The first ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF) Regional Summit for Europe and Asia was held in Istanbul from 15 to 16 October bringing together over 800 delegates for discussions focused on advancing collaborative climate action solutions.
Here are 3 highlights from the event:
- Accelerating the transition to a net-zero economy
Co-hosted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), the Summit featured opening speeches by ICC Chair, Philippe Varin, ICC Secretary General John W.H Denton AO and WCF Chair Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu with a clear message on the role of business to lead the charge on climate action in the final stretch ahead of the United Nations climate conference (COP29) in Baku from 11 to 22 November.
“Our collective response to the challenge of climate change will shape the world for generations to come. We are at a pivotal moment in history, where what we choose to do – or not do – will, most certainly, echo far into the future.”
ICC Chair, Philippe Varin
- Boosting cross border business for SMEs
ICC’s new ICC One Click platform was unveiled by ICC Chair Philippe Varin. Designed to help small businesses grow through international trade, ICC One Click is a one-stop gateway to ICC’s extensive and practical range of tools and services for every step of the trade journey. Available in several languages, the platform features trusted ICC solutions including ICC Model Contracts, Incoterms® Rules, ATA Carnets and Dispute Resolution – as well as specialised services made available by ICC institutional partners – such as the Global Trade Helpdesk.
- Insights from the global real economy
Findings of the first ICC World Chambers Federation Global Economic Survey were presented at the Summit during a panel discussion led by ICC Lead Economist Melanie Laloum. The “Chamber Pulse” survey captures insights from over 200 chambers of commerce from businesses on key economic and sustainability issues across economies that collectively account for 90% of global GDP.
Building on the resounding success of the ICC WCF World Chambers Congress, WCF regional summits are aimed at tackling global challenges through a regional perspective. They are co-hosted with local chambers further extending ICC’s impact and global reach.
The next regional summit will be the first WCF Africa Summit, hosted by Kenya. “Africa’s Global Future: Integrated, Innovative, and Sustainable” will take place from 9 to 11 April 2025 in Nairobi.
Learn more about the ICC World Chambers Federation.
