Climate Festival 2026 - Decoupling Rhetoric from Reality: An Analysis of Greenwashing in the Transition to Net Zero
When:
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Venue:
Online
The event provides an opportunity to discuss the widening gap between corporate sustainability claims and substantive environmental action.
• 12:00–12:30: Research presentation delivered by Professor Emmanuel Mamatzakis followed by Q&A
• 12:45–13:30: Panel discussion with practitioners
Emmanuel Mamatzakis's presentation provides evidence that earnings management practices are associated with greenhouse gas emissions. The experts' panel discussion will follow up with reference to whether firms utilise "greenwashing" to maintain capital access and market competitiveness while avoiding the structural shifts necessary for a zero-carbon economy. By analysing systemic failures like misleading ESG ratings and the misuse of carbon offsetting, the discussion will focus on the slow pace of decarbonisation.
By attending this event, you will:
- Learn how to distinguish between genuine corporate decarbonisation and symbolic environmentalism, including how to spot red flags such as selective data disclosure and over-reliance on carbon offsets.
- Understand how current financial structures — including flawed ESG ratings and the misuse of Green Bonds — can unintentionally fund inertia rather than innovation.
- Gain a clear perspective on the systemic barriers, such as fossil fuel dependency, that are slowing the global transition to a zero-carbon economy.
- Be better equipped to anticipate tighter transparency requirements and the potential legal and reputational risks facing organisations whose sustainability rhetoric does not align with reality.
Contact name: External Relations Events
Speakers- Dr Ellen Yu
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Professor Emmanuel Mamatzakis
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Emmanuel is a Professor of Finance at the Birkbeck Business School, Birkbeck College, University of London. He holds a DPhil in Economics from the University of London, Queen Mary College, an MSc in Economics from the University of Warwick, and a BSc in Economics from the Department of Economics of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His research is primarily driven by its impact on the real economy.
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