I am writing this from Glasgow, surrounded by climate activists from around the world who have gathered for COP26. I’m excited for what I will learn while here to bring back to Dassault Systèmes, and to discover the dialogue and decisions around policies and strategies to combat climate change.

We are in year two of the Decade to Action, a call to mobilize more governments, civil society, businesses and people to work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals through 2030. The world is counting on business to lead the way, and we have a collective responsibility to work together to create a net zero future.

I’m proud to say that over the past several years Dassault Systèmes has significantly ramped up our dedication to use science to serve sustainability. Our corporate mission is to provide people and businesses with 3DEXPERIENCE universes to create a more sustainable world. One way we are fulfilling that is by taking significant steps to further embed social and environmental sustainability into our technologies, including our Sustainability Compass. Earlier this year we teamed with Accenture to perform extensive research about the potential impact of virtual twin technology on combatting climate change; five virtual use cases in this study show the potential to unlock more than 7.5Gt of CO2e emissions reductions through 2030 and US$1.3 trillion of economic value. We’ve joined organizations dedicated to the fight, including the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) and the Ellen McArthur Foundation. And we’ve set Science-Based Targets that align with current climate science; you can discover those here.

COP26 represents a crucial opportunity to secure the future of humankind and prevent environmental catastrophes.

There are several co-located events that we will be taking part in over the next week.

First, we are proud to sponsor Bloomberg Green at COP26, where corporate leaders, government officials and industry specialists are coming together to share and create solutions to support the goals set forth at COP26. I’ll be speaking here on November 9; Lauren Kiel, general manager at Bloomberg Green and I will converse about designing disruption. Specifically, we will look at the role technology plays in helping designers feel emboldened to think big. How? Because they have tools to quickly simulate endless “what if” scenarios to test out and iterate their ideas, while minimizing environmental impact. I’ll be sharing some specific examples of companies we’ve worked with across industries ranging from automotive to energy. You can see the full agenda here.

We are also a sponsor of The New York Times Climate Hub, which brings together influential leaders and thinkers to debate, discuss and discover actionable climate strategies. I’ll be participating in a roundtable on November 10, Hop on the S.D.G. Train: Transport and Sustainable Development Goals. Moderated by NYT’s Stanley Reed, we will explore how making transportation and logistics systems more sustainable and accessible can help the world achieve carbon reduction goals.

This idea is perfectly aligned with our belief that technology is a key enabler for sustainability. 3DS is helping both traditional companies and startups quickly imagine, design and optimize radically new products, systems and mobility services. We were honored to help form Software République earlier this year, with five other leading companies in Europe including Groupe Renault and STMicroelectronics. Together we are forging a new open ecosystem for intelligent and sustainable mobility. We are currently holding our first open innovation challenge; start-ups, entrepreneurs, SMEs, research institutes, academics or anyone wishing to play a role in defining a new era of sustainable and intelligent mobility in Europe has applied to work on one of five key areas. Those selected are being offered data and expert support, and we’re looking forward to hearing them present their ideas in December. We’re certain this will help fuel a new era of sustainable transport across the continent…and beyond.

As a world leader in 3D digital technologies, we are committed to playing a key role in addressing opportunities to help the world work towards reaching net zero. We believe our technology can enable the development of the emerging carbon removal industry and virtual twins can help our customers not only gain a greater understanding about their impact on the environment but also to invent innovative products in the most sustainable way possible.

We hope that you can hear my talks during COP26, and I always welcome you to share your thoughts and opinions with me about how we can work together to address the looming climate crisis.