Strengthen resilience for what comes next

Mark Rigotti, CEO and Managing Director of the AICD, will open the Climate Governance Forum with remarks to welcome attendees and set the scene for the day’s discussions.  

Speaker:

Mark Rigotti CEO & Managing Director, AICD  

Jane McAloon is the Chair of BlueScope, one of Australia’s largest and longest-standing industrial enterprises, with a deep history of resilience, investment, and innovation.  Australian industry is facing tectonic shifts in the form of the climate and energy transition, geopolitical fracturing, and state-sponsored industrial competition.  This session will examine the role of directors in navigating these fractures and the practical actions needed to ensure resilient and sustainable enterprises.  Jane will also discuss working in partnership with government and the critical role of effective industrial policy in helping build sovereign manufacturing capability.

Speaker:

Jane McAloon AM FAICD, Chair, BlueScope 
 
Moderator: 
 
Dan Ziffer

This session brings together three expert speakers to deliver concise, high-impact perspectives on key issues shaping climate and energy. Each speaker will present a focused 10 to 12-minute briefing, offering practical insights and real-world implications for boards and senior leaders

Global signals: Markets, policy and the road to 2030
A macro view of the global policy and market environment, including how Australia’s climate targets and industrial settings sit within broader international trends.

Australia’s energy transition: Progress and pain points
An exploration of how the net zero transition is reshaping Australia’s energy system. Can affordability, reliability and electrification be delivered simultaneously, and what could derail progress from here? The session examines the strategic and governance challenges emerging as the transition gathers pace.

New climate governance tools for boards
A practical look at the new technologies helping organisations manage emissions, nature impacts, scope 3 data and reporting obligations. As governance and disclosure scrutiny rises, the briefing examines where these tools are improving decision-making – and where important limitations and risks remain.

Speakers: 

Associate Professor Timothy Nelson GAICD Director, Nelson Advisory Former Chair, National Electricity Market Review 

Amandine Denis-Ryan  CEO, Australia, institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis 

Dr Mahesh Prakash Senior Principal Research Scientist & Lead Environment, Agriculture and Natural Hazards CSIRO Technology 

Climate reporting is mandatory. Value is expected.

With the introduction of AASB S2 requirements, many Australian organisations are investing significantly in building climate reporting capabilities. However, the question remains whether leveraging climate insights will usefully inform strategic decisions and create long-term value.

This interactive workshop challenges Board members and Executives to find ways to gain greater value from climate reporting. Participants will be tasked with completing a short case study using a realistic boardroom scenario to assess, challenge and prioritise strategic actions from climate-related financial information. Participants will be given the tools to ask questions of management on how climate reporting outputs are developed, increasing the likelihood of generating credible evidence to support strategic decision-making and inform capital allocation decisions in an increasingly uncertain environment.

Participants will explore:

• The board's role in overseeing decision making and translating climate insights into long-term value creation
• How oversight of scenario analysis and financial quantification can influence the value for shaping strategy and capital allocation decisions
• What makes climate information “decision-useful”
• The value of treating climate reporting as more than a compliance exercise

Facilitated by:

Rebekah Cheney, Climate Governance Lead, Deloitte Australia

Paul Dobson, Audit & Assurance Sustainability & Climate Lead, Deloitte Asia Pacific

As organisations adopt AI and data-intensive technologies at speed, attention is turning to the infrastructure needed to support them. This discussion examines how boards balance the opportunities created by digital transformation with rising electricity demand, affordability pressures and decarbonisation goals – and what these trade-offs mean for long-term planning and climate governance. 

Speakers:

Lucia Cade FAICD Chair, Infrastructure Victoria  

Alison Dodd, Partner, HSF Kramer

Kee Wong FAICDLife Director, AEMO, CAR Group, ABGF, Deloitte Australia 

Sabooh Whitelaw GAICD Associate Vice President, Energy and Utilities, AirTrunk

Moderator:

Simon Mitchell, Acting Head of Policy, Australian Institute of Company Directors

Drawing on the first cycle of mandatory climate reporting, this session examines what surprised organisations, where the biggest challenges emerged, and what boards still preparing to report need to know as market practice evolves. 

Speakers:
Dr Eileen Doyle FAICD Director Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure, NEXTDC, SWOOP Analytics 

Emma Newnham, Partner, Mallesons

Claire LaBouchardiere Senior Executive Leader, Sustainability, Financial Reporting and Audit, ASIC 

Moderator

Geoff Summerhayes GAICD Chair, Zurich Australia  

Attendees will have the opportunity to take part in a 60-minute experience of Climate Governance for Australian Directors online short course, designed to be both practical and engaging. This is a fully interactive session that will offer clear, actionable insights on overseeing climate-related risks and opportunities for your board. This session will be led by Dr Tracey Dodd.

Facilitator:

Dr Tracey Dodd GAICD, Academic and Non-Executive Director, Adelaide University

As climate change impacts become more visible and disruptive, organisations are increasingly contending with physical risk while continuing to pursue emissions reductions. This discussion examines how boards are balancing adaptation, resilience and decarbonisation, including oversight of assets, operations and long-term investment decisions.

Speakers: 

Brian Bero GAICD, Principal Lawyer, Jaramer Legal

Ann Sherry AO FAICD  Chair, Queensland Airports Limited Co-Chair, Climate Leaders Coalition  

John Woods MAICD, Chair, Grains Australia

Moderator:

Dan Ziffer

As global approaches to climate and sustainability diverge, with some jurisdictions strengthening sustainability requirements while others scale them back, boards are navigating increasingly mixed signals about risk, disclosure and long-term expectations. At the same time, governance expectations are extending beyond climate to include nature, biodiversity, social impacts and supply chain exposure.

This discussion explores how Australian organisations are responding in practice, including how internationally exposed organisations are adapting to this changing landscape and keeping climate and sustainability issues on the agenda amid competing pressures.

Speaker: 

David Moffatt FAICD Chair, Ventia Services Group Limited 

Diane Smith-Gander AO FAICD, Chancellor, University of Western Australia 

Louise Davidson GAICD, CEO, ACSI

Moderator:

Naomi Edwards FAICD, Chair, AICD