like solar, wind, hydrogen, geothermal, and nuclear power. The emphasis will be on targeted approaches to accelerate the adoption and scalability of sustainable energy solutions.

Reaching net zero will require huge changes to high-emissions industries such as oil & gas, steel, cement, and chemicals. This panel will explore the operational and technological challenges to scale lower-emissions technologies, implement CCUS, and adapt systems built around GHG-intensive inputs while describing the financing solutions required.

The voluntary carbon markets can be an effective mechanism to hold organizations accountable for emissions, but broad implementation has proved challenging. What supporting infrastructure needs to be in place to effectively scale a high-quality carbon market? Beyond buyers and sellers, what other actors are involved, and how are they reacting to scrutiny and new entrants in the market? This panel will explore the role of various stakeholders that form the backbone of the voluntary carbon market.

Facilitating the green transition will require a complete reworking of modern electrical infrastructure and coordination across generation, transmission, and storage. Power transmission operators face a variety of challenges as they attempt to expand capacity without disrupting communities and ecosystems, adopt new technologies safely and affordably, and maintain grid reliability amid increasing extreme weather events due to climate change. This panel will focus on business, technology and policy solutions to these challenges.

The IRA and subsequent response from other nations has opened up a new era of industrial policy activism / trade protectionism. This panel will focus on the implications these policy dynamics have for decarbonization and try to answer the question of whether the new era of industrial competition is good or bad for the future of the green transition.

As we transition towards cleaner energy and sustainable chemical processes, the demand for alkali metals, transition metals, rare earth metals, and platinum metals is on the rise. In 2020, the market for critical minerals was valued at $40 billion, with expectations of growing sevenfold by 2030. However, this growth comes at a cost, as the mining industry contributes a staggering 5 gigatons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) greenhouse gas emissions annually, largely from iron and aluminum production, even though critical mineral ores are often found in the same mines. This environmental impact underscores the urgent need for mineral recycling. During our discussion, we will explore the intriguing dynamics of pursuing high-demand materials like lithium and rare earth metals compared to more easily recyclable materials such as copper and aluminum. We'll also uncover the latest innovations, from electrolysis and synthetic biology to software tools aimed at enhancing the efficiency of businesses in this sector. Additionally, we'll shed light on the industry's true challenges, whether they lie in raw material separations, energy-intensive metal filtering methods, or the logistical aspects of disposing of toxic metals.

Long-duration energy storage (LDES) plays a novel yet pivotal role in addressing the intermittency of renewable energy sources, paving the way for a sustainable, dependable, and resilient grid. However, first-of-a-kind (FOAK) projects using new energy technologies in LDES experience unique challenges, including navigating intricate regulatory landscapes, securing financial backing, and garnering community support. In this fireside chat, we will explore how innovators, investors, and policymakers can work together to overcome common challenges of FOAK, and hence accelerate the clean energy transition.