While the term “ESG” has become increasingly politicized, companies, policymakers and sustainability professionals have gathered in growing numbers at conferences dedicated to climate, sustainable finance, tech and decarbonization solutions in recent years.
Though the tenor of the events could shift depending on the outcome of November’s U.S. presidential election, there are a number of conferences that are beginning to set the tone for the ESG sector in 2025. Early agendas show a growing focus on decarbonizing data centers — along with other hard-to-decarbonize sectors — as well as how to increase climate financing and align ESG standards.
Here are some of the notable ESG and sustainability conferences that are already on the schedule for 2025.
Top ESG and sustainability conferences in 2025
Cleantech Forum North America
Jan. 27-29
San Diego
Cleantech Forum North America brings together a max of 700 corporates, entrepreneurs and professional services, government, academic and nonprofit experts. The event focuses on what’s next in sustainable innovation, with U.S.-centered sessions on the agenda for 2025, as well as a heavy focus on decarbonizing areas and sectors including data centers, maritime, aviation and heavy duty fleets.
Greenbiz25
Feb. 10-12
Phoenix
Greenbiz25 is for sustainable business professionals and leaders from all sectors and job functions, including CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CIOs, heads of legal, supply chain, human resources and investor relations. The conference, hosted by Trellis (formerly Greenbiz) includes experts from a variety of sectors focused on sharing sustainability strategies and insights for decarbonization, disclosure, nature and more.
Here is a roundup of ESG Dive’s coverage from Greenbiz24.
Responsible Investment Forum: New York
March 4-5
New York
The Responsible Investment Forum brings together around 500 sustainable finance professionals and thought leaders for conversations on investment approaches to decarbonization and net-zero, as well as biodiversity and sustainable investing in North America. The two-day conference, hosted by business intelligence firm PEI Group, draws a crowd of institutional investors, fund managers and other industry experts.
Wall Street Green Summit
March 18-19
New York
The 2025 Wall Street Green Summit will be the 24th annual event focused on the intersection of sustainable finance and technology hosted by climate activist Peter Fusaro. The 2025 agenda includes topics like AI, climate tech, carbon trading platforms, pricing climate risk into markets and “harmonizing” ESG standards.
EarthX2025
April 21-25
Dallas
The EarthX2025 Congress of Conferences will bring together business professionals, environmentalists, leading climate scientists and federal agency and government leaders for an environmental solutions-focused conference. The conference is also typically attended by conservationists, academics, advocates, non-governmental organizations and policymakers in the environmental sector.
DC Climate Week
April 28-May 2
Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital will host its first-ever climate week in 2025, as it looks to attract climate experts, organizations and other sector leaders to Washington, D.C. The five-day climate event will focus on climate innovation and sustainable solutions, though further details have not yet been announced.
Sustainability Week US
June 11-12
New York
The Economist will host a two-day Sustainability Week in New York to bring together businesses, policymakers and government; past attendees have included C-suite executives including CEOs and CFOs, as well as chief sustainability and procurement or product officers. The 2025 event will include an Energy Transition Summit, consisting of 50 one-on-one meetings with the organization’s “Energy Leaders Club.”
Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress
June 16-20
Chicago and online
2025 will mark the first time the Sustainability Research and Innovation Cogress will be held in the United States, after the prior four were held in Australia, South Africa, Panama and Finland. Past congresses have each drawn around 2,000 attendees from over 100 countries, representing global industries, governments and government agencies, civil and Indigenous organizations, as well as climate researchers and entrepreneurs. The inclusive sustainability focused conference is a hybrid event, with virtual and satellite sessions planned.
Climate Week NYC
TBA (likely Sept. 21-28)
New York
While the dates for Climate Week NYC 2025 have yet to be announced, the annual week-long climate event typically coincides with the beginning of high-level debates at the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting — set to begin Sept. 23, 2025. The New York City-based event comprised of over 600 events in 2024, bringing together high-level global policymakers, businesses and civil society sector professionals focused on the climate sector.
UN 2025 Climate Change Conference (COP30)
Nov. 10-21
Belém, Brazil
The United Nations’ annual climate change conference is set to take place in Brazil in 2025, with COP30 serving as the annual venue for global policymakers to determine the next steps for how their countries will handle climate change and the energy transition. While the agenda will not be clear until well after COP29 in Azerbaijan concludes, the outcomes of the conference can be expected to set the tone for public and private climate actions going into 2026.
