Board directors and Climate Governance Initiative Chapter leads gathered in numbers last week in Paris, for a programme dedicated to supporting climate action in the boardroom.
On Friday 25 April, the NED Program ran alongside the ChangeNow 2025 expo – 10 years on from the pivotal COP 21 that resulted in the Paris Climate Agreement. The day-long programme for board directors was organised by the Climate Governance Initiative’s co-founder (and now Ambassador) Karina Litvack, with Irena Pichola and Monica de Virgiliis, Presidents of the Steering Committees of Chapter Zero Poland and France respectively.
The event was sponsored by the Climate Governance Initiative and Chapter Zero France in partnership with ChangeNow.
The Climate Governance Initiative presented a session for non-executive directors in the financial sector, with a focus on how boards can respond to policy disruption and increasingly polarised public discourse around ESG, climate, and sustainability. The same theme was explored in a separate session for Chapters, on how they can best support board directors in this changing geopolitical landscape.
EU Chapter Leads gathered to explore routes to stronger collaboration between Chapters in Europe.
The Climate Governance Initiative will prepare a summary of the key insights and ideas from the sessions, along with next steps and actionable takeaways for directors and for the Chapter network.
“We have a chance to use our network to help board members to address climate change by emphasising their accountability and fiduciary duty – their companies’ licence to operate – and providing assurance on value creation. It was great to share from our experiences as Chapter leaders, learning from others not only about achievements but also constraints – in fact, the main benefit was gathering together.”
Bogdan Pletea, Chapter Zero Romania
“The most enriching part was the amazing community spirit – everyone from the global CGI network thinking together to come up with solutions for the transformations we need. Seeing our community getting together in a collaborative way – that justifies the journey.”
Gabriela Blanchet, NED and Chapter representative from Brazil
Further information
About the Climate Governance Initiative – The Climate Governance Initiative is a non-profit dedicated to mobilising boards to accelerate the transition to net zero and build climate resilience. We develop and support a global network that empowers and mobilises board directors on every continent to take climate action by enhancing their knowledge and skills in climate governance. We are a global network with Chapters in over 70 countries worldwide, reaching more than 100,000 chairs, non-executive and independent directors.
Get in touch
Daniel Aspel | Senior Communications Manager, Climate Governance Initiative | daniel.aspel@chapterzeroalliance.org
About ChangeNOW – ChangeNOW’s mission is to accelerate the ecological and social transition through the implementation of concrete actions that address major environmental and social urgencies. Every year, ChangeNOW organizes the largest event for solutions for the planet. The summit brings together entrepreneurs, investors, change leaders, policymakers, and the general public from around the world in an inspiring and action-oriented format.
Visit: https://www.changenow.world/join_changenow_2025
Images from the NED Program
Images from ChangeNOW
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