René Matthies

Session Overview

Thursday, 6 November

14:00

Emerging Economies ICC Hall A 14:00 - 14:40

Strengthening resilience in emerging economies: ensuring infrastructure resilience and economic continuity

Emerging economies are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions that strain infrastructure systems, destabilise supply chains, and undermine long-term growth. As global risks intensify, resilience is becoming a central pillar of sustainable development, requiring forward-looking investments to protect both physical assets and economic continuity. Many emerging markets face weak infrastructure and limited redundancy that heighten exposure to shocks - whether environmental, economic, or logistical. The infrastructure investment gap in these economies now exceeds $450 billion annually, creating urgent pressure to build systems that are both climate-aware and disruption-ready. Compounding this challenge, over 90% of global supply chain leaders report experiencing disruptions in the past year, with nearly 60% citing infrastructure failures or weather-related impacts as contributing factors. Tackling these vulnerabilities requires rethinking infrastructure design, strengthening logistics networks, and embedding flexibility into energy, transport, and industrial systems. Emerging economies must prioritise resilience through smarter infrastructure investment, economic diversification, and coordinated planning across public and private sectors.

Attendee insights:

Gain insight into how emerging economies are building resilience through infrastructure investment, supply chain protection, and strategic planning to withstand escalating disruptions and sustain economic momentum.

Tuesday, 5 November

09:40

Decarbonisation Conference Conference Room B 09:40 - 10:10

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Nuclear energy as a lower-carbon energy source

The ability of nuclear energy to provide low-carbon electricity, hydrogen, and high-grade heat makes it a versatile source that can contribute significantly to decarbonising heavy-emitting sectors and helping achieve global climate goals. With more than 20 nations signing the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy, this joint commitment underscores the global recognition of nuclear energy's part in global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, risks such as safety, environmental and geopolitical issues must be addressed to secure its place as a reliable source of energy given its steady baseload power, 24/7 availability, and long operating lifetime.

Attendee insights:

Understand the potential for nuclear energy and its role as a lower-carbon energy source in the new energy systems.