NextBillion - A WDI Publication

Time: 9:00 – 10:00 AM ET

Climate Week NYC returns: September 20–27, 2026
Every year, we bring together heads of state, global business leaders, philanthropic leaders, and civil society to accelerate climate action at scale.

2025 marked our biggest year yet: More than 100,000 participants, 5,500 leaders from business and government and civil society on-site, and 1,000+ events tackling the toughest questions in energy, industry, finance, food, transport, and nature.

Relive the highlights:

Explore the 2025 report
Catch up on 2025’s biggest moments
Watch exclusive interviews with changemakers
Together, we’ll build the next chapter of global climate leadership.

Africa has staked its position as the cornerstone of the world’s future. The continent is now positioned to be the most important driver of global business with a $3 trillion market opportunity.

The Global Africa Business Initiative puts the private sector at the center of the discussions and the solutions. GABI is a platform that places Africa in its rightful place in the global economy and positions the continent as the premier destination for business, trade and investment.

Themed ‘Unstoppable Africa 2026: Powering Business, Scaling Economies, Shaping the Future’, this year’s edition of GABI is deal-focused and execution-driven. Heads of state, CEOs, investors, and innovators convene not to discuss Africa’s potential, but to close transactions, launch investment vehicles, and build the infrastructure that keeps value on the continent.

Submit for Consideration to Attend Unstoppable Africa 2026: https://events.unglobalcompact.org/unstoppableafrica26/rta

About The Event
The Climate Implementation Forum is a strategic platform at Climate Week NYC focusing on the Global Climate Action Agenda, the central catalyst turning climate ambition into real-world delivery. Taking place on Monday 21 September, the Forum will unite decision-makers from governments, companies, investors, cities and civil society to showcase proof of progress, successful projects underway, capital deployed and measurable results. While identifying where expertise, technology, investment and operational capacity are urgently needed to scale implementation.

Held just seven weeks before COP31, the COP of Implementation and aligned with the six axes of the Action Agenda, the Forum will amplify the global focus on delivery and spotlight the organisations achieving real results.

Overview
Join Spring Impact and Lively Minds at UNGA81 for a session exploring how funders can best support government-led scale.

Working with governments is one of the most credible routes to exponential impact, but it only works when funders play an active role in making it possible.

What funding strategies and models enable government-led scale, and which ones hold it back?

Spring Impact and Lively Minds will bring together a panel of funders and NGO practitioners to explore the role funders play in supporting nonprofits to scale with government, and what needs to change in how capital is deployed.

Drawing on Spring Impact’s recent Scaling with Government study (developed in partnership with LGT Venture Philanthropy and Instiglio), which includes perspectives from governments themselves, alongside the panel’s experience, we’ll cover:

What this work demands in practice, from those pioneering new approaches to scaling with government
The real costs of NGO support to governments, and where current funding models fall short
What more adaptive funding could look like, including harmonising support across NGOs, so it’s conducive to long-term government-led scale
Co-hosts

Lively Minds
Spring Impact
Moderator

Tyler Spencer, Director of Partnerships and Growth, Spring Impact
Panellists

Alex Storey, Spring Impact
Alia Karim, Teaching at the Right Level Africa
Alison Naftalin, Founder & CEO, Lively Minds
Mohini Bhavsar, Grand Challenges Canada
Dr Natnael Yamnew, Africa Centre for ECD, Ethiopia
Tressa Johnson, Elma Philanthropies

Time: 3 PM – 4:30 PM

Description
Across Asia and the Pacific, countries are making significant investments in social infrastructure, enhancing service delivery, and improving quality of life for all citizens across all age groups and social needs. As climate change, urbanization, and fiscal constraints intensify, the need for multi-functional, resilient, sustainable and inclusive social infrastructure continues to grow. By social infrastructure we refer to public spaces used for education, skills development in formal and non-formal setting, health services including hospitals and community centers, care centers for short and long term care, social protection and inclusion spaces, sport facilities, cultural spaces as well as spatial design for community engagement and services in times of emergency.

In the context of the ADB Business Opportunities Fair, the session will spotlight investments in social infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific, creating an opportunity for exchange and dialogue between ADB and contractors specialized in social infrastructure projects, sustainable material and technology.

Among topics that will be explored:

Climate-Resilient and Disaster-Ready Infrastructure: Designs for extreme climate conditions, multiple-use facilities for emergencies, adaptive and resilient construction approaches, reviving traditional construction practices
Multi-Functional and Community Infrastructure: Multi-functional public facilities integrated into existing community or private spaces with flexible and inclusive design for all community members
Smart and Digital Solutions: Smart building systems, digital tools in construction or operation or energy efficiency, parametric design for passive cooling or heating like bio-mimicry
Innovative Materials and Methods: Prefabrication and modular construction, alternative materials, cost-efficient and scalable solutions appropriate for different climatology and topography
Sustainable and Low-Carbon Construction: Use of green or recycled materials, energy-efficient design, lifecycle cost optimization
Objectives
The session provides a platform for direct engagement between ADB and contractors, focusing on innovation, implementation, and financing opportunities in future-ready social infrastructure. Participants will gain insights into ADB’s project pipeline, showcase innovative solutions, engage with ADB project teams and governments, and position themselves as leaders in sustainable infrastructure.

After an introduction to the topic, a panel discussion will outline key issues and innovations, followed by a PechaKucha session to open the interaction between contractors, ADB officers and country stakeholders for an interactive and engaging exchange.

Target participants
ADB invites contractors, developers, and industry leaders to participate in a high-level session focused on innovations in social infrastructure across Asia and the Pacific. Companies will be responsible to organize travel and stay at their own cost.

Resource speakers
Panel Discussion:

Up to two companies or contractors to be selected from the EoI
Country stakeholder from Asia Pacific
ADB officer
PechaKucha: Up to 10 companies will be selected to pitch their ideas and interact with each other and ADB officers

How to register
Fill out the form accessible at the button on this page. Deadline for the companies wanting to participate in the panel or PechaKucha is on 15 July 2026.

Submitted EOIs will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

Relevance to social infrastructure sectors (education, health, social services, cultural and non-formal learning and social spaces)
Innovation of the approach
Demonstrated impact and scalability

Time: 12:45 – 1:45 PM (GMT+8)

Learn how and why to apply for the ClimateShot Investor Coalition (CLIC)’s Agrifood Investment Connector (Connector) program.

Applications for our 2027 Latin America cohort are open till October 9, 2026. Visit our website to apply: https://climateshotinvestor.org/apply

Time: 11:30 AM EDT