Less Than One Month to Go: Join Us at the 2026 UN Global Compact Leaders Summit

The countdown is on. In less than one month, the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2026 will bring our global community together in New York on 22–23 September for two days focused on turning sustainability ambition into business action. Taking place during UN General Assembly High-Level Week, the Summit will convene leaders from across business, the United Nations, Government and civil society to tackle the issues shaping the future of responsible business from climate and nature, human rights and decent work to sustainable finance, integrity and resilient global systems. Through bold plenaries, practical workshops, peer exchange and purposeful networking, participants will gain the tools, insights and partnerships needed to manage risk, strengthen resilience and unlock long-term value in an increasingly complex world. There is still time to join us — reserve your place and be part of the global community moving from commitment to implementation.

Asia-Pacific Business Leaders Turn Sustainability Ambition into Action

More than 200 business leaders, sustainability practitioners, policymakers and UN representatives from across Asia-Pacific came together in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for Forward Faster Now APAC 2026, the UN Global Compact’s flagship regional event. Over two days, participants moved from ambition to implementation, sharing practical approaches to climate action, sustainable finance, water resilience, human rights, gender equality, governance and digital innovation. With businesses across the region navigating climate risks, geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological change, the gathering underscored a clear message: embedding sustainability into core business strategy can strengthen resilience, competitiveness and long-term value and collaboration across sectors and borders is essential to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

The Next Generation of Responsible Business Leaders Is Already Taking Action

To mark International Youth Day, PRME celebrated the students helping shape what responsible business leadership will look like in the years ahead. PRME Students is the global student community of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), the UN-supported initiative working with business and management schools to equip future leaders to build a more sustainable and inclusive economy. Connecting student organizations around the world, PRME Students gives young people a platform to influence global conversations, build leadership and professional skills and turn ambitious ideas into practical action. Over the past year, the 2025–2026 PRME Students Regional Leaders have represented young voices across nine regions, organized initiatives and engaged with leaders from higher education, business and the UN system, demonstrating the role students can play today in advancing responsible business and the SDGs.

From Commitment to Action on Living Wages and Incomes

How can companies help ensure workers and farming households earn enough to achieve a decent standard of living and turn ambition into action across global value chains? More than 500 business leaders, practitioners, policymakers and civil society representatives came together in Rotterdam for the Living Wage & Living Income Summit 2026, co-hosted by the UN Global Compact and IDH. The Summit moved beyond the case for living wages and incomes to focus on how to deliver them credibly and at scale, with practical discussions on measuring wage and income gaps, responsible purchasing practices, social dialogue, investment and implementation. Participants shared real-world approaches and strengthened partnerships aimed at advancing decent work, more resilient supply chains and sustainable livelihoods worldwide. 

Building Water Resilience Through Collective Action in Indonesia

In West Java, a new partnership is showing what collective action on water resilience can look like in practice. BERSAMA, launched by UNICEF Indonesia with the Water Resilience Coalition and in collaboration with the Government of Indonesia and the CEO Water Mandate, a UN Global Compact initiative in partnership with the Pacific Institute, brings together government, communities, and business to strengthen climate-resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene systems in the Citarum watershed. The first phase, running from 2026–2028 with support from Gap Inc. and Haleon, aims to provide 200,000 people with access to climate-resilient WASH services, while reaching a further 300,000 people with water resilience and hygiene awareness. Designed as a scalable model for wider action across Java, BERSAMA demonstrates how public-private collaboration can translate shared water challenges into practical, measurable solutions for communities on the front lines of climate change.

Business Leaders Advance Water Stewardship and Climate Resilience Across Asia-Pacific

How can business help accelerate more resilient and sustainable development across Asia-Pacific? Alongside the Ninth Session of the UN ESCAP Committee on Environment and Development (CED9), the UN Global Compact convened 11 senior business leaders from Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka for a Private Sector Roundtable on Water Stewardship and Climate-Resilient Development. Leaders shared practical experience and explored how companies can strengthen water stewardship, build climate resilience and support more integrated approaches to sustainable development. Their perspectives were also brought into the CED9 plenary and helped inform wider discussions on advancing synergies for sustainable development across the region. Together, these engagements strengthened dialogue between business, government and development partners, underscoring the importance of collective action in tackling interconnected climate, water and development challenges.

Bulgaria Launches New Study to Put a Value on Sustainability

UN Global Compact Country Network Bulgaria has launched Profit through Sustainability, the country’s first business-led study examining how sustainable practices translate into measurable economic value. Developed with KANTAR Bulgaria, the research will combine company data, case studies and international evidence to explore how sustainability can strengthen efficiency, resilience, market access, talent attraction and long-term competitiveness. Building on insights from more than 100 leaders convened at the 2026 Profit through Sustainability Business Forum, the initiative aims to move the conversation beyond compliance and demonstrate, with evidence from business itself, where sustainability delivers tangible returns. If successful, the methodology could also be expanded across other UN Global Compact Country Networks to help build a broader global evidence base for the business case for sustainability. The study is carried out with support from Devin EAD, Shell Bulgaria EAD , Sofia Med AD, Lidl Bulgaria EOOD and Coca-Cola HBC Bulgaria AD.

If you would like to learn more or receive the study findings, please email: secretariat@unglobalcompact.bg

From COP Ambition to Business Action: UN Global Compact Network Australia Launches Executive Leadership Trip

Ahead of COP31, UN Global Compact Network Australia and Intrepid Travel are bringing senior business leaders closer to the realities shaping global climate negotiations. Taking place 5–9 November in Türkiye, the five-day Leadership Trip combines executive workshops with immersive, on-the-ground learning in Antalya and Kaş, helping participants understand emerging climate risks and opportunities, navigate the COP process with greater confidence and translate global discussions into practical business strategy. Designed for C-suite executives, board members and senior sustainability leaders, the programme also offers the opportunity to build relationships with peers facing many of the same challenges, turning the COP experience into insight, action and stronger organizational resilience.

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