Event information
Now in its second year The Green Summit London 2024 will bring together leading practitioners and in-house counsel from across the country and region to discuss the legal sector’s engagement with sustainability and a green transition.
The day will commence with a keynote speech from Dr Wayne Visser – Fellow of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. In his keynote, Wayne will unravel the scientific keys to thriving, guiding us through strategic choices. He’ll shed light on the characteristics of regenerative and purpose-inspired leaders, while highlighting the business case for thriving and the hope agenda.
We will then continue with our first panel session which will focus on the complexity of global supply chains and provide an overview of the latest due diligence and reporting regulations. Speakers will explore potential competition issues, and discuss how to manage competing multi-jurisdiction obligations, and give practical guidance on how to develop a road map to supply chain compliance.
For the final session of the event, guests will be able to choose between the following:
Climate Transition Plans: Ambition, Action and Accountability, exploring the current transition plan guidance in the market and how transition plans can be the catalyst for the business transformation needed to achieve our net zero ambitions whilst sharing insights on how transition plans can provide an opportunity for organisations to deliver value, help meet stakeholder objectives and ensure transparency.
The Future of Power, looking at transition plans, linking ambitions with action and accountability. Companies are undergoing dynamic shifts as they are increasingly setting ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions, creating roadmaps to net zero, and rethinking how to power their operations. This dynamic and interactive session will provide the audience with practical insights and advice on implementing robust transition planning.
The summit will then conclude with networking and refreshments.
Agenda
3.30pm Registration and guests arrive
4.00pm Welcome address and opening remarks
- Anna Bauböck, editor, Global Green Guide, The Legal 500
- Diane Gilhooley – co-head ESG, Eversheds Sutherland
- Herbert Short – co-head ESG, Eversheds Sutherland
4.10pm Keynote speech by Professor Dr Wayne Visser, fellow of Cambridge Institute for sustainability leadership
5.00pm Global Supply Chains: rising to meet regulations and managing risk
In this session we will explore the complex web of global supply chains, providing an overview of the latest due diligence and reporting regulations. We will explore potential competition issues, and discuss how to manage competing multi-jurisdiction obligations, and provide practical guidance on how to develop a road map to supply chain compliance.
- Moderator: Dominique Strieder, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
- Craig Rogers, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
- Julia Woodward-Carlton, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
- Kari Hietanen, executive vice president, Corporate Relations & Legal Affairs, Wärtsilä
- Rebecca Danby, assistant general counsel, Sustainability and ESG, Haleon
- Sandrine Delarue, senior competition lawyer & sustainability leader – Net Zero – Climate Change, Competition & Markets Authority
5:50pm Coffee Break
6:10pm Climate Transition Plans: Ambition, Action and Accountability
The UK has set itself ambitious and legally binding targets to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net zero by 2050, with binding interim targets. The UK has also pledged at UN climate negotiations to cut emissions by at least 68% by 2030. In light of these development business are increasingly setting ambitious targets to reduce their carbon emissions. Ambitions are important, but to be credible, business must implement robust transition plans that include a roadmap to net zero.
In this session we will explore the current transition plan guidance in the market and how transition plans can be the catalyst for the business transformation needed to achieve our net zero ambitions. We will also share insights on how transition plans can provide an opportunity for organisations to deliver value, help meet stakeholder objectives and ensure transparency.
- Moderator: Phil Spyropoulos, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
- Tom Black, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
- Kirstie Ross, sustainability lead, TSB
- Andrew Waters, senior counsel, Nationwide
Future of Power
Companies are undergoing a dynamic shift in how they power their operations. Emphasizing the importance of reducing emissions, legal frameworks are evolving to incentivise and regulate a more sustainable and resilient energy mix. In this panel we will explore the evolving landscape of power purchasing strategies and future options including new infrastructure and renewable fuels. We will also asses how companies can reduce the demand on their power needs though alternative operations and energy efficiency practices.
- Moderator: Stephen Hill, global co-head of energy, Eversheds Sutherland
- Jubilee Easo, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
- Chris Dye, vice president & general counsel, Carbon Clean
- Simon, Mendham, manager, Global Utilities, GSK
- Alex DeSouza, general counsel – EMEA, Lightsource
7.00pm Drinks and canapes
8.00pm Event Close
Speakers
Keynote speaker: Professor Dr Wayne Visser, fellow of Cambridge Institute for sustainability leadership
Wayne Visser describes himself as a pracademic, poet and possibilist. His work in sustainability has taken him to over 70 countries and he has written 44 books, including “Thriving”, an Amazon bestseller in 18 countries. Wayne has faculty roles at the University of Cambridge and Antwerp Management School and has previously worked as Director of Sustainability Services for KPMG and Vice President of Sustainability at Omnex
In his keynote, Wayne will unravel the scientific keys to thriving, guiding us through strategic choices. He’ll shed light on the characteristics of regenerative and purpose-inspired leaders, while highlighting the business case for thriving and the hope agenda.
Kari Hietanen, executive vice president, Corporate Relations & Legal Affairs, Wärtsilä
Kari is responsible for several global functions at Wärtsilä, including Corporate Relations. He is also representing the company in various external organs, for example he is the President of the European Engine Power Plants Association, EUGINE, and member of the Industrial Forum of the European Commission.
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy market, emphasising innovation in sustainable technology and services to help customers continuously improve their environmental and economic performance.
Rebecca Danby, assistant general counsel, Sustainability and ESG, Haleon
Rebecca Danby is an Assistant General Counsel in the Legal Department at Haleon. She is the legal adviser to the Global Sustainability team. She carries out a general counsel-style role for this global business team and therefore supports them on climate change, sustainability, human rights and community partnering projects and programmes, as well as advising on compliance with current and upcoming ESG legislation around the world and global ESG reporting.
Kirstie Ross, sustainability lead, TSB
Kirstie leads the Sustainability Team at TSB Bank. Kirstie and her team are responsible for driving the strategy and action to allow TSB to meet its own operations and financed emissions net-zero targets, and for all climate reporting and disclosure. Prior to her current role, Kirstie was a senior in-house lawyer with over 20 years financial services experience.
Andrew Waters, senior counsel, Nationwide
Andrew is an experienced in-house lawyer who splits his time between innovative propositions, dispute resolution and climate change issues. Over recent years Andrew has worked closely with Nationwide’s strategy team to deliver both risk and opportunity-related advice in connection with climate change, including on carbon emission disclosures, target setting, transition plans, greenwashing and customer engagement propositions. He was formerly a Dispute Resolution partner at Watson Farley Williams LLP.
Jubilee Easo, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Jubilee is a partner in our Global Energy Group and also the head of our international oil and gas practice and leads our hydrogen practice. Her practice is focused in the gas, LNG and energy transition sub-sectors, having advised state oil and gas entities, international oil and gas companies and financial institutions on a wide range of upstream acquisitions and developments, LNG development projects and Hydrogen and other energy transition projects.
Stephen Hill, global co-head of energy, Eversheds Sutherland
Stephen leads a global team that assists Eversheds Sutherland’s clients in navigating the legal complexities of the ever evolving global energy markets. He has worked on a wide variety of national and international energy M&A and funds deployments for funds, developers, IPPs and utilities. He’s worked across a range of energy transition technologies and infrastructure.
Chris Dye, vice president & general counsel, Carbon Clean
Carbon Clean is a leader in revolutionising carbon capture solutions for hard-to-abate industries including cement, steel, refineries, and energy from waste. The company’s patented technology significantly reduces the costs of carbon capture when compared to conventional solutions. Carbon Clean has over a decade of experience in designing, building, and operating industrial carbon capture systems.
The Sustainable Markets Initiative recently awarded Carbon Clean with the 2023 Terra Carta Seal, recognising the company’s role in advancing a climate and nature-positive future on a global scale. Carbon Clean also received the COP28 Energy Transition Changemaker Award.
Prior to joining Carbon Clean, Chris was in various legal leadership roles in the US and UK with Tyco and subsequently Johnson Controls PLC, the NYSE listed world leader in smart buildings, with a focus on creating safe, healthy and sustainable spaces.
Craig Rogers, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Craig is a partner in our Commercial practice and is based in London.
Craig advises on ESG and Sustainability issues in complex, global supply chains.
This involves interpretation of evolving regulatory requirements (such as the proposed EU directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence “CS3D”), and contractual mechanisms, policies and procedures designed to address ESG and Sustainability requirements end-to-end, up and down the value chain. Craig advises clients across all sectors, but has a particular focus on financial services, technology, energy, healthcare and transport/aviation.
Craig joined Eversheds Sutherland in 2015. Prior to joining the firm, Craig spent 12 years in various senior, in-house roles at IBM, Oracle, TCS and KPMG
Julia Woodward-Carlton, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Julia has 20 years’ experience advising clients on EU and UK competition issues across a broad range of matters including the application of competition law to strategic collaborations, trade practices and agreements (including information sharing); abuse of dominance as well as representing clients who are the subject of regulatory investigation.
Dominique Strieder, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Dominique is a compliance and regulatory partner who focuses on corporate compliance and corporate governance. He regularly advises clients in relation to ESG compliance, in particular in relation to supply chain due diligence, human rights and environmental risk assessments as well as internal investigations in relation to human rights violations.
Dominique advises in relation to the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and related legislation. This includes preventative advice to clients that prepare for future legislation such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products.
Before returning to private practice, Dominique worked for many years in the legal department of Siemens AG.
Phil Spyropoulos, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Phil advises financial institutions on regulation, market practice, and developments. His background is in asset management and funds where clients value his regulatory knowledge and insights into the practical aspects of their operations.
Phil works extensively on investor and market disclosure, often in the context of new regulatory initiatives, and particularly in the areas of sustainable investing and non-financial reporting, where he is regularly involved in industry thought leadership.
Phil chairs The Investing and Savings Alliance (TISA) Responsible and Sustainable Investing Committee, sits on the FCA’s Disclosures and Labels Advisory Group (DLAG) as well as acting as counsel to the IA’s SDR implementation forum.
Tom Black, partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Tom is a disputes and contentious regulatory lawyer who specialises in advising a broad range of financial institutions.
Climate litigation and regulatory risks are key areas of focus for Tom and he offers advice and training regularly to financial services clients on issues such as greenwashing, disputes relating to green products and macro risks associated with climate change.
Tom chairs a thought leadership group for Financial Services clients focusing on ESG risk and sits on the Finance and Leasing Association’s Green Finance Steering Group.
Alex DeSouza, general counsel - EMEA, Lightsource
Alex is General Counsel, EMEA and Global Head of Transactions for Lightsource bp joining the executive team in early 2020. Her career within the renewables industry stretches back 16 years advising on renewables energy projects in Europe, Africa and Asia. She sits on the Core Group of the Department of Energy and Net Zero Solar Taskforce co-chaired by SEUK and is Chair of the Communications Sub-Group.
She started her career at Linklaters advising on international project finance transactions in the energy and infrastructure space. On leaving private practice in 2008, Alex joined SunRay Renewable Energy a start-up IPP developing utility scale PV projects in Europe which was subsequently sold to SunPower Corporation in 2010. Since then, she has followed the growth of the solar sector around the world managing teams in the UK and abroad for large multinational companies including SunPower, SunEdison and now Lightsource bp.
Simon Mendham, manager, Global Utilities, GSK
Simon has worked in the Energy/Utilities/Carbon field for over 30 years across a number of large corporates including Thames Water, Vodafone, Land Securities, Heathrow Airport & GSK. Over this time in different roles, Simon has covered all aspects of Energy i.e. Energy/Carbon Management/Reduction, Carbon Compliance and Energy Procurement.
Simon has been at GSK for the past 12 years and covers energy procurement on a global basis which includes delivering GSKs carbon reduction targets.
Sandrine Delarue, senior competition lawyer & sustainability leader – Net Zero – Climate Change, Competition & Markets Authority
Sandrine is the Head of Sustainability Policy at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and is part of the CMA Sustainability Taskforce. Sandrine’s recent work includes focusing on developing the CMA’s Green Agreements Guidance on applying competition law to environmental sustainability agreements between competitors and implementing the open-door policy. Before this, Sandrine was a member of the CMA’s Policy team and led several projects, including the CMA’s advice to the Secretary of State on environment sustainability. Sandrine started her career in private practice working on antitrust cases and merger control, both as an Avocat at the Paris Bar and a solicitor.
Diane Gilhooley, co-head ESG, Eversheds Sutherland
Diane is the Global Co-Head of ESG, leading a team of lawyers who work together globally, advising on complex and ESG issues, voluntary and mandatory reporting, regulatory compliance and evolving legislation. The ESG team has worked on some of the largest and most innovative projects and transactions of their kind, supporting organizations to identify and manage legal risks, embrace opportunity and achieve their goals through a broad range of advice covering sustainable finance, business and human rights, due diligence and M&A, net-zero strategies, environmental compliance, leadership and governance, sustainable procurement and corporate digital responsibility.
Drawing on over 25 years of experience Diane has advised on governance and risk, business and human rights matters such as supply chain issues, labor standards, ethics and culture change, diversity equity and inclusion (DEI), with an increasing focus on emerging ESG legislation and regulatory requirements, stakeholder engagement and challenges.
Diane is also the Global Head of the Eversheds Sutherland Employment, Labor and Pensions Practice. Across her career Diane has also been a Chair of a Remuneration Committee for a higher education institution, Executive Diversity Sponsor and is currently a member of the Eversheds Sutherland International Leadership Team.
Herbert Short, partner, US, co-head ESG, Eversheds Sutherland
With more than three decades of experience, Herbert Short has developed a deep and broad practice representing energy and financial services companies in connection with a myriad of capital markets, securities regulatory, corporate governance and transactional matters. Herbert currently serves as Eversheds Sutherland’s US International Partner and works with colleagues around the world to serve the firm’s global priority clients. He also has a lead role implementing and overseeing the firm’s initiatives for its various global sector groups, including serving as Global Co-Lead of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), where he most recently co-authored the firm’s second climate impact report. Prior to his international and global ESG roles, Herbert served as the US Energy Practice Group Leader (2009-2021), successfully leading the group and its clients through significant transitions in the market, growing the group’s suite of services, and expanding into new cities. During his tenure as Practice Group Leader, Herbert held a dual role as Co-Head of the Eversheds Sutherland Global Energy Group (2018-2021) and focused on building strong collaborations with international colleagues to form a global service offering for energy sector clients.
In association with...
Eversheds Sutherland provides legal advice and solutions to an international client base which includes some of the world’s largest multinationals. Eversheds Sutherland’s Global ESG group brings together practitioners from disciplines across the firm’s global footprint to support clients with their environmental, social and governance objectives wherever the clients may be on their ESG journey.