5 ESG and sustainability conferences to attend in 2025

One of the best ways to stay on top of technology trends in any industry is to attend conferences.

At conferences and summits, professionals can gather to share knowledge, display their work and set expectations for the future of their industries. Whether in person or virtual, they also present a prime opportunity for networking with other like-minded professionals.

Sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) is a growing field in which more and more companies are becoming involved. The U.N. Climate Change Conference is perhaps the most important conference in the sustainability and ESG space, where world leaders gather to make decisions about the world's response to the climate crisis. Also known as the Conference of the Parties (COP), past iterations of this event have focused on governing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and delivering a set of biodiversity goals to be reached by 2050.

Although COP is primarily for world leaders and not business leaders, it is still something business leaders should follow, in part because it sets the tone for other sustainability conferences.

Here are some conferences where you will get access to industry experts and information on this challenging topic.

1. Sustainability Live London

When: Sept. 9-10

Where: London

Cost: $659.93-$1,059.88 (converted from British pounds)

Some of the topics at this year's Sustainability Live virtual stage include sustainable innovation, women in sustainability, renewable energy and AI in sustainability.

Speakers include the following:

• Emma Bleach -- group sustainability manager, Virgin.
• Dr. Javier Cavada Camino PhD – president and CEO, Mitsubishi Power.
• Yogesh Chauhan – senior director of sustainability, HubSpot.
• Jane Goodland -- group head of sustainability, London Stock Exchange.
• Sophie Graham – chief sustainability officer, IFS.

Register for Sustainability Live London here.

2. PSX 2025

When: Sept. 16-18

Where: Houston

Cost: $210-$1,280

The conference, hosted by the Product Stewardship Society, is focused on updating attendees on the latest trends in education, resolutions to everyday challenges, and networking opportunities. Past PSX event topics have included communicating compliance jargon to executives, ESG disclosure in supply chains and circular economy best practices.

Speakers have not yet been announced.

Register for PSX 2025 here.

3. Climate Week NYC 2025

When: Sept. 21-28

Where: New York City

Cost: TBA

Hosted by Climate Group, Climate Week NYC brings together leaders in business, government and the climate community. An agenda and speaker have not yet been announced.

Learn more about Climate Week NYC here.

4. Sustainable Brands 2025

When: Oct. 13-16

Where: San Diego

Cost: $2,795-$4,195

The event will convene a global community of brand leaders to participate in workshops, breakout sessions, activities and plenaries. Topic tracks include activating brand purpose, shifting customer demand and behavior, transformative governance and metrics, regenerative options and supply chain, and next-generation design and business model innovation.

Speakers have not yet been announced.

Register for Sustainable Brands 2025 here.

5. Verge 25

When: Oct. 28-30

Where: San Jose, Calif.

Cost: $150-$2,575 ($7,000 for a group package)

Verge 25 is an event that focuses on emerging climate tech and how it can be used to address the climate crisis. Programs at the event include sustainable aviation fuel, decarbonizing data centers and clean industrial materials.

Speakers have not yet been announced.

Register for Verge 25 here.

Learn how supply chain sustainability software works and how it can be used to boost corporate social responsibility efforts.

Rosa Heaton is a content manager for the Learning Content group at Informa TechTarget.

Sarah Amsler is a senior managing editor for the Learning Content team at TechTarget.