Business Events
The sixth annual European Business Summit
Entitled “Greening the Economy: new Energy for Business”, this year’s Summit was dedicated to the increasingly critical topics of climate change and developing sustainable sources of energy.
European business leaders and policy makers converged on Brussels last week to attend the two day power-conference known as the European Business Summit. The event was organised by BUSINESSEUROPE and the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium, in close cooperation with the European Commission and the Slovenian EU Presidency.
One of the principal sponsors of the summit was Fortis Merchant Banking. A pioneer in the carbon emissions trading market, Fortis was the first financial institution in Europe to set up a carbon trading desk. Today, Fortis continues to play a leading role in the carbon emissions market, which Seb Walhain, Director of Environmental Markets at Fortis, says “is set to become the world’s largest commodity market.”
Mr. Walhain participated in a workshop “Towards a global carbon market?” where he spoke about carbon credits, the global carbon market and its various regimes, as well as the global “à la carte” carbon menu. Fortis Merchant Banking CEO Filip Dierckx took part in the workshop “Green Investments and Incentives.” He focused on Fortis’ involvement in sustainability and the financing of renewable energy sources, which goes back to 1996. His presentation highlighted the key fields regarding climate change in which Fortis is active: renewables, carbon banking - Fortis has become the market leader in the European carbon arena - and most importantly, sustainable investments with two significant projects, namely the Sustainable and Responsible Investments and the Start Green Fund.
By highlighting environmental issues, the conference picked up where last year’s left off. A year ago, we observed that some of the most influential figures in European business and government – such as Mr. Dierckx, Nokia and Shell Chairman Jorma Ollila and Commission President José Manuel Barrroso – emphasised the increasing importance of corporate social responsibility in environmental matters.
Clearly, business and political leaders in Europe are fully committed to playing a leading role in the development of the Green Economy for years to come.
And you? What are your thoughts on the intersection of business and the environment?
For more on Carbon trading:
Fortis Merchant Banking website
Join2Grow video conference with Seb Walhain
About Seb Walhain
Sam Juneau - 27/02/2008
Clearly, business and political leaders in Europe are fully committed to playing a leading role in the development of the Green Economy for years to come