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The RSB Annual Conference – in partnership with Airbus, Amazon, Boeing, Gevo, Inc. and IFF – is almost upon us, taking place 11 December 2024 at CERN’s Science Gateway in Geneva, Switzerland.

This year, under the theme of Sustainable Markets: Accelerating Finance for Good, we’re looking to galvanise action by demonstrating how finance can be a powerful force for good, driving transformative change in the bioeconomy.

Through a meticulously curated programme, we’ll bring together visionary leaders, financial innovators, and sustainability pioneers to forge the path towards a resilient, net-positive world. With finance at the heart of the discussions, the event is designed to break down barriers, inspire confidence, and catalyse the investments needed to scale up the most ambitious and impactful bioeconomy projects.

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We are especially proud that the RSB Annual Conference 2024 has been designed to foster confidence in sustainable bioeconomy solutions, to bridge the gap between project developers and finance professionals, and to ensure the long-term viability of these critical initiatives.

Read a summary of the planned sessions below for some insight into proceedings.

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Day 1: Session 1 – Sustainability Executive Roundtable

9:35am – 10:45am

We kick off things by inviting sustainability leaders from various sectors – including CSOs and NGOs within the RSB membership and beyond – to share their insights and perspectives on the most pressing sustainability challenges. This roundtable will inspire a powerful call-to-action for the bioeconomy.

*Speakers include:

• Reza Azmi – Executive Director, Wild Asia
• Renee Henze – Chief Sustainability Officer, IFF
• Julie Kitcher – Chief Sustainability Officer, Airbus
• Andreas Marschner – Vice President of Worldwide Operations Sustainability, Amazon
• Brian Moran – Chief Sustainability Officer, Boeing
• Thomas Vellacott – Executive Director, WWF Switzerland
• Rachel Wanyoike – Managing Director, Solidaridad Eastern and Southern Africa

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Day 1: Session 2 – Sustainable Finance Unlocked

11:15am – 12:30pm

In the second session, a panel discussion with finance and sustainability professionals space will explore how collaboration between the finance sector and sustainability frameworks can drive coherent assessments and expand investment portfolios. This session will also include a showcase of how RSB certification is used to demonstrate reduced risk and positive sustainability impacts.

*Speakers include:

• Freya Burton – Chief Sustainability Officer, LanzaTech
• Neville Hargreaves –VP Waste to Fuels, Velocys
• Jan-Hendrik Petersen – Managing Director, 360 Asset Finance GmbH
• Dan Lieberman –Global Sustainability Strategy & External Affairs Lead, Nuseed
• Tim Thomson – Chief Financial Officer, Charm Industrial
• Theye Veen – Co-founder & Chief Commercial Officer, SkyNRG
• Ulrike Ziegler – President, IMPACT on Sustainable Aviation

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Day 1: Session 3 – Policy Pathways to a Sustainable Bioeconomy

1:30pm – 2:45pm

The third session will delve into the importance of robust policy development and green taxonomies in creating an enabling environment for sustainable investment. A case study on the landscape-level approach to bioeconomy development will highlight the significance of early engagement with policymakers, financiers, and innovators.

*Speakers include:

• Aung Soe Moe – Senior Officer (Air Transport), ASEAN Secretariat
• Arianna Baldo – Programme Director, RSB
• Gerard Ostheimer – Manager, Clean Energy Ministerial Biofuture Campaign
• Giorgio Parolini – Aviation Decarbonisation Lead, World Economic Forum (WEF)
• Valentina Vecchio – Senior Manager for Business & Policy Integration, Boeing
• Nancy Young – Chief Sustainability Officer, Gevo, Inc.
• Simon Zadek – Co-CEO, Nature Finance

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Day 1: Session 4 – Unlocking Brand Power for Sustainable Bioeconomy Growth

3:15pm – 4:45pm

This session will discuss how brands can leverage their purchasing power and investments to signal demand and grow the sustainable bioeconomy. A showcase will examine how demand signals are recognised and their impact on sustainable markets, with insights from the aviation sector applicable to other industries.

*Speakers include:

• Gill Alker – Book & Claim Manager, RSB
• Jackie Brew – Senior Manager (Aviation) – Center for Green Market Activation
• Julia Fidler – Fuel & Materials Decarbonization Lead, Microsoft
• Lars Lundquist – Senior R&D Expert, Nestle
• Adam Klauber – VP Sustainability and Digital Supply Chain, World Energy
• Anna Nefedova – Global ESG Reporting Lead, Deloitte
• Clément Therrillion – Sustainability Lead, Salesforce
• Jess Zeuner – Senior Program Officer, WWF

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Day 1: Session 5 – Empowering People for a Sustainable Bioeconomy

4:45pm – 5:15pm

In the final session, we will launch the RSB Academy – an exciting new capacity-building programme by RSB that particularly focuses on the Global South. This session will emphasise the importance of developing a capable and equipped workforce to power the bioeconomy’s transformative potential.

*Speakers include:

• Brian Moran – Chief Sustainability Officer, Boeing
• Arianna Baldo – Programme Director, RSB
• Smriti Paul – RSB Academy Manager, RSB

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Day 1: Networking Cocktail & RSB Transition Leaders’ Awards

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

The day will conclude with a networking cocktail for all attendees – at the beginning of which the winner of the inaugural RSB Transition Leaders’ Awards will be announced.

This will be followed by a private viewing of CERN’s brand-new Science Gateway Exhibition – a rare opportunity which will allow attendees to explore the forefront of particle physics and draw inspiration from one of the world’s leading scientific institutions.

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Day 2: General Assembly of Delegates Formal Extraordinary Meeting

9:00 AM – 2:45 PM

RSB members are invited to join us at the RSB’s headquarters in the International Environment House 2 for the Formal Assembly of Delegates, following the conference the day prior. Here, they will take part in the development of RSB’s robust standards, and network with other members in your chamber.

Please note: this is an members-only event.

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The RSB Annual Conference 2024 offers a unique forum for all stakeholders in the bioeconomy to tackle critical issues and connect with key players driving the just and sustainable transition to a net-positive world.

Whether you are an investor, project developer, policymaker, or sustainability professional, this event is designed to provide you with the knowledge, connections, and inspiration needed to build a sustainable bioeconomy and accelerate finance for good.

We look forward to seeing you at the event!

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• Source: https://rsb.org/2024/12/02/next-week-is-the-rsb-annual-conference-2024-join-the-brightest-minds-in-the-bioeconomy/