BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt

How can countries and stakeholders effectively navigate the global energy transition to combat climate change? The global energy transition must be navigated carefully, balancing the need for a swift, efficient, and equitable implementation across regions. This requires fostering international cooperation to scale up clean technologies and ensure a just outcome for all stakeholders. Join our panel discussion as we explore how governments, industries, and global organizations can navigate the risks of protectionism while leveraging competition to spur innovation and investment with the following panelists Tony Agotha, Ambassador and Special Envoy for Climate and Environment, European External Action Service (EEAS) Nigar Arpadarai, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29 María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, Executive Director, GWL Voices; Former President, UN General Assembly; Former Minister of Foreign Affairs & Defence, Republic of Ecuador Amadou Hott, Candidate for the Presidency of the African Development Bank, Former Minister of the Economy, Planning and International Cooperation, Republic of Senegal Erik Solheim, Co-Chair of the Board, The Europe-Asia Center; Former Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) By addressing these crucial issues, we aim to chart a path toward a more inclusive and sustainable global energy landscape, strengthening global security in the process. ➡ The panel is open to all visitors with accreditation to the Blue Zone. Seats are limited, so be sure to register now bit.ly/BMWFoundationCOP29 #EnergyTransition #ClimateChange #Sustainability #GlobalCollaboration #COP29

We look forward to being part of the solution-finding discussions on the global energy transition over the next two weeks as the world gathers in Baku for COP29 Azerbaijan. The BMW Foundation is committed to fostering open-minded dialogue that balances climate action with economic competitiveness to help shape a responsible economy and resilient society. We are hosting two exclusive roundtables: - Reconciling Climate and Trade: Principles and Practicalities in collaboration with Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy - The Future of Industrial Heat: How to Align Decarbonization and Competitiveness. A collaboration with the Energy Resilience Leadership Group and Future Cleantech Architects. If you are accredited, please stop by our open panel on Wednesday at the UNFCCC Pavilion in the blue zone: - Navigating the Geopolitics of Energy Transition: Trade Fragmentation, Global Competition, and Strategic Cooperation Find out more about our program 👉 https://lnkd.in/eGpic2Xj Join us at COP29 as we work towards a more sustainable future - we look forward to connecting with you in Baku! #COP29 #Baku #ClimateAction #EnergyTransition #ResilientFuture #Collaboration

🔊Shoutout to our RESPOND accelerator cohort #5 alumni Benjamin Droguet and Sparxell on winning the Falling Walls Foundation Sustainability Venture Award last week 👏✨👏 If you want to be part of the next cohort of inspiring start-ups - applications are open! 👉 http://bit.ly/RESPOND_

Attention science lovers! 📣 The Falling Walls Foundation Science Summit is back, and we can't wait to see what groundbreaking discoveries emerge. ✨ Running from today through 9 November, this event will spotlight the most innovative start-ups in sustainability, future tech, and health solutions. Our member of the board, Dr. Heba Aguib is serving on the jury that will decide which of the start-up wins "Science Breakthrough of the Year" 🚀 The announcement of the three cluster winners and the 2024 SCIENCE BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR IN THE SCIENCE START-UPS CATEGORY is today, 5.30 – 6.30 pm 🏆 If you want to follow the event you can do so via live-stream: https://lnkd.in/dUBkfRS 📷 Falling Walls

✨ Applications for our RESPOND Accelerator Cohort #6 are now open! 📣 Once again, we are calling trailblazers and game-changers to redefine how we respond to the challenges of our future. RESPOND is a six-month acceleration program focused on solutions for the transition to a net-zero economy and how to lead this path responsibly. At RESPOND, founders receive structured, highly individualized support for building and scaling businesses. • Personalized growth coaching • Global network & connections • Purpose-driven community • Visibility boost • Impact-first, no strings attached 💪 RESPOND is fully committed to scaling your impact!🙌 The program is completely free of charge, and we don’t take any equity. 🚀 The future is now – apply here: https://lnkd.in/e2VP5asM 👉 Learn more about RESPOND: bit.ly/RESPONDNotion #HowWillYouRESPOND #Start-Up #Accelerator #Founders #NetZero #EnergyTransition #Infrastructure #Sustainability #CleanTech #DeepTech #ApplicationsOpen #GameChanger #Trailblazer

✨ The power of collaboration 🤝 In the lead-up to our Responsible Leaders Innovation Forum, we gathered our Responsible Leaders Network Drivers in Berlin. For two days, we deep-dived into our strategy, evaluated last years’ work, exchanged forward-thinking ideas, and mapped new opportunities. 💡Together, we planned how to amplify the impact of our network’s work, unlocking new opportunities for collective action. The conversations emphasized the collective intelligence needed to unlock collaborations in shaping a more inclusive future that benefits as many people as possible. The meeting also included a networking dinner with our member of the Board, Dr. Heba Aguib. 🙏 A huge thank you to our dedicated community for your ongoing contributions and support, as well as to our amazing facilitator, Ilana Wetzler, for guiding such a meaningful exchange. 🌟 Shout-out to all the leaders who were part of this inspiring experience; Carol Awad Bachour, MBA, Charlotte Hochman, Cihan Koral, Ergem Senyuva Tohumcu, Gabriela De la torre, Gezzer Ortega, MD, MPH, Harsh Shrivastava, Justin DeKoszmovszky, Katarzyna (Kasia) Hanula-Bobbitt, LL.M, MBA, Katerina Matiatou, Marie-Louise Köhl Harritsø, Renata Faria, Sally Ncube, Scott Young, Sufyan Sohel, Sylvia Mukasa, and Thandi Dyani as well as to the BMW Foundation Team, Jessica von Farkas, Ilka Hennet, Katrin Muser, Paula Quintas, Sania Rehman, Sarah Haffar, and last but not least Thiago S. da Costa. #ResponsibleLeaders #Network #Future #Collaboration #Inspiration #CollectiveAction

💡 Promoting Innovation and Venture Capital for a Competitive Future During last week’s Responsible Leaders Innovation Forum, we had the opportunity to host the 3rd Institutional Roundtable, bringing together leaders from business, policy, and philanthropy. The discussions focused on the urgent need for innovation, venture capital, and start-up growth in Europe to remain globally competitive. Key takeaways: ➡ Urgency in innovation: The need for immediate action in venture capital and start-up financing was emphasized, drawing attention to Europe’s innovation gap, particularly in scaling ventures, as highlighted by the Draghi Report. ➡ Venture capital potential: Venture capital was presented as a high-return asset class in Europe, with financial vehicles introduced to make it easier for foundations to invest in VC. ➡ Foundations & start-ups: The importance of supporting entrepreneurs and innovators was underscored, alongside calls for legal reforms to allow foundations to play a more catalytic role in the innovation space. ➡ Global perspective: Europe needs urgent action to avoid falling behind in innovation, with successful models from other regions showing how combining investment capital and philanthropy can drive scalable solutions. ⚡ The German government’s WIN Initiative was highlighted as a key tool to enhance growth financing and strengthen competitiveness, with the roundtable recognized as part of this broader effort. The discussion concluded with a call for legal clarity and reforms to unlock more opportunities for innovation in Europe. A huge thank you to our inspiring speakers, Anna Christmann, Sabine Hepperle, Elke Kallenbach, Helmut Schoenenberger, Jörg Goschin, Klaus Grünfelder, Frank Pawlitschek, Ann Mettler and Dr. Heba Aguib and all our contributors and partners including UnternehmerTUM, Breakthrough Energy , KfW, Hasso Plattner Foundation,Bundesministerium der Finanzen, Bundesministerium der Justiz and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action for their contributions to this vital conversation. 🤝Together, we are building the foundations for a future where innovation and collaboration drive a more competitive and sustainable Europe. #Innovation #VentureCapital #Startups #BMWFoundation #FutureEconomy #Collaboration #Leadership

⚡Driving Clean Energy Innovation Together Great to host the high-level roundtable on “Empowering Energy Resilience: How to Leverage Institutional Capital for Scaling Cleantech" during our Responsible Leaders Innovation Forum in Berlin. This pivotal discussion, held with our partner, the Energy Resilience Leadership Group (ERLG), brought together leaders from finance, industry, and policy to explore pathways of unlocking both public and private capital for scaling cleantech solutions. Key takeaways from the discussion: 🗝Strengthen public-private-philanthropic collaboration. A coalition of stakeholders—including institutional investors, public institutions, and expert teams for evaluating and underwriting first-of-a-kind (FOAK) projects—is essential for success. 🗝Public support is crucial.  Until markets will close the gap, public support through catalytic finance and guarantees is crucial for Europe to not fall behind. The Win-Initiative by KFW and BMWK is already a good step into the right direction. 🗝Drive new financing instruments. Access to affordable, long-term capital will be critical for scaling clean technologies across Europe, with debt financing playing a prominent role. 🗝Pick up the pace. While new coalitions and responsible leadership are essential, we must act quickly to meet the challenges of financing cleantech innovation and industrial competitiveness. This was an important step in bringing decision-makers and experts closer together so that we can advance our common goal even more effectively: driving meaningful change by collaborating on financing and implementing Clean-Tech solutions to build a sustainable and future-proof society. Thank you to our input-givers and partners: Dr. Heba Aguib, Member of the Board, BMW Foundation, Max Wirsching, Head of Investors Relations, KfW Capital, Elisabeth Löwenbourg-Brzezinski, Senior Investment Officer, and Natalia Donde, Principal Investment officer (IFC - International Finance Corporation) Fridtjof Detzner, Founder Planet A Ventures, Tobias Lechtenfeld, Executive Director, Tech for Net Zero, Philipp Offenberg and Ann Mettler, Breakthrough Energy, as well as the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and KfW. 📸 Marc Beckmann #Cleantech #EnergyTransition #ResponsibleLeadership #BMWFoundation

“If we’re going against the narrative of cohesion and keep moving towards fragmentation, this continent is doomed to stagnate for a century.” --- Yanis Varoufakis at #RLIF24 Through our Responsible Leaders Innovation Forum in Berlin, we wanted to make a strong counterpoint – and our speakers and participants were living up to it! It felt so good to gather a group of visionary leaders, industry experts, and trailblazing innovators from across sectors and borders. Our aim: forging a future-proof society through innovation and collaboration. Here are some key take-aways: 👉Speed Hesitation is no longer an option. The transformation to a climate-neutral era requires bold action. To quote Amani Abou-Zeid أماني أبوزيد, Commissioner at the African Union Commission: “A crisis is the best time to take tough decisions and change societies for the better.” 👉Balance We need to discuss how to strike a balance between global competitiveness, decarbonization, and becoming climate neutral. Kirsten Dunlop, CEO at Climate-KIC, has a clear recommendation: “We have to completely decouple from resource use. Europe’s number one competitive opportunity is to dematerialize the entire economy and specialize in resource efficiency.” 👉Transition It will be essential to accelerate the energy transition while strengthening democratic values. Oliver Schmolke, Vice Chief of Staff at the Office of the Federal President of Germany: “We are starting to leave the era of fossil industrialization and to shift into the era of renewables. Politically, it’s an extremely complicated thing to do, but we have to do it.” Carbon neutrality cannot be a luxury. Alessandra Pasini, co-founder & president of Zhero, recognized that for many citizens the price of the transformation may simply be too high. “The energy transition needs to be affordable.” All of this spurs us even more to collaborate on the specific tasks and challenges of our time. Because only together can we solve these challenges effectively. #ThePowerOfCollaboration 📸Marc Beckmann

Today is THE day! 🙌 Finally, our Responsible Leaders Innovation Forum kicks off, bringing together thinkers and changemakers to share innovations and strategies to future-proof our society. For the next two days, we’ll hear from thought leaders, explore innovations, and connect with individuals committed to driving positive change in their communities.    2024 is a make-or-break year for addressing issues like political polarization, the climate crisis, and the rise of anti-establishment movements. The time for real-world action is now. Our forum provides a much-needed platform for collaboration and solutions to strengthen our democratic and economic resilience. We can’t wait to share insights and discussions from the forum with you, so stay tuned for updates across our socials. 🤳 You can still sign up today & join us virtually! 👉 bit.ly/FORUM24LIVE #RLIF24 #BMWFoundation #PowerOfCollaboration #FutureBackwards #ResponsibleLeadership Video by: Robin Lochmann