Decarbonisation

Nowadays, it's almost impossible to open a newspaper without encountering an article on 'sustainability'. Whether it's in the context of the financial services industry, the broader economy, or society as a whole, sustainability has become a critical issue. In recent years, it has gained significant traction and is now recognised as a necessity rather than just a trend.

Over the past decade, the focus on environmental issues has grown exponentially, resulting in various global commitments and initiatives aimed at transforming current institutional, economic, and financial models.

This training is centered on decarbonisation, a critical response to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and align business practices with sustainability goals. Participants will gain insights into the drivers behind decarbonisation, global commitments like the Paris Agreement, and how businesses across sectors can play a pivotal role in reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This course is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to transform their operations in a low-carbon direction.

By the end of this training, participants will:

• understand the importance of decarbonisation in addressing climate change and fulfilling global climate commitments;
• learn about various strategies and pathways that can be used to achieve decarbonisation across different sectors;
• develop an understanding of regulatory and policy frameworks related to decarbonisation;
• explore practical steps that organisations can take to decarbonise their operations and supply chains;
• gain insights into measuring and reporting progress towards decarbonisation targets.

• Introduction to decarbonisation
  • Overview of global climate commitments (e.g. Paris Agreement).
  • Importance of decarbonisation in achieving sustainability targets.
• Drivers and benefits of decarbonisation
  • Economic, regulatory, and reputational factors driving decarbonisation.
  • Benefits of reducing carbon emissions, including cost savings and risk mitigation.
• Key strategies for decarbonisation
  • Sector-specific decarbonisation pathways.
  • Integration of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and innovation.
  • Carbon pricing and offsetting strategies.
• Practical steps to decarbonisation
  • Step-by-step guidance for identifying and reducing GHG emissions.
  • Case studies of successful decarbonisation efforts in different industries.
  • Tools for assessing carbon footprints and establishing reduction targets.
• Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV)
  • Best practices in tracking progress towards decarbonisation goals.
  • Reporting in line with international standards (e.g. GHG Protocol, CDP).

This training is coordinated by Michael Horvath and Julien Jacqué, Partners at PwC Luxembourg.

• Michael Horvath is a partner at PwC with extensive expertise in sustainable finance and the asset management industry, including both financial and real assets. Since joining PwC Switzerland in 2011 and PwC Luxembourg in 2018, he has led significant projects in regulatory audit and advisory, focusing on the asset management sector. Michael has played a key role in implementing the EU regulatory framework for sustainable finance, including SFDR, taxonomy regulation, and CSRD, as well as other regulatory initiatives such as DORA, AML/CFT, CSSF circular 18/698, and MICA. He is a certified public accountant in Switzerland and Liechtenstein and has contributed to designing compliance frameworks and operational implementations driven by regulatory changes. His notable client projects include defining target operating models for Luxembourg AIFMs, digital operational resilience planning, AML/CFT framework implementation, and ESG/sustainability process design, supported by his involvement in training and regulatory advisory.
• Julien Jacqué is a partner in PwC Luxembourg’s technology consulting department, co-leading the ESG Non-financial sector service offering and ESG Data & Technology services across sectors. With over 12 years of experience, he supports operational and financial clients in launching Sustainability and ESG transformation programs, guiding them from ESG strategy definition to business model transformation and regulatory reporting. Specialising in transport, logistics, manufacturing, and financial services, Julien leads large-scale transformation projects and international teams, including ESG reporting upgrades for telecom clients. His expertise includes ESG strategy, Net Zero, business intelligence platforms, and end-to-end project leadership for major clients in Europe and beyond.