9 sustainability events to help business leaders transition

Spanning Europe, the Americas and Asia, these nine sustainability conferences are must-attend events for business leaders in 2022 and 2023

With less than 10 years to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, there is a renewed urgency for businesses to transition.

And to help them do that, sustainability experts and leaders from across industries, organisations and the world are convening at forums, events and conferences over the next eight months, to discuss solutions and best practices, and provide insight and guidance.

Here, we round up the best global and virtual events for business leaders that are happening worldwide and virtually in 2022 and at the start of 2023.

1 Sustainability Live London

September 7-8, 2022

Business Design Centre, London (and virtual)

Returning to the London (and virtual) stage for a second time, BizClik Media Group’s Sustainability Live London will convene the world’s largest companies for a two-day, multi-track conference programme. Hear from more than 70 of the world’s most inspirational sustainability leaders as they discuss and debate the most pressing issues around sustainability today and discover how some of the world’s leading companies – from Unilever to Canon to Coutts – have implemented their ESG strategies.

With a focus on creating actionable change and real-world partnerships, the conference agenda will deliver keynote speeches, live roundtables, and inspirational presentations from leading executives, discussing everything from ESG strategies and renewable energy to sustainable supply chains and ethical financing. Visitors, both in-person and virtual, can garner insight into everything from ethical investing and the circular economy to third-party supply chains, B Corp certification and equitable workplace practices.

As well as hearing from Chief Sustainability Officers of companies including Trivium Packaging, Microsoft UK, Clarios, and Unilever, visitors can gain insight from Steve Smith, Head of Global Marketing at Schneider Electric; Pippa Bailey, Head of Climate Changing & Sustainability Practice at Ipsos; Carl Ennis, UK CEO of Siemens; and James Robey, Global Head of Environmental Sustainability at Capgemini.

2 ESG and Climate Risk Week

September 13-15

London, virtual

Economist Impact’s ESG & Climate Risk Week is a hybrid event, taking place at Park Plaza Victoria London (and virtually), and will discuss the best ways to identify, measure, manage and report on ESG issues and climate-related risks. Aimed at chief risk financial and sustainability officers, and heads of ESG at corporations, the event will focus on managing risks and opportunities, with practical lessons leaders can immediately apply to their organisation.

Attendees will discover 30 practical and measurable case studies from the likes of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), ATP, Citi, JP Morgan Chase, ADM, Vatenfall, General Electric and many more, not to mention gain access to more than 100 high-profile speakers, including Roger Martella, CSO at General Electric; Chris Faint, Head of Division at the Bank of England; James Mccall, CSO at HP; and Andre Abadie, MD of the Centre for Carbon Transition at JP Morgan Chase.

3 Sustainable Brands 2022: Recenter & Accelerate

October 17-20, 2022

San Diego

The global event for regenerative brands and leaders, Sustainable Brands takes to the San Diego stage in 2022 under the theme, Recenter & Accelerate.

Over the course of four days, hear from purpose-driven, action-oriented visionaries from the world’s leading brands who are focused on delivering positive results for businesses, consumers, the planet, and society.

Leaders will present the latest leadership skills and capacities, case studies of reinventing business models at scale, and inspiration to transform your relationship with customers, suppliers, investors, employees, and communities.

Learn from and be inspired by a world-class mix of business innovators including Tish Archie Oliver, Head of DE&I at Unilever; Taryn Bird, Senior Director of Social Impact at Kate Spade New York; Seth Goldman, Founder at Honest Tea; Letitia Ferrier, Global VP of Corporate Sustainability at Goldman Sachs; Virginie Helias, CSO at P&G; and Kaitlin Chuzi, Director of Biomimicry at Microsoft, among many others.

Connect with a community of changemakers and innovators in sessions and in activities including morning yoga sessions, cocktail receptions, and a women’s leadership lunch. 

4 Transform Supply Chains USA

November 1-2, 2022

Chicago, US

With incoming climate regulation., investor pressure and changing consumer expectations, companies must gain full visibility of the risks and impacts across their value chain to ensure the future success of the business. And this is where the Reuters event Transform Supply Chains USA comes in.

This two-day in-person event will convene more than 250 business leaders to hear from more than 60 sustainability and supply chain executive speakers to explore how they can establish robust digital infrastructure, maximise supplier collaboration and successfully scale decarbonisation innovations and investments that support this business-critical transition.

Supply chain and procurement executives from Colgate Palmolive, IKEA US, Louis Vuitton, and New Balance are expected to take to the stage with keynotes addressing packaging commitments, supply chain data needed for sustainable reporting, and enacting a credible net zero roadmap for the supply chain.

5 Cleantech Forum Europe

November 8-10, 2022

Brussels

This forum from The Cleantech Group brings together cleantech innovators, investors, corporates, and experts from around the world to discover and share the leading technologies that will deliver the net-zero transformation.

This year’s theme, ‘From commitments to actions: accelerating our net-zero strategy’ will inspire a research-led agenda where experts discuss the big ideas that will lead us into a sustainable future. Attendees will get to meet leading innovators including companies in the 2023 Global Cleantech 100, and gain insight into trends and innovations powering a cleaner, cooler world. Speakers and sessions are yet to be confirmed.

This event also takes place in the Americas and APAC with Cleantech Forum Asia taking place in Singapore on 12-13 October 2022, and Cleantech Forum North America taking to the San Francisco stage in January 2023 (23-25).

6 ESG Investment Europe 2022

November 22-23, 2022

London

Featuring a two-day agenda, Reuter’s ESG Investment Europe 2022 is set to convene all corners of the European ESG investment community to discuss how to balance their fiduciary responsibilities with the needs of a world in crisis.

More than 300 in-person attendees will hear from the most influential asset owners, asset managers, policymakers, regulators, solution providers and NGOs from across finance and government as they reimagine what’s possible through sustainable socially conscious investing.

Expect an industry-leading array of panels, presentations, workshops, and fireside chats on topics such as maximising meaningful stakeholder engagement and overcoming issues inherent to data and metrics. Among the more than 40 senior C-suite speakers set to take to the stage – Mark Fawcett, Chief Investment Officer at Nest; Sarah Gordon, CEO of Impact Investing Institute; Margaret Franklin, CEO of the CFA Institute; and Jessica Ground, Global Head of ESG at Capital Group.

7 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2023

14-21 January 2023

Abu Dhabi (and virtual)

A long-running initiative championed by the UAE and its clean energy powerhouse Masdar, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) brings together heads of state, policymakers, industry leaders, investors and entrepreneurs to discuss and engage on bold climate action and innovations.

ADSW will follow the outcomes of COP27 and will deliver a collection of 10 globally-significant events, which include the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Assembly, the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Forum, the ADSW Summit, the World Future Energy Summit, the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, Youth 4 Sustainability Hub, Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) Annual Forum, Innovate, the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards, and The Festival at Masdar City.

Expect to hear from more than 500 speakers across numerous events, with more than 850 companies exhibiting. New this year is Innovate, a global Masdar City initiative that provides a platform for innovation-focused companies to showcase their technologies to international investors with a focus on urban mobility, clean energy, agritech, food security and AI.

8 Sustainability Week Asia

February 7-9, 2023

Singapore (and virtual)

Aimed at business leaders and executives from all industries, as well as senior sustainability professionals, the second annual Sustainability Week Asia from Economist Impact is set to take place in person in Singapore and virtually – live-streamed to an audience of more than 4,000 business leaders, policymakers and sustainability experts.

Expect three days of debates and discussions from more than 90 speakers who will deliver actionable insights and solutions to help sustainability leaders take a more holistic approach to drive transformation through investments in people, processes, and technology.

Topics will include the best way for businesses to drive global decarbonisation, addressing greenwashing, rethinking the future of plastics, achieving net-zero supply chains, and upskilling for the green transition. While speakers are not yet confirmed, past speakers have included Angus Taylor, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction, Australia; and Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General from the UN.

9 Responsible Business Europe 2023

June 2023, London

Over two days in London, Responsible Business Europe 2023 will convene more than 500 CEOs, sustainability, procurement, corporate energy, ESG investors, Government and NGO executives to outline how they are shaping the future of sustainable business.

This event stands out for its facilitation of fank and honest conversations among stakeholders on delivering the just transition and sustaining commercial success. Topics will touch on a broad range of issues, from bringing biodiversity into the boardroom and addressing scope 3 emissions, to transforming climate risks into business opportunities.

Speakers will include Angela Cretu, CEO, Avon; Alok Sharma, President and MP, COP26; Javier Echave, CFO, Heathrow; Inge Huijbrechts, CSO, Radisson Hotel Group; Catherine Lenson, Managing Partner, People, DE&I and ESG at SoftBank; and Musidora Jorgensen, CSO at Microsoft UK.

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