Paul McConnell

S&P Global

Executive Director, Climate and Sustainability

Paul McConnell is an Executive Director with the Energy and Climate Scenarios team at S&P Global. Paul's work covers energy and carbon markets, long-term decarbonisation trends/net zero, climate policy and emissions, and strategic responses to climate change and the energy transition. Paul is highly experienced in development of energy and climate scenarios, as well as their application in assessing climate-related risk and opportunity for organisations across the oil & gas, power, industry and financial sectors. He is a recognized thought leader around emergent and disruptive risks, including climate change. Prior to S&P Global, Paul ran the climate transition risk centre of excellence for one of the world’s leading sustainability consultancies. In this role, Paul developed a scenario-based climate risk analysis methodology applicable across industrial sectors and asset portfolios. Earlier in his career, Paul spent over a decade as an energy analyst, latterly as a Research Director leading a product covering global, long-term energy trends, and developing global cross-commodity low carbon scenarios. During this time Paul was also the face of low carbon transition discussions with executive clients. Paul holds an MSc in Global Environmental Change and International Policy from Imperial College, London.

Sessions With Paul McConnell

Tuesday, 8 March

  • 09:30am - 10:10am (CST) / 08/mar/2022 03:30 pm - 08/mar/2022 04:10 pm

    Cities Leading the Way: Climate challenges facing mayors & local governments
    Panel Transportation & Mobility/Electrification (EVs/built environment)

    Today’s cities are forging substantial initiatives to achieve significant progress toward reaching our climate goals. How are policies at the small government level actually crafting the blueprints for state, federal, and national governments to follow for achieving a lasting sustainable habitat for all?

  • 11:40am - 12:30pm (CST) / 08/mar/2022 05:40 pm - 08/mar/2022 06:30 pm

    Future of Carbon Markets After COP26
    Panel Finance & Investment/Trading & Risk Management/ESG

    Carbon dioxide emissions are priced under a sprawling ecosystem of compliance markets, voluntary offset schemes, and taxation regimes. In late 2021, allowance prices hit record highs under the EU Emission Trading System, just as Article 6 of the Paris Agreement was finalized, potentially paving the way for a truly global carbon market. With over 90% of global GHG emissions now covered by some form of net-zero target, effectively pricing carbon is a policy priority. With investors pushing companies to measure, disclose, and act upon climate-related risk, carbon pricing is becoming an essential consideration for corporate strategy. How will markets evolve over the coming years? What principles of market design will insulate carbon pricing from the ebb and flow of political will? And how to balance carbon prices that are high enough to deliver ambitious goals, with the pressure to secure reliable and affordable energy for the long term?

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