Handshake Partners

On May 16-18 Handshake Partners participated in From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Science and the Pontifical Academy of Social Science. The three-day summit at the Vatican convened academia, an international roster of mayors and governors, and key private sector leaders to present and discuss solutions to build greater resilience. The summit culminated in the release of the Planetary Resilience Protocol, modeled on the Montreal Protocol, to provide guidelines to make our communities and societies more climate resilient. The protocol will be submitted to the UNCCC.     We were honored to support the summit and expand its impact through the participation of our fantastic partners at C40 Cities and World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP).    With the G7 just a few days away and climate expected to be at the top of the agenda, these convenings demonstrate to global leaders the importance of multilateral engagement and the true power of partnership. https://lnkd.in/dY5XUxDT

The G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors released their long-awaited Communiqué last week giving us insights into the official agenda of the upcoming G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy. While weighted with geopolitical headwinds, the announcement previewed how the G7 countries are approaching AI and the Green transition, topics that are seemingly ever more interlinked. More than ever the ministers are leaning on the private sector to lead and be true partners for global action.    Here are the highlights:     📊AI ▪ Key risks include developing effective and universal governance that enables innovation while providing needed safeguards. Further divergence between advanced, emerging, and developing economies, coupled with concerns around herd behavior and uncertainty around economic stability, pose real challenges. ▪ AI offers novel and ample opportunities for social and economic progress, particularly in developing countries' crucial sectors such as health, education, and agriculture.  ▪ International Financial Institutions must work to better model and assess the macro implications of AI adoption and support developing countries in taking advantage of its opportunities.   🌱 The Green Transition  ▪ The finance policy options for a just transition towards net zero focus on the balance between accelerating the green transition and the potential for economic and societal consequences of what that investment and transition means. The key is ensuring an internationally aligned approach and ensuring that communities understand the near and long-term benefits of a speedy transition.  ▪ A renewed focus on insurance aims to build greater resiliency through the implementation of the framework for public-private insurance programs against natural hazards. This is a guide for public and private sector stakeholders to partner to better assess and address protection gaps.   ▪ There is an agreement on the importance of a global baseline for sustainability reporting and climate-related disclosures aligned with the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards.  While we expect to see further refinement of these positions at the G7 Summit later this week, it is clear that governments will expect the private sector to engage on these issues beyond the confines of their own enterprises and more globally on a societal level. As these meetings will set the stage for the Fall's major engagements including UNGA, New York Climate Week, COP29, The G20, and leading into Davos in January, your business needs to have a clear and articulated position on these issues and a plan for action. #G7Summit #GreenTransition #AI https://lnkd.in/dewvbX2t https://lnkd.in/dNmEQXEk

Last week, our team had the honor of joining forces with the Dicastery for Communication and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, alongside The Sustainable Markets Initiative, at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences for the "Care for our Common Home: Building & Communicating An Economy that Promotes Sustainability & Peace" roundtable and luncheon.   Together, we convened the Vatican, private sector leaders, and faith-based leaders, diplomats, journalists, authors, filmmakers, and artists, all united in our commitment to address the urgent call of Pope Francis to take “swift and unified global action” to address climate challenges, social exclusion, and extreme poverty. Pope Francis emphasizes, "Human-induced climate change is a scientific reality, and its decisive mitigation is a moral and religious imperative for humanity."   Leaders from Aon, Bank of America, S&P Global, and others shared insights on sustainable finance, energy transition, and the role of insurers in protecting vulnerable communities. The discussions highlighted the importance of communications in raising awareness and effecting change, emphasizing the need to avoid polarizing language and harness storytelling as a powerful tool for messaging.   The event featured "Changes," a photographic journey about climate change through the words of St. Francis. This exhibit, combining powerful photography with the words of Saint Francis, underscored the potency of art to inspire change.   As we approach #COP28 and #Davos2024, the private sector has an even greater opportunity to create a lasting impact. Let me know if you’re heading to these global convenings—I’m eager to hear your plans and explore how we can collaborate. Together, we can achieve a brighter, more sustainable, and just future.  

Two weeks ago, Handshake Partners proudly stood alongside world leaders, industry experts, and public sector on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week in New York City. Over four days of programming and 14 engaging events, we tackled key global challenges, including: gender equality and access to education, energy transition, sustainable supply chains, technology and innovation for good, and the power of arts and sports in driving transformative change.   Thank you to all of our incredible partners including Aon, Bank of America, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Vodafone Foundation, United Nations Foundation, NYU Stern School of Business, We-Empower Inc., Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC), Religions for Peace International, Lia Beltrami + many others we who joined us throughout the week.    With UNGA now behind us, our focus shifts towards the upcoming #COP28 conference in Dubai and the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos where we will help our clients and partners collaborate better and advance tangible progress through their work. If you'd like to explore collaboration opportunities, please let our team know!   For a more detailed recap of our UNGA / Climate Week activities, click here: https://lnkd.in/egKXaxr9

The private sector is undergoing rapid changes and adaptations, gearing up for a net-zero future. However, the question remains: Are we moving swiftly enough? At this current pace, achieving net zero by 2050 will remain a steep challenge. This is especially true when looking at nine key sectors that are emitting most of the world’s greenhouse gases, including power, oil and gas, automotive, aviation and shipping, steel, cement, mining, agriculture and food, forestry and land use. To transition, these industries will require large-scale investments, breakthrough innovation and new and scalable technologies that can speed up this process.  In a recent report, McKinsey & Company dives into these nine sectors and outlines some of the actions and steps heavy-emitting businesses can undertake to reach their net-zero targets. To learn more, follow the link below.  

As the popularity of secondhand shopping continues to soar and consumers continue to seek out products that are more sustainable, retail companies will have to embrace circular economy as an approach that is essential for both their environmental stewardship and business success. We highlight a few examples of companies who are trying to apply the principles of circular economy in their business, from product design, development, consumer experience and the entire lifecycle of products. Read more on our blog.

🌍🔌 Shining the Spotlight on Uber! 🚀🤝 In our ongoing series highlighting companies championing business solutions that drive impact, we are excited to feature Uber’s latest commitment to lowering emissions and eliminating pollution from their food delivery business as the company aims to reach net zero by 2040. Uber eats has pledged to significantly reduce takeout emissions and plastic waste. 🌱♻️ Their plan includes partnering with sustainable packaging companies, investing in electric bikes and vehicles, and collaborating with restaurants to optimize delivery routes. Uber is also partnering with the World Wildlife Fund and Closed Loop Partners who will consult on their overall progress to net zero. By taking concrete steps towards a greener future and partnering with experts, Uber is setting a powerful example for others in the industry. 👏 "With the scale we have globally, it's just a responsibility on our shoulders," declared Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, Uber Delivery Senior Vice President, in an interview with Bloomberg. 💪  At Handshake Partners, we believe in the power of collaboration and applaud companies taking initiatives that bring their values to life in a way that's good for business and good for society. 🤝💚 Follow us for more inspiring stories of companies making a positive impact! #socialimpact #energytransition #ubereats #GreenDelivery #sustainability Click the link below to read the full article.  

Between July 10th – July 19th, public, private and nonprofit sector leaders will convene in NYC for the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), which is the main UN platform on #sustainabledevelopment . This 2023 HLPF will focus on the theme Accelerating the recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels. The official program consists of events throughout the first week, focusing on the SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, 7 on affordable and clean energy, 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure, 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals. The Ministerial portion throughout the second week will highlight the mid-term review of the implementation of the SDGs and the preparations for the 2023 SDG Summit, which will be convened as part of the General Assembly in September 2023. Alongside the official meetings, organizations will host an array of side events, sponsored by a variety of Member States, UN Organizations and major groups that will provide opportunities for targeted discussions. As such, the HLPF provides a great opportunity for the private sector to understand the progress towards the 2030 Agenda and the role it plays in the achievement of the SDGs, and the actions that need to be taken in both the short and long term. For more information on HLPF, visit the link below, and reach out to the Handshake Partners team with any questions on opportunities to participate! https://hlpf.un.org/2023