Hamburg Sustainability Conference

Leaving Hamburg today, I find myself reflecting on a simple but important observation: sustainability is not losing relevance. If anything, it is being put to the test. We meet at a time of growing geopolitical tension, conflict, and uncertainty. In such moments, it is easy to retreat into narrower interests and lose confidence in our ability to act collectively. Yet over these past days at the the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, I saw something different: a determination to keep searching for common ground and practical solutions. What gave me particular hope was seeing new alliances emerge, existing partnerships deepen, and people from different generations, sectors, and regions engage with one another in meaningful ways. Young participants from around the world were not simply present; they helped shape the conversations and challenged us to think differently. This matters because the future of our economies, our security, and our societies will depend on how we navigate the profound transitions already underway. The Hamburg Spirit is not about rhetoric. It is about bringing different capabilities and perspectives together, turning dialogue into action, and continuing that work long after the conference has ended.

Krieg, Klimakrise, steigende Preise: Für Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri sind die drei „C-Krisen“ Conflict, Climate Change und Cost of Living der Stresstest für die UN-Nachhaltigkeitsziele. 🌍 Im Interview mit AufRuhr erklärt der Direktor des Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), warum zuerst Armutsbekämpfung, Ernährungssicherheit und Gesundheit leiden und weshalb Staaten widerstandsfähiger sind, wenn sie sich bei Energie und Lebensmitteln weniger auf Importe verlassen. Nothilfe dürfe aus seiner Sicht nicht an Reformauflagen geknüpft werden, während langfristige Klimafinanzierung ganz anders gedacht werden müsse. Im Rahmen der Hamburg Sustainability Conference machte er deutlich, warum dafür neue, gerechtere Formen der Zusammenarbeit zwischen Globalem Norden und Süden nötig sind. 👉 Jetzt bei #AufRuhr lesen: https://lnkd.in/gh7Xxm-p

📣 One year after Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and UNDP Digital, AI and Innovation Hub (Accelerator Labs) launched the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference 2025, the initiative is delivering tangible results. The Implementation Snapshot released on Tuesday shows what nearly 60 partners across governments, international organizations, academia, business, and civil society have achieved together: 🌍 256,000+ people trained in AI skills 💉 270,000+ children reached through an AI-supported immunization campaign 🗣️ Open-source AI models developed for 61 African languages From strengthening AI governance to advancing innovation in health, education, agriculture, and climate action, these efforts demonstrate how responsible AI can support sustainable development. Read our article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dff6jYVj or explore the full Snapshot👇

"This conference not only discusses the topics - it puts words into action!" Prof. Dr. Michael Otto, Otto Group CEO Petra Scharner-Wolff and Group VP Corporate Responsibility Prof. Dr. Tobias Wollermann Wollermann share their views on the Hamburg Sustainability Conference. #HSC26

"The technologies already exist." This sentence came up repeatedly during the panel I had the pleasure of moderating at the Future Economy Day of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference last week. Artificial intelligence, renewable energy, climate technologies, digital platforms—we are no longer facing a shortage of ideas. The real question is: If the technologies exist, what is still preventing the Twin Transition from happening at the speed and scale we need? Together with an inspiring panel of experts from Germany Dirk Lumma, Brazil Henrique Bussacos, India Nalin Agarwal and Kenya Juliana Rotich, we explored this question from very different perspectives. What struck me most was how consistent the answers were across regions. The biggest barriers are often not technological. They are about implementation: • building innovation ecosystems that connect entrepreneurs, industry, governments and academia; • ensuring access to finance, infrastructure and talent; • creating partnerships that enable solutions to scale rather than remain isolated pilot projects. Another important takeaway was that innovation is increasingly multi-directional. For a long time, we tended to think of innovation flowing from the Global North to the Global South. Our discussion painted a very different picture. Whether it is climate entrepreneurship in India, digital leapfrogging in Kenya, impact innovation in Brazil or industrial transformation in Germany, every region brings unique strengths—and every region has something to learn from the others. The Twin Transition will thus probably not be driven by a single technology or a single country. It will be driven by collaboration across ecosystems. A heartfelt thank you to our outstanding panelists: 🔹 Dirk Lumma (Körber) 🔹 Henrique Bussacos (Impact Hub São Paulo) 🔹 Nalin Agarwal (Climate Collective) 🔹 Juliana Rotich (ECS AFRICA) ...and to all the solution providers who demonstrated how the Twin Transition is already becoming reality through practical innovations. encentive LivNSense GreenOps Private Limited Great Carbon Valley Softplan shipzero and youturn. Many thanks as well to the wonderful team at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, especially Dr. Doris Hillger and Korbinian Gleissner, for the excellent collaboration in designing and organizing this session. #HamburgSustainabilityConference #FutureEconomyDay #TwinTransition #Sustainability #DigitalTransformation #ClimateTech #Innovation #Leadership #AI #Collaboration Pictures: Kati Jurischka / Handelskammer Hamburg