2024 Agenda (Summit Day 1)Tuesday, 19 November 2024

In this tax directors’ roundtable, panellists come together to share their experiences and case studies of mapping out their businesses’ “journey” towards ESG principles and practices. Some might be just at the start of that journey and trying to define how sustainability through taxation can be achieved, while others might have made larger strides towards a sustainable tax function and identified the pitfalls you must endeavor to avoid in your own journey. Whichever stage you are at, there will be key insights and take-aways you will not want to miss.

In this panel discussion our in-house tax experts will explore key aspects of communication and non-tax stakeholder engagement. This includes an insight into how tax is currently perceived outside the tax sphere, as well as the role of a group’s communications team in shaping the tax story. Best practice case studies on how collaboration with other teams within an organisation can be improved.

By way of an update from his well-received talk last year, this insightful and practical session is borne from the speaker's unique experience both leading FTSE-listed tax teams and supporting clients as Sustainability Tax lead at EY. Using real examples of ESG Tax compliance challenges, he will discuss tax teams’ organisational responses and provide an update on the status of cross-functional ESG dynamics within businesses. A must-attend session for those that want to benchmark their organisations against market developments.

With the OECD Pillar 2 set to revolutionise the international tax system as countries start to adopt and implement the new GloBE Rules, multinationals enterprises (MNEs )are having to quickly adapt to the new reality of a global minimum 15% effective tax rate and understand the impact this might have on existing tax structures and incentives. The range of ESG tax incentives MNEs have so far been able to benefit from while forging a path towards a operational sustainability are now at considerable risk of being reduced under the rules agreed in the inclusive framework. It is therefore essential to understand how businesses can mitigate the impact of Pillar 2 and what steps to take now to remain sustainable as well as competitive.

This panel session will start with a brief technical introduction (10 minutes) providing a short overview of all the important mandatory legislation for MNE and SMEs (CSRD, CSDDD, national Tax transparency and governance legislation, GRI 207, public CbCR). Our guest speakers will then engage in a discussion exploring the role of tax departments in compliance with non-financial reporting requirements and how the tax function can best engage other departments in observing sustainability reporting objectives.

Following a short technical overview of the main EU Environmental tax initiatives (plastic tax, energy tax, other taxes and levies), our panel will turn their attention to discussing the new Commission and Parliament approach environmental taxation as well as the likely the consequences of adoption/non-adoption of energy taxation directives.

Carbon pricing stands as one of policymakers' most consequential tools to combat the ongoing rise in greenhouse gas emissions. With the EU's adoption of CBAM, an increasing number of jurisdictions contemplate their own carbon pricing mechanisms. Current and future developments with the carbon border adjustment mechanism will significantly influence the value chains of numerous companies, potentially altering tax structures. This panel offers expert insights into carbon pricing's future impact and its relevance for the tax function. It will also provide and in-depth understanding of UK CBAM, due to be introduced in 2027, and its impact on businesses in critical industry sectors.

This panel session will consider the results of the 5th November election in the U.S. and attempt to draw out key nuances to the its impact to the shaping of the ESG and tax agenda. Panellists will take a look at DST and Trade Sanctions, as well as the relevance of the UN vs OECD/IF vs unilateralism in the current context.