Let’s Give Them Something to COP About

The UN's Climate Conference (COP) is the world's largest platform for climate action, offering global collaboration on climate regulations that impact business. Participation presents a unique opportunity for companies to forge partnerships, enhance trust and refine their climate action strategies. 

This year’s conference (COP30) will take place from November 10–21 in Belém, Brazil. To help you begin planning, FGS Global’s Climate Team highlights the emerging themes for this year:

• Ambition – Country climate plans are submitted every five years to the UN. The next round is due in 2025 and will determine if the world can limit global temperature rise below 2º Celsius.

• Climate Finance – While COP29 saw progress on financing the clean energy transition, there is still a significant gap in attracting the trillions of dollars in private capital needed. The debate is expected to continue this year.

• Public-Private Partnerships – Increasingly, the margins of the conference create distinct paths for ambitious coalitions of companies, via public-private partnerships, and countries to stand out.

• Health – The impact of pollution on air quality is well documented, but the growing frequency, intensity and cost of climate-driven natural disasters is affecting economies worldwide.

• Biodiversity – Major conferences on biodiversity, oceans and climate change will influence COP30. The world will look to new actors, including those on the frontlines in Central and South America, to lead on conservation and sustainable development.

• Carbon Markets – COP29 delivered a breakthrough on preventing deforestation and incentivizing conservation. COP30 will seek to build on this momentum and create financing opportunities for emerging economies’ net-zero transitions.

FGS Global’s Climate Team can help you develop a compelling strategy to navigate this complex and crowded field. To learn more, contact GlobalClimate@FGSGlobal.com. 

President Macron’s 2025 Choose France Summit will serve as a key platform for foreign investment in France’s economy. Global companies looking to raise their European profile might consider traveling to Versailles for the event on May 19. 

To help you understand what it’s all about and the benefits of attending this high-profile event, our colleagues in Paris offer their insights:

• Launched in 2018, the Choose France Summit is a cornerstone of President Macron’s efforts to re-industrialize France, boost economic competitiveness and enhance Europe's technological sovereignty.

• The Summit aims to attract foreign investment, bringing together global CEOs and French decision makers to strike deals.

• For companies interested in investing in France – or getting support from the French government – this event is the ideal venue to engage with key decision makers and announce future investments.

• Participation requires either direct engagement with key French decision makers beforehand or by announcing a future investment to the French government supported by strategic public affairs work. Invitations are issued by the French Government and high-level politicians.

• The summit will receive extensive media coverage, as the French government will take a hands-on approach following up with participants and communicating outcomes. 

• The 2024 conference resulted in a record 56 investment announcements, worth a total of EUR 15 billion in foreign investments and creating over 10,000 jobs.

• Notable past attendees have included KKR, Bloomberg, Pfizer, Microsoft, Amazon, AstraZeneca, Accenture, Sanofi, Novartis and Blue Solutions. 

To learn more, contact FGS Global’s Paris team.

The food industry has mastered the art of calendar-based marketing, translating religious, secular, and even celestial celebrations into cash with must-have limited-time offerings (LTOs). Our Food and Ag team colleagues highlight the latest trends:

• Eater reports Wendy’s loosely-branded “seafood season” has joined the ranks of pumpkin spice lattes and Shamrock Shakes (only 5 more days to get one!). The Lent-inspired LTO fish sandwich craze has spread to Arby’s, Del Taco, Popeyes and more. McDonald’s alone sells 75 million Fillet-o-Fish sandwiches during the 40 days of Lent.

• Brands have even begun to expand beyond traditional holidays. According to GMA, Capri Sun has launched a new “Moon Punch” featuring glow-in-the-dark pouches timed with March 2025’s total lunar eclipse.

• These promotions tap into nostalgia, religious observance and our collective weakness for limited-time-offerings that create artificial scarcity and urgency that drives sales spikes.

For more like this, subscribe to FGS Global’s weekly newsletter, What We’re Watching In Food & Ag.