Program

Presented by the Government of Estonia In Cooperation with the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment

08:30-09:30 Registration and Morning Coffee

09:30-10:00 Conference Opening
Address by H.E Mr. Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister, head of the Government of the Republic of Estonia
Address by H.E Mr. Siim Kiisler, Minister of the Environment of Estonia and the President of the Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly
Address by Ms. Joyce Msuya, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme
Address by Ms. Sascha Gabizon, Executive Director of Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) representing the Major Groups and Stakeholders

10:00-11:00 Session I Governance and emerging global issues
The key note speech by the Chief Scientist of UN Environment will feed into a discussion about policy options and global priorities that we should agree upon to accelerate the take up of innovative solutions for these emerging issues that could have far-reaching positive impacts, if implemented in global partnerships.

10:00-10:15 Keynote speech
Dr. Jian Liu, Chief Scientist and Acting Director of Science Division at the UN Environment Programme
Emerging issues, key challenges and solutions for the Global Environment

10:15-11:00 The World in 45 minutes
Representatives of political groups about their key priorities and vision
Moderator: Mr. Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary of Governing Bodies of the UN Environment Programme

Mr. Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director-General of DG Environment, European Commission
Priorities and policies for sustainability and circular economy in the European Union
H.E Mr. Jacques Denis Tsanga, Vice President and Minister of Waters, Forest, in charge of Environment and Sustainable Development Goals of The Republic of Gabon (Tbc)
H.E Dr. Naser Moghaddasi, Deputy Head of the Department of Environment and Chief of International Affairs and Convention Centre of Islamic Republic of Iran (Tbc)
H.E Mr. Felix Wertli, Head of Section Global Affairs, Federal Office of the Environment of Switzerland and Vice President of the UN Environment Assembly
H.E Mr. Beyene Russom Habtai, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Eritrea
H.E Ms. Marta E. Juarez Ruiz, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Costa Rica
H.E Mr. Marek Rohr-Garztecki, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Poland (Tbc)

11:00-11:50 Panel Discussion - Working Together
Moderator: Mr. Naysan Sahba, Director of the Communication Division of the UN Environment Programme

H.E Mr. Siim Kiisler, Minister of the Environment of Estonia and the President of the Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly
Innovative solutions to environmental challenges and sustainable consumption and production
Mr. Atle Hamar, State Secretary, Ministry of Climate and Environment of Norway
Marine litter and global commitments
Mr. Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director-General of DG Environment, European Commission
Ms. Nina Ekelund, Executive Director, The Haga Initiative
What initiatives such as Haga can do to accelerate progress in the environmental agenda
Ms. Inger Andersen, Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Nature based solutions and green infrastructure
Mr. Timothy Nixon, Chief Sustainability and Thought Leadership, Thomson Reuters
Transparency and the role of the business sector and how policy can support
Open Floor, Q& A

11:50-12:30 Coffee-break

12:30-13:20 Session II Redesigning Metropolis: Smarter, Greener Solutions for the Future
By 2050, 70% of the human population will live in cities. Innovative approaches in the local level that affect people’s everyday life need to be leveraged to maximize the efficient use of natural resources and encourage environmentally sound choices. The session will review how new ideas and technologies can improve human well-being and the environment. The session will explore how governments, business and civil society can champion local level innovation, the societal initiatives and partnerships required to build sustainable communities and living environments.

Panel Discussion
Moderator: Mr. Timothy Nixon, Chief Sustainability and Thought Leadership, Thomson Reuters
H.E Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of Housing, Energy and the Environment of Finland
How to Scale-up Solutions and Which Policies are Required to Do so?
Mr. Harry Verhaar, Head of Global and Public Affairs, Philips Lighting
How Energy Efficiency through Retrofits Can Offset EV Electricity Surge
Ms. Bettina Kamuk, Business Development Director at Ramboll and a board member of the International Solid Waste Association
Combining landscape architecture, hydrology and urban design for more resilient cities
Mr. Alar Võrk, CEO at Cityntel
Intelligent approaches in city development
Mr. Jan-Gustav Strandenaes, Senior Adviser at the UN, Stakeholder Forum UK and Pure Consulting
The role and interlinkages of achieving SDGs in achieving sustainable communities
Open Floor, Q&A

13:20-14:20 Lunch

14:20- 15:10 Session III Frontier Technologies and the Future of Social Good
Frontier technologies offer intriguing possibilities for promoting economic growth and tackling a wide variety of longstanding global problems. The resulting disruptive impact will be massive and could well be revolutionary if used to help address pressing social and developmental problems. Artificial intelligence and machine learning offer unprecedented opportunities to process, analyze, understand and share data and analytics on the environment in a global scale. Concerted efforts are warranted to ensure the equitable and inclusive development and deployment of these technologies. Are we ready?

Panel Discussion
Moderator: Ms. Shereen Zorba, Global Head of the Science-Policy Interface and Networks of the UN Environment Programme
Mr. Mark Copeland, CEO of SmartMinds Enterprise & Earth Ledger
Frontier Tech Demystified and How to Build Leadership and Capacity to Tackle Disruption
Ms. Edan Dionne, Vice President, Environmental, Energy & Chemical Management Programs, IBM
How can Frontier Tech Power an Open Digital System on Planetary Data and Analytics?
Mr. Paolo Falcioni, Director General, APPLiA
The Journey to innovative, sustainable policies and sustainable solutions for homes
Open Floor, Q& A

15:10-16:00 Session IV Planetary Data: Access, Governance and New Frontiers
The combination of planetary data with Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain is fundamentally changing the management of natural resources and the environment. Decisions can be made and monitored using real time spatial and statistical data, hence closing the gap between action and impact. What will it take to build an open digital ecosystem of planetary data powered by frontier technologies? What type of investment and which policies are required to make that happen?

Panel Discussion
Moderator: David Jensen, Project leader, MapX

Professor Guo Huadong, Director, Institute of Digital Earth and Remote Sensing, China
How China is tackling new technological frontiers in planetary data management
Mr. Maurice Borgeaud, Head of Earth Observations, European Space Agency
How will the Earth-observation market evolve with the rise of AI?
Mr. Andrew Zolli, Planet.com (frontier satellite data systems pioneer) via video conference
How can Frontier Tech Power an Open Digital System on Planetary Data and Analytics?
Mr. Laurent Durieux, Space and Earth Observations Expert, Institute for Research and Development, France
The Way Forward
Dr. Selma Cherchali, Program Director Space Climate Observatory (SCO), SWOT and SWOT Downstream Program Manager
The Way Forward
Open Floor, Q&A

16:10- 16:30 Coffee break

16:30-17:30 Session V Startups Lead the Way! Ideas Worth Sharing
Venture capital investment in startups has surged to its highest level ever — $148 billion last year alone. More than 40 VC-backed companies achieved billion-dollar valuations and joined the unicorn club. Startups are not only transforming markets and economic growth, some are helping save the planet.

7-minute pitches by innovators and trailblazers Moderator: Ms. Shereen Zorba, Global Head of the Science-Policy Interface and Networks of the UN Environment Programme

Mr. Eric McGuire, ARENA Concept representative, Advanced Sports Installations Europe AS
Circular approaches: artificial turf fields
Ms. Cassandra Delage, Founder and CEO, Plast’if – US / France
What if plastic was the solution?
Mr. Ullas Samrat, Marketing Director, Triton Foodworks – India
Mr. Andreas Spiess, CEO SolarKiosk AG
How Access to Sustainable Energy Can Transform BoP Communities
Mr. Shutong Jiang, Founder and CEO, Soarability
Real-time local Pollution Mapping
Dr. Rob Wylie, Serial Entrepreneur, Founder WHEB Impact Investment and Chairman, Project X
How investment in product and process innovation can solve global challenges? What policies are required to encourage investment in innovative green products and ideas?
Mr. Navi Radjou, Innovation Strategist, Author, Fellow at Cambridge University, Harvard Business Review Contributor
How Collective Ingenuity Is Changing the World
Open Floor, Q&A

17:30-17:40 Concluding remarks
Mr. Erik Solheim Executive Director of UN Environment Programme

The expo area is open all day

08:30-09:30	Registration and Morning Coffee
09:30-10:00	Conference Opening Address by H.E Mr. Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister, head of the Government of the Republic of Estonia Address by H.E Mr. Siim Kiisler, Minister of the Environment of Estonia and the President of the Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly Address by Ms. Joyce Msuya, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme Address by Ms. Sascha Gabizon, Executive Director of Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) representing the Major Groups and Stakeholders
10:00-11:00	Session I Governance and emerging global issues The key note speech by the Chief Scientist of UN Environment will feed into a discussion about policy options and global priorities that we should agree upon to accelerate the take up of innovative solutions for these emerging issues that could have far-reaching positive impacts, if implemented in global partnerships. 10:00-10:15 Keynote speech Dr. Jian Liu, Chief Scientist and Acting Director of Science Division at the UN Environment Programme Emerging issues, key challenges and solutions for the Global Environment 10:15-11:00 The World in 45 minutes Representatives of political groups about their key priorities and vision Moderator: Mr. Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary of Governing Bodies of the UN Environment Programme Mr. Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director-General of DG Environment, European Commission Priorities and policies for sustainability and circular economy in the European Union H.E Mr. Jacques Denis Tsanga, Vice President and Minister of Waters, Forest, in charge of Environment and Sustainable Development Goals of The Republic of Gabon (Tbc) H.E Dr. Naser Moghaddasi, Deputy Head of the Department of Environment and Chief of International Affairs and Convention Centre of Islamic Republic of Iran (Tbc) H.E Mr. Felix Wertli, Head of Section Global Affairs, Federal Office of the Environment of Switzerland and Vice President of the UN Environment Assembly H.E Mr. Beyene Russom Habtai, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Eritrea H.E Ms. Marta E. Juarez Ruiz, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Costa Rica H.E Mr. Marek Rohr-Garztecki, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Poland (Tbc)
11:00-11:50	Panel Discussion - Working Together Moderator: Mr. Naysan Sahba, Director of the Communication Division of the UN Environment Programme H.E Mr. Siim Kiisler, Minister of the Environment of Estonia and the President of the Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly Innovative solutions to environmental challenges and sustainable consumption and production Mr. Atle Hamar, State Secretary, Ministry of Climate and Environment of Norway Marine litter and global commitments Mr. Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director-General of DG Environment, European Commission Ms. Nina Ekelund, Executive Director, The Haga Initiative What initiatives such as Haga can do to accelerate progress in the environmental agenda Ms. Inger Andersen, Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Nature based solutions and green infrastructure Mr. Timothy Nixon, Chief Sustainability and Thought Leadership, Thomson Reuters Transparency and the role of the business sector and how policy can support Open Floor, Q& A
11:50-12:30	Coffee-break
12:30-13:20	Session II Redesigning Metropolis: Smarter, Greener Solutions for the Future By 2050, 70% of the human population will live in cities. Innovative approaches in the local level that affect people’s everyday life need to be leveraged to maximize the efficient use of natural resources and encourage environmentally sound choices. The session will review how new ideas and technologies can improve human well-being and the environment. The session will explore how governments, business and civil society can champion local level innovation, the societal initiatives and partnerships required to build sustainable communities and living environments. Panel Discussion Moderator: Mr. Timothy Nixon, Chief Sustainability and Thought Leadership, Thomson Reuters H.E Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of Housing, Energy and the Environment of Finland How to Scale-up Solutions and Which Policies are Required to Do so? Mr. Harry Verhaar, Head of Global and Public Affairs, Philips Lighting How Energy Efficiency through Retrofits Can Offset EV Electricity Surge Ms. Bettina Kamuk, Business Development Director at Ramboll and a board member of the International Solid Waste Association Combining landscape architecture, hydrology and urban design for more resilient cities Mr. Alar Võrk, CEO at Cityntel Intelligent approaches in city development Mr. Jan-Gustav Strandenaes, Senior Adviser at the UN, Stakeholder Forum UK and Pure Consulting The role and interlinkages of achieving SDGs in achieving sustainable communities Open Floor, Q&A
13:20-14:20	Lunch
14:20- 15:10	Session III Frontier Technologies and the Future of Social Good Frontier technologies offer intriguing possibilities for promoting economic growth and tackling a wide variety of longstanding global problems. The resulting disruptive impact will be massive and could well be revolutionary if used to help address pressing social and developmental problems. Artificial intelligence and machine learning offer unprecedented opportunities to process, analyze, understand and share data and analytics on the environment in a global scale. Concerted efforts are warranted to ensure the equitable and inclusive development and deployment of these technologies. Are we ready? Panel Discussion Moderator: Ms. Shereen Zorba, Global Head of the Science-Policy Interface and Networks of the UN Environment Programme Mr. Mark Copeland, CEO of SmartMinds Enterprise & Earth Ledger Frontier Tech Demystified and How to Build Leadership and Capacity to Tackle Disruption Ms. Edan Dionne, Vice President, Environmental, Energy & Chemical Management Programs, IBM How can Frontier Tech Power an Open Digital System on Planetary Data and Analytics? Mr. Paolo Falcioni, Director General, APPLiA The Journey to innovative, sustainable policies and sustainable solutions for homes Open Floor, Q& A
15:10-16:00	Session IV Planetary Data: Access, Governance and New Frontiers The combination of planetary data with Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain is fundamentally changing the management of natural resources and the environment. Decisions can be made and monitored using real time spatial and statistical data, hence closing the gap between action and impact. What will it take to build an open digital ecosystem of planetary data powered by frontier technologies? What type of investment and which policies are required to make that happen? Panel Discussion Moderator: David Jensen, Project leader, MapX Professor Guo Huadong, Director, Institute of Digital Earth and Remote Sensing, China How China is tackling new technological frontiers in planetary data management Mr. Maurice Borgeaud, Head of Earth Observations, European Space Agency How will the Earth-observation market evolve with the rise of AI? Mr. Andrew Zolli, Planet.com (frontier satellite data systems pioneer) via video conference How can Frontier Tech Power an Open Digital System on Planetary Data and Analytics? Mr. Laurent Durieux, Space and Earth Observations Expert, Institute for Research and Development, France The Way Forward Dr. Selma Cherchali, Program Director Space Climate Observatory (SCO), SWOT and SWOT Downstream Program Manager The Way Forward Open Floor, Q&A
16:10- 16:30	Coffee break
16:30-17:30	Session V Startups Lead the Way! Ideas Worth Sharing Venture capital investment in startups has surged to its highest level ever — $148 billion last year alone. More than 40 VC-backed companies achieved billion-dollar valuations and joined the unicorn club. Startups are not only transforming markets and economic growth, some are helping save the planet. 7-minute pitches by innovators and trailblazers Moderator: Ms. Shereen Zorba, Global Head of the Science-Policy Interface and Networks of the UN Environment Programme Mr. Eric McGuire, ARENA Concept representative, Advanced Sports Installations Europe AS Circular approaches: artificial turf fields Ms. Cassandra Delage, Founder and CEO, Plast’if – US / France What if plastic was the solution? Mr. Ullas Samrat, Marketing Director, Triton Foodworks – India Mr. Andreas Spiess, CEO SolarKiosk AG How Access to Sustainable Energy Can Transform BoP Communities Mr. Shutong Jiang, Founder and CEO, Soarability Real-time local Pollution Mapping Dr. Rob Wylie, Serial Entrepreneur, Founder WHEB Impact Investment and Chairman, Project X How investment in product and process innovation can solve global challenges? What policies are required to encourage investment in innovative green products and ideas? Mr. Navi Radjou, Innovation Strategist, Author, Fellow at Cambridge University, Harvard Business Review Contributor How Collective Ingenuity Is Changing the World Open Floor, Q&A
17:30-17:40	Concluding remarks Mr. Erik Solheim Executive Director of UN Environment Programme