Decarbonisation Commitments: Signals, Substance, or Spin?
The 2025 Wallenberg lecture, titled "Decarbonisation Commitments: Signals, Substance, or Spin?" was given by Professor Marcin Kacperczyk (Imperial and ECGI), followed by commentary from Professor Estelle Cantillon (Université libre de Bruxelles).
As a proud partner, the Solvay Brussels School hosted this prestigious annual event organised by ECGI.
Professor Kacperczyk's pioneering work explores how financial markets respond to climate-related risks and corporate decarbonisation strategies. Amid growing scrutiny of net-zero commitments — from regulatory tightening to corporate retreat — this year’s lecture examined the credibility, impact, and valuation of decarbonisation pledges. Drawing on empirical research and real-world developments, Professor Kacperczyk offered insights into how markets interpret these commitments, how governance mechanisms can reinforce or undermine them, and what’s at stake as the climate finance landscape evolves.
📆 Lecture details:
Thursday, 6 November 2025 | 18:00 – 20:00 CET
📍 Conference Location:
Solvay Brussels School, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 42, 1050 Bruxelles - Building R42, Belgium
Since 2006, the ECGI has organised a yearly lecture at the time of its Annual General Assembly. These lectures, given by prominent scholars, are open to the public and address a topical governance issue. On some occasions, a debate has taken place instead of a lecture.
In 2020, the lecture was renamed 'The Wallenberg Lecture' in recognition of the support from The Wallenberg Foundations, by affiliation with ECGI's patron member, Investor AB.
Programme
Registration
Opening remarks
Speaker(s)
Closing Remarks
Speaker(s)
Cocktail reception
Speakers
Marco Becht
Presentations
-
-
Closing Remarks
Speaker(s)
Sponsored by
Lecture to be delivered by
Professor Marcin Kacperczyk
Marcin Kacperczyk is a Professor of Finance at Imperial College London, a Research Associate at the Center for Economic Policy Research, managing editor of the Review of Finance and a Research Member of ECGI.
Followed by commentary from
Professor Estelle Cantillon
Estelle Cantillon is an FNRS Research Director and a professor of economics at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, an associate member at the Toulouse School of Economics, a research fellow at CEPR (London), and an elected member of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences of Belgium.
ABOUT THE WALLENBERG LECTURE
Since 2006, ECGI has organised an annual lecture at the time of its Annual General Assembly Meeting. The lectures, given by prominent scholars, are open to the public and address topical governance issues. In 2020, the lecture was renamed 'The Wallenberg Lecture' in recognition of the support from The Wallenberg Foundations, by affiliation with ECGI's patron member, Investor AB. The Wallenberg Foundations is the collective name for the public and private foundations formed by the Wallenberg family or established in memory of family members.
Learn more about past lectures in the series.
Watch past Wallenberg lectures
Organised by
Contact
Past events in this series
More events in this series
