Leaders Week 2019

Full Schedule

We are at a pivotal moment for the 2030 Agenda. The clock is ticking, and the stakes are high. Recognizing the key role that companies play in driving progress on the global agenda, this September the United Nations Global Compact will bring the world’s leading Chief Executives, Heads of State and civil society to the UN for the UN Global Compact Leaders Week.

As the highest-level opportunity for companies to engage with world leaders on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Leaders Week will provide a platform for business leaders and other global decision makers to: take stock of progress made since the historic agreements of 2015, increase ambition and commitment to action, foster strategic and durable partnerships and highlight scalable, just and tailored solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.

Through these events, UN Global Compact Leaders Week will collectively showcase the ambitious business leadership and action turning corporate sustainability into a practical, mainstream reality. It is time to move into a decade of delivery, from commitments to action and onwards to results, with a greater sense of solidarity, ambition and urgency — with business leading the way.

For the full Leaders Week concept, please click here.

Transformative Business Leadership for a 1.5˚C Future

For the full agenda, please click here

Date: 23 September 2019

Time: 9:00-12:30

Location: UN Headquarters, South Dining Room

Criteria: Invitation only (CEO and C-Suite Executive of UN Global Compact Participant level)

Taking place in the context of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit, Transformative Business Leadership for 1.5˚C Future will convene business executives to discuss the future of ambitious corporate climate leadership to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement.
Beginning with a networking breakfast followed by two panels, the morning programme will facilitate discussions around the “Business Ambition for 1.5˚C” campaign and analyze corporate action four years into the Global Goals. The session will discuss the global shift in corporate attitudes and trends towards sustainability based on insights from the UN Global Compact Progress Report 2019 as well as the UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study. It will offer participants an opportunity to take a deep dive into practical business solutions for climate action. The goal of the morning programme is to mobilize more business leaders to take action in tackling the climate crisis climate for our only future through implementable, scalable and replicable business solutions.

Programme

09:00 – 09:30 Networking Breakfast

To begin the morning, participants will arrive early to UN Headquarters to network with fellow CEOs and sustainability executives over a light buffet- style breakfast

09:30 – 09:45 Welcome Remarks – Four Years into the Global Goals

Ms. Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact

09:45 – 10:45 Panel 1 | Insights from the CEO Study: A Call for Business Leadership on Climate and Gender

This interactive discussion will feature insights from the world’s business leaders who will present their corporate sustainability journeys, describing how they became empowered to adapt business strategy to key developments in the SDGs. The panel will also analyze insights from the UN Global Compact Progress Report 2019 and of the UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study which traces the development of corporate motivations in engaging with environmental, social and governance issues in core business. This year’s report features in-depth analyses of how trends in climate change and gender equality are informing business decisions as well as other developments that are affecting the integration of the 2030 Agenda into corporate decision-making practices.

Moderation: Mr. Peter Lacy, Accenture

Roberto Marques, Executive Chairman, Natura & Co
Soraya Narfeldt, Chief Executive Officer, RA International
Ilham Kadri, Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson, Solvay

The Way Forward

Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact
Ann Rosenberg, Senior Vice President, SAP; Global Head of SAP Next-Gen

10:45 – 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 – 11:15 Celebrating Business Ambition for 1.5 C - Our Only Future

Lise Kingo, will introduce the new report “1.5°C - Solutions, strategies, and mindsets for our only future”. Early signers of the campaign "Business Ambition for 1.5ºC - Our Only Future" will share their first-hand experiences of taking the step towards climate transformative commitments as scalable and replicable business solutions for committing your company to a 1.5 ˚C target.

Moderation: Ms. Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact

Peder Nielsen, President & CEO, Novozymes
Ms. Ulrike Haugen, Chief Communications Officer, DNV GL
Yuki Isogai, Partner, Head of Sustainability, PwC Japan

11:15 – 12:25 Panel 2 | The solutions to a 1. 5˚C Future – making ambition loops work

With the campaign "Business Ambition for 1.5ºC - Our Only Future", a broad coalition of partners, including all business organisations, are asking companies to address the climate emergency by committing to set science based targets aligned with a 1.5ºC trajectory for a net-zero future. Early signers of the new campaign will share their first-hand experiences of taking the first step towards climate transformative commitments as well as implementable, scalable and replicable business solutions for committing their company to a 1.5 ˚C target. Building a prosperous, net- zero carbon economy by 2050 requires both business leadership and ambitious Government action. The discussion will engage with decision- makers to help realize Ambition Loops to upgraded Nationally Determined Contributions by 2020 and net-zero emissions by 2050 as we move toward COP25 in Chile and COP26 in the U.K.

Part I: Energy Transition

Moderation: Mr. Paul Simpson, Chief Executive Officer, CDP

José Entrecanales, Chief Executive Officer, ACCIONA
Jean-Louis Chaussade, Chairman, SUEZ
Kerry Adler, Chief Executive Officer, SkyPower
Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Schneider Electric

Part II: Making Ambition Loops Work

Moderation: Mr. Nigel Topping, Chief Executive Officer, We Mean Business

Claire Perry, UK Member of Parliament, COP26 President-Designate
Gonzalo Muñoz, High Level Champion for COP25
Vera Songwe, UN Under Secretary-General, Executive Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Feike Sijbesma, Chief Executive Officer, Royal DSM (invited)

12:25 - 12:30 Closing

Executive Lunch: A Parallel Dialogue on Business Commitments for a 1.5˚C Future

Date: 23 September 2019

Time: 12:45-14:25

Location: South Dining Room, United Nation Headquarters

Criteria: C-Suite executives and corporate sustainability professionals

Hosted alongside the Private Sector Forum, the Executive Lunch will offer an exclusive opportunity for C-suite executives and corporate sustainability experts to follow the conversation live and participate in parallel debates as the high-level dialogue on climate action unfolds. The discussions of the Executive Lunch will focus on the urgency of setting more ambitious private sector climate targets, showcase interventions by “Business Ambition for 1.5˚C” companies in setting 1.5˚C targets and feature mitigation and adaption policies as well as other strategies to support a just transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

12:45 – 13:15	Participant Arrival and Networking
13:15 – 13:20	Welcome from the Master of Ceremonies Ms. Maggie Lake, Business Journalist and former Correspondent for CNN International
13:20 – 13:50	Lunch and Live Feed of the Private Sector Forum Featuring remarks from: Ms. Lise Kingo, CEO & Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact H.E. António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations H.E Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister, New Zealand
13:50 – 13:55	Welcome from the UN Global Compact Ms. Lila Karbassi, Chief of Programmes, United Nations Global Compact
13:55 - 14:00	Opening Remarks H.E. João Pedro Matos Fernandes, Minister of Environment and Energy Transition, Portugal
14:00 – 14:40	Moderated Group Discussion: Making Ambition Loops Work Session I: Climate Action Now This session will facilitate a group discussion around the pressing questions of the UN Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit: How can we increase ambitious climate action and what are the main barriers preventing us from addressing the climate crisis? Exploring the motivations for immediate climate action, the panel of this session will feature participants from business to discuss questions in an interactive polling format. Audience members will then have the opportunity to respond to these questions and share their experiences and perspectives, fostering an engaging and moderated group discussion between corporate sustainability professionals. Ms. Pia Heidenmark Cook, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ingka Group Mr. Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer, Microsoft Ms. Ulrike Haugen, Chief Communications Officer, DNV GL Group Ms. Valentina Lira, Sustainability Director, Viña Concha y Toro
	Session II: Climate Policy for Our Only Future The second moderated session will feature a multi-stakeholder panel of participants from both business and finance institutions to discuss the future of climate policy, including the steps needed to successfully fight climate change and implement systemic change to achieve the Paris Agreement. Structured around answers to questions posed via an interactive poll, this session will encourage the audience to engage in a multi-stakeholder dialogue on climate policy to align on an urgent and collective course of action in tackling the climate crisis. Ms. Berangere Magarinos-Ruchat, Global Head of Sustainability, Firmenich Ms. Chinelo Anohu, Head & Senior Director, African Investment Forum, African Development Bank Group Mr. Rasmus N.D. Skov, Director, Head of Sustainability, Ørsted
14:40 – 14:45	Closing Remarks Ms. Ulrika Modéer, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy, United Nations Development Programme

Private Sector Forum

Date: 23 September 2019

Time: 13:15-14:45

Location: UN Headquarters, Delegates Dining Room & South Dining Room

Criteria: Invitation only (CEO level)

Since 2008, the annual Private Sector Forum (PSF) has gathered global leaders at the United Nations during UN General Assembly week to address major global issues such as climate change, sustainable development and human rights. This year, the Forum will be held as the high-level luncheon of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit. Hosted by the UN Secretary-General and organized by the UN Global Compact in close cooperation with UN partners, the event will provide a unique opportunity for Chief Executives, young climate leaders, Heads of State and Government as well as UN leaders to engage in a multi-stakeholder, intergenerational dialogue to align on an urgent and collective course of action in tackling the climate crisis.

Building on the ambition of the UN Climate Action Summit, the Private Sector Forum will provide an innovative, democratic and inclusive platform, aiming to build an unprecedented sense of urgency and momentum.

By encouraging cross-sector and inter-generational dialogue, the Forum will facilitate the sharing of groundbreaking climate-related commitments, public policy measures, and recognize the signatories of the Business Ambition for 1.5˚C Campaign. Companies who sign the pledge before 13 September 2019 will be recognized at the Forum. To find out more about the initiative, please click here.

A maximum of 350 participants will attend the Private Sector Forum. Participation will be at the highest level and by invitation only: CEOs from companies; Heads of State/Government; Heads of UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes; Heads of civil society organizations, business associations and foundations; young entrepreneurs, and Heads of investor groups.

The UN Global Compact Office is leading the organization of this Forum, in close cooperation with the Climate Action Summit Team, the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth and UN partners.

Registration to the Private Sector Form includes the following events:

Morning session "Transformative Business Leadership for a 1.5˚C Future”, 23 September, 09:00 – 12:30
Climate Action Reception, 23 September, 18:30 – 21:00

Please refer to the Leaders Week schedule for more details on all three events.

Health is Everyone’s Business

Date: 23 September 2019

Time: 15:30-17:30

Location: UN Headquarters, Private Dining Rooms 1, 2, 3

Criteria: Invitation Only (email gauthier@unglobalcompact.org to request an invitation)

Connecting the high-level priorities of the 74th United Nations General Assembly, and taking place on the sidelines of the UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, Health is Everyone’s Business will bring business together to demonstrate the importance of an integrated approach towards health.
Bringing corporate leaders together to create a call-to-action, this event will highlight the complex nature of healthcare, and explore ways for the private sector to cooperate and drive systemic transformation in the pursuit of a healthier future for all.

By examining the intersection between Universal Health Coverage, Climate Action and the realization of the 2030 Agenda, the event will emphasize best practices and feature panel discussions on the relationship between personal and environmental health, in hopes of creating tipping points towards healthier people and a healthier planet.

Climate Action Reception

Date: 23 September 2019

Time: 18:30-21:00

Location: UN Headquarters, Delegates Dining Room & Terrace (weather depending)

Criteria: Invitation only (CEO and C-Suite Executive of UN Global Compact Participant level)

Following the conclusion of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ Climate Action Summit, the UN Global Compact will host an evening reception in the Delegates Dining Room for 500 guests, including UN officials, world leaders, influential business executives, sustainability executives, NGOs and young entrepreneurs. Designed to give guests the opportunity to reflect on the lasting impact of the day and network, the reception will inspire even greater enthusiasm for climate action in the context of sustainable development.

The reception’s theme will focus on three Sustainable Development Goals which are critical for combatting climate change: Life on Land, Life Below Water as well as Responsible Consumption and Production. The importance of these SDGs will be featured in various ways for the evening, including through interactive displays, activities and food and beverage choices.

To request an invitation to the Climate Action Reception, please fill out this form.

SDG Solutions Showcase Breakfast

Date: 25 September 2019

Time: 08:00- 10:00

Location: South Dining Room & Private Dining Rooms 6, 7, 8 (United Nations Headquarters)

Criteria: Request invitation on the SDG Business Forum website.

Recognizing strong leadership in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the SDG Innovation Showcase Breakfast will provide a platform for industry leaders to share unique solutions and products being developed to advance the 2030 Agenda. Hosted by the UN Global Compact and the International Chamber of Commerce, this buffet style breakfast will feature creative exhibits and tables from business and civil society dedicated to groundbreaking ideas, and the sharing of innovative solutions to tackle the pressing challenges related to the SDGs.

SDG Business Forum

Date: 25 September 2019

Time: 10:00-13:00

Location: UN Headquarters

Criteria: Request invitation on SDG Business Forum website

Now in its 4th year, the SDG Business Forum is a landmark event showcasing business leaders who have worked towards supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda. Hosted by the United Nations Global Compact, International Chamber of Commerce and UN DESA, this event will bring together leaders from business, Government, the UN and civil society to explore how the private sector can work to create partnerships for the SDGs. It will also connect the high level priorities of the 74th General Assembly: climate change, sustainable financing, and universal health coverage. Panel discussions at this year’s Forum will explore the topics of sustainable financing for 2030, the future of business, and scaling ambition. To view the full schedule, please click here.

Leadership for the SDGs: Featuring the Young SDG Pioneers

Date: 25 September 2019

Time: TBD

Location: UN Headquarters, SDG Media Zone

Criteria: SDG current and past Pioneers. See a full list here

Celebrating the work of the 2019 SDG Young Pioneers, this event will recognize a group of exceptional young people who have demonstrated ambitious and innovative work towards advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Showcasing the stories and contributions of young professionals under 35 from varying sectors, the reception will encourage intergenerational dialogue to inspire people of all ages to take greater action towards achieving the 2030 Agenda.

Trailblazing Women Reception

Date: 25 September 2019

Time: 19:00- 21:00

Location: SDG Action Zone (Rose Garden), UN Headquarters

Criteria: Request an invitation here.

A night of inspiration, showcasing trailblazing female executives, founders and entrepreneurs and their impact on business, planet and society.

Held as part of UN Global Compact Leaders Week series of events, the Trailblazing Women Reception will bring together a diverse group of leaders from business, government and civil society to honour and celebrate the impact of women business leaders across the globe and call for greater commitment from all sectors to bring down barriers to women’s economic empowerment and leadership. Highlights include:

Launch of Target Equality, a new UN Global Compact initiative focused on corporate target setting for women’s representation and leadership.
Presentations by trailblazing awardees of the WE Empower UN SDG Challenge.
Interactive exhibits promoting women’s business leadership as a catalyst for progress on the SDGs.

The Trailblazing Women Reception is convened in partnership with the UN Office of Partnerships and WE Empower UN SDG Challenge.

Corporate Sponsor: SAP, Mastercard, and Bank of America

Mastercard

Bank of America

High-Level CEO Roundtable on Corporate SDG Finance and Investment

Date: 26 September 2019

Time: 7:00-9:00

Location: UN Headquarters, Private Dining Rooms 1, 2, 3

Criteria: Invitation Only.

The CEO Roundtable on Corporate SDG Finance and Investment will bring together a select and diverse group of global business leaders to take stock of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will provide an opportunity for top executives to discuss critical global priorities, explore partnership opportunities, and reach consensus on the path forward. The event will focus on the need for business to amplify efforts to advance human rights and address inequalities, particularly as it relates to sustainable financing for the SDGs.

The Roundtable will explore how investors, financial institutions and corporations can shape the SDG financing agenda through capital market activities and corporate strategies. Key topics to be discussed include the role of the private sector in mainstreaming sustainable investments, the role of governments in providing corporations and investors their strategic plans for development models in emerging markets and the role of CFOs and the greater financial community in supporting the UN Secretary-General’s GISD Alliance.

Sustainable Stock Exchange 10th Anniversary

Date: 26 September 2019

Time: 12:30- 16:00

Location: New York Stock Exchange

Criteria: Invitation Only to SSE Participants

The Sustainable Stock Exchange (SSE) initiative, a UN Partnership Programme organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Global Compact, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), has become the premier platform for finance in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. Providing a platform for collaboration between stock exchanges, capital market regulators, investors, issuers and financial service providers, it has pioneered a new path forward for sustainable financing.

To mark the 10th anniversary since the SSE was initiated, partners are invited to join in commemorating the progress of sustainable stock exchanges and charting a path for the next 10 years. Hosted by the UN Global Compact and its sister initiative PRI, this event will bring together representatives from the stock exchange, business, civil society and UN at the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate. To view the full programme, please click here.