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 allows 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
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
Erica Gerretsen
Director of DG INTPA's Directorate F, European Commission
Featured speakers
Dr Márcia Balisciano
Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, RELX
Justin Worland
Senior Correspondent, Time
Michael Sheldrick
Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer at Global Citizen
Hugh Jones
Chief Executive Officer, RX
Emily Renshaw-Smith
Managing Director, Open Planet Studios
Youngsuk 'YS' Chi
Director of Corporate Affairs, RELX and Chair, Elsevier
Dr Richard Horton OBE
Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet
Elizabeth Corse
Founder, Discom
Laura Clarke
CEO, Client Earth
Luke Howell
Strategic Sustainability Lead (Coldplay, Glastonbury Festival)
Esther Stanhope
Keynote and TEDx Speaker, Author, Personal Impact Expert
Justin Webb
Journalist & Broadcaster; Host of the BBC’s Today show
Guðný Nielsen
Founder and CEO, Katla Carbon
Dr Gabrielle Walker
Chief Scientist and Co-Founder, CUR8
Diana Mbogo
Founder and MD, Millennium Engineers
Dr Jessica Jacob
Founder & CEO, SURECO & Partners
Nick Luff
Chief Financial Officer, RELX
Joyce Leveston
President & CEO, Javits Convention Center
Laura McGee
Co-Founder & CEO, Arterra AI
Antonia Gawel
Global Director of Sustainability Advocacy & Partnerships, Google
Caroline Elliott-Grey
Senior Product Manager, LexisNexis Risk Solutions
Bob Burgoyne
Associate Director & Data Centre Lead, The Carbon Trust
Simone Davidson
Head of Practical Guidance Environment & Head of the Built Environment Group, LexisNexis UK
Anirudh Sistla
2026 Chairperson, JCI Sustainability Commission
Sarah Kadouch-Chevalier
Senior Climate Campaigns Manager, Project Everyone
Clover Hogan
Climate activist and founder of Force of Nature
Magero
Poet/spoken word artist, workshop facilitator and co-founder of The Brotherhood Creative Collective
Megi Marku
Global Focal Point, YOUNGO
Timothy Sitanya
Global Focal Point, YOUNGO
Key Voices Answering the Question:
What is your hope for climate action over the next five years?
Amanda Ellis
Senior Director, Global Partnerships & Networks, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, Arizona State University
Ian McDougall
President, LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation
Ylann Schemm
VP of Corporate Responsibility, Elsevier; Executive Director, The Elsevier Foundation
Professor Ioannis Ioannou
Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, London Business School
Susan Hooper
Co-founding director, Chapter Zero: The Directors’ Climate Forum; Chair of Caresourcer.com and EBS
Andrew Griffiths
Co-Founder, Carbon Accounting Alliance (CAA)
Jane Kinninmont
Chief Executive, United Nations Association, UK
Darshana Myronidis
Global Sustainability Leader
Mark Lumsdon-Taylor
Global Executive Lead for Development & Sustainability (ESG), MHA
WHAT TO EXPECT
Throughout the day, sessions will explore the powerful intersections between climate, health, law, data and equity - spotlighting new perspectives and practical pathways to drive action and impactful solutions.
Art and Action: The Role of Creativity in Addressing the Climate Challenge
Session time: 11:45 - 12:30 BST
What role can creativity play in addressing the climate challenge? Data and policy alone are not enough to drive change at the speed and scale required. Art has the power to translate complexity into emotion, make the invisible visible, and inspire action in ways that traditional approaches often cannot.
In this panel, hosted by communications strategist and broadcaster Esther Stanhope, we’ll explore how leaders from the worlds of storytelling, media and global advocacy are harnessing creativity to shift mindsets, influence behaviour and accelerate climate solutions. Joining the conversation are Emily Renshaw-Smith, Managing Director of Open Planet Studios and Sarah Kadouch-Chevalier, Senior Climate Campaigns Manager at Project Everyone.
Female Founders Forum: From Ideas to Impact
Session time: 12:30 - 13:15 BST
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.
Climate and Health: The Crisis We Can't Separate
Session time: 13:30 - 14:00 BST
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.
Can Live Events Go Net Zero? From Ambition to Action
Session time: 14:00 - 14:45 BST
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; Joyce Leveston, CEO, Javits Convention Center and Lukas 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.
Generation Climate: Young Leaders Driving Action for the SDGs
Session time: 14:45 - 15:15 BST
Young people are not only inheriting the consequences of the climate crisis, they are already shaping the solutions. Across advocacy, education, policy and grassroots mobilisation, a new generation of leaders is driving momentum for climate action and pushing institutions, businesses and governments to move faster and further. This dynamic 30-minute session will spotlight the voices, experiences and ideas of young climate leaders working to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Financing the Future: Partnerships Powering Global Climate Action
Session time: 15:15 - 16:15 BST
Moderated by Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of Corporate Responsibility at RELX, Márcia Balisciano, Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary General of the United Nations and Director Erica Gerretsen will engage in a high-level, discussion to explore the links between climate action, international partnerships, and innovative financing. Spotlighing the EU’s Global Gateway initiative and its work with regions such as Africa, it will also consider how stronger political alignment and blended finance can help mobilize private investment and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
SCHEDULE
Please note all times are in British Summer Time (BST). Speakers 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 – 10:30 |
Opening Plenary Welcome from our host: Dr Tim Gregory, Nuclear Scientist, Speaker and Author of Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the Word Introductory remarks: Dr Márcia Balisciano, Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, RELX Thoughts on the day ahead and Special Address Nick Luff, Chief Financial Officer, RELX Christiana Figueres |
|
10:30 – 11:00 |
Decoding Climate Risk: Data, Law and the Path to Resilience Host: Justin Worland, Senior Correspondent, Time
|
|
11:00-11:15 |
Hopes for Climate Action: Looking Ahead to the Next Five Years |
|
11:15 - 11:45 |
AI and Climate: Risk, Rewards and Responsible Innovation Antonia Gawel, Global Director of Sustainability Advocacy & Partnerships, Google in discussion with Bob Burgoyne, Associate Director & Data Centre Lead, The Carbon Trust |
|
11:45 - 12:30 |
Art and Action – The Role of Creativity in Addressing the Climate Challenge Host: Esther Stanhope Emily Renshaw-Smith, Managing Director and Board Member for Open Planet and Open Planet Studios Sarah Kadouch-Chevalier, Senior Climate Campaigns Manager, Project Everyone |
|
12:30 – 13:15 |
Female Founders Forum Host: Elizabeth Course, Founder of Discom Dr Jessica Jacob, Founder & CEO, SURECO & Partners Diana Mbogo, Founder & Managing Director, Millennium Engineers Enterprises |
|
13:15 – 13:30 |
RELX SDG Customer Awards Presented by Dean Curtis, Chief Executive Officer of Data Services, LexisNexis Risk Solutions |
|
13:30 - 14:00 |
Climate and Health: The Crisis We Can't Separate Host: Justin Webb, Journalist & Broadcaster; Host of the BBC’s Today show Dr Richard Horton, Editor in Chief, The Lancet |
|
14:00 – 14:45 |
Can Live Events Go Net Zero Host: Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer, Global Citizen Joyce Leveston, CEO, Javits Convention Center Hugh Jones, CEO, RX Luke Howell, Sustainability Lead Coldplay and Glastonbury Festival |
|
14:45 – 15:15 |
Generation Climate: Young Leaders Driving Action for the SDGs Host: Anirudh Sistla, Junior Chamber International (JCI), 2026 Chairperson of the Sustainability Commission Megi Marku, Global Focal Point, YOUNGO Timothy Sitanya, Global Focal Point, YOUNGO Clover Hogan, Climate activist and founder of Force of Nature |
|
15:15 – 16:15 |
Financing the Future: Partnerships Powering Global Climate Action In Conversation Host: Márcia Balisciano, Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, RELX 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon Erica Gerretsen, Director of DG INTPA's Directorate F, European Commission Insights from Laura McGee, Co-Founder and CEO, Arterra.AI |
|
16:15 – 16:30 |
Closing Plenary Host: Márcia Balisciano, Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, RELX |
