Green Finance Leadership Summit: Heading to COP29

The United States-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, International Trade Administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg Center present the Green Finance Leadership Summit: Heading to COP29.

As Azerbaijan prepares to host the global climate conference, COP29, this November, we acknowledge the vital role of green finance in mobilizing the resources needed for sustainable and environmentally friendly projects. In alignment with the goals of COP29, this summit seeks to unite key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, as well as the scientific community, to discuss and promote the critical role of green finance and data-driven decision-making in combating climate change.

PROGRAM:

8:30 - 9:00 AM: Registration

9:00 - 9:05 AM: Welcoming Remarks

• Natig Bakhishov, Executive Director, the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce

9:05 - 9:30 AM: Keynote Addresses: "The Importance of Green Finance in Achieving Global Climate Goals"

• Heather Evans, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing Industry & Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Dr. Elnur Soltanov, CEO of COP29 (virtual)
• H.E. Khazar Ibrahim, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States of America

9:30 - 10:30 AM: Session 1: "Mobilizing Resources for Sustainable Projects"

• Moderator: Toby Moffett, Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Partner at Mercury LLC
• Matthew Manning, Senior Advisor, Clean Energy Market Development, U.S. Department of Energy
• Gunduz Shirin, Managing Director, Climate Transition Private Equity, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
• Jeyhun Huseynzade, Chief Accounting Officer, Audubon

10:30 - 10:45 AM: Coffee Break

10:45 AM - 11:45 PM: Session 2: "Transitioning to Low-Carbon Economies: Enhancing Sustainability and Reducing Financial Risks"

• Moderator: Ibrahim Mustafayev, Consultant, Climate & Sustainability, BCG
• Benjamin Todd, Vice President, Global Business Development, Export-Import Bank of the United States (TBC)
• Ferris Hussein, Managing Director, Global Infrastructure and Energy Opportunities, Carlyle 
• Emily Robichaux, Director of Climate Partnership Lending, Amalgamated Bank
• Craig Howton, CEO, Redbird Technology

11:45 AM - 1:00 PM: Lunch Break

1:00 - 2:00 PM: Session 3: "Data-Driven Decision Making and Capacity Building"

• Moderator: Margaret Jackson, Senior Counselor, Senior Counselor for Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce
• Chris Lohmann, Senior Manager, Sustainable Aviation Fuels Business  Development & Financing, The Boeing Company
• Lewis Sweet, Senior Director, Integrated Climate Solutions, Honeywell
• Dr. Peter Boucher, Climate Data Scientist and Solution Architect, Leidos Inc.

2:00 - 2:15 PM: Closing Remarks

REGISTRATION is CLOSED.

For inquiries, please contact [email protected].