Getting there: Making transport smarter, cleaner, faster

How are cities, regions and parties working with their transport sectors to empower rapid take up of newer, healthier and faster technologies?
Discover the latest developments in battery and hydrogen technology.
Hear incredible success stories from the transport industries and how cross-industry collaboration is unlocking innovation.

Incl. speakers:

• Bertrand Piccard, President, Solar Impulse Foundation
• Matt Peterson, CEO, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)
• Juraj Droba, Governor of Bratislava Region, Slovakia

Registration link

[Closed Door] SIF HL Partners Breakfast

Building Bridges: real-world pathways to solution deployment

The buildings and construction sector accounts for nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions, representing a major opportunity for impact. Yet, scalable solutions that could make the sector more efficient and sustainable aren’t reaching the market at the rate needed.

Join us for the unveiling of the Blueprint for a Solutions Deployment Platform within the Buildings Breakthrough Initiative. ‘’Building Bridges: Real-World Pathways to Solution Deployment’’ will showcase real-world cases of successful solution deployment in the built environment and address key challenges in decarbonising the sector. Engage in discussions on building an enabling environment for innovative solutions!

Organised by the Solar Impulse Foundation in collaboration with UN Environment Programme and Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction

Incl. confirmed speakers:  

• Bertrand Piccard, Solar Impulse Foundation ¨
• Gulnara Roll, Global ABC
• Mozah Alnuaimi, United Arab Emirates 
• Audrey Nugent, World Green Building Council 
• Cédric De Meeûs, Holcim
• Karen Scrivener, EPFL

Watch LIVE

Unleashing energy efficiency foir SMEs

Energy efficiency can deliver 40% of emissions reductions required to be in line with the Paris Agreement, but new financial mechanisms are crucial to enable this impact.
‘’Empowering SMEs: unveiling new instruments to unleash Energy Efficiency for Growth” will introduce groundbreaking instruments from the  European Investment Bank, developed with the Solar Impulse Foundation and aiming at  empowering SMEs to enhance energy efficiency. By leveraging servitisation models, these tools unlock financing and boost efficiency adoption across small and medium enterprises. Engage in discussions on building an enabling environment for innovative solutions!

Organised by the Solar Impulse Foundation in collaboration with the European Investment Bank

Incl. confirmed speakers:

• Ditte Juul-Jorgensen, DG Energy, European Commission
  
• Bertrand Piccard, President, Solar Impulse Foundation
• Ambroise Fayolle, Vice President, European Investment Bank

Watch LIVE

Decarbonization of the Built Environment: Tools and Lessons from the ground

The buildings and construction sector accounts for nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions, representing a major opportunity for impact. Yet, scalable solutions that could make the sector more efficient and sustainable aren’t reaching the market at the rate needed.
Join us for the unveiling of the Blueprint for a Solutions Deployment Platform within the Buildings Breakthrough Initiative. ‘’Building Bridges: Real-World Pathways to Solution Deployment’’ will showcase real-world cases of successful solution deployment in the built environment and address key challenges in decarbonizing the sector. Engage in discussions on building an enabling environment for innovative solutions!


Incl. confirmed speakers:

• Bertrand Piccard – Chairman and President - Solar Impulse Foundation 
• Balsam Nehme - Director of Sustainability - Dar-Al-Handasah / Sidara
• Faysal Shair - Director of Digital Solutions - Dar-Al-Handasah / Sidara
• Peter Graham - CEO - Global Buildings Performance Network
• Shruti Narayan - Managing Director of Regions and Mayoral Engagement - C40 Cities

Livestreamed here

Call to Action: Committing to the Global Energy Efficiency Goal

The potential for energy efficiency remains vast and largely untapped – but we are not on track to meet the COP 28 outcome’s goal of doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The global community achieved only 2% efficiency gain last year, and even less improvement is expected this year. Investment in energy efficiency must triple by 2030 to fully implement the “double down” target. To raise the priority of this critical issue, a global coalition of international organizations, civil society, private sector, industry, and finance organizations, anchored by Mission Efficiency, have come together in unified support to champion energy efficiency as a cornerstone of the energy transition.
Join CEOs from RMI, Global Renewables Alliance, and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) to discuss the coalition’s call to action and the urgency of this topic in the Blue Zone at COP 29.
Speakers include:

• Kofi Agyarko, Director, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Energy Commission of Ghana
• Jon Creyts, CEO, RMI
• Bruce Douglas, CEO, Global Renewables Alliance
• Lisa Jacobson, President, BCSE
• Moderator: Dina Cappiello, Chief Communications Officer, RMI

Opening Keynote: Hydrogen Transition Summit

The mission of the Hydrogen Transition Summit is to facilitate global collaboration alongside COP to accelerate the development of a global hydrogen economy and market. Our aim is to unite key stakeholders to foster demand, enable supply, and establish a supportive regulatory framework. By doing so, we will scale up hydrogen production and significantly contribute to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
On 15 November at the Baku Marriott Hotel Boulevard during COP29, the 5th annual Hydrogen Transition Summit, part of the Climate Action Innovation Zone, will be the largest and longest-running hydrogen-focused event at COP. It will gather 500 key stakeholders, including investors, hydrogen producers, offtakers, tech innovators, project developers, and policymakers, to advance the hydrogen economy at speed on a global scale

Bertrand Piccard will be providing the opening remarks to the Summit.

Registration link

Next-Gen Energy Solutions: Innovative Technologies for a Green Future

This panel discussion will explore transformative technologies such as green hydrogen, advanced battery storage, next-generation solar panels, and carbon capture systems that are revolutionizing our approach to climate change. We will highlight how these innovations pave the way for a sustainable energy future and inspire the next generation to lead the charge in the global transition to a low-carbon economy. With insights from sustainability strategy experts focusing on measurable environmental goals—including biodiversity, circularity, and carbon reduction—we aim to showcase how these efforts can catalyze meaningful change.

Incl. confirmed speakers:

• Bertrand Piccard, Founder & Chairman, Solar Impulse
• Julia Souder, CEO, Long Duration Energy Storage Council; Chair, Global Renewables Alliance
• Alberto Toril Castro, Manager, Europe, Breakthrough Energy
• Niki Hutson, Head of Sustainable Finance & Climate Change, UK Assessment & ESG Services, DNV GL
• Aurora Audino, Climate and Youth Advocate, EU Climate Pact Ambassador

An Affordable Energy Transition in Emerging Asia

Green solutions are now cheaper than incumbent products powered by fossil fuels, such as distributed solar photovoltaics and electric 2-wheeler vehicles. With policy levers being refined and renewable energy infrastructure growth in its early days, how can the private sector seize this opportunity to trigger the green leap for the region, and spur sustainable development between now and 2030?

Moderator:
Franziska Zimmermann, Director, Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, Temasek
 
Panellists:

• Bertrand Piccard, President, Solar Impulse Foundation 
• Vijay Chandrasekhar, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Cosmos Innovation
• Souleymane Ba, Partner and Co-Head of Climate Strategy, LeapFrog Investments
• Kelvin Tan, Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Finance & Investments (ASEAN), HSBC

Flying Sustainable: The Future of Climate-Friendly Aviation

Don’t miss "Flying Sustainable: The Future of Climate-Friendly Aviation," an inspiring session where Swiss explorer and aviation pioneer Bertrand Piccard shares his vision for sustainable flight.
Known for his historic solar-powered flight around the world, Piccard now embarks on a new mission: a global journey in a hydrogen-powered plane.
In this engaging talk, Piccard explores the impact of clean aviation on the fight against climate change, emphasizing the role of innovation in achieving net-zero goals.
As a Zayed Sustainability Prize judge, he’ll illustrate how sustainable aviation can reduce the environmental footprint of air travel, aligning with the Paris Agreement and UAE Consensus.
The session will comprise a Q&A with the audience.

Beyond Blending: Climate finance for clean energy and adaptation businesses in developing countries

Catalytic capital can bridge gaps in traditional blended finance and unlock transformative climate action. Explore the capital continuum required for projects and SMEs to access finance at each stage of scale-up through novel approaches to project preparation, early-stage equity and risk mitigation.

Speakers: Speakers will include experts from the finance sector, specialist funders of climate projects and SMEs in the Global South, providers of philanthropic capital, as well as clean energy project developers and developing country governmental representatives responsible for accessing climate finance.

Bertrand Piccard will be providing the opening remarks and facilitating a fireside chat. 

Official Side event hosted by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), the Rocky Mountain Institue, Acumen, and Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)

Mobilisation du Secteur Privé Africain pour une Transition Climatique Juste

La COP29, offre une occasion exceptionnelle pour le secteur privé africain de se mobiliser et de faire entendre sa voix face aux enjeux climatiques. Cette conférence fournit une plateforme unique permettant au secteur privé de participer activement aux négociations visant à définir les contours du Nouvel Objectif Collectif Quantifié (NCQG). Ce dernier ambitionne de mobiliser des milliards de dollars pour le financement climatique, et il est essentiel d’y intégrer le secteur privé africain au sein d’un écosystème financier mondial, mieux adapté aux réalités du continent.

Séance d’ouverture :

• SE Mme Leila Benali, ministre de la Transition énergétique et du Développement durable du Maroc
• SE Nigar Arpadarai, Championne COP 29, Azerbaïdjan
• Bertrand Piccard, Initiateur et Président de la Fondation Solar Impulse
• James Graber, Directeur des mécanismes de développement durable UNFCCC

• M. John Mbadi, Ministre du trésor et la planification économique Kenya
•  Mme. Paola Francisco Coelho, Ministre de l’Environnement de l’Angola  
• M. Francisco La Camera, Directeur Général de l’IRENA
• M. Serge EKUE, President de la Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement  (BOAD)
• M. Abdulrahim Sultan, Directeur Général de l’Organisation Mondiale de l’Economie Verte (WGEO)
• M. Peter Odengo, Président AFDAN
• Mme Assia Benhida, Présidente de la Commission Développement Durable, CGEM, Maroc
• M. Mamadou Sinsy Coulibaly, Président du CNPM Patronat Mali

Double Down, Triple Up - 20 Solutions in Action

As countries prepare to update their NDCs by February 2025, maximizing ambition is crucial. Energy efficiency improvement combined with renewables  capacity enhancement can fast-track a decarbonized economy, yet fresh strategies and real-world examples are needed to inspire action.

A year after the pledge to double efficiency rates and triple renewable capacity by 2030, join us for the launch of “Double Down, Triple Up - 20 Solutions in Action.”  - a publication spotlighting 20 transformative stories—10 focused on renewable energy and 10 on energy efficiency—to fuel climate ambition. The session will focus on sharing best practices and highlighting decarbonisation strategies from public and private stakeholders.

Incl. confirmed speakers:

• Bertrand Piccard, President, Solar Impulse Foundation
• Francesco La Camera, DG, IRENA
• Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), COP28 
• Julia Souder, Chair, Global Renewables Alliance 
• Noura Tantawi, Senior Manager Public & Corporate Affairs, Holcim 
• Cristina Moral, Senior Analyst Climate Policies and International Alliances, Iberdrola 
• Giorgia Epicoco, Head of EU Sustainability & Industrial Policy, Huawai