With more than 250 events across five days, Climate Week Zurich marked one of the largest climate-related gatherings that the Swiss climate ecosystem has witnessed to date. In recent years, both Zurich and Switzerland more broadly have become central to carbon markets. As such, the country has established itself as one of the global hubs for durable carbon removal supply, demand, and, crucially, policy.
As part of this thriving ecosystem, ClimeFi was honoured to host a number of events throughout the week, as well as speak at various other sessions and workshops. Here are some of the highlights.
Regulation looks set to shake things up
To kickstart the week, ClimeFi hosted ‘The Corporate Buyer’s Guide to Article 6.2 and Durable CDR’, in collaboration with UBS.
Taking place at the Google offices, the session explored what steps Swiss companies will need to take if they want their carbon credit purchase to officially count towards their net zero targets by 2050.
Credits sourced internationally will need corresponding adjustments under Article 6.2, and beyond that, projects will need to be registered under the Swiss registry. Companies can no longer rely on credits that don’t meet strict criteria and expect that they will hold up against scrutiny.
Bringing together the CDR community on the tram
Next up, ClimeFi moved things out of the office and onto the streets for one of the more lively events of the week: ‘ClimeFi & Partners Apero: CDR on Track’.
On Tuesday evening, ClimeFi brought together a number of its key partners - many of whom rarely find themselves in the same room as one another - for a relaxing tram ride through Zurich.
Thank you to all of our partners who attended, and we look forward to continuing our work together going forward.
Closing the week with 360° views over Zurich
Towards the end of the week, ClimeFi, NextGen, and 1PointFive teamed up to host a fireside between Keeton Ross (1PointFive) and Professor Bjarne Steffen (ETH Zurich), examining the challenges of scaling Direct Air Capture (DAC) and the potential that it holds in carbon markets.
The overriding theme of the discussion was the contrast between the traditional approach to scaling carbon removal, namely to start with pilots and then to gradually build capacity, and a different logic: going bigger from the outset to directly access economies of scale and bring down total costs.
The evening closed with drinks at the Jules Verne Panorama Bar, ending the week with one of the best views of the city.
Key takeaways for corporate buyers
Climate Week Zurich reinforced that carbon markets are entering a new phase. Regulation is becoming more concrete across eligibility, supply, and timeframes. Companies have a much clearer picture of which credits will stand the test of time, what eligible supply is available, and how aligned their portfolio is. ClimeFi is built to help companies navigate this complicated landscape.
If you met with any of the team at Climate Week Zurich and would like to chat more, please reach out. We look forward to welcoming you back next year!
