Programme

How big is your footprint? Carbon and the future of business management

When: 29 September, 6.30pm
Where: Wolfson Theatre, London School of Economics
Price: Early bird (if booked by 7 September): £35 per delegate
Normal rate (if booked after 7 September): £47 per delegate

>> Book today by clicking here

Confirmed speakers:

James Murray, editor, BusinessGreen.com
Adrian Gault, chief economist, UK Climate Change Committee
Paul Simpson, chief operating officer, Carbon Disclosure Project
Leo Johnson, partner, PwC LLP (UK) and co-founder of Sustainable Finance

Programme:

After centuries during which the only metric that has mattered to businesses has been the bottom line, the next decade is likely to see a fundamental shift in the way executives measure their performance. The bottom line will remain the sole arbiter of corporate success and failure, but the pricing of carbon emissions and soaring energy costs mean that profitability will increasingly become a factor of firms' ability to reduce their carbon footprint.

This evening of short lectures will assess how carbon is redefining the role of modern accountancy, ask how and why firms should measure their environmental impact, and explore some of the management techniques progressive businesses are deploying to encourage executives to deliver against carbon targets.

What is carbon accounting and why does it matter

Adrian Gault, chief economist, UK Climate Change Committee

This short introductory lecture will address why carbon accounting and reporting has become such a crucial issue for many blue chip firms, and offer an economists' view of how measuring and pricing carbon is essential to curbing global greenhouse gas emissions.

It will seek to explain the economic theory behind carbon accounting, which argues that internalising externalities such as pollution represents the most effective way of encouraging firms to cut carbon emissions.

How to measure your carbon footprint

Paul Simpson, chief operating officer, Carbon Disclosure Project

This lecture will offer a quick guide on how to measure and report your firms' carbon footprint and provide an overview of the different standards and techniques currently available.

Preparing for the carbon police

Christopher Norton, Partner, Hogan Lovells

This lecture will look at the various legislative trends governing carbon reporting and assess how businesses increasingly face mandatory carbon reporting requirements.

It will also look at the likely shape of future carbon reporting rules and argue that it makes sense for businesses to prepare for new legislation now.

The future of carbon management

Leo Johnson, partner, PwC LLP (UK) and co-founder of Sustainable Finance

This lecture will look at how carbon accounting and reporting policies can be used to shape a firm's environmental and wider business strategy and also investigate how carbon management can become embedded within an organisation.

In particular, it will look at examples of how carbon reporting can help a firm identify the most effective way to go about cutting emissions and provide an insight into those innovative firms that are pioneering new carbon management techniques such as carbon budgets and even carbon bonuses for staff.