Education Day 2026: Leading sustainability through uncertainty
Against a backdrop of geopolitical, economic and societal uncertainty, WBCSD Education Day 2026 convened sustainability leaders at IMD to reset how business leads through disruption.
Over a full day, participants explored what fragmentation means for sustainability strategy, how leaders build resilience under pressure, and how to turn business case into behavior change.
Sessions spanned geopolitics, leadership resilience, strategy, innovation and behavior change, offering both strategic perspective and practical leadership insight.
Insights included the benefits of spending time in nature - it helps leaders slow down, restore clarity, and sharpen judgment amid complexity - supporting more deliberate, long‑term decision making, exactly what sustainability leadership demands in uncertain, high‑pressure business environments.
Missed it? Education Day forms part of WBCSD’s broader education offer, designed to keep members ahead as expectations rise and conditions harden.
“Leadership today is not just about staying relevant — it’s about learning how to communicate sustainability in a way that truly speaks to business.” “We need to bring back human connection and nature connection — because solving problems for the planet starts with ourselves.”
Ilham Khadri, Chair Executive Committee, WBCSD
”I don’t believe we have a sustainability crisis. What we have is a behavioral crisis.”
Rodney Irwin, Chief Education Officer & Corporate Secretary
