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Events and activities

Chapter Zero Southern Africa Proposed Learning and Events Program

The program of Learning Events will be continually curated

  • Whilst the core of the learning program will be based on 15 annual networking learning events, these will be supplemented with curated conversations, newsletters, podcasts, and industry focus activities. 
  • Our core events program will be planned and published well in advance, and additional events and activities of relevance and interest will be added on an ad hoc basis as they emerge. 
  • The speed of developments globally, as well as access to evolving information of importance through CGI and Global Chapters, ESG Exchange and other connected platforms ensures an ongoing flow of critical content

The CZSA current event repository will be drawn from :

  • Events formulated by CZSA customized for urgency and relevance.
  • Content drawn from CGI and Global Chapter activities.
  • Events emerging from global current developments of immediate interest
  • Activities co-hosted with collaborative Thought Partners.
  • Discrete events developed with prominent high impact resources / speakers

CZSA proposed learning events for 2025 include the following

Topic The Problem Event Learning

Global Tensions

  • Global North
  • Global South

Total divergence in :

  • Culpability
  • Adverse impacts
  • Targeted outcomes
  • Action strategies

Understanding the inherent issues

  • North mitigation focus
  • South adaptation focus
  • Challenges and risk
  • Crafting opportunities
  • Business action steps

Board Caveats

  • Oversights and Responsibilities

Unexpected pitfalls :

  • Greenwashing
  • Investment decisions
  • Reporting unknowns

Lived governance failure examples

  •  Relevant global case studies
  •  Key risk exposure mitigation

An African Lens

  • Regulatory and
    Compliance
    Landscape

Seemingly excessive &
disproportionate
imposition on SADEC
businesses
  • Regional landscape insights
  • Sustainability vs Climate Action
  • Strategy Prioritization
  • Relevant case study insights

Net Zero Focus

  • Divergent priority
    for SADEC

Global North focus on
Net Zero and carbon
footprint distorts action
priorities of SADEC
  • Grasp of the global regulatory
    and compliance imperatives
  • Challenges and risks
  • Crafting opportunities.
  • Relevant case study insights

Biodiversity

  • A strategic issue
    at Board level

Newly emerged import
and relevance to
sustainability metrics
and reporting
  • Key outcomes : COP15 / COP16
  • Business impact SADEC lens
  •  Challenges and risks
  • Crafting opportunities

The (In)convenient
Truth & Realities !!
Profit and Planet

The inherent perceived
conflict between profit
motive & sustainability

High calibre CZ New Zealand event with guest speaker. Collaboration and further detail to follow

Energy Transition Climate Justice inequities

Headlined challenges
rapidly evolving across
a multiplicity of critical
touchpoints

The event will be configured to engage issues current at the time, with unique insight into hidden imperatives.

Social Inclusion 

  • Paradox of victims
    of Climate Change

Global Climate Change
action targets the
improvement in lives of
the disadvantaged. The
converse confronts us

Understanding the drivers of cause and effect of this conundrum.

  • Full insight into the real cost
  • Mitigation strategies
  • Relevant case studies

The Conundrum

  • Sustainability,
    ESG & UN SDG/s

Alignment of UN SDG’s
with sustainability, ESG,
climate change action

Understanding intersection of
SDG’s with sustainability & ESG

  • Critical alignment strategies.

Controversial Role
of Insurance and Underwriting  in
Climate Transition

The exponential growth
in climate change
related claims is rapidly
reshaping business risk

Insight into the role of Insurance &
Underwriting in Climate Action

  •  Challenges and risks
  •  Mitigation strategies

Driving Strategic
Governance for a
disrupted world

Re-envisioning Board
Strategy for a rapidly
evolving business
environment.

High Calibre Boards Impact Forum
(Scandinavia) Event collaboration
with INSEAD.

Next events

Climate Accountability For Boards And Business Leaders

  • 23 May 2024
  • 16:30 - 18:00
This event will address:
  • Directors’ fiduciary duties and Board governance responsibilities over climate change and climate-related risks.

Not a governing body member?

If you are an executive committee member, company secretary or sustainability officer, you can also join the events if your organisation is a Corporate Member.

Tell me more

Past events

5 reasons why boards should care about climate and sustainability

The board directors we spoke to pointed to a variety of reasons, like:

  • Lowering a company’s cost of capital
  • Providing certainty to investors and employees
  • Extending their competitive advantage over other businesses
  • leaving a liveable planet for their relatives and the next generation.

Credible Climate Oversight

This presentation by Stephanie Bertels provides guidance for boards on:

  • Effective climate oversight at the board level.
  • Competencies and board composition.
  • Oversight of strategic integration into the business (decision-making, resourcing,
    accountability).
  • Oversight of disclosure.
  • Integration into board structure and the work of committees.
  • Integration into remuneration and incentives.
    Rhythm of the climate oversight work of the board (regular scanning, risk & strategy,
    performance, disclosure).
 

Navigating the sustainability reporting landscape

This presentationby Joanne Henstock provides guidance for boards on:

  • The Evolving Sustainability Reporting Environment.
  • Policy-making, Frameworks and Standards.
  • Conditions for high-quality sustainability reporting.
 
 
 

Climate Change and Climate Accountability - New Insights

This presentation by Dr Alex Hetherington provides recent updates regarding:

  • Climate change in the southern African region.
  • Evolving fiduciary duties and expectations with respect to climate change.
  • Carbon accounting as the basis for strategy formulation.
  • Climate risk and examples of realised opportunities.
 

Evolving expectations of credible corporate climate action

These presentation by Prof Ralph Hamann provides guidance for boards on:

  • Climate scenario planning.
  • Determining climate risks and opportunities.
  • Credible goal setting (Scope, 1, 2, 3) and public positioning.
  • Expectations around disclosure and credible actions.