The Collider to host discussion on turning climate risks into business opportunity

From The Collider:

THE COLLIDER LEADS GLOBAL DISCUSSION ON TURNING CLIMATE RISKS INTO BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

CEO James McMahon is a featured panelist at event discussing private sector perspectives on climate resilience

While the American public continues to focus on last week’s election, leaders from around the world are gathered in Marrakesh, Morocco, to discuss the way forward on climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change known as COP 22 started Nov. 7 and continues through Nov. 18.

Among the experts in climate change present during this historic event is James McMahon, CEO of The Collider, an Asheville-based innovation center focused on climate solutions. According to McMahon, the results of the recent U.S. election highlight the need for private sector innovation to address climate challenges.

“There’s never been more opportunity to create products and services that are good for both profits and the planet. The innovators at The Collider are doing just that, and it’s our job to accelerate their success.”

In Marrakesh, McMahon joins a distinguished panel of thought leaders from the private sector and international financial institutes for “Private Sector Perspectives on Climate Resilience,” a discussion of how the businesses can enhance resilience to climate while also creating value.

Hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank in partnership with Four Twenty Seven and the Global Adaptation and Resilience Investment (GARI) Working Group, the event takes place on Monday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET). Other panelists include:

•    Amal-Lee Amin, chief of the climate change and sustainability division at the Inter-American Development Bank

•    Jay L. Koh, founder and chair of the Global Adaptation & Resilience Investment Working Group (GARI), a private sector, private investor-led initiative that was launched at Paris COP 21 in conjunction with the UN Secretary General’s Climate Resilience Initiative

•    Emilie Mazzacurati, founder and CEO of Four Twenty Seven, a market research and advisory firm that brings climate risk analytics to private sector decision-makers to enable the incorporation of climate science into economic and financial decisions

•    Mari Yoshitaka, chief consultant, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd.

McMahon is one of three Asheville climate change experts in Marrakesh during the conference. Andrew Jones and Ellie Johnston with Climate Interactive, an organization with space at The Collider, are participants in “Meeting the Paris Goals Through Decision-Maker Tools and Climate Education,“ also taking place on Nov. 14. (See more here.)

London-based Acclimatise, a climate change consultancy that has its North America office at The Collider, is also hosting and speaking at sessions on climate resilience and climate finance.

The Collider is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, non-advocacy innovation center focused on climate. Located in the heart of downtown “Climate City,” Asheville, N.C., The Collider exists to accelerate climate solutions through innovation, collaboration, and education, offering cowork, business, and event space. Learn more at TheCollider.org or contact us at 828-CLIMATE or info@thecollider.org. The Collider is on Facebook: @TheCollider.Asheville and Twitter: @TheCollider.AVL.

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About Dan Hesse
I grew up outside of Atlanta and moved to WNC in 2001 to attend Montreat College. After college, I worked at NewsRadio 570 WWNC as an anchor/reporter and covered Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners starting in 2004. During that time I also completed WCU's Master of Public Administration program. You can reach me at dhesse@mountainx.com.

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