Turning sustainability into competitive advantage
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.
At Climate Week NYC 2026, WBCSD convenes business leaders at a pivotal moment, where sustainability is no longer about ambition, but about delivering results thatdrive competitiveness and resilience.
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
As companies move from the era of ambition to the era of implementation and credible performance, leaders are increasingly called upon to demonstrate how sustainability contributes to competitiveness, resilience and long-term value creation. Our Council Dinner and Americas Meeting will see the launch of WBCSD’s new strategy and provide a unique opportunity to explore the enhanced ways we will support our members.
Key moments during the week
Council Dinner | Sunday 20 September | 18:15 – 21:30
Generously hosted by WBCSD members Deloitte Global and Siemens, this year’s Council Dinner will address a shared challenge: how can organizations communicate sustainability in a way that demonstrates its contribution to growth, resilience, and competitive advantage, while building trust and confidence with key stakeholders?
The evening will include a memorable short performance from the Tony Award-nominated musical “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” a fast-paced, witty musical about two unlikely people thrown together. The performance will serve as a creative springboard for discussion on how a more compelling narrative can help the leaders in the room communicate the value of sustainability with credibility and conviction to engage their stakeholders more effectively, build trust and strengthen investor confidence.
The program will conclude with an intimate networking dinner, offering Council Members the opportunity to continue the conversation and deepen connections with peers ahead of Climate Week NYC.
This event is reserved for our Council Members, their Alternates, C-suite executives and high-level guests. Contact events@wbcsd.org to request an invitation or for additional information.
WBCSD Meeting in the Americas | Monday 21 September | 13:00 – 18:00 | Members only
Hosted by 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: how to turn 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.
This event is reserved for our members. Contact events@wbcsd.org.
WBCSD Liaison Delegate Dinner | Wednesday 23 September | 18:00 – 21:00 | Liaison Delegates only
Co-hosted with our WBCSD member UL Solutions, this intimate networking dinner will bring together our Liaison Delegate community for an evening of peer exchange, relationship building and strategic discussion on the challenges and opportunities shaping sustainable business. The dinner offers a unique opportunity to connect with fellow Liaison Delegates in an informal setting and strengthen engagement across the WBCSD membership community.
This event is reserved for our Liaison Delegates and their Alternates. Contact Myriam Coote at merchan@wbcsd.org for additional information.
For inquiries about WBCSD’s NYC engagement, please contact Events at events@wbcsd.org.