Innovation For a Warming Planet Speaker Series

Innovation for a Warming Planet is a series of conversations about the role of entrepreneurship in addressing climate change.

The world is fast approaching 1.5°C of warming since pre-industrial times — which is already causing drastic change — and dealing with these changes requires drastic action. The status quo is not sufficient. The world needs new technologies and business models, working in tandem with existing systems.

The speakers in this series represent just some of the global organizations that both support and benefit from climate innovation. They’ll explore how they innovate internally and also partner with entrepreneurs to develop vital solutions for the future.

If you care about our warming planet, these events are for you.

More events planned for the remainder of the 2023-24 Academic Year.

Today’s world faces unprecedented risks, including climate change, cyber security, and infectious diseases. Few understand these risks better than Thomas Buberl, CEO of AXA, one of the world’s largest financial services companies.

Thomas will dive into these risks with the MIT community, as he unveils AXA’s 2023 Future Risk Report. This annual report examines the main global risks in the next five to ten years. Buberl will discuss the report with a special focus on the risks and challenges posed to today’s entrepreneurs, as well as the opportunities for innovation.

The conversation will be moderated by Ben Soltoff, Entrepreneur in Residence at the Martin Trust Center.

About the Speaker:

Thomas started as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group for the banking and insurance sector both in Germany and internationally. At the beginning of 2012, Thomas joined AXA as Chief Executive Officer of AXA Germany. In 2015, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Global Business Line for the Health Business, and, in 2016, of the Global Business Line for Life & Savings. Thomas holds a Master of Economics degree from WHU Koblenz (Germany), an MBA from Lancaster University (UK) and a PhD in Economics from the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). He has been distinguished as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.