Environmentalist, entrepreneur and actor Edward Norton and Former President of Ireland, Chair of The Elders and Former UN Special Envoy on Climate Change Mary Robinson have been announced as headline speakers at the 8th annual AIB Sustainability Conference, which takes place on Monday 25th November from 9am to 1pm.
The reality of climate change and its impact on society and the economy has become undeniable, and is everybody’s business. The ambition for this year’s conference is to highlight the opportunity the required transition presents, and the central role AIB continues to play in supporting our customers on this journey.
Businesses and customers remain central to the event, with additional Irish businesses and international speakers set to be announced in the coming weeks.
AIB Chief Executive Colin Hunt said “We’re delighted to announce the 8th annual AIB Sustainability Conference. As we collectively grapple with the challenges of climate change we should not lose sight of the opportunity to protect our fragile planet for generations to come. By being united in our resolve to combat climate change we can empower people to build a sustainable future. Through their actions Edward Norton and Mary Robinson have led the way on sustainability, and they, along with our other speakers will provide thought-provoking insights and solutions to the thousands of people who participate on the day, further inspiring us and our 3.3 million customers in the transition to net zero.”
The event is free, and conference registration for those who wish to attend virtually is now open at www.AIBsustainabilityconference.ie/register
AIB’s strategic priority of greening our business can be seen in the actions below:
- AIB’s €30bn Climate Action Fund is actively supporting our customers with €13.7bn of green and transition finance deployed since the fund launched in 2019 including €2.1bn in the first half of 2024.
- AIB this year established a Climate Capital segment to deploy significant additional funding towards renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure projects, both nationally and internationally.
- Earlier this year AIB raised €650 million in its sixth green bond issuance. With €6.4 billion raised from issuing green and social bonds to date, this allows the bank to contribute to the financing of projects with clear environmental, climate action and social benefits.
- AIB purchases renewable power from solar farms in Gorey and Macallian, Wexford, which generate approximately 21.4 GWh of clean renewable electricity annually, creating additional capacity for the national grid and helping AIB to meet its commitment to ensure 100% of its power requirements will come from certified renewable sources by 2030. Both farms are part of AIB’s virtual Corporate Power Purchase Agreement with NTR to source energy generated following NTR’s construction of the solar farms.