Total's Patrick Poyanné, Renault Nissan's Carlos Ghosn, World Bank's Rachel Kyte and IEA's Fatih Birol among some of the important influencers in the global climate change debate to join NYT journalists and op-ed columnist Thomas Friedman on December 8-9

LONDON, OCTOBER 13, 2015 - The International New York Times has today unveiled a line-up of leading figures set to join New York Times Op-Ed columnist Thomas Friedman and award-winning New York Times journalists at its Energy for Tomorrow conference this December 8-9 in Paris as world leaders gather for vital climate change talks.

The event will explore the important commercial implications of the global carbon reduction framework that is being negotiated at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP21. The unprecedented agenda and speaker roster will uncover the technologies, opportunities and strategies that will power business in a new low-carbon economy.

The full speaker line-up, with more to be announced, includes:

  • Patrick Poyanné, CEO and president, Total
  • Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO, Renault Nissan
  • José Manuel Entrecanales, president and CEO, Acciona
  • Eldar Saetre, CEO, Statoil ASA
  • Changhua Wu, Greater China director, The Climate Group
  • Fatih Birol, executive director, International Energy Agency
  • Rachel Kyte, vice-president and special envoy for climate change, World Bank Group
  • Nancy Pfund, founder and managing partner, DBL Investors
  • Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman and CEO, Schneider Electric SA
  • David Crane, CEO, NRG Energy
  • Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, United Arab Emirates, and chairman, Masdar
  • Michelle T Davies, head of Clean Energy and Sustainability Group, Eversheds
  • Peter Agnefjäll, CEO, IKEA
  • Cynthia McHale, director, Insurance Program, Ceres
  • Feike Sijbesma, CEO, DSM
  • Junfeng Li, director general, National Center of Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation and president, Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association
  • Bill Weihl, director of sustainability, Facebook
  • Francesco Starace, CEO, Enel
  • Gérard Mestrallet, chairman and CEO, Engie
  • Dana Younger, renewable energy specialist, International Finance Corporation
  • Anders Runevad, group president and CEO, Vestas
  • Dan Reicher, executive director of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy Finance, Stanford University
  • John Danilovich, secretary general, International Chamber of Commerce
  • Richard Lancaster, CEO, CLP Group
  • Heli Antila, CTO, Fortnum Corporation
  • Peder Holk Nielsen, president and CEO, Novozymes
  • Peter Bakker, president and CEO, WBCSD
  • Dr. K.K. Chan, founder and CEO, Nature Elements Capital
  • Angel Gurria, secretary general, OECD
  • Simon Upton, director for environment, OECD

Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, president, International, The New York Times Company, commented: 'Climate change is one of the most pressing issues threatening us all and there is a vital role for business to engage actively. With such a diverse, knowledgeable and influential mix of speakers, this event will undoubtedly help participants blaze a trail in establishing low-carbon, commercially-sustainable ways of doing business.'

The International New York Times Energy for Tomorrow conference is a COP21-approved event and has been convened in partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The conference is supported by principal sponsor Acciona, headline sponsor Total as well as Renault Nissan, Novozymes, State of Green and Vestas.

For the agenda and speaker lineup, please visit the official Energy for Tomorrow website and keep up to date with further speaker announcements by following @NYTLive. The hashtag for the conference is #INYTEFT.

-Ends-

Notes to editors

Media accreditation for the Energy For Tomorrow conference is currently open. Accreditation requests must be submitted to press@inytenergyfortomorrow.com by Friday, November 27th. Please note that there will be no on-site accreditation. All accreditation requests are subject to final confirmation by the International New York Times.

The New York Times Company

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) is a global media organization dedicated to enhancing society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information. The company includes The New York Times, International New York Times, NYTimes.com, INYT.com and related properties. It is known globally for excellence in its journalism, and innovation in its print and digital storytelling and its business model. Follow news about the company at @NYTimesComm.

distributed by