Event description
Can innovation and collaboration close the climate action gap before it’s too late? Join leading voices in climate science, policy and innovation from across business, government and civil society to explore how collective action can accelerate progress toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on SDG 13: Climate Action.
In its UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2025, the UN projects that global temperatures are likely to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels within the next decade. The findings underline the urgency faced if global temperatures are to remain below 1.5°C - which is widely recognised as being critical for avoiding the most significant risks and impacts of climate change. Progress remains uneven, yet hope lies in innovation, collaboration and shared commitment across governments, businesses and civil society.
Join us for this free, online event to gain insights, share ideas, and be inspired to take meaningful action for a sustainable, climate-secure future.
Event details
RELX SDG Inspiration Day 2026
Thursday, 4 June 2026
Free online event
10am - 4:30pm (UK)
Please feel free to dip in and out of sessions as your schedule permits throughout the day
SPEAKERS
Join thought leaders and experts from across business, civil society and academia
Keynotes & Host
Hover over any speaker’s name to explore their full bio
Ban Ki-moon
8th Secretary-General of the United Nations & Co-chair of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens
Christiana Figueres
Founding Partner of Global Optimism
Dr Tim Gregory
Nuclear Scientist, Speaker and Author of Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the Word
Event host
Dr Márcia Balisciano
Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, RELX
Featured speakers
More exciting speaker announcements coming soon.
Esther Stanhope
Keynote and TEDx Speaker, Author, Personal Impact Expert
Youngsuk 'YS' Chi
Director of Corporate Affairs, RELX and Chair, Elsevier
Michael Sheldrick
Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer at Global Citizen
Hugh Jones
Chief Executive Officer, RX
Dr Richard Horton OBE
Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet
Elizabeth Corse
Founder, Discom
Nick Luff
Chief Financial Officer, RELX
WHAT TO EXPECT
Join thought leaders and experts from across business, civil society and academia to explore how technology, insights and partnerships can turn ambition into impact.
Climate and Health: The Crisis We Can't Seperate
Exploring the most urgent and interconnected global challenges with leading experts including Dr Richard Horton, Editor in Chief of The Lancet
Goal 3: Good health and wellbeing
Climate and Health: The Crisis We Can't Seperate
Climate change and human health are deeply interconnected yet too often addressed in isolation. During Inspiration Day we'll explore how rising temperatures, environmental degradation and shifting ecosystems are already reshaping global health outcomes, while also examining the critical links to food systems, resilience and equity.
Dr Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet will be in conversation with BBC journalist and broadcaster Justin Webb. This session will unpack why climate change is now widely recognised as the greatest threat to global health, and what urgent, coordinated action is needed across sectors.
A high-level exchange between Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Erica Gerretsen, Director for “Green Deal and Digital Agenda” at the European Commission’s DG INTPA, will broaden the lens to consider climate’s cascading effects on food security and sustainable development. Together, they will explore how climate pressures are disrupting food systems, exacerbating inequalities and shaping geopolitical stability and what this means for global cooperation and policy.
Can Live Events Go Net Zero? From Ambition to Action
Live events, trade shows, festivals and music tours bring people together, but they can also come with a significant environmental footprint, from energy use and transport to waste, water and temporary infrastructure. As the pressure to reach net zero intensifies, the events and live music industries are being pushed to rethink how experiences are designed, delivered and scaled.
Bringing together leaders at the forefront of this shift, including Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer at Global Citizen; Hugh Jones, CEO, RX; Helen Sheppard, Sustainability Director, RX and Luke Howell, Sustainability Lead for Coldplay and Glastonbury Festival, we'll explore how the industry is responding in practice; what’s working, where progress is proving difficult, and how innovation, data and collaboration can accelerate change without compromising creativity, audience experience or commercial viability.
Female Founders Forum: From Ideas to Impact
In this conversation, hosted by Elizabeth Course, founder of Discom, the Female Founders Forum brings together women turning climate ambition into scalable solutions. Hear the realities behind the journey, what it takes to grow, the challenges faced, and the opportunities to accelerate impact in a rapidly changing world. Guests include awardees of the WE Empower SDG Challenge, a global competition for women social entrepreneurs who are advancing the SDGs.
Please note all times are in British Summer Time (BST). Speakers, timings and sessions may be subject to change. Although we intend for sessions to begin and end as stated below, note that this is a live-streamed event and these times may be subject to change.
Please feel free to dip in and out of sessions as your schedule allows throughout the day.
|
Time (BST) |
Session |
|---|---|
|
10:00 – 10:45 |
Opening Plenary Welcome from our host: Shivvy Jervis, Innovation Forecaster Introductory remarks: Dr Márcia Balisciano, Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, RELX Thoughts on the day ahead: Ban Ki-Moon, 8th Secretary General of the United Nations Keynote speech: Dr Mark van Rijmenam, AI Futurist and TEDx Speaker |
|
10:45 – 11:30 |
Panel: The AI upside for sustainable development Host: Ambassador Amanda Ellis, Senior Director, Global Partnerships and Networks, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory Participants: · Marco Richter,Global Head of Customer Success, LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions · Cherry Murillon, Founder and Lead Innovator, CAWIL AI Solutions · Michal Nachmany, Founder and CEO, Climate Policy Radar · Matt Gray, Co-founder and CEO, TransitionZero |
|
11:30-11:45 |
Presenting the AI Index: Tortoise Media’s new benchmark for country investment in AI |
|
11:45 - 12:00 |
RELX SDG Customer Awards Part I Presented by: YS Chi, Director of Corporate Affairs, RELX and Chair, Elsevier |
|
12:00 - 12:45 |
Pineapple take-over: AI for nature · Rafi Addlestone, Chief Strategy Officer, Pineapple Sustainable Partnerships · Sacha Dench, CEO and Co-Founder, Conservation Without Borders · Joe Griffin, Senior Manager Sustainability Strategy, Vodafone |
|
12:45 – 13:00 |
RELX SDG Customer Awards Part II Presented by: Philippa Scarlett, Head of Worldwide Government Affairs and Public Policy at RELX |
|
13:00 – 13:45 |
AI and the Rule of Law: Peace, justice and strong institutions? Host: Steve Kenzie, Executive Director, UN Global Compact UK Network Participants: · Miriam Stankovich, Senior Principal Digital Policy Specialist, DAI’s Center for Digital Acceleration · Ian McDougall, President, LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation |
|
13:45 - 14:10 |
Introductory video to an AI by Google and Project Everyone AI and climate change: Accelerating solutions or deepening the problem?
Presentation by: Jason Plent, Partner for 5G and MEC Innovation, Verizon |
|
14:10 – 14:45 |
A new paradigm for science and health Host: Harald Neidhardt, CEO & Curator at Futur/io Institute Participants: · Cristina Campero, CEO, PROSPERiA · Elizabeth Gibson, Director, Analytics Solutions, Elsevier · Rose Nakasi, PhD, Researcher of Computer Science at AI and Data Science Lab, Makerere University, Uganda and Chair for Topic Group AI-based detection of Malaria |
|
14:45 – 15:15 |
The policy prescription for AI and sustainable development Expert bilateral · Richard Wingfield, Director, Technology Sectors, BSR · Elizabeth Crossick, Head of EU Government Affairs and Global AI Policy Lead, RELX |
|
15:15 – 16:00 |
Truth and trust in the age of AI A conversation curated by Global Policy Adviser, Alice Pilia Featuring: Karen Silverman, CEO and Founder, The Cantellus Group Nancy Morgan, CEO, Ellis Morgan Enterprises |
|
16:00 – 16:30 |
Closing Plenary Host: Márcia Balisciano, Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, RELX AI and youth for development: Mick Sheldrick, Co-founder, Global Citizen |
EVENT PARTNERS
We're proud to partner with organisations and networks that share our commitment to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Event partners include:
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