Climate Week NYC
Pathways to Performance
20 - 27 September 2026
Meet ERM
at CWNYC
Join ERM as we bring together business leaders, investors and innovators to explore how organizations can move beyond commitments and deliver practical, scalable solutions that strengthen performance while advancing sustainability goals.
We’ll discuss how to unlock competitive advantage by accelerating the transition to low-carbon energy, building resilient supply chains, harnessing the power of AI, and delivering decarbonization strategies that drive growth, efficiency, and long-term value.
About the session:
IFC Climate Smart Mining initiative and ERM invite mining, finance and sustainability leaders to an interactive discussion and experience exploring a new guide and tool for financial valuation of climate-resilient mining. This session will guide participants through practical ways to assess and value climate risks, build clearer business cases for investing in climate action, and align capital allocation with long-term sustainability. Built on real-world data and modelling climate scenarios for challenges both inside and outside the mine fence, attendees will engage directly with the guidance and tools and have the chance to give us feedback and hear from others testing these tools in their operations. Join us for this unique opportunity to shape how resiliency is measured, communicated, and financed across the mining lifecycle.
Climate Smart Mining in Action: An Interactive Experience in Valuing Resiliency
Hosted by ERM/IFC/CSMi
08.00 - 10.00 am EDT
OASIS 315 W 35th Street
About the session:
ESG ratings continue to be a key reference point in the sustainability ecosystem, guiding investment decisions and influencing how customers, regulators, and investors evaluate corporate performance. As sustainability regulations evolve globally, investors and businesses are asking harder questions about the accuracy, consistency, and impact of these ratings.
The ERM Sustainability Institute’s multi-year Rate the Raters research series examines how companies and investors perceive and use ESG ratings. At this exclusive roundtable, ERM will present early insights from its 2025 corporate survey (conducted May–July) and facilitate an interactive discussion with senior business leaders and investors on key questions, including:
- How are companies and investors using ESG ratings to drive decision-making today?
- Which ratings are considered most credible, and why?
How will evolving sustainability regulations shape the future of ESG ratings?
Rate the Raters:
What’s Next for ESG Ratings?
10.30 am - 12.30 pm EDT
277 Park Avenue
About the session:
Sustainability at a Crossroads was developed by ERM, GlobeScan, and Volans. Based on a survey of sustainability experts across 72 countries, the findings suggest we are at a critical point in the evolution of the global sustainability agenda. While the field has matured and expanded over the last few decades, a striking consensus has emerged that the current approach is no longer fit for purpose. More than nine in ten survey respondents agree change is needed, with over half calling for a radical overhaul.
So which way do we go? Instead of a crisis, we believe the results sketch a glass-half-full opportunity that opens the door to bold, future-fit strategies capable of meeting and overcoming today's sustainability challenges.
Join this roundtable discussion to learn more about the research and to participate in an intimate discussion with senior leaders about which solutions have the highest potential impact and are most feasible to implement quickly and catalyze the just, low-carbon transition business and society need.
Sustainability at a Crossroads Roundtable
Hosted by ERM, GlobeScan, and L'Oréal
Roundtable:
3.00pm - 5.00pm EDT
Eastern Reception:
5.00pm - 7.00pm EDT
L'Oréal, Hudson Yards
Registration required for both events
About the session:
This is a key moment in time for sustainability communications. Despite all the geopolitical noise out there, one thing is certain: going silent isn’t the answer. Companies know they must continue communicating their sustainability stories—and the reasons are many and substantial. Not least of which is translating good sustainability work into reputational and financial value for your business. We know that:
- Business decision makers still expect their supply chains to pursue sustainability, and it factors into their buying decisions (Suzanne will share the data on this at the event)
- Consumers are more concerned about climate change than ever before, and they are actively aligning their purchases and their values (ERM Shelton has 18 years of data that tracks this trend)
- And communicating your sustainability work is key to generating ROI on the significant sustainability investments you’ve made (buyers can’t make purchasing decisions based on sustainability benefits if they are not aware of them)
You and your organization are likely among the majority continuing your communications efforts. Clearly there is risk to be managed, but also opportunity to be leveraged—for those who take advantage of it. Companies who communicate effectively while others lay low have a chance to gain a competitive advantage.
Suzanne Shelton will unveil fresh insights from a brand new proprietary survey of business decision makers, combined with our latest consumer insights.
How to effectively communicate about sustainability in today’s complex political & economic landscape
4:00pm-5:00pm EDT
277 Park Avenue
About the session:
: Join ERM and KKR for an exclusive leadership dialogue on “Sustainability That Pays”. Attendees will explore how value chain collaboration supports commercially credible business cases for sustainability that unlock value through revenue growth, cost reduction, risk mitigation, and enhanced license to sell or operate. ERM Sustainability Institute research and KKR’s investment expertise will help showcase real-world examples where sustainability has delivered measurable returns in the metals value chain.
Designed for senior decision-makers in the metals value chain and related sectors, this event offers strategic framing, peer exchange, and actionable pathways to align sustainability with improved core business performance.
Sustainability That Pays: Lessons from Building Business Cases for Sustainability in the Metals Value Chain
Hosted by ERM/KKR
8:00am-10:00am EDT
KKR, Hudson Yards
About the session:
n: Sustainability has become a key buying criterion in the chemical value chain, yet many buyers struggle to find suppliers that meet their goals. Despite major investments in sustainable products, many companies face challenges turning these into profitable growth. An upcoming forum will explore how to unlock commercial value from sustainability. Topics include market segmentation for sustainability attributes, sustainability value propositions, customer value storytelling, and quantification of financial performance. The forum will convene commercial and sustainability leaders to examine how to drive margin-accretive growth leveraging product sustainability attributes.
Unlocking Revenue Growth through Sustainability Attributes in Chemical Value Chain
08.00am-10.00 am EDT
277 Park Avenue
About the session:
on: The race to Net Zero is on—but are we addressing social risks and opportunities adequately? The Climate Pledge, WBCSD, and ERM are joining a select group of senior human rights and climate professionals to explore how organizations can make their climate transition truly inclusive and equitable across the entire value chain.
In this private workshop, we will demystify the Just Transition planning lifecycle and tackle real-world barriers like unclear ownership, siloed teams, and the gap between ambition and action. Through practical frameworks and collaborative problem-solving, you'll leave equipped to embed social impact into your climate strategy—turning Net Zero commitments into lasting, community-driven change
Tools for Just Transition
Climate Pledge/ERM/WBCSD workshop
10:30am-11:30am EDT
What incentives and policies would strengthen the business case for carbon credits?
Hosted by ERM/NCSA
12:00pm-2:00pm EDT
277 Park Avenue
About the session:
ion: Widespread efforts to improve the quality of carbon credits are starting to bear fruit. However, private sector investment in high-integrity carbon credits remains below potential. To grow demand, companies now need stronger incentives from both governments and best practice setting organisations.
This session will bring together business, government, and market actors to explore the policy interventions and enabling conditions needed to unlock scaled, long-term demand for high-quality carbon credits. Participants will share perspectives on barriers to investment, lessons from emerging national and international initiatives, and opportunities for collaboration that align public and private interests.
The discussion supports broader efforts under The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets, and is intended as a milestone in shaping effective, business-aligned demand-side action in the lead-up to COP30.
About the session:
ion: As sustainability and business priorities evolve, and in the context of changing macroeconomic and political landscape, the narrative for sustainability is shifting from a “moral” commitment to a “material” business imperative. Organizations must evolve their approach to sustainability that goes beyond compliance and moral good. This session explores how to identify and realize business resilience through financial quantification of sustainability impacts.
This session is designed for corporate and finance leaders, and key stakeholders for a closed-door discussion on embedding sustainability into the language of value creation, value at risk and value protection, so that organizations can enable meaningful, data-driven transformation and strengthen their long-term market position.
Business Resilience via Financial Quantification of Sustainability
3:30pm-4:30pm EDT
277 Park Avenue
About the session:
ession: This roundtable co-hosted by WBCSD and ERM, will gather corporate leaders for an interactive discussion on integrating climate, nature and social considerations in transition planning, with particular focus on resilience and financial planning. Together, we’ll examine the strategic case for integration surfacing co-benefits, trade-offs, and decision criteria. Designed to spark ideas and solutions, the event will identify practical steps companies can take to drive business value through holistic strategic planning.
Co-hosted by:Co-Co-hosted by:
The Value of Integrated Transition Planning
Hosted by ERM/WBCSD
11:00am-1:00pm EDT
277 Park Avenue
Monday, 21 Sep
Tuesday, 22 Sep
Wednesday, 23 Sep
Thursday, 24 Sep
Beyond carbon: turning decarbonization into business value
(8:30am-9:30am)
Jaafar Rizvi, Partner, NA Energy Security & Cost Optimization Lead
Jenny Brusgul, Partner, Value Creation, ERM
Alan Zang, Partner, Global Commercial Director, ERM Coho
The energy transition has a trust problem
(8.00am-9.30am)
Michael Regan, Former Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Sabine Hoefnagel, Interim CEO, ERM
The evolution of corporate nature strategy: from establishing the business case to effective implementation
(8:30am-9:30am)
Megan Moore, Sustainability Analytics Lead, Owens Corning
Carly Sibilia, Principal Consultant, ERM
Laura Meadors, Global Water & Zero Waste, Apple
Moving targets: maintaining corporate sustainability ambition and performance
(8:00am-9:30am)
Mark Lee, Global Leader Thought Leadership, ERM
Chris Coulter, CEO, GlobeScan
A people premium: the soft variable with hard returns?
(8:30am-9:30am)
Suha Gillani, Associate Partner, ERM
Clayton Root, Investor Industry Lead, World Economic Forum
The integration imperative
(8:00am-9:30am)
Emily Vesling, Director, Sustainability, Trane Technologies
Accelerating Scope 3 action with Agentforce supplier engagement
(8:00am-9:30am)
Brian Holloway, Partner, ERM
Prashanthi Sudhakar, Net Zero Cloud Product Owner, Salesforce
Decarbonising the pharma, consumer, manufacturing and tech supply chains - clean heat program
(10.00am-11.00am)
Jon Hughes, Partner, ERM
Robert Williams, Senior Director, Sustainable Procurement, Astra Zeneca
Emily Prior, Chief Growth Officer, Secaro
Oliver Hurrey, Founder & Chair, Scope 3 Peer Group
Financing the energy transition
(10:00am - 11:30am)
Neal Barker, Partner, ERM
Alessandra Awolowo, Environmental & Social Risk Lead, Americas, ING
Eliza Eubank, Managing Director, Global Head of Environmental & Social Risk + Banking & International Reputation Risk, Citi
Solving the supply chain conundrum - building resilient, intelligent & circular supply chains
(11:30pm-12:30pm)
Ruzual Boparai, Partner, ERM
Lee Read, Partner, Circularity, ERM
Edith Cecchini, Circular Materials Program Director, RBA
Built in: integrating environmental and sustainability risks into enterprise risk management
(10:00am-11:00am)
Michael Mangiante, Partner, ERM
Magdalena Mills, Director of Global Integrated Risk Management, Kenvue
Sustainable packaging: the value proposition your C-suite should care about
(10:00am-11:00am)
Lee Read, Regional Service Leader (Sustainable Product & Supply Chain), ERM
James Pryor, Managing Partner, Touch Design
Your reputation is now an AI answer: managing trust, risk and sustainability in the age of generative search
(11.30am-12.30pm)
Annie Longsworth, Partner, ERM
Suzanne Shelton, Partner, ERM
Raising ambition on water: Beyond stewardship
(11.30am-1.00pm)
Mark Lee, Global Director, Thought Leadership, ERM
Chris Coulter, CEO, GlobeScan
Marissa McGowan, Chief Sustainability Officer, L’Oréal North America
Good data: the missing link in AI-driven sustainability
(11:30am-12:30pm)
Mark Levin, Consulting Director, ERM
From common language to market action: scaling demand for alternative feedstocks
(1:00pm-2:00pm)
Richard Platt, Partner, ERM
Rupert Posner, Director Global Sustainability Advocacy - Home Care, Unilever
From AI promise to climate practice: making the investment pay off
(2.30pm-3.30pm)
Samir Menon, Global Managing Partner, ERM
Tommy Nguyen, Partner, ERM
Mark Levin, Consulting Director, ERM
Dan Magestro, Chief Data and AI Officer, Sphera
Building the digital foundation for the future utility
(2:00pm-3:30pm)
Brian Jones, Partner, ERM
Michael Conrardy, Consulting Director, ERM
Suresh Mamidi, Director Industry Solutions Sales, Cognizant
Rajiv Mukherjee, Sustainability Engineering – Global Market Head, Cognizant
From permitting to social license: navigating community expectations in the data center and power boom
(12:30pm-3:00pm)
Alexandra Guaqueta, Partner, ERM
The social acceptance advantage: the business value of working with people to accelerate the transition
(1:00pm-2:30pm)
Alexandra Guaqueta, Partner, ERM
Routes to Transformation research launch, hosted by ERM, GlobeScan, Volans, and L'Oréal
(1:30pm-3:00pm)
Mark Lee, Global Director, Thought Leadership, ERM
Chris Coulter, CEO, GlobeScan
L'Oréal Climate Week Reception
(5:30pm-6:30pm)
Mark Lee, Global Director, Thought Leadership, ERM
Chris Coulter, CEO, GlobeScan
Connect with our team
Sabine Hoefnagel
Interim Global CEO
Christopher Wilson
Partner, Regional Industry Leader Manufacturing
Mark Lee
Global Director, Thought Leadership
Susan Angyal
Regional CEO, NA
Alexandra Guaqueta
Partner, Global Service Leader, Social Performance & Human Rights
Jay Mason
Partner, Regional Service Leader, Transactions
Annie Longsworth
Partner, Value Creation Comms
Bryan Holloway
Consulting Partner, Digital Services
Related insights
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Schedule Overview
*All timings are in EDT
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The energy transition has a trust problem
TIME: 8:00am-9:30am EDT
VENUE: KKR, 30 Hudson Yards
About the session
The energy transition requires unprecedented infrastructure development. At the same time, demand for data centers, semiconductor facilities, and other technology infrastructure is accelerating. Together, these overlapping transitions are reshaping communities, economies, and energy systems. Yet support for this development cannot be taken for granted. Communities, workers, policymakers, and regulators are increasingly asking who benefits, who bears the costs, and whether these changes are creating value for people as well as for business.
For companies and investors, this is a growing business challenge. Trust can determine whether projects move forward, attract investment, and are delivered on time and on budget. Organizations that engage stakeholders early, create tangible local benefits, and build social acceptance are often better positioned to accelerate delivery and reduce risk.
Bringing together senior leaders from the finance, power, energy, and technology sectors, alongside other select stakeholders, this session will explore practical ways to strengthen trust, build social license, and deliver major projects at the pace and scale required. The discussion will take place under the Chatham House Rule to encourage candid conversation and challenge conventional thinking.
Who is this session for?
Senior leaders from the finance, power, energy, and technology sectors
Hosted by:
Michael Regan, Former Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Sabine Hoefnagel, Interim CEO, ERM
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A people premium: the soft variable with hard returns?
TIME: 8:30am-9:30am EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
Join the World Economic Forum and ERM for the launch of a new practitioner white paper built on structured interviews and survey data from over 20 GPs, LPs, sovereign wealth funds, and family conglomerates — collectively holding or influencing close to $4 trillion in assets across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. Spanning large-cap buyout, infrastructure, venture capital, and sovereign direct investors, the paper offers a practical playbook across five themes: underwriting leadership at diligence, scaling platform-level talent programs, wrestling with AI's disruption of the workforce, and adapting playbooks across regions for local context.
Over breakfast, we will share the findings and open the floor to a roundtable discussion led by Suha Gillani, ERM Associate Partner, and Clayton Root, WEF Investor Industries Lead, exclusively with GPs and investors to compare notes on best practices in their own portfolios and where they see the biggest opportunity ahead to leverage human capital across their platform to create business value in the age of AI.
Speakers: Suha Gillani, Associate Partner, ERM
Who is this session for?
Finance and private equity leaders
Co-host:
Invite only. If interested, please email: [email protected]
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Sustainable packaging: the value proposition your C-suite should care about
TIME: 10:00am-11:00am EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
This session will examine how proactive alignment with fast evolving packaging regulations and rising consumer expectations enables companies to build competitive advantage, reduce operational and compliance risks, and unlock cost efficiencies across the value chain. Drawing on insights from our technology and client partners, as well as anonymized learnings from recent work with global brands, the session will show how packaging strategy can drive margin protection, brand equity, and supply chain resilience.
Speakers:
Lee Read, Regional Service Leader (Sustainable Product & Supply Chain), ERM
James Pryor, Managing Partner, Touch Design
Who is this session for?
Packaging, R&D and Procurement Leads
Co-hosts:
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Your reputation is now an AI answer: managing trust, risk and sustainability in the age of generative search
TIME: 11:30am-12:30pm EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
The days of “just Google it!” are gone. Today AI is the first stop for searches, which means your corporate reputation is no longer manageable through search terms and algorithms. It's about knowing what AI understands, synthesizes, and tells the world about your company.
When investors, customers, journalists, regulators, employees, and communities search for information, AI increasingly delivers a summarized narrative - and many users never click further. That narrative is built from your entire digital footprint: sustainability disclosures, earned media, NGO reports, social conversations, community concerns, litigation, ratings, and more.
And here's the catch: AI doesn't just repeat your story. It interprets it.
At the same time, sustainability issues such as PFAS, microplastics, water use, data centers, and climate impacts are attracting unprecedented scrutiny. As AI systems aggregate and connect these conversations, reputation risks can spread faster, travel farther, and become embedded in public perception before organizations even realize a narrative has formed.
In this session, we'll explore how leading companies are using AI-powered reputation intelligence to identify emerging issues, understand stakeholder sentiment, uncover gaps between performance and perception, and build trust through credible, consistent, and transparent communications.
Participants will leave with practical strategies to understand what AI is saying about their organization today, anticipate the issues that could define tomorrow's narrative, and turn sustainability performance into a source of trust, resilience, and competitive advantage.
Because in the age of generative search, your reputation isn't just what you say, it's what AI says about you.
Speakers:
Annie Longsworth, Partner, ERM
Suzanne Shelton, Partner, ERM
Who is this session for?
Sustainability, Marketing and Communications Leaders
Hosted by:
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The social acceptance advantage: the business value of working with people to accelerate the transition
TIME: 1:00pm-3:00pm EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
As companies navigate overlapping energy and technological transitions, how they engage workers and communities is increasingly shaping business outcomes. Getting this right builds social license faster, and social license is showing up directly in stronger credit terms, faster delivery timelines, reduced legal exposure, and better financial performance.
This session brings C-suite leaders together to explore how to build, measure, and communicate the business case for investing in a people-centered energy transition, grounded in real corporate experience.
What we'll cover:
Real corporate cases showing how social license to operate translates into measurable financial and operational gains
Practical narrative and quantification approaches for identifying, measuring, and articulating social risk and opportunity
How to connect social performance to existing climate and nature performance frameworks without treating it as a separate workstream
Participants will leave with a shared playbook: language and metrics to make the business case internally, and a clear way to bring social performance into decisions their board is already making.
Speakers: Alexandra Guaqueta, Partner, ERM
Co-host:
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Raising ambition on water: Beyond stewardship
TIME: 11:30 AM – 1 PM (includes lunch)
VENUE: Partner venue -- L'Oréal Hudson Yards
About the session
Water is fundamental to industry–from agricultural sourcing and ingredient production to manufacturing and consumer use. As water stress intensifies, companies face growing expectations to reduce impacts, strengthen watershed resilience, and contribute to water security. At the same time, new technologies and forms of collaboration are reshaping what effective water stewardship looks like.
For companies, this presents a sustainability imperative, a business challenge, and an innovation opportunity. Managing water-related risks increasingly requires action beyond operational efficiency, extending into supply chains, watersheds, product innovation, and partnerships. Leading organizations are exploring how to create positive water outcomes while building more resilient businesses and value chains.
Hosted by L'Oréal and facilitated by ERM, GlobeScan, and Volans as part of the Routes to Transformation project, this invitation-only roundtable will bring together leaders from business, civil society, academia, government, and multilateral organizations to explore the future of corporate water leadership. The discussion will examine how expectations of corporate water leadership are evolving, where greater ambition may be needed, opportunities for innovation and collaboration, and how to accelerate progress toward more sustainable and resilient water systems. The session will take place under the Chatham House Rule to encourage candid conversation.
Who is this session for?
Water experts and sustainability leaders from industry, NGOs, academia, government, and multilateral organizations, with expertise spanning upstream sourcing, supply chains, manufacturing, watershed stewardship, and product innovation, especially in a North American context.
Speakers:
Mark Lee, Global Director, Thought Leadership, ERM
Chris Coulter, CEO, GlobeScan
Marissa McGowan, Chief Sustainability Officer, L’Oréal North America
Hosted by:
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Routes to Transformation research launch, hosted by ERM, GlobeScan, Volans, and L'Oréal
TIME: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
VENUE: L'Oréal, Hudson Yards, New York City
About the session
The sustainability agenda is at a crossroads. Rising geopolitical tension, intensifying climate impacts, declining institutional trust, and political polarization are reshaping leadership requires. In 2025, ERM, GlobeScan, and Volans’ Sustainability at a Crossroads research revealed a strong appetite for bold, systemic change. Routes to Transformation builds on this, moving from diagnosis to solutions.
Join us for an exclusive look at the 2026 Sustainability at a Crossroads II survey findings and a discussion on the leadership, partnerships, and innovation needed to accelerate progress toward a net-zero, nature-positive, and equitable future.
Together we'll explore which solutions are most ready to scale, how to create value for business and society, and how sustainability leaders can rebuild momentum in a rapidly changing world.
Held under the Chatham House Rule, the session will create a trusted space for candid dialogue, challenge, practical insight, and exploration of transformative action.
Who is this session for?
Senior leaders from business, academia, civil society, multilateral agencies, and the public sector.
Speakers:
Mark Lee, Global Director, Thought Leadership, ERM
Chris Coulter, CEO, GlobeScan
Hosted by:
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L'Oréal Climate Week Reception
(Open to "Raising ambition on water.." and "Routes to Transformation.." participants only)
TIME: 5:30pm-6:30pm EDT
VENUE: L'Oréal, Hudson Yards, New York City
About the session
"Raising ambition on water.." and "Routes to Transformation.." launch participants are invited to attend a L'Oréal Climate Week reception at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22.
The reception will bring together sustainability leaders, innovators, and practitioners from multiple Climate Week gatherings hosted at L'Oréal and across Climate Week NYC, creating a valuable opportunity to expand networks, exchange ideas, and continue conversations on the pathways and partnerships needed to accelerate sustainability transformation.
Who is this session for?
"Raising ambition on water.." and "Routes to Transformation.." research launch participants
Speakers:
Mark Lee, Global Director, Thought Leadership, ERM
Chris Coulter, CEO, GlobeScan
Hosted by:
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Decarbonising the pharma, consumer, manufacturing and tech supply chains - clean heat program
TIME: 10:00am-11:00am EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
Pharma, consumer, manufacturing and tech supply chains are entering a decisive phase of the Decarbonization transition. Pressure to reduce scope 3 emissions is intensifying, yet progress is constrained by hard to abate processes, fragmented supplier landscapes, and immature low carbon markets, particularly for industrial process heat.
This session explores how Pharma, Consumer, Manufacturing and Tech companies, together with suppliers are advancing low carbon heat through coordinated procurement, supplier engagement and emerging clean heat programs such as the Secaro/ERM/Astra Zeneca Clean Heat program.
Hear from the programs founding members on the challenges of Clean Heat projects and how the program is accelerating progress for them and their suppliers.
Who is this session for:
Procurement, supply chain, operations and sustainability leaders from Pharma, Consumer, Manufacturing and Tech companies and Clean Heat solution providers.
Speakers: Jon Hughes, Partner, ERM
Robert Williams, Senior Director, Sustainable Procurement, Astra Zeneca
Emily Prior, Chief Growth Officer, Secaro
Oliver Hurrey, Founder & Chair, Scope 3 Peer Group
Co-hosts:
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Solving the supply chain conundrum - building resilient, intelligent & circular supply chains
TIME: 11:30am-12:30pm EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
As geopolitical uncertainty, resource constraints, climate impacts, evolving regulations, and changing customer expectations continue to reshape global markets, supply chains are becoming a critical source of competitive advantage. Organizations are being challenged to make faster, smarter decisions while balancing growth, resilience, efficiency, and sustainability. Drawing on perspectives from industry leaders and practitioners, this session will explore how leading organizations are rethinking their supply chains to better manage complexity, strengthen business performance, unlock new sources of value, and build long-term competitive advantage in an increasingly uncertain world.
Speakers: Ruzual Boparai, Partner, ERM
Lee Read, Partner, Circularity, ERM
Edith Cecchini, Circular Materials Program Director, RBA
Who is this session for?
Supply Chain, Procurement, Operations, Logistics, Circular Economy, Sustainability, Manufacturing, and Digital Transformation Leaders
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From common language to market action: scaling demand for alternative feedstocks
TIME: 1:00pm-2:00pm EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
Decarbonizing industry requires more than transitioning energy systems. It also requires transforming the carbon embedded in products and materials. While sustainable alternative feedstocks offer significant potential to reduce emissions and support circularity, their adoption remains limited by fragmented markets, inconsistent approaches to sustainability assessment and persistent cost barriers.
This session will explore how stakeholders across value chains can work together to create the conditions needed for the large-scale adoption of alternative feedstocks (biogenic, end-of-life and carbon captured). It aims to answer questions on what prevents sustainable, circular feedstocks from becoming cost competitive, how value chain stakeholders can align around common definitions, sustainability criteria and procurement approaches and what market mechanisms are needed to unlock investment and accelerate adoption.
Drawing on insights from WBCSD's ongoing work on alternative feedstocks, the session will examine how value chain collaboration can help address systemic barriers that no single actor can solve alone. Attention will be given to common sustainability frameworks for alternative feedstocks, demand-side collaboration, market signaling, and value chain coordination in supporting market development. Participants will gain practical insights into how cross-sector collaboration can strengthen market confidence, improve access to sustainable feedstocks and accelerate the transition toward a more circular and low-carbon economy.
Speakers: Richard Platt, Partner, ERM
Rupert Posner, Director Global Sustainability Advocacy - Home Care, Unilever
Who is this session for?
CPOs, CSOs and one level down
Co-host:
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Building the digital foundation for the future utility
TIME: 2:00pm-3:30pm EDT
VENUE: Cognizant, 55 Hudson Yards, Floors 26–27, New York, NY 10001
About the session
As part of Climate Week NYC, join Cognizant and ERM to explore how utilities are responding to New York's Part 253 reporting requirements while building trusted data foundations, improving operational efficiency, strengthening governance, and creating long-term business value.
Turning Regulatory Change into Operational Advantage
As part of Climate Week NYC, Cognizant and ERM are bringing together utility, sustainability, operations, and technology leaders for an exclusive executive discussion focused on one critical question:
Do utilities have the digital foundation required to meet increasingly complex regulatory, operational, and sustainability obligations?
New York's Part 253 Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule is introducing a new level of rigor, traceability, and data governance requirements for utilities and energy companies. Organizations must now integrate operational, market, and emissions data into audit-ready reporting environments capable of supporting regulatory scrutiny and long-term compliance obligations.
For many utilities, this represents more than a compliance challenge. It is exposing broader issues across fragmented systems, manual reporting processes, disconnected data environments, and growing operational complexity.
Together, Cognizant and ERM will explore how organizations can move beyond reactive compliance approaches and establish scalable digital foundations that support regulatory readiness, operational efficiency, stronger governance, and long-term resilience.
Speakers:
Brian Jones, partner, ERM
Michael Conrardy, Consulting Director, ERM
Suresh Mamidi, Director Industry Solutions Sales, Cognizant
Rajiv Mukherjee, Sustainability Engineering – Global Market Head, Cognizant
Who is this session for?
Power. Compliance and Reporting, IT, CEMS system leaders
Co-host:
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The integration imperative
TIME: 8:00am-9:30am EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
Sustainability transformation depends on integration. While many organizations have set ambitious sustainability goals, turning those commitments into everyday decision-making remains a challenge. How do companies change sustainability from a specialist function to a core part enterprise strategy and operations? How do they build the skills, accountability, and leadership needed to make sustainability part of how companies grow?
Hosted by Trane Technologies and facilitated by ERM, GlobeScan, and Volans as part of the Routes to Transformation project, this interactive peer exchange will address what it takes to embed sustainability at scale. Drawing on Trane Technologies' experience—from employee learning and ambassador networks to leadership development and innovation—the session will explore practical approaches for integrating sustainability as a growth driver across functions, regions, and levels of the organization.
Through a combination of case study insights and facilitated discussion, participants will share experiences, challenges, and lessons learned. Together, we'll examine what drives lasting behavior change, how companies can build ownership beyond sustainability teams, align incentives and accountability, and equip employees to contribute through their day-to-day roles. We'll also explore how embedding sustainability into everyday decision-making can accelerate transformation across the business.
Held under the Chatham House Rule, the session will provide a trusted environment for peers to exchange ideas, test assumptions, ask candid questions, and explore emerging practices.
Speakers:
Emily Vesling, Director, Sustainability, Trane Technologies
Who is this session for?
Senior business leaders responsible for sustainability strategy and integration at enterprise level
Hosted by: Trane Technologies and facilitated by ERM, GlobeScan, and Volans.
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Accelerating Scope 3 action with Agentforce supplier engagement
TIME: 8:00am-9:30am EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
As regulatory requirements, investor expectations, and corporate climate commitments continue to intensify, sustainability leaders face a common challenge: how to efficiently engage suppliers, collect reliable emissions data, and drive measurable decarbonization across complex value chains. Many organizations remain burdened by fragmented systems, manual surveys, inconsistent supplier responses, and limited visibility into supplier performance and risk. Insights from Salesforce's new Agentforce Supplier Engagement vision highlight these challenges and the opportunity to create a unified supplier ecosystem.
Join Salesforce and ERM for an exclusive discussion on Salesforce's latest sustainability innovation: Agentforce Supplier Engagement. Presented by Prashanthi Sudhakar, Product Owner for Salesforce Net Zero Cloud, this session will provide an early look at how AI-powered supplier engagement, intelligent workflows, supplier collaboration portals, and integrated sustainability data management are helping organizations transform Scope 3 programs from reporting exercises into strategic business capabilities. The session will explore how organizations can:
Automate supplier data collection and reduce reporting burdens
Improve supplier collaboration through secure digital engagement portals
Enhance supplier performance, scoring, and risk management
Leverage AI capabilities to streamline supplier interactions and compliance activities
Establish a scalable foundation for Scope 3 emissions management and supplier decarbonization programs
Gain unified visibility across sustainability, procurement, compliance, and supplier operations
Attendees will gain practical insights into the future of supplier engagement and learn how leading organizations are preparing to address growing regulatory requirements while strengthening supplier relationships, improving data quality, and accelerating climate action across their value chains.
Speakers: Brian Holloway, Partner, ERM
Prashanthi Sudhakar, Net Zero Cloud Product Owner, Salesforce
Who are these sessions for?
Sustainability leaders, ESG and climate reporting professionals, Chief Sustainability Officers, Procurement leaders, Supply Chain executives, Supplier Relationship Managers, and Digital Transformation leaders responsible for Scope 3 emissions, supplier engagement, and sustainability performance.
Co-hosts:
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The evolution of corporate nature strategy: from establishing the business case to effective implementation
TIME: 8:30am-9:30am EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
Nature is no longer a nascent component of corporate sustainability. Companies across sectors are seeing the value of nature to their business far beyond reporting and are now shifting gears to goal setting and implementation. As the "why" behind investing in nature becomes increasingly substantiated, corporates must now shift to the "how" of implementation, with many electing to leverage advanced digital solutions for measuring and modelling ecosystem performance. This ERM-moderated panel will include reflections from corporate nature leaders on building the business case, gathering stakeholder support, setting nature-related goals and objectives, and shared learnings from implementation.
Speakers:
Megan Moore, Sustainability Analytics Lead, Owens Corning
Carly Sibilia, Principal Consultant, Nature Advisory ERM
Laura Meadors, Global Water & Zero Waste, Apple
Who is this session for?
Sustainability managers, nature program managers, biodiversity leads, environmental stewardship, land managers
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Built in: integrating environmental and sustainability risks into enterprise risk management
TIME: 10:00am-11:00am EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
Many companies have made progress in identifying climate, nature, water, and human rights-related risks through assessments and planning processes. However, many still find it difficult to turn these insights into business decisions and actions. As regulations such as CSRD and stakeholder expectations continue to grow, companies are under increasing pressure to manage social and environmental risks as carefully as they manage financial and operational risks.
This ERM-led roundtable will bring together companies to discuss how they are building environmental and social risk programs that support enterprise risk management and drive better decision-making. ERM will be joined by Kenvue to learn from their experience in developing an environmental risk playbook that helps integrate climate, nature, waste, water, and human rights risks into enterprise risk processes, governance, and management actions.
The session is designed as a closed-door discussion for participants to candidly share challenges, exchange ideas, and explore practical ways to put this into action. Attendees can expect to learn how to move beyond identifying risks and toward actively managing, monitoring, and governing environmental and human rights risks alongside other key business risks.
Speakers: Michael Mangiante, Partner, ERM
Magdalena Mills, Director of Global Integrated Risk Management, Kenvue
Who is this session for?
Chief risk officers, sustainability, EHS, enterprise risk, finance and strategy leaders
Co-host: Kenvue
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Moving targets: maintaining corporate sustainability ambition and performance
TIME: 8:00am-9:30am EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue, New York City
About the session
Many companies are reassessing climate and sustainability targets in response to changing policy, market, and operating realities.
Building on the Moving Targets roundtable held during London Climate Action Week, this session will explore critical questions emerging for corporate sustainability leaders and central to maintaining momentum on climate: How can we create the optimal conditions for corporate ambition and performance on sustainability? How should progress be measured and communicated? Who needs to be consulted? How can collective action address shared challenges? What are the accountability measures for companies that underperform? Which possible solutions are most likely to be implemented and most impactful by 2030?
Facilitated by ERM, GlobeScan, and Volans as part of the Routes to Transformation project, the discussion will take place under the Chatham House Rule to foster open and candid dialogue.
Speakers:
Mark Lee, Global Leader Thought Leadership, ERM
Chris Coulter, CEO, GlobeScan
Who is this session for?
Senior sustainability leaders from business, academia, and civil society grappling with the future of sustainability ambition and delivery, stakeholder trust, and collective action in an uncertain operating environment.
Hosted by:
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Good data: the missing link in AI-driven sustainability
TIME: 11:30am-12:30pm EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
AI is often positioned as the solution to faster, smarter decarbonization, but many AI initiatives are failing for a simple reason: the underlying climate data isn’t ready.
As regulatory scrutiny increases and expectations for credible reporting rise, organizations are being asked to answer tough questions with speed and confidence: What are our true emissions? Where should we focus first? Which actions will deliver real impact? Without consistent, high‑quality climate data across carbon, energy, water, and other environmental metrics, AI tools amplify uncertainty rather than insight.
This session explores what needs to come before AI to make climate analytics work at scale. It focuses on the practical foundations organizations must put in place, including data quality, business processes, and system interoperability. Once set, they can enable credible baselining, scenario modelling, and confident climate decision‑making.
Designed for environmental, operations, procurement, and compliance leaders, this discussion reframes AI as the destination - not the starting point - for scalable, defensible climate action.
Speakers: Mark Levin, Consulting Director, ERM
Who is this session for?
Environmental, operations, procurement, and compliance leaders
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From permitting to social license: navigating community expectations in the data center and power boom
TIME: 12:30pm-3:00pm EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
Communities are increasingly shaping whether major infrastructure projects succeed or stall. As investment accelerates in AI, data centers, power, and electrification, companies that fail to understand and address community expectations face project delays, cost escalation, permitting challenges, and reputational risk. Social acceptance is no longer simply a stakeholder issue - it has become a critical driver of project delivery and business performance.
This interactive roundtable will bring together practitioners responsible for public affairs, permitting, economic development, land acquisition, siting, community engagement, and project development to explore practical approaches for building and maintaining social acceptance throughout the project lifecycle. Participants will exchange lessons learned, discuss common challenges, and identify strategies that reduce risk while creating long-term value for both projects and communities.
The discussion will focus on:
building a compelling internal business case for early, meaningful community engagement;
managing the social impacts - both risks and benefits - that matter most to communities and can determine project outcomes; and
strengthening collaboration between data center developers, power companies, and investors to address shared social risks and create long-term value.
Who should attend?
Corporate leaders and practitioners in public affairs, community outreach, communications & stakeholder relations; economic & community development, workforce development; sustainability & environment; permitting & land acquisition; project procurement & general contractors; project development; and project financing functions in the technology, power & energy and financial sectors.
Speakers: Alexandra Guaqueta, Partner, ERM
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Financing the energy transition
TIME: 10:00am-11:30am EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
As energy security concerns, decarbonization commitments, geopolitical uncertainty, and evolving sustainability expectations reshape global energy markets, investors are reassessing how and where capital is deployed. Join ERM and senior leaders from the Banking and Private Market sectors for a discussion on what defines a bankable energy project today. Drawing on new research from active LNG lenders and broader energy investment trends, the event will explore how financing priorities are evolving across LNG, renewable energy, and infrastructure projects, as well as what project developers need to secure capital in an increasingly competitive market.
Speakers: Neal Barker, Partner, ERM
Alessandra Awolowo, Environmental & Social Risk Lead, Americas, ING
Eliza Eubank, Managing Director, Global Head of Environmental & Social Risk + Banking & International Reputation Risk, Citi
Who is this session for?
CFOs, Capital Projects Executives, Managing Directors, Directors, and VPs of Energy Project Finance, as well as professionals from commercial and investment banks, project finance lenders, private equity and infrastructure funds, development finance institutions (DFIs), LNG developers, energy infrastructure companies, and midstream operators.
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Beyond carbon: turning decarbonization into business value
TIME: 8:30am-9:30am EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
This interactive roundtable will bring together sustainability, finance, procurement, digital, and risk management to focus on how we can use decarbonization as a value creation lever.
This session is urgent right now, as business pressures mount globally. In North America, the prospect of rising energy costs due to AI infrastructure buildout loom and in EMEA, geopolitics are creating volatility and costs much higher than historic norms. We will unpack this global context, near-term levers that can create value, and share experiences around successes, barriers, and enablers.
This expert-led discussion will cover important topics, including energy procurement, battery storage, and hedging strategy; efficiency and technical measures; technology modernization and digital tools; operational improvements; and clean energy sourcing. We will conclude with an approach to integrating them into a single business-aligned program.
The end-goal of this session is to help sustainability leaders understand how their activities can advance the financial goals of their business, and how to communicate that value to colleagues in finance, procurement, and other key functions.
Coffee and breakfast will be provided.
Speakers: Jaafar Rizvi, Partner, NA Energy Security & Cost Optimization Lead
Jenny Brusgul, Partner, Value Creation, ERM
Alan Zang, Partner, Global Commercial Director, ERM Coho
Who is this session for?
Sustainability, finance, procurement, treasury/risk, digital, and energy leaders, particularly at energy‑intensive organizations with footprints in North America and EMEA.
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Clean energy abundance: leveraging the AI revolution to accelerate carbon free energy
TIME: 1:00pm-2:00pm EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
Join ERM for an exclusive dialogue on “Clean Energy Abundance”, where senior decision-makers from the data center, energy, utility, and finance industries will explore how to leverage the AI revolution to accelerate carbon free energy. In an era defined by rapid demand growth and supply chain bottlenecks, it is more essential than ever to accelerate clean energy supply through industry collaboration, technology investment, supply chain resiliency, and public policy.
This will be a solutions-oriented discussion that will go beyond the well-known AI energy bottlenecks and take a deep dive into concrete proposals to leverage the AI boom to remake the US grid and boost clean energy.
Join ERM experts for this senior peer exchange on actionable and effective ways to make clean energy abundant.
Speaker: Mackay Miller, Partner, ERM
Who is this session for?
Energy policy, site selection and energy procurement leaders from data centre, technology and power organizations
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From AI promise to climate practice: making the investment pay off
TIME: 2:30pm-3:30pm EDT
VENUE: 277 Park Avenue
About the session
Climate Week's defining question this year is implementation and how organizations turn commitments into measurable outcomes at the speed and scale this moment demands. Across the hundreds of organizations ERM advises, climate-AI investment is rising, but the share that converts into measurable emissions, nature, financial and resilience outcomes remain uneven. This session shares what ERM is seeing on the ground: where AI is moving the needle today, where investment is stalling, and the practical conditions that separate the two. The pattern is consistent: value comes not from the model, but from the decision velocity, data quality, and accountability structures around it. We'll close with a forward view on where we see the next wave of climate-AI value is shifting, including adaptation, physics-based models, nature, and capital allocation decisions that are reshaping how leaders invest in the transition.
Who is this session for?
Sustainability, EHS, climate, risk, data, and technology leaders responsible for turning climate commitments into measurable business outcomes through better data, AI, and decision-making.
Speakers:
Samir Menon, Global Managing Partner, ERM
Tommy Nguyen, Partner, ERM
Mark Levin, Consulting Director, ERM
Dan Magestro, Chief Data and AI Officer, Sphera
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