Turning sustainability into competitive advantage
Hosted by: EY
Venue: Hudson Yards
Overview
Climate Week NYC 2026 comes at a defining moment for business. Across industries, the conversation has shifted from setting targets to delivering results that strengthen competitiveness, resilience, and long-term value.
In 2026, we will bring together senior executives from business, finance, technology and policy to explore opportunities for collaboration, bring solutions to scale and demonstrate business value in an increasingly complex and volatile environment.
Through a series of strategic boardroom discussions, action-oriented sessions, and deep-dive conversations, participants will explore strategies and solutions for impactful capital market engagement, building resilient value chains, navigating the transformative impact of AI and other levers of transformation. The program is designed to equip members with the insights, opportunities and confidence needed to act faster and with greater impact.
Why this matters for business
Companies are operating in an environment shaped by economic uncertainty, geopolitical fragmentation, accelerating technological change, and increasing pressure to deliver measurable results. Success will depend on the ability to make informed investment decisions, adapt business models, and translate sustainability ambitions into tangible business outcomes.
Climate Week NYC provides a forum for leaders to exchange perspectives, learn from peers, and identify practical approaches to strengthening performance, resilience, and long-term competitiveness.
Why attend
The next phase of the sustainability agenda will be defined by execution. Companies are under growing pressure to demonstrate business value, manage rising risks, strengthen resilience and deliver transformation at scale. WBCSD’s Climate Week NYC engagement will help members:
- Understand how sustainability can drive competitiveness and business performance
- Connect sustainability priorities with capital allocation and investment decisions
- Explore practical pathways to accelerate decarbonization and deliver climate targets
- Strengthen resilience in the face of physical and transition risks
- Identify opportunities to scale circular and regenerative business models
- Leverage technological innovation, including AI, responsibly and effectively
- Build strategic partnerships with peers, policymakers, investors and solution providers
- Define clear pathways and tools to turn ambition into implementation and accelerate action within their organizations
Key moments during the week
Council Dinner | Sunday 20 September | 18:15 – 21:30
As sustainability moves beyond ambition to delivering results that help drive competitiveness, business leaders can face a critical challenge: how do we tell the story of sustainable transformation in ways that can unlock investment, accelerate market adoption, and create lasting value? Join us at the Longacre Theatre for our landmark Council Dinner on Sunday, 20 September, generously hosted by our members Deloitte Global and Siemens.
The evening will feature an exclusive performance from the Tony Award-nominated musical Two Strangers, followed by a discussion on how sustainability narratives should evolve to help strengthen competitiveness and accelerate market transformation.
The experience will conclude with an intimate networking dinner adjacent to the theatre, providing Council Members with the opportunity to continue the conversation and deepen connections with peers.
WBCSD Americas Meeting | Monday 21 September | 13:00 – 18:00
Hosted by our member EY, the Americas Meeting will set the stage for an impactful engagement at Climate Week NYC. The program will focus on a central leadership challenge: turning sustainability, resilience, and technological transformation into competitive advantage. Through discussions on capital allocation, resilient value chains, and the transformative impact of AI, participants will explore strategies to strengthen business performance, manage risk, and unlock new opportunities for growth in a rapidly changing business environment.
WBCSD Liaison Delegate Dinner | Wednesday 23 September | 18:00 – 21:00
This exclusive networking dinner will bring together our Liaison Delegate community to connect with peers and exchange insights in a convivial setting to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping sustainable business.
Sponsorship opportunities are open to members. If you are a member and would like to sponsor this unique event and access positioning opportunities that go well beyond the dinner itself, please contact events@wbcsd.org.
For inquiries about WBCSD’s NYC engagement, please contact Events at events@wbcsd.org.