The Flagship Conference on Global Sustainability features a dynamic mix of academic and policy-oriented sessions across three thematic strands: climate and nature, peace and conflict, and topics in global sustainability. It brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to co-create solutions for a more sustainable and peaceful world.
The event is co-organised by the Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability (HCGS), an interdisciplinary centre dedicated to advancing actionable knowledge on global environmental and sustainability challenges, the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), the premier global network of economists advancing policy-relevant research, and Reducing Conflict and Improving Performance in the Economy (ReCIPE), a research initiative funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and managed by CEPR, focused on mitigating and preventing conflict and improving economic outcomes through evidence-based policy.
The Flagship Conference is the leading academic event running in parallel with the Building Bridges 2025 initiative in Geneva. In addition to the open programme, the conference convenes parallel academic sessions, designed to foster deeper scholarly exchange around the core themes.
Conference Programme
Wednesday 1 October
Auditorium Ivan Pictet, Maison de la paix, Chem. Eugène-Rigot 2, 1202 Genève
13:00 – 14:15 | Welcome Remarks & Opening Keynotes
Welcome (13:00 – 13:15)
- Marie-Laure Salles (The Geneva Graduate Institute)
- Beatrice Weder di Mauro (Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability & CEPR)
- Dominic Rohner (Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability & CEPR)
Opening Keynotes (13:15 – 14:15)
- Chair: Marie-Laure Salles (The Geneva Graduate Institute)
- Ottmar Edenhofer (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Technische Universität Berlin & CEPR)
- Rolf Weder (University of Basel)
14:15 – 15:00 | Climate & Nature Stream: Sustainable Finance and Biodiversity
Chair: Patrick Bolton (Imperial College London & CEPR)
Featuring
- Zacharias Sautner (University of Zurich & CEPR)
- Estelle Cantillon (Université libre de Bruxelles & CEPR)
15:00 – 15:45 | Climate & Nature Stream: ISSB – Accounting for Sustainability
Chair: Eric Lambin (UC Louvain & Stanford University)
Featuring
- Lucrezia Reichlin (London Business School & CEPR)
- Richard Barker (International Sustainability Standards Board & University of Oxford)
16:15 – 17:00 | Climate & Nature Stream: The Future of ESG
Chair: Beatrice Weder di Mauro (Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability & CEPR)
Keynote: Patrick Bolton (Imperial College London & CEPR)
Panel Discussion
- Patrick Bolton (Imperial College London & CEPR)
- Zacharias Sautner (University of Zurich & CEPR)
- Simon Zadek (Morphosis)
17:00 – 18:30 | Climate & Nature Stream with Building Bridges: Building Bridges and Coalitions for Climate Transition and Nature Restoration
Chair: Gill Einhorn (World Economic Forum)
Keynotes
- Beatrice Weder di Mauro (Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability & CEPR)
- Eric Lambin (Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability)
Panel Discussion
- Beatrice Weder di Mauro (Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability & CEPR)
- Eric Lambin (Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability)
- Naoko Ishii (Global Commons Alliance, University of Tokyo)
- Thomas Viegas (Aviva Investors, Group Nature Lead)
- David Brand (Founder of New Forests Fund, Chair of the International Sustainable Forestry Coalition)
Thursday 2 October
Jacques-Freymond Auditorium, Domaine Barton, Rue de Lausanne, 1202 Genève
14:00 – 15:15 | Peace & Conflict Stream: Geoeconomics and Strategic Minerals in a Polarizing World
Chair: Joëlle Noailly (Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability, The Geneva Graduate Institute & Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Keynotes:
- Moritz Schularick (Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Sciences Po & CEPR)
- Dominic Rohner (Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability & CEPR)
Panel Discussion
- Rick Van der Ploeg (Oxford University)
- Laura Mayoral (IAE Barcelona & CEPR)
- Jérémy Laurent-Lucchetti (University of Geneva)
15:45 – 17:00 | climate & nature stream: The Economics of Biodiversity
Chair: Beatrice Weder di Mauro (Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability & CEPR)
Keynote: Sir Partha Dasgupta (University of Cambridge)
Panel Discussion
- Emmanuelle Assouan (Banque de France)
- Sylvie Goulard (IAPB & Bocconi University)
- Laura Alfaro (Harvard Business School & CEPR)
Friday 3 October
Jacques-Freymond Auditorium, Domaine Barton, Rue de Lausanne, 1202 Genève
11:45 – 13:00 | Peace & Conflict Stream: The Rise of Populism and Sustainability
Chair: Ambassador Christian Frutiger (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation)
Keynotes:
- Sergei Guriev (London Business School & CEPR)
- Catherine de Vries (Bocconi University)
Panel Discussion
- Marta Reynal-Querol (Barcelona School of Economics & CEPR)
- Saumitra Jha (Stanford University & CEPR)
