Green Program, regenerative agriculture, carbon-neutral buildings, nature-based climate solutions – new collaboration opportunities at the latest meeting of the Net Zero Advisory Board
Several new collaboration opportunities were identified at the latest meeting of the Net Zero Advisory Board on September 20th, aiming to harness synergies for the swift achievement of a climate-neutral economy. The event was moderated by Irén Márta, Director of BCSDH, who played a significant role in the establishment of the Advisory Board.
In his opening speech, Paul Fox, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Hungary, emphasized the importance of collaboration, as a lot of effort needs to be done to achieve climate goals. As part of the Green Deal, the EU Net Zero Industrial Partnership initiative can contribute to accelerating this, and he requested the support of the participants for this endeavor.
On the platform that brings together various stakeholders, Dr. Csaba Kandrács, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Hungary and the host of the event representing the regulatory side, highlighted that since the launch of the Green Program in 2019, their primary goal has been to promote environmental sustainability. As a novelty this year, they have extended their efforts beyond the financial system to address the entire corporate sector.
He emphasized the need for professional collaborations, such as the Nature-Based Climate Solutions working group initiated by the Central Bank of Hungary, which has prepared a specific outcome: the publication titled ‘Nature-based solutions and voluntary carbon markets – Corporate Buyer’s Guide’. This professional material, presented to the Advisory Board, was created with the professional support of BCSDH and WWF Hungary, and with the involvement of member companies. Additionally, BCSDH has prepared a CEO Guide for this occasion, which signifies that this collaboration and work will continue.
István Salgó, Honorary President of BCSDH, emphasized the importance of action, which is also the primary goal of the Business Council. It is crucial that alongside climate efforts, due attention is given to the conservation and restoration of biodiversity because these two business risks are closely interconnected.
In connection with this, Anikó Juhász, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, reported on the Hungarian situation and possibilities of regenerative agriculture. She emphasized the importance of education and the presentation of best practices, as well as the creation of an environment where farmers can learn from each other in order to implement soil renewal solutions. Collaboration is also necessary here to take a step forward.
Gábor Szarvas, the new President of the Hungary Green Building Council (HuGBC), participated in the event for the first time and introduced their Advancing Net Zero initiative, which can significantly promote the transition to climate-neutral operations in the built environment. As part of this, they have also prepared a Zero Carbon Recommendation this year.
The series of presentations was concluded by Andrea Nagy, the project manager of BCSDH, who outlined BCSDH’s annual activities in the field of biodiversity and provided a preliminary presentation of the professional recommendations proposed for the business sector.
At the event, Kárpáti András, the new President of the Future Mobility Alliance, introduced himself.
Participants agreed that the current collaboration can be further strengthened, with numerous related areas and synergies to explore. The next board meeting will focus on logistics as one of its key topics.
Participants of the Board Meeting:
- Zsombor Barta – Parlamentary Senior Counselor – Referee for International Relations, National Council for Sustainable Development
- Paul Fox – Ambassador of the UK to Hungary, British Embassy
- Anikó Juhász – Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture
- Dr. Csaba Kandrács – Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Hungary
- András Kárpáti – President, Future Mobility Association
- Kriszti Kocsis – Senior Policy Officer /Attache, Climate & Energy, Emerging Technologies, British Embassy
- Marcell Kovács – Managing Director (Masped) representing MLBKT – Hungarian Association of Logistics, Purchasing and Inventory Management
- Irén Márta – Managing Director, Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH)
- Andrea Nagy – Project Leader, Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH)
- István Salgó – Honorary President, Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH)
- Gábor Szarvas – President, Hungary Green Building Council (HuGBC)
Please click here to see the photos.
The Net Zero Advisory Board, a comprehensive body representing multiple stakeholders across sectors, consists of representatives from the Hungarian industry and business leaders, government and associations. The Advisory Board was established in January 2021 as an initiative of the British Embassy and BCSDH.
