Regional Roundtable Session at the Leaders Summit 2026

22 September 2026, 14:30-15:30 pm, New York City

While businesses across Africa, Central Asia , Eastern Europe, and other emerging regions increasingly prioritize sustainable development, critical bottlenecks like financing gaps, perceived investment risks, and limited institutional capacity often stall impactful projects from reaching their full potential.

Bridging these gaps requires innovative financing and deep cross-sector collaboration. Emerging mechanisms like blended finance and debt swaps are proving to be powerful tools for unlocking capital, reducing risks, and accelerating sustainable initiatives on the ground.

This roundtable session explores practical, partnership-driven approaches to financing sustainability goals with a unique cross-regional perspective on Africa ,Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Attendees will explore scalable regional initiatives, learn from local corporate experiences, and identify innovative investment strategies designed to drive long-term economic resilience and inclusive growth.

Objectives

• 
  Explore innovative financing models and partnership approaches that support sustainable development goals.
• Showcase country, regional and cross-border examples of scalable sustainability financing initiatives, including practical examples of local companies leveraging partnerships to advance sustainability initiatives.
• Highlight the role of financial institutions, businesses, and public-sector actors in mobilizing investment and reducing risk, and foster learning and partnership opportunities between Africa,  Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

Expected outcomes

By the end of the session, participants will:

• Gain practical insights into innovative and scalable financing mechanisms, and cross-sector partnerships that can accelerate sustainable development outcomes
• Identify opportunities for investment, partnerships and replication across regions
• Strengthen networks among businesses, financial institutions, public-sector actors, and development organizations.
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Who Should Attend?

• Business leaders and sustainability practitioners from Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and beyond
• Financial institutions and investors
• Development organizations and multilateral agencies
• Government representatives and policymakers