UNGA and Climate Week NYC 2026

Nature in Transition Planning: Market Insights and Network Design Sprint

2:30pm – 3:30pm

BSR New York office
171 Madison Avenue, Suite 1501
New York, NY 10016

WWF and CDP, supported by BSR, will convene senior practitioners and decision-makers from leading companies, financial institutions, and civil society organizations for an interactive workshop exploring how to enable and scale nature in transition planning, as a strategic approach to enhancing business resilience while aligning organizations with nature goals. The workshop will also offer a sneak peek at what the Informal Working Group on nature in transition planning has been discussing, to be released at COP17.

SPEAKERS

• Nicolas Poolen, Global Lead, Nature Finance Frameworks, WWF International
• Scott Twigg, Transition Lead, CDP

Register here

___________

Mind the Gap: Aligning Insurance, Policy, and Nature for Climate Resilience

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Fordham Law School at the Lincoln Center
150 W 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Climate change and nature loss are reshaping insurance markets and widening the protection gap. More frequent and severe floods, storms, wildfires, and droughts are driving losses higher, while degraded ecosystems are reducing the natural protections communities rely on, from flood absorption to heat mitigation.

Together, these trends are pushing climate-related insured losses up by an unsustainable 5% to 7% annually in real terms. This session will focus on practical solutions to close the growing insurance gap by aligning policy, regulation, finance, insurance practice, and investment in nature.

SPEAKERS

• Opening remarks: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) (TBC)
• Moderator: John Morton, WWF
• Lia Cairone, Director of Sustainability & Resilience at the NYC Mayor's Office of Management and Budget
• Sarah Conway
• Closing remarks: Rep Kathy Castor (FL)

Register here

___________

Pitching for the Planet: Live Solutions, Real Stakes

3:30pm – 4:45pm

Regen House
Location provided upon registration approval

Four nature-based solutions for climate adaptation, implemented in countries around the world. will be pitched live to a panel of philanthropic, multilateral, and corporate judges, in a high energy, "shark tank" style session hosted by CARE and the CARE/WWF Alliance. The pitches will be evaluated on whether it delivers measurable results, especially for women, can work at scale, and can attract real investment, with attendees invited to question the pitchers and vote for an audience favorite.

Each pitch will come with results in hand: For example, CARE’s Eco Savings Groups in Tanzania raised incomes by 102%, with women-led households increasing by 157%. Moreover, the savings groups have financed watershed restoration projects which have doubled the dry-season river flow.

Nature-based solutions are increasingly central to how companies manage risk as economic, climate, and social disruption make supply chains and sourcing landscapes more volatile. This session will explore how real investment can meet evidence-based models to make measurable economic and environmental changes for communities around the world. Attendees will leave with new ideas, opportunities and connections to support their program design and portfolio development of nature-based solutions.

Speakers to be confirmed.

Register here

From Ambition to Implementation: Scaling Government led Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation

9:00am – 10:00am

Panda House
Location provided upon registration approval

Climate adaptation is not advancing at the pace or scale required, and governments, particularly in the Global South, are not yet fully harnessing nature-based solutions to address growing climate risks. Despite their recognised benefits, nature-based solutions for adaptation (NbS-A) remain insufficiently integrated into public policy, development planning, budgets and investment processes. Their uptake is constrained by interconnected barriers, including fragmented governance, institutional and technical capacity gaps, limited finance, weak evidence and metrics, and insufficient coordination. Governments also struggle to navigate and access the expertise, partnerships and support needed to translate adaptation commitments into action.

Bringing together government representatives, adaptation platform leaders and technical and financial experts, this panel will explore how to move NbS-A from isolated projects to sustained implementation at scale. It will highlight practical pathways, tools and platforms, while considering how international partners can better align their support with government priorities, strengthen existing capabilities and respond to diverse national and local contexts.

SPEAKERS

• Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Global Leader of Climate & Energy, WWF International
• Matt Jones, Chief Impact Officer, UNEP-WCMC
• A representative of NDC Partnership Support Unit
• A representative Ministry of Environment of Colombia
• A representative of Director of Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment of Panama

Register here

___________

Food Waste: The Climate Opportunity on Our Plate

9:00am – 11:00am

Apella
450 East 29th St., 2d Floor

Join World Resources Institute, World Wildlife Fund, Global Foodbanking Network, WRAP, and ReFED for a discussion about the levers we pull across the globe today to reduce food waste. The good news is that chefs, food businesses, policymakers, funders, innovators, and non-profits are already taking impactful, scalable action.

Globally, food loss and waste account for 8-10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions—nearly five times the total output of the aviation sector. Food waste reduction projects worldwide are accelerating because they offer an opportunity to create immediate climate impact while unlocking major benefits for food businesses, people, and theplanet. Join us for a morning session highlighting how:

• Food waste is one of the most addressable global climate challenges of ourtime
• Food businesses are taking action now and creating real results throughcountry-based pacts
• Community-based organizations are increasingly rescuing and redistributing surplus food through partnerships with governments and businesses

Speakers to be confirmed.

Register here

___________

Elevating People and Nature in Carbon Markets

10:15am – 11:15am

Panda House
Location provided upon registration approval

​Carbon markets are maturing. Improved science, stronger methodologies, and greater accountability are creating a stronger foundation for growth.

​With that foundation in place, the focus is shifting to quality. Elevating people and nature within carbon projects is no longer optional. It is essential for managing risk, improving project performance, and building a credible, durable market.

​Join this panel to discuss what this next phase means for investors, developers, and communities alike.

Moderator: John Morton, Executive Managing Director, Nature Finance and Investment, WWF

Additional speakers to be confirmed.

Register here

___________

The Next Sustainability Imperative: Integrating Climate and Nature Into Business Strategy

1:15pm – 2:15pm

Panda House
Location provided upon registration approval

​As companies advance toward ambitious climate goals, they’re increasingly recognizing that climate and nature are deeply interconnected, and that achieving long-term business resilience requires addressing both.

​Join WWF and partners for a conversation on how businesses are integrating climate and nature across operations, value chains, and corporate decision making.

​The discussion will explore how integrating climate and nature strengthens business resilience, from managing supply chain risks tied to water scarcity and biodiversity loss, to reducing costs through climate mitigation and circular practices, to meeting rising expectations from investors, regulators, and consumers.

​Together, panelists will share perspectives on what it takes to move from commitment to measurable business value.

Speakers to be confirmed.

Register here

___________

The Future of Biodiversity Finance

2:30pm – 3:30pm

Panda House
Location provided upon registration approval

​Join the Paulson Institute, WWF, and The Nature Conservancy for the public launch of Financing Nature: The Future of Biodiversity Finance, the latest installment in the Financing Nature series.

​Building on previous reports that defined the scale of the global biodiversity finance gap and informed funding targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, this new report shifts from diagnosing the challenge to highlighting solutions.

​Through real-world case studies from across sectors, speakers will explore proven, replicable approaches to mobilizing finance for nature and discuss the leadership needed from governments, financial institutions, and the private sector to close the global biodiversity finance gap.

SPEAKERS

• Hank Paulson, Chairman, The Paulson Institute
• Jennifer Morris, CEO, The Nature Conservancy
• Carter Roberts, President & CEO, World Wildlife Fund

Register here

___________

Value Change Initiative & 3 Degrees: Net Zero Value Chains - From accounting to action: advancing credible Scope 3 decarbonization

3:00pm – 6:00pm

Location provided upon registration approval

The corporate climate landscape is moving toward greater rigor, with growing expectations for companies to substantiate climate action through credible data, accounting, and reporting.

The GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Standard (LSRS) introduces a more robust framework for accounting and reporting land-based emissions and CO₂ removals. However, implementation remains challenging, with companies navigating supplier data aps, limited traceability, allocation challenges, and evolving assurance expectations. At the same time, organizations are exploring how market-based approaches can help accelerate credible Scope 3 action beyond their direct operations.

Join corporate sustainability leaders, standard setters, climate experts, and solution providers to explore two key developments shaping the future of value chain decarbonization:

Panel 1: Implementing the GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals StandardHear from experts and early adopters on the practical challenges of implementing the LSRS, including data quality, traceability, allocation, reporting, and assurance. Learn what organizations are doing today—and what may be needed to support scalable implementation in the years ahead.

Panel 2: The emerging role of Market-Based Instruments (MBIs)Explore how carbon credits, environmental certificates, and other market-based approaches could support Scope 3 decarbonization. Hear the latest perspectives ondevelopments across the GHG Protocol, AMI Standard, and SBTi's Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2, alongside practical insights from companies already piloting these approaches.

Confirmed speakers include representatives from WWF, PepsiCo, SBTi, Starbucks, and 3Degrees, with more speakers to be announced soon.

The event will conclude with networking drinks, providing an opportunity to continue the conversation and connect with peers from across the corporate climate ecosystem.

Register here

___________

From Risk to Opportunity: Science-based Targets for the Ocean

3:45pm – 4:45pm

Panda House
Location provided upon registration approval

Ocean health forms the foundation of a stable climate and economy. For companies across the ocean economy, credible ocean targets are increasingly a source of business value rather than just an environmental commitment. Setting science-based targets helps companies surface nature-related risks early, turn emerging disclosure frameworks like TNFD and CSRD into strategic assets, and strengthen their social license to operate. It also opens access to green and sustainability-linked financing as capital markets increasingly price in nature risk.

Building on the groundbreaking science-based guidance for the seafood sector launched last year, this event will showcase a new effort to develop holistic, science-based targets covering all ocean sectors, including offshore wind, tourism, shipping, and ports. The discussion will explore why credible, science-aligned action is essential for safeguarding ocean health and highlight companies already working to address their impacts and dependencies on nature.

Attendees will gain insight into how businesses can align with global standards increasingly demanded by governments, financial institutions, and civil society, and how early movers will have the chance to shape the next generation of ocean guidance and position themselves as leaders in the transition to a nature-positive ocean economy.

Speakers to be confirmed.

Register here

___________

Driving Freshwater Resilience for Climate-Threatened River Basins

5:00pm – 6:00pm

Panda House
Location provided upon registration approval

​Around the world, river basins are increasingly under threat from drought, climate change, overuse, and other factors. It is critical for communities, companies, and other major water users to understand the state of their water security, and identify the major risks to their supply.

​Join WWF, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), for the launch of the Freshwater Basin Threshold Tool, a new resource designed to help companies translate water commitments into meaningful action across their supply chains.

​Speakers from WWF, SBTN, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the private sector will discuss the future of science-based water stewardship and the partnerships, data, and tools needed to drive action at scale.

SPEAKERS

• John Varner, Executive Director, Land and Water, Lincoln Institute for Land Policy
• Varsha Vijay, Technical Director, SBTN
• Michele Thieme, Vice President, Freshwater, WWF-US
• Kyle Onda, Director of Technology, Center for Geospatial Solutions, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
• Angela Bowman, Senior Director, Freshwater Metrics and US Waterscapes, WWF-US
• Peter Colohan, Director, Partnerships and Program Innovation, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
• Nicole Tanner, Director, Corporate Water Stewardship, WWF-US

Register here