UK-China Tech Forum: COP26 and Net Zero Tech
This event will be in English with interpretation into Chinese included.
This event will be in English with interpretation into Chinese included.
Technology is emerging as a key enabler in the path to net zero, with the tech sector playing a critical role both in CO2 emissions and mitigating the long-term impact of climate change. 5G networks, IoT, big data, AI and high-performance computing all have a critical role to play in addressing the global climate emergency.
The approaching COP26 summit in Glasgow will reinforce international climate change commitments. Both China and the UK have made significant commitments on emissions reduction and are actively pursuing more sustainable models of economic growth. The importance for closer collaboration in Net Zero Tech between the two nations has never been greater.
This webinar session will examine the wider landscape of net zero tech in both countries, highlighting existing synergies, and the long-term benefits of closer UK-China collaboration in this important area.
Agenda:
Jana Psarska, Policy Manager - International Trade, techUK
Tony Clemson, Deputy Director – Innovation & Industry, DIT China
Session 1: Net Zero Tech & Opportunities for UK-China Collaboration
This session will cover the wider trends in net zero tech in both countries, including key market drivers, policy trends, investment climate, technology trends, and future prospects. Where is the greatest potential for UK-China partnerships in Net Zero Tech? What are the key market drivers? What are the benefits of collaboration, the main challenges and what should policymakers be doing to promote UK-China collaboration?
Rafi Cohen, Director, Climate Risk & Decarbonisation Strategy, KPMG
Stuart Woods, Managing Director of Oxford Instruments Nanoscience
Session 2: Technology for Adaption and Resilience
CBBC will publish a new report showcasing UK-China engagement on the net zero agenda ahead of COP26 Targeting Net Zero What is the role for UK & Chinese Business? This session will focus on the broader theme of Adaption and Resilience section of the new report, exploring the critical impact that science and technological innovation, such as high-performance computing, big data, and artificial intelligence, can have mitigating the impacts of climate change on communities, cities, and natural ecosystems.
Panellists
Speakers:
Tony Clemson, Deputy Director – Innovation & Industry, DIT Chin
Tony Clemson has been the Deputy Director for Innovation & Industry in China since December 2019. He promotes greater cooperation between the UK and China in the Technology and Advanced Manufacturing sectors (autos, marine, advanced engineering, chemicals). He previously served as Deputy Consul-General in Shanghai from 2016 to 2019. In prior diplomatic roles Tony covered international cyber security policy in London, and political and economic issues in South Korea and New Zealand. Before joining the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2004, Tony served as a Warfare Officer in the Royal Navy for eight years, deploying to the Atlantic, Caribbean and Middle East
Rafi Cohen, Director, Climate Risk & Decarbonisation Strategy, KPMG
As Director of KPMG’s Climate Risk and Decarbonisation Strategy team, Rafi helps clients develop and implement their decarbonisation strategies. This work includes internal decarbonisation - baselining of emissions and developing and implementing the process of reducing them and integrating the impacts of decarbonisation into the organisation’s strategy, taking into account the opportunities and risks arising in the transition to a low carbon economy and from a changing climate. Rafi has over ten years’ experience in consulting and professional services, and has advised a wide range of clients in the construction, energy and utilities, financial institutions and government sectors on their decarbonisation strategies.
Stuart Woods, Managing Director, Oxford Instruments NanoScience
At Oxford Instruments NanoScience, Stuart Woods leads an incredibly talented team creating high-performance cryogenic and cryogen-free environments for ultra-low temperature and high magnetic field applications in physics, chemistry, and materials science research down to the quanta scale. Building on a 60-year heritage, Oxford Instruments NanoScience is at the forefront of the development and commercialisation of quantum computing around the world.
As an Oxford Instruments executive board member, Stuart leads the company's environmental committee, focused on minimising the environmental footprint of Oxford Instruments' operations, products, and services, alongside having a personal passion for sustainability and mindfulness about the impact we have on our planet.
Throughout his career, Stuart has led a diverse mix of technology businesses - including high volume, high growth in-vitro medical devices; dense telecom multiplexing; optical cables; lasers for mobile phone display manufacturing; medical-grade fluorescent lighting; high-end consumer audio; and mobile mapping systems for reality capture and digital twin creation.
Dr. Rosie L. Oakes International Climate Services Scientist, The Met Office
Dr. Rosie Oakes is a Senior Scientist in the International Climate Services team at the Met Office. Rosie has a background in earth, ocean, and climate sciences. Her work at the Met Office involves working with stakeholders and decision makers around the world to provide accessible climate information to help aid decision making.
In China, Rosie is working on the Climate Science for Service Partnerships (CSSP) China project, developing climate services relevant to food security and energy. In Europe, she is working with the Copernicus Climate Change Service to understand how climate data can help address transboundary challenges in the Danube River Basin. In South-East Asia, she is working with policy makers and stakeholders in Nepal to understand the impact of current and future extreme rainfall events on the hydropower sector and working with them to help them become more resilient to these events.
Rosie is passionate about communicating climate change science to a wide range of audiences and making science accessible and open to all.
Paulo Lopes, Director Strategic Partnerships (Greater China) BSI
Paulo has more than 15 years of work experience in strategy, sustainable development, information security, innovation, and certification across five continents. Paulo Lopes is the Director of Strategic Partnerships Greater China at BSI and responsible to develop and execute strategies to expand collaboration with key accounts, multinational companies, government entities and associations across Greater China.
Paulo has experience across 5 continents: Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. He worked as a Senior Carbon Consultant to support the development of industrial facilities in Saudi Arabia. Previously, Paulo worked in the non-profit sector where he managed the development of renewable energy technologies throughout Asia. Paulo's experience has also built up from his private sector background as a carbon management consultant, where he assisted large multinational companies in Europe, the US, and Central Asia to measure and reduce carbon emissions and become more sustainable. Paulo holds a MBA from Tsinghua-MIT Sloan as well as MSc Environmental Technology, Imperial College London.
Donglei Yan, Managing Director, North Summit Capital
Mr. Yan joined North Summit Capital, a China based venture capital fund focusing on climate change technologies and artificial intelligence technologies, as Managing Director in July 2021. Previously, Mr. Yan was Investment Managing Director of GCL-Poly Energy Holdings since 2017, responsible for corporate investments and strategic investments, fund formations, joint ventures, and fund raising activities. GCL-Poly is one of the world’s largest solar energy companies and is engaged in energy storage, LNG, power plants, micro grid, semiconductor materials manufacturing.
Mr. Yan also previously served as Executive Director of Affinity Equity Partners, one of the largest Asian buyout funds, Head of Principal Investment of China Minmetals Capital Hong Kong, one of the SOEs in China, business development manager in GE Energy, and investment banker at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. He has 20 years’ experience in private equity and venture investments, corporate BD, and investment banking in Asia, and led a number of large M&A and investment transactions in China, Japan and the U.S.
Mr. Yan obtained MBA degree from the Anderson School of UCLA, and Business Administration degree from Hitotsubashi University of Japan. Mr. Yan is fluent in Mandarin, English, and Japanese.
Moderators:
Ting Zhang, CEO & Founder, Crayfish & Vice Chair of UK-China Tech Forum
Ting Zhang is one of leading China business experts in the UK. In her previous consulting career, her clients included hi-tech SMEs, FTSE100 corporates, as well as UK / European government agencies, US financial institutions and international VC firms. Based in Cambridge, Crayfish.io is the first digital platform that offers businesses the quality services and global connections needed to accelerate their international expansion, with a focus on Asia.
Ting is a Co-Vice Chair of the UK China Tech Forum and also hold various other volunteering roles, tirelessly helping a wider community between the UK and China to better understand and engage with each other.
Jana Psarska, Policy Manager - International Trade, techUK
Jana supports techUK members in navigating international markets, including market access and regulatory challenges, and assists the tech sector in taking full advantage of UK’s trade deals. Her responsibilities also include driving the UK digital trade policy agenda. Jana has several years of experience in trade promotion, public policy, and providing strategic advice on international expansion strategy to companies across a variety of sectors. Prior to techUK, she worked for the Department for International Trade, helping UK SMEs expand abroad.
Mark Hedley, Director – Knowledge Economy, China-Britain Business Council
Mark is CBBC’s Director for the Knowledge Economy sector, heading up various initiatives to support clients in the tech, innovation, and healthcare sectors. Mark has spent over two decades living in and doing business with China, previously working in consulting roles helping Western tech clients to with their China market entry strategy and business development. Mark has spearheaded several flagship CBBC initiatives for tech/digital clients, including the UK-China Tech Forum and UK-China Tech Accelerator. A fluent Mandarin speaker, Mark also holds a M.Sc in Chinese Business and International Relations from Sheffield University and an MBA from Lancaster University.
Sponsors:
Supporting Partners:
About the UK-China Tech Forum
Jointly hosted by techUK and the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), the UK-China Tech Forum is a platform to allow businesses to engage with key stakeholders in government and business in areas of UK-China tech trade, policy, and market growth in both countries. The forum is for representatives of businesses, government and other stakeholders interested in influencing or understanding the policy landscape impacting the technology sector, trade relations, and the market opportunities and challenges in China and the UK.
The forum brings members together to discuss issues and events that may impact their growth in the UK and China and provides an avenue for collective concerns to be aired and discussed with both governments. Moreover, it provides a platform for participants to explore emerging opportunities for growth and expand their business networks via topical engagements throughout the year.