April 22, 2021, virtual event
Financing the Race to Zero
Welcome to Exponential Climate Action Summit II

Finance is about to undergo a major transformation in the next decade as capital needs to be reallocated to stabilize Earth’s climate. How close are we to a tipping point in the finance sector? How fast will the transformation unfold? What will happen next?
Our societies need to halve CO2 emissions by 2030 and continue toward zero by 2050, by scaling climate solutions exponentially. Capital must enable the exponential transformation and the financial sector must be exponentially transformed
At our second Exponential Climate Action Summit we bring together transformers, disruptors and enablers focusing on how to finance The Race to Zero. Join us.
Watch highlights from Johan Falk, Johan Rockström, Nigel Topping and Mats Pellbäck Scharp below, or check out the full show here.
Program highlights
All times in Central European Summer Time (CEST) / Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Find out in your local time zone here
14:00 / 8.00 a.m. – Setting the scene
Introduction Watch on YouTube.
Exponential Climate Action Summit II Watch on YouTube.
The importance of finance Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). Watch on YouTube.
Börje Ekholm, CEO of Ericsson. Watch on YouTube.
The world’s largest asset owners and managers are joining the Race to Zero. But the finance gap remains. Nigel Topping, High UK Level Climate Champion for COP26. Watch on YouTube.
Are we at the global financial tipping point? Lord Stern, Chairman of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at The London School of Economics. Watch on YouTube.
14:45 / 8.45 a.m. – How do we create the fossil-free economy?
Introduction Watch on YouTube.
We need to build a financial system that is freed from the burden of fossil fuels. Nick Robins, Professor in Practice for Sustainable Finance, Grantham Research Institute. Watch on YouTube.
Our Planetary Emergency Plan sets clear targets. Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of the Club of Rome. Watch on YouTube.
Just Transition is a bridge to a fossil-free economy. Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, representing 200 million workers in 163 countries. Watch on YouTube.
Dematerializing growth Carl Mellander, Senior Vice President and CFO, Ericsson. Watch on YouTube.
15:25 / 9.25 a.m. – World premiere: “WE CAN DO THIS NOW”
First public screening of new song. Quincy Coleman, singer-songwriter and founder of H-OM-E.org. Watch on YouTube.
15:30 / 9.30 a.m. – How can finance lead the green transition?
Green investing ‘is definitely not going to work’. Tariq Fancy, former Chief Investment Officer for Sustainable Investing at BlackRock points to fundamental flaws in how markets can handle the climate crisis. Watch on YouTube.
We must unlock the enormous power from pension savings. Staffan Hansén CEO of SPP, one of the largest pensions savings groups in the Nordics (Watch on YouTube) and Tomas Haglund-Flemström, Head of Impact & Innovation, Formica Capital (Watch on YouTube).
Why nature-based solutions are critical. Alejandro Litovsky, Founder & CEO, Earth Security, that helps the world of investment recognize the value of the planet’s ecosystems (Watch on YouTube) and Joseph Nkandu, Executive Director, National Union of Coffee agribusinesses and farm Enterprises (NUCAFE) (Watch on YouTube).
Mobilizing the $100 trillion bond market for climate change solutions. Sean Kidney, CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative, an investor-focused not-for-profit (Watch on YouTube) and Helen Mountford, Vice President for Climate and Economics, World Resources Institute (Watch on YouTube).
16:20 / 4.20 a.m. – Exponential Roadmap – How can finance and business create a more resilient global economy?
Exponential Growth of climate leadership, solutions and sustainable finance. Are we at the tipping point? Prof. Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (Watch on YouTube). Johan Falk, Co-founder and Head of Exponential Roadmap Initiative (Watch on YouTube). Mats Pellbäck Scharp, Head of Sustainability, Ericsson (Watch on YouTube). Panel discussion. Watch on YouTube.
Insure the vulnerable against climate impact. Dr. Annette Detken, Head of InsuResilience Solutions Fund. Watch on YouTube.
17:10 / 11.10 a.m. – What can I do as a citizen?
How you can invest to save the climate. Alice Ross, deputy news editor, Financial Times. Watch on YouTube.
19 Climate Ideas, Love and Warnings that can change the world. A mix of grassroots and professional initiatives that inspire action from around the globe.
- Djaffar Shalchi, founder of Millionaires for humanity. Watch on YouTube.
- Andreas Lehner, co-founder, Trine. Watch on YouTube.
- Arthur Auboeuf,co-founder, Time for the Planet. Watch on YouTube
- Christopher Engman, Author Megadeals, investor in sustainability scale-ups and martech scale-ups. Watch on YouTube.
- David Lais, co-founder & CPO at ecolytiq. Watch on Youtube.
- Peter Mckillop, Founder & Editor at Climate & Capital Media. Watch on YouTube.
- Dr. Claudia Rinke, Author and Screenwriter. Watch on YouTube.
- Joseph Winters, Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard organizer. Watch on YouTube.
- Jessica Parish, Project Manager, TEDxGlasgow. Watch on YouTube.
- Bertrand Piccard, Chairman, Solar Impulse Foundation. Watch on YouTube.
- Nico Johnson, Chief Content Officer. Watch on YouTube.
- Geoffrey Mboya, Youth Advocate. Watch on YouTube.
- John Lennon, Ph.D. Watch on YouTube.
- Wessel van Eeden, Global Marketing Director, Justdiggit. Watch on YouTube.
- Marco Rodzynek, CEO of NOAH Advisors. Watch on YouTube.
- Isabella Martin, Co-founder and Relationship Director, Climate Crisis Hub. Watch on YouTube.
- Jin W Jeong, Managing Director (Head of Venture Investments) at Apis Partners. Watch on YouTube.
- Annika Erikson, CEO of Articheck. Watch on YouTube.
- Lewis Barlow, Technical Director, Sweco. Watch on YouTube.
- Danijel Višević, Climate Tech Investor, Ecosia. Watch on YouTube.
How you can use the power from social media to change capitalism, Ingmar Rentzhog, CEO and founder of We Don’t Have Time, the world’s largest social network for climate action. Watch on YouTube.
Interview with Steven Donzinger, American human rights lawyer who won a case against Chevron in Ecuador, and who now has spent over 600 days in house arrest following a lawsuit filed against him by Chevron. Watch on YouTube.
Tomorrow’s Economy: A Guide to Creating Healthy Green Growth. Healthy economic growth is more regenerative than destructive, repairs problems rather than greenwashing them, and restores equity rather than exacerbating global inequalities. Per Espen Stoknes, director, Centre for Green Growth at the Norwegian Business School and board member of the We Don’t Have Time Foundation. Watch on YouTube.
18:30 / 12.30 p.m. – End speech Exponential Climate Action Summit and start of EARTHDAY.ORG’s Earth Day Live–Restore our Earth broadcast
Parallel to the Biden Administration’s global climate summit, our partner EARTHDAY.ORG will host its second Earth Day Live digital event. World climate leaders, grassroots activists, nonprofit innovators, thought leaders, industry leaders, artists, musicians, influencers, and the leaders of tomorrow will come to push us towards a better world. Johan Falk, Co-founder, and Head of Exponential Roadmap Initiative. Watch on YouTube. Kathleen Rogers, President, Earth Day Network. Watch on YouTube. Ingmar Rentzhog, CEO & Founder of We Don´t Have Time. Watch on YouTube.
22:00 / 4.00 p.m. – End of broadcast
End Credits Watch on YouTube.
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Johan Falk | Exponential Roadmap
About the event
The Exponential Climate Action Summits is a collaboration between We Don’t Have Time, Ericsson and The Exponential Roadmap Initiative. The summits focuses on bringing together stakeholders, experts and activists in a conversation about how to scale exponential solutions to the climate crisis. Upcoming installments of the series in 2021 are ”Sustainable Consumption” at Climate Week NYC in September and ”Exponential Solutions” at COP 26 in November.
We Don’t Have Time is the world’s largest social network for climate action. Our network connects you with everyone who wants to solve the climate crisis. Read climate news in one place and join the climate dialogue with corporate and governmental leaders. Download our mobile app or sign up on WeDontHaveTime.org
Ericsson is one of the leading providers of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to service providers. Sustainability is at the heart of our company purpose “Empowering an intelligent, sustainable and connected world” and it is integrated into Ericsson’s strategy becoming an ever more fundamental part of creating business and societal value. Read more.
The Exponential Roadmap Initiative brings together innovators, scientists, companies and NGOs which are taking action in line with the 1.5°C ambition, with the mission to halve emissions before 2030 through exponential climate action and solutions. The Exponential Roadmap highlights 36 solutions with exponential scaling potential to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It shows how we can build a stronger, more resilient and future-proof global economy and increase human prosperity and wealth- within the planetary boundaries. All companies and organisations must halve emissions by 2030 in the Race to Zero. The 1.5°C Business Playbook is a guideline for companies and organisations of all sizes to set a 1.5°C aligned strategy and move to action. Focusing on simplicity and speed, it is anchored in the latest science.