People are seen gathered on George Square during a rally Nov. 5, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. Day Six of the 2021 climate summit in Glasgow focused on youth and public empowerment. Outside the COP26 site, on the streets of Glasgow, the "Fridays For Future" youth climate movement held a march to George Square in the center of Glasgow where popular youth activists addressed the crowd. The 26th "Conference of the Parties" represented a gathering of all the countries signed on to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Climate Agreement. The aim of this year's conference was to commit countries to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Image by Peter Summers/Getty Images
Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) and Berkshire Hathaway-owned Richline Group’s Mark Hanna are debuting a new a new virtual conference series called “Boldly Building the Future” to address actionable solutions to challenges and key issues facing the jewelry industry, including the mining and refining sector.
The first event in the series runs Monday, Dec. 13, from noon to 1:30 p.m. EST (New York time) with the theme, “Decade of Action: Climate and the Precious Metals Industry.” The discussion will address the directives of the Global Climate Conference (COP26), as it relates to industry climate action.
“Mark Hanna has had a formative influence on me and on IAC in the decade that we have worked together,” said Lisa Koenigsberg, president of Initiatives in Art and Culture, New York. “More importantly, he might be termed the conscience of the industry who poses the large questions that few dare to contemplate.
“We are honored to embark on this critical collaboration, which is based on the shared understanding that we must all work for change and have the courage to take on the large issues facing the world, among them questions of climate and risk,” she said.
“The earth is the ultimate heirloom, and our stewardship of it must be at the core of all that we do. No actor is exempt from addressing that over-riding concern.”
Panelists of the free webinar include Ruth Crowell, chief executive of the London Bullion Market Association; John Mulligan, director and climate change lead at the World Gold Council (WGC); Grant Angwin, CEO of Angwin Precious Metals Services LLC; and Mr. Hanna.
Ms. Koenigsberg will introduce and jointly moderate with Mr. Hanna.
Climate change is top of concerns for many countries and industries reliant on natural resources
Joining a global or local coalition, transitioning financially, offering transparency for customers and employees, and risk mitigation will be discussed on the webinar.
Also considered are the characteristics of leadership in these complex times, navigating a business while taking a stance, communication of the commitment, and measuring a company’s footprint toward net-zero emissions.
A focus of the next conference is meaningful GHG reduction.
“Brand reputation matters more than ever and the onus is on business to solve the most pressing societal issues, including climate and the environment," Mr. Hanna said.
"Given the imperatives our industry faces, I am delighted to launch such an endeavor with Initiatives in Art and Culture, which has had an express commitment to such conversations for the past two years," he said.
"The decade of action requires such engagement from each of us, hence my involvement in this initiative. In the wake of COP26, all industry companies should be galvanized to purposefully address the future.
“We hope, with these sessions, to inspire rapid industry transition and swift actions toward a net-zero industry impact. The sessions begin with attention to precious metals at the mining, refining and governance stage. Follow-on sessions will dissect the impacts and lay out the path for manufacturers and retailers to join in support of this industry imperative.”
For a complimentary registration to attend “Decade of Action: Climate and the Precious Metals Industry,” please click here.