The 2026 Sustainable Global Leaders Conference is scheduled to take place from October 20 to 22, 2026, in the Huangpu District of Shanghai. Co-hosted by the World Green Design Organization (WGDO) and SINA Corp, with SINA Finance and the WGDO Beijing Representative Office serving as co-organizers, the event carries the theme "Building a Resilient Future: Global Governance, Innovation-Driven Growth, and Industrial Upgrading."
The conference aims to broaden international collaboration and expand public engagement channels, with expectations of convening more than 300 global participants, including representatives from international organizations, Nobel laureates, Turing Award winners, and senior executives from leading enterprises worldwide. These thought leaders will engage in dialogues and deliver addresses, exploring critical challenges and actionable pathways for global sustainable development.
Compared to previous editions, this year's conference brings two major upgrades. The first centers on deeper involvement from a wider spectrum of international institutions, elevating global coordination to a new level. Agencies affiliated with the United Nations, along with specialized and technical global bodies, will participate in diverse formats to establish cross-border, cross-sector collaboration platforms. These efforts are designed to facilitate the exchange of sustainability expertise, align resources on a global scale, and convert international consensus into tangible implementation.
The second upgrade focuses on dismantling professional silos to widen public participation. Running concurrently with the main conference, the second Green Industry and Sustainable Consumption Expo will open its doors to the general public, featuring new concepts such as a sustainable marketplace. This initiative aims to extend sustainability principles from expert forums into everyday life. Through interactive experiences centered on eco-friendly living, high-end cultural products, and circular economy demonstrations, the expo will create tangible scenarios where the public can engage with, experience, and contribute to sustainability practices, helping to shift sustainable development from an industry-specific topic into a broader social movement.
The conference agenda prioritizes cutting-edge and high-profile issues. Multiple keynote speeches, high-level dialogues, thematic seminars, and closed-door exchange sessions will explore topics including artificial intelligence and human advancement, climate change adaptation and regional responses, and the international expansion of Chinese enterprises, fostering vibrant intellectual exchanges.
Leading academics will offer pioneering insights. Thomas Sargent, the 2011 Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences and a professor of economics at New York University, along with Joseph Sifakis, founder of Verimag Laboratory and recipient of the 2007 Turing Award, are confirmed to deliver keynote addresses, infusing the sustainability discourse with top-tier scholarly knowledge and forward-looking perspectives.
A dedicated session will delve into profound reflections on AI and the future of humanity. The conference will feature a joint dialogue between Alan Macfarlane, professor of anthropology at the University of Cambridge, fellow of the British Academy, life fellow of King's College Cambridge, and co-founder of Cambridge River Press, and Xiang Biao, director and professor at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany. From an anthropological standpoint, they will examine the far-reaching impacts of AI development on society and individuals, exploring evolving notions of human value and social relationships amid technological progress.
In addition to the main forum, the event will feature a series of parallel activities, including the Green Industry and Sustainable Consumption Expo, visits to benchmark enterprises, and cultural exchange programs. A showcase of exemplary corporate ESG achievements and research reports will also be presented. These initiatives will allow attendees to experience the practical aspects of the green transition firsthand, bridging the gap between dialogue-driven consensus and on-the-ground implementation.
The 2026 Sustainable Global Leaders Conference aims to serve as an open platform that connects international institutions, academia, industry, and the broader public. Its goal is to establish an inclusive, high-caliber international hub for exchange and cooperation on sustainable development, contributing Chinese insights and fostering global unity for the sustainability cause. Participation from stakeholders and interested parties across all sectors who are dedicated to global sustainability is warmly welcomed.
For registration and further details, interested parties are encouraged to sign up through the official channels.
About SINA Finance's ESG Rating Center: As the industry's first Chinese-language professional platform for ESG information and ratings aggregation, the center is committed to promoting sustainable development, responsible investment, and the values of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). It strives to amplify corporate ESG practices and exemplary leadership, drive the growth of China's ESG ecosystem, and support the establishment of robust ESG assessment standards and improved corporate ratings. Leveraging the center's capabilities, SINA Finance has launched multiple innovative ESG indices, offering investors interested in corporate ESG performance a wider array of choices. Additionally, SINA Finance has established the China ESG Leaders Organization Forum, uniting leading Chinese ESG enterprises and partners to develop an evaluation framework tailored to China's contemporary context and foster the advancement of ESG investment within China's asset management sector.