New York – – September 24, 2026 -- More than 750 business leaders, investors and policymakers concluded the UN Global Compact's 2026 Leaders Summit in New York, pressing companies to convert sustainability commitments into measurable capital, operational and supply-chain decisions amid geopolitical uncertainty and economic volatility.
Global Compact plans shared infrastructure by 2027 to de-risk sustainable investment
The two-day summit, held during UN General Assembly high-level week, focused on Driving Sustainable Growth and Resilience. The Global Compact announced plans to build shared infrastructure by 2027 spanning climate, living wages, gender equality and sustainable finance, aimed at aggregating demand, de-risking investments and scaling solutions across global value chains.
CEO Sanda Ojiambo warns against short-termism as business pressure mounts
"Business leaders are operating under extraordinary pressure, but the answer cannot be to retreat into short-termism," said Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. She argued sustainability is embedded in competitiveness and long-term resilience rather than separate from business performance.
Summit organizes discussions around six pillars including finance and supply chains
Sessions were structured across six areas: Leadership and Integrity; Climate and Nature; Human Rights and Decent Work; Sustainable Finance and Capital; Collective Action and Systems Change; and Policy, Procurement and Supply Chains. Day one addressed enterprise risk integration, human rights due diligence, clean energy transition and responsible AI adoption, with speakers including Katharine Hayhoe of The Nature Conservancy, David Kennedy of the Science Based Targets initiative, Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa of Naspers and Subho Mukherjee of Nokia.
Investors examine blended finance to unlock clean energy and infrastructure capital
Finance was a central focus, with business leaders and financial institutions examining blended finance, catalytic capital and public-private partnerships to mobilize investment into clean energy and resilient infrastructure where conventional financing remains insufficient. Discussions also positioned procurement as a strategic lever amid rising Scope 3 accountability, trade fragmentation and technological disruption.
Action Tables target living wages, gender equality and climate integration at scale
Senior leaders convened in Action Tables to address collective-action priorities including living wages, gender equality, climate and nature strategy integration, and sustainable finance mobilization. The second day shifted from individual corporate action to systemic barriers in policy, market incentives and financial structures.
Closing session features Moody's, Ocean Cleanup leaders on market incentives
The summit closed with Mark Zandi of Moody's, Rutger Bregman of The School for Moral Ambition, and Boyan Slat of The Ocean Cleanup discussing how policy, capital and corporate leadership can create stronger incentives for sustainable business practices across global markets.