NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

From raw material to finished goods that reach consumers, 90% of all traded goods pass through the shipping supply chain. The shipping industry is integral to the growth of the global economy and trade. However, shipping is also a major contributor to climate change and air pollution. The sector is responsible for about 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and around 15% of the world’s major air pollutants.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has set a goal to reduce shipping emissions by 40% by 2030, compared with 2008 levels. Shipping industry leaders have committed to finding a path to zero-carbon shipping—encouraging short-term action to achieve the long-term goal. Investment, regulation and technology will be fundamental drivers of maritime decarbonisation.

This Insight Hour will focus on the role of ship and cargo owners, in adopting alternative fuels and alternative propulsion to reduce emissions. Speakers will discuss the economics of alternative fuels, retrofitting ships and upgrading bunkering infrastructure, and how to achieve scale. They will assess the role played by financial and policy incentives and their impact on making progress towards decarbonisation.

Time: 3:00 PM BST | 4:00 PM CEST | 10AM EDT

This virtual showcase, in collaboration with GOGLA, will be an opportunity to hear from appliance manufacturers who have created innovative technologies that help accelerate a just and inclusive clean energy transition for people in developing countries and assist vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change and build resilience. The event will comprise five-minute presentations from different manufacturers, including OVO Solar and SureChill, as well as a question-and-answer session where you will be able to ask more in-depth questions about each organisation’s innovations.

The event forms part of Efficiency for Access’ campaign, ‘Solar Appliances for Our Planet’. This is a collaborative, global campaign that demonstrates how supporting the development of efficient, affordable solar-powered appliances and technologies can help accelerate a just and inclusive clean energy transition globally and assist vulnerable communities to build resilience and adapt to climate change.

Time: 12:00 PM London l 7:00 AM EST

Webinar organised by the e-MFP ‘From Research to Practice and Back Again’ Action Group

In recent years, the effects of the Covid-19 crisis, natural disasters caused by climate change, migration and people’s displacement caused by human conflicts amongst others have shifted the interests of the financial inclusion sector in how to best reach vulnerable segments of the population with convenient, accessible, affordable and safe financial and non-financial services and products.

The plethora of areas and topics that financial inclusion stakeholders are focusing on to deal with the current problems is vast and diverse. This leads to questions such as ‘What is the area with most interest in the financial inclusion sector? Is it gender? Regulation? Financial education?’ Under this context, their Action Group “From Research to Practice and Back Again” conducted an electronic survey with key stakeholders such as Financial Service Providers (FSPs), NGOs, investors, research centres, etc. The aim of this survey was to find out what areas and topics were the main priorities in terms of knowledge and research and from this point, to explore potential areas of collaboration across stakeholders.

This webinar will present the main results of the survey at a high level and will organise breakout sessions to explore the three main topics and areas identified in the survey in more depth and test the appetite of the audience for potential collaborations. They will welcome FSPs, academics, investors, regulators and any actor interested in how to improve financial inclusion.

Speakers:

• Davide Castellani and Max Niño-Zarazua, co-Heads of the e-MFP ‘From Research to Practice and Back Again’ Action Group
• Lucia Zanardi, Financial Inclusion Consultant

Time: 3 pm CEST/ 2 pm GMT