Executive Quarterly Update: Q3 2026

Last month it was energizing to see our community come together in New York during the UN General Assembly and NYC Climate Week. Across conversations with business leaders and peers, a common question emerged: what is the future of sustainability?

Our recent study, conducted in collaboration with GlobeScan and the UN Global Compact Country Networks Canada and Mexico, addressed this very question. More than three-quarters of sustainability professionals identified connecting sustainability to business value and risk management as a critical priority.

As we head into the final stretch of the year, with many of us focused on finishing strong, I want to share what we've been working on at the UN Global Compact Network USA to support your sustainability journey.

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In case you missed it…

We convened 26 rising sustainability leaders from more than 10 companies for the SDG Innovation Accelerator final workshops and project presentations at Arizona State University's Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix. Over two days, participants presented innovative solutions focused on circularity and waste reduction, water stewardship, and advancing education to strengthen workforce resilience.

We brought our community together through a series of events and conversations during UNGA/Climate Week in New York, including:  

• An exclusive rooftop reception for CSOs to kick off the week, hosted in collaboration with McPherson Strategies.

• “Driving the Future of Climate Action” with Lucid Motors, an event exploring the innovations shaping climate action.

• “From Pilot to Scale: Unlocking the Next Phase of Climate Tech,” with Siemens, a roundtable to discuss how technology can accelerate decarbonization across products, production, and supply chains.  

• Our largest gathering, the UNGC Network USA Annual Summit. Under the theme “The Room Where It Happens: Shaping the Next Era of Sustainability Leadership,” over 150 business leaders shared practical insights on turning sustainability priorities into action.

Creating more opportunities for you…

• Our new discussion series, Leaders in Action, is off to a strong start. The first two webinars, “Leaders in Action: Turning Sustainability into Strategic Value,” and “Leaders in Action: A Conversation on the New Playbook for Chief Sustainability Officers,” collectively drew 426 registrations and 161 attendees. We look forward to continuing to host opportunities to share candid insights and perspectives, through peer-level conversations about what it takes to lead right now.

• We’ve continued our SME Initiative Webinar Series. Carbon Accounting 101 provided SMEs with a foundational understanding of carbon accounting, covering Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and an introduction to Scope 3.  

• Applications are Open for the 2026 Business & Human Rights Accelerator. The three-month hybrid program provides the tools, expertise, and peer network to assess where human rights risks exist, prioritize the issues that matter most to the business, and develop an actionable plan to address them. This program is available to participants at no cost. Please contact Noah Smith, to learn more.  

• Finally, we invite you to explore the following webinars: Q3 ESG Regulatory Briefing, and a two-part series on the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2, with an introduction and guidance on transitioning.

If you’re planning to attend COP31 in Turkey, I encourage you to reach out to our team to explore opportunities to connect with our community on the ground.  

I'm grateful for your ongoing engagement in the Network USA community, and look forward to driving sustainability progress together in the months ahead.

Sincerely,

Amanda Gardiner

Executive Director

UN Global Compact Network USA