With just four years left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, the need for bold, collective action has never been more urgent.
In our 21st anniversary year, the 18th UNGCNS Summit returns as a platform for business leaders, changemakers, and innovators to accelerate sustainability across Singapore and the Asia Pacific.
Anchored in Singapore’s role as a regional hub for green innovation, the Summit will feature high-level discussions, hands-on workshops, and cross-sector collaboration. Participants will gain the tools, insights, and networks needed to lead on sustainability now and beyond 2030.
Shape strategy, scale ambition, and drive lasting impact on 2nd September 2026!
$500
$400
The fireside chat will explore how businesses can take a pragmatic, phased approach to sustainability in the near to medium term, offering perspectives on priority actions that organisations across large corporates, SMEs, and professional advisers can realistically focus on over the next one to three years as the global system recalibrates.
The CDL-GCNS Young SDG Leaders Award is an annual case competition jointly organised by City Developments Limited and UN Global Compact Network Singapore. It recognises and rewards young leaders in Singapore who actively advance the UN SDGs. The competition provides a platform for youth to champion sustainable development and integrate the SDGs into business strategies.
Take a break with refreshments and light bites while engaging with peers at the Impact Exchange. The foyer will feature dedicated zones focused on key sustainability topics, offering spaces to connect, discuss, and share ideas in an informal setting.
Building on the strategic framing from the opening fireside chat, this plenary demonstrates how companies, SMEs, and civil society organisations are translating sustainability commitments into tangible outcomes on the ground.
Through real-world examples of low-carbon initiatives, circular economy practices, and cross-sector partnerships, this session highlights what is working in practice and why.
Mobilising Capital at Scale: Financing Asia’s Sustainable Transition (Workshop)
Venue: tbc
Gain practical tools to mobilise public and private capital for sustainable projects across Asia. Participants will explore de-risking strategies, innovative financing mechanisms, and partnership models to achieve measurable impact.
SDG Focus: 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure)
Beyond Greenwashing: ESG Integrity, Accountability and Trust in Asia (Panel Discussion)
Venue: tbc
Explore practical solutions to enhance water sustainability and resilience across Asia. Participants will examine real-world water challenges and learn how nature-based solutions, technology adoption, and cross-sector partnerships can drive measurable impact.
SDG Focus: 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production), 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions)
Venue: tbc
Enjoy a buffet lunch while engaging in a dynamic networking experience, featuring dedicated zones in the foyer focused on key sustainability themes. Connect with fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and explore topics that matter most to you in an informal and interactive setting.
Preparing for Inequality and Social-Related Financial Disclosures (Fireside Chat)
Venue: tbc
People are struggling around the world in the face of high and persistent inequalities, yet many of us, individuals, organisations and regulators alike, find it difficult to understand what this looks like — yet awareness alone rarely leads to action.
More than 900 experts interviewed by the World Economic Forum rank societal polarisation as one of five greatest risks faced today, impacting social stability and threatening international cooperation needed to prevent the impacts of climate change and nature loss on people.
This fireside chat explores how companies can:
– Hear from leading voices about the mechanisms that lead to inequality, rather than just the effects of inequality,
– Gain clarity around how companies’ actions impact people, how they potentially contribute to disparities between different groups of people, and how these disparities affect business and the wider economy,
– Play a key role in addressing complex social challenges to co-curate solutions to create peaceful, just and strong societies.
Participants will gain insights into the mechanisms through which inequality works, and the work and expectations of the TISFD when it is released in 2027, and how (non-SME and MSME) businesses can prepare for reporting on social sustainability matters.
Water Resilience: Business Solutions for a Sustainable Asia (Workshop)
Venue: tbc
Participants tackle real-world water challenges, exploring nature-based solutions, technology adoption, and cross-sector partnerships.
The session provides practical strategies to strengthen resilience, manage water risks, and integrate water management with broader climate and ESG priorities.
Venue: tbc
Explore how different generations interpret current sustainability challenges amid geopolitical and regulatory uncertainties. Panelists from government, corporates, SMEs, and youth will discuss practical actions organisations can take over the next 1–3 years to remain future-ready, resilient, and trusted.
Explores the challenges and trade-offs of rapid urbanisation and decarbonisation in Asia. Panelists will discuss innovative pathways to create prosperous, resilient, and low-carbon cities, including strategies to scale low-carbon infrastructure from pilot initiatives to city- or region-wide platforms. Diverse perspectives will provide practical guidance for decision-makers in business and policy. Debate-style panel with live audience polls to highlight trade-offs, followed by actionable takeaways.
We explore how AI can accelerate sustainability outcomes—improving efficiency, transparency, and low-carbon initiatives—while highlighting practical trade-offs around energy use, governance, and workforce impact.
Participants will understand how organisations can adopt AI responsibly over the next 1–3 years, using it as a tool to scale measurable impact without compromising trust or ethical standards. The session will leave leaders with concrete guidance on leveraging AI to drive sustainable growth across Asia.
Venue: tbc
The closing remarks will synthesise the day’s discussions, reaffirm UNGCNS’s role as an enabler of trusted partnerships, and challenge participants to turn dialogue into concrete action. Attendees will be encouraged to collaborate across sectors and borders to help build Asia’s next sustainable growth engine.
Venue: tbc
Join us after the Summit for an energising reception to connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and partners. It’s a chance to continue the conversation, spark new ideas, and build lasting connections in a relaxed and engaging setting.
In celebration of the United Nations MSME Day and the significant contributions of SMEs in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we bring to you
UNGCNS SME Sustainability Day!
Get actionable insights, practical steps, dive into a debate on AI’s role in sustainability reporting and form meaningful connections to turn ambition into action.
Your role in shaping a sustainable future is more important than ever. Whether you’re just getting started or ready to go further, SME Sustainability Day will help you move from intention to action.
The typical SME owner may not know where to begin or which steps to prioritize, even if they are motivated to pursue sustainability. Their initial instinct that hiring a consultant is unavoidable, which in most cases would require a significant outlay that may not have been budgeted and/or with no guaranteed economic return.
How can we support SMEs in getting started with sustainability without worrying about challenging stuff like how to produce a detailed Sustainability Report, for example? In other words, how can they begin their sustainability journey without having to dive into the more complex and costly aspects right away?
This panel aims to explore practical, actionable steps that SMEs can take to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and make a difference, without the stress of worrying about more complex or potentially necessary future actions.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming sustainability reporting, offering unprecedented opportunities for data accuracy, efficiency, and transparency. However, its integration has brought about new challenges, including data quality concerns, inconsistent reporting standards, and ethical risks such as bias and privacy issues. AI’s cost-saving benefits from streamlining ESG disclosures may be convincing, but this is challenged by complexities and potential risks in ensuring robust governance, credibility and sufficient human oversight. Will AI bring more challenges or problems for sustainability reporting?
Join this exciting plenary debate as well unpack the pros and cons to determine whether AI will be a catalyst for progress—or a source of greater complexity—for SMEs navigating the future of responsible business.
Meet our sponsors and partners who are making an impact with us
© Copyright 2025 · Global Compact Network Singapore
Disruptive innovations that enable positive transformation
Disruptive innovations that enable positive transformation
Paving the way for circular supply chains
UN GLOBAL COMPACT NETWORK SINGAPORE
Towards net zero – decarbonising to optimise business operations.
Paving the way for circular supply chains
Disruptive innovations that enable positive transformation
Paving the way for circular supply chains
Disruptive innovations that enable positive transformation
Disruptive innovations that enable positive transformation
UOB
Paving the way for circular supply chains
| Time | Programme |
| 9.00am | Registration |
| 9.30am | Welcome remarks by Esther Chang, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network Singapore |
| 9.35am | Launch of the Singapore Business Carbon Report 2023 |
| 9.45am | Keynote Address by Cindy Khoo, Managing Director of Enterprise Singapore |
| 10.00am | Sharing Session by Companies on their Decarbonisation Journey |
| 10:15am | Panel Discussion and Q&A |
| 11.00am | End of Session & Networking |
| Time | Programme |
| 9.00am | Registration |
| 9.30am | Session introduction |
| 9.40am | Welcome remarks by Esther Chang, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network Singapore |
| 9.50am | Panel Discussion and Q&A |
| 10.50am | Launch of the Executive Guide to Sustainability Reporting 2024 Edition |
| 11:15am | Closing Remarks |
| 11.20am | End of Session & Networking |
| Time | Programme |
| 9.00am | Registration |
| 9.30am | Session introduction |
| 9.40am | Welcome remarks by Esther Chang, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network Singapore |
| 9.50am | Panel Discussion and Q&A |
| 11:00am | Closing Remarks |
| 11.15am | End of Session & Networking |
