ByrneWallace LLP is to sponsor the inaugural Dublin Climate Dialogues, a pre-Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) event.

The 19-20 May virtual event will bring together trans-global government and business representatives to forge a declaration on how to turn net-zero pledges into concrete energy policies.

The declaration will be handed to the COP presidency.

The event also aims to set out how global energy systems should be recast to facilitate #netzero and on the technology underpinning the drive to sustainability.

Lack of ambition

It seeks to draw attention to a lack of ambition among the world’s largest polluters to enact meaningful and binding commitments to halve emissions by 50% by 2030 and to hit net-zero emissions by mid-century.

Chaired by Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament, speakers will include:

• Dr Fatih Birol executive director of the International Energy Agency,
• Damilola Ogunbiyi, special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All,
• Lord Deben, chair of the UK Committee on Climate Change,
• Philip Lane, Member of the European Central Bank's executive board and former Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland,
• Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe,
• Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamonn Ryan,
• Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney,
•  Adjunct Professor for Climate Justice in Trinity College Dublin Mary Robinson.

Head of ByrneWallace LLP Energy and Natural Resources, Gavin Blake said “Quoting US President Biden’s climate envoy, John Kerry, this is the world’s ‘last best chance’ to stop climate catastrophe. 

“This conference presents the opportunity to agree a set of recommendations to be presented at the all-important 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November. 

Battle

“Every company and every individual needs to play their part in this battle against climate change which as well as being a challenge, also brings a huge opportunity for businesses and investors who are ahead of the curve.”

Neil Keenan, head of ByrneWallace LLP Corporate added: “As a firm with deep expertise advising companies in the renewables sector, we are committed to leading the way in the Irish legal services industry, be it through supporting most worthy initiatives like this summit, or implementing environmentally-friendly measures in our day-to-day operations.”