Glasgow’s Congress of Business brings together civic leaders, chambers of commerce, universities, investors and sustainability experts to turn climate ambition into measurable action and commercial opportunity.
By 100%NEWS
Glasgow has once again become a meeting point for business leadership, climate strategy and practical economic transformation. The Congress of Business 2026, known as COB26, returned to the city on 12 May 2026 during Glasgow Climate Week, bringing together senior business leaders, sustainability decision-makers, civic representatives, academics, investors and innovators to discuss how climate ambition can be transformed into measurable action, resilience and commercial growth. According to Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, COB26 is a high-level summit designed to help organisations move from climate commitments to practical implementation, with a particular focus on resilience, growth and climate leadership.
The event was held at SWG3 in Glasgow and led by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. It was delivered in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the University of Glasgow and E.ON UK. Glasgow Chamber of Commerce describes Congress of Business as one of the key convening moments between COP summits, keeping climate action at the top of the business agenda and connecting business leadership with practical delivery.
The wider context of the event is Glasgow Climate Week, organised by Glasgow City Council from 11 to 16 May 2026. The official programme brings together businesses, educators, innovators and communities around a common theme: turning climate ambition into practical action. Glasgow Chamber of Commerce’s own programme during the week includes COB Futures for young people, COB Inspires for students and early-career professionals, Congress of Business for senior leaders, and further events on innovation and the circular economy.
For Glasgow, the Congress of Business is not simply another business conference. It is part of the city’s post-COP26 identity. COP26, hosted in Glasgow in 2021, placed the city at the centre of the global climate agenda. Five years later, COB26 reflects a more mature stage of that agenda: not the announcement of ambition, but the testing of delivery. Glasgow Chamber of Commerce states that Congress of Business is now in its fourth year and was created to showcase and build momentum on climate action delivered since the city hosted the world at COP26.
The core message of the 2026 event can be summarised in three words: action builds hope. This was not a conference built around abstract environmental language. It was a business forum about risk, investment, competitiveness, city transformation, technology, green finance, AI, supply chains, circular operations and the commercial consequences of climate pressure.
The programme focused on four major areas: innovation, AI and technology; the latest developments in green finance; cities and industry as drivers of climate transformation; and collaboration and partnership for a resilient, inclusive economy. These themes show how the climate agenda has moved from the margins of corporate responsibility into the centre of business strategy.
One of the key ideas expressed during the opening session was that climate change must be understood both as a real and existing danger and as a real and existing opportunity. For communities and businesses, climate pressure creates risk. But for entrepreneurs, investors, cities and institutions capable of action, it also creates new markets, new supply chains, new technologies, new investment models and new forms of value creation.
This is the strategic importance of Congress of Business. It reframes sustainability not as an additional cost imposed on business, but as a route to resilience, efficiency, innovation and long-term competitiveness. Alison McRae, Senior Director at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, made this point clearly in the official announcement of the event, stating that many Glasgow businesses, particularly SMEs, are proving that investment in climate and circular principles can reduce risk, drive efficiency, save money and future-proof organisations.
The presence of Glasgow City Council also gave the event significant civic weight. Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, spoke about Glasgow’s continuing role in the global climate agenda and the city’s responsibility to maintain climate leadership despite international uncertainty, geopolitical conflict and economic pressure. Her remarks reflected a broader reality: cities are becoming front-line actors in the climate transition. They are not only places where emissions must be reduced; they are also engines of innovation, procurement, infrastructure renewal, community action and investment.
Glasgow’s own climate policy context is ambitious. The city’s Climate Plan sets out its approach to net zero carbon emissions, biodiversity and climate resilience, while Glasgow City Council’s public materials continue to identify the transition to net zero as a major policy priority.
The Congress also gave prominence to the role of chambers of commerce. This is significant. Climate action cannot be delivered by governments alone. It requires the mobilisation of private companies, SMEs, exporters, investors, universities, infrastructure providers and local business networks. The British Chambers of Commerce states that its network unites 51 accredited UK Chambers and operates in more than 75 international markets, giving it both local roots and international reach.
This matters because sustainability is no longer only a domestic policy issue. It is connected to trade, finance, procurement, investment criteria, corporate reputation, supply-chain compliance and international competitiveness. A company that understands decarbonisation, circularity and resource efficiency is increasingly better placed to attract capital, win contracts, reduce operational risk and participate in global value chains.
Among the key speakers and contributors highlighted in the official COB26 programme were Professor Greg Clark CBE FAcSS, host of the event; Dr Nicola Millard, Principal Innovation Partner at BT Group; Professor Meric S. Gertler of the University of Toronto; Professor Andy Schofield, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow; Lolita Jackson MBE, Executive Director of Sustainable Cities at Sustainable Development Capital LLP; Victoria Hollywood, Director of Sustainability at Edrington; Vijay Tank, Chief Commercial Officer at E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions UK; Professor Kirstine Dale, Chief AI Officer and Principal Fellow for Data Science at the Met Office; and Shevaun Haviland CBE, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce.
Professor Greg Clark CBE FAcSS, who hosted COB26, is described by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce as a global authority on cities, sustainability, investment and place leadership. His work with hundreds of cities, national governments and investment institutions gives the Congress a strong urban-development and international investment dimension. This is important because the future of climate action will be shaped not only by national commitments, but also by how cities attract capital, modernise infrastructure and build credible economic narratives around the green transition.
Dr Nicola Millard of BT Group brought the technology and human-centred innovation perspective. Her work connects AI, future strategy, customer experience, digital transformation and organisational behaviour. At a time when artificial intelligence is entering almost every sector, one of the critical questions is how technology can increase productivity and sustainability without creating new forms of waste, exclusion or unnecessary complexity. Glasgow Chamber of Commerce quoted Dr Millard as saying that AI can help “save the planet” but “shouldn’t cost the Earth”, placing technology inside a broader framework of people, productivity and planetary responsibility.
Professor Meric S. Gertler contributed the perspective of universities, cities and innovation systems. As former President of the University of Toronto, he championed the role of universities as city-building institutions and leaders in sustainability. The official programme notes that the University of Toronto was recognised as the world’s number one university in QS sustainability rankings in both 2024 and 2025 during his period of leadership. His participation underlines the importance of universities as anchors of research, urban development, talent creation and long-term institutional credibility.
Professor Andy Schofield, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, represented one of the city’s most important academic institutions. The University of Glasgow’s role as a partner in COB26 reflects the increasing need to connect scientific research, skills, innovation and business implementation. Universities are no longer only knowledge providers; they are ecosystem builders, convenors and strategic partners in regional and international transformation.
Lolita Jackson MBE, Executive Director of Sustainable Cities at Sustainable Development Capital LLP, brought a global city and climate-finance perspective. According to the official programme, she previously served in the New York City Mayor’s Office for 15 years, including as Special Advisor for Climate Policy and Programs, where she worked on climate diplomacy, divestment and climate finance. Her earlier career at Morgan Stanley Investment Management adds a finance-sector dimension to her work. Her presence at COB26 reflects one of the most important themes of the modern climate transition: cities need not only policies, but financeable projects, credible investment structures and international partnerships.
Victoria Hollywood, Director of Sustainability at Edrington, represented the industrial and corporate sustainability perspective. Edrington, based in Glasgow, is known for major spirits brands including The Macallan, Highland Park and The Glenrothes. Her remit includes carbon, biodiversity, water, wood and circular economy priorities. This is a strong example of how traditional sectors with deep heritage can no longer separate brand value from environmental responsibility and supply-chain resilience.
Vijay Tank of E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions UK represented the energy transition. His work focuses on local, affordable and low-carbon energy solutions, including heat networks, decentralised energy and smart infrastructure. In official comments ahead of the event, he emphasised that delivering the benefits of the energy transition requires genuine partnership and innovation at scale. E.ON’s role as an official partner also reflects the central importance of energy infrastructure in any serious climate strategy.
Professor Kirstine Dale of the Met Office represented the intersection of artificial intelligence, data science and climate intelligence. As Chief AI Officer and Principal Fellow for Data Science at the Met Office, her work includes embedding AI into the organisation’s core business, including weather forecasting and AI for numerical weather prediction. This is highly relevant because better forecasting, data analysis and climate-risk modelling are essential for business resilience, insurance, logistics, agriculture, construction, urban planning and emergency preparedness.
Shevaun Haviland CBE, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, brought the national and international business network perspective. Her background includes senior work in government, business engagement, inclusive economy policy, digital innovation, education technology and business leadership. Under her leadership, the British Chambers of Commerce continues to act as a national and international business network connecting local chambers, policy priorities and global commercial relationships.
Alison McRae, Senior Director at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, is one of the key figures behind Glasgow’s climate, circular economy and sustainability business agenda. In the official event announcement, she stressed that business resilience has become a defining priority and that sustainability should be understood as an opportunity rather than a cost. Her role is particularly important because practical climate action depends on implementation at the level of local businesses, SMEs and sector networks.
The importance of COB26 lies in its practical orientation. Many global climate events produce declarations. Congress of Business focuses on implementation: what companies have actually done, how they have reduced waste, improved circularity, cut emissions, accessed finance, adopted standards, built partnerships and created new commercial models.
This is why the event is relevant not only for Glasgow, but also for other cities and business communities around the world. In the new economy, climate competence is becoming business competence. A company that cannot explain its environmental performance, resource efficiency or long-term resilience may increasingly struggle to attract investors, customers, partners and public-sector opportunities.
The Congress also demonstrates the evolving role of post-industrial cities. Glasgow’s history is deeply connected to industry, engineering, trade, manufacturing and shipbuilding. Today, the city is positioning itself within a new economic narrative: from industrial heritage to climate innovation, from post-industrial transition to sustainable investment, from local action to international dialogue.
This transition is not symbolic. It is commercial. It concerns procurement, energy costs, business models, housing, transport, infrastructure, skills, education, finance and international competitiveness. COB26 shows that the climate agenda is no longer a separate policy lane. It is becoming a central organising principle for business development.
For international organisations, chambers of commerce and business development networks, the Glasgow model offers an important lesson. Climate action becomes more effective when it is embedded into the institutions that businesses already trust: chambers of commerce, universities, city councils, sector associations, investment networks and major corporate partners.
The presence of Global Development Alliance and European Association of Business Development at such events is therefore strategically significant. International business ecosystems need to understand how climate, innovation, finance, education, entrepreneurship and city development are now interconnected. The future belongs to organisations capable of translating global challenges into practical cooperation, investable projects and human-centred development.
COB26 also underlines a wider philosophical point: hope is no longer a passive emotion. In the context of climate, business and urban transformation, hope is produced by action. When companies act, cities gain confidence. When cities gain confidence, investors respond. When investors respond, projects scale. When projects scale, communities see results. This is the chain that transforms climate ambition into economic reality.
Glasgow’s Congress of Business 2026 is therefore more than a local conference. It is a case study in how a city can preserve the legacy of a global summit, connect it to business leadership, and use it to shape a more resilient, innovative and sustainable economy.
Five years after COP26, the central question is no longer whether climate change is real or whether business should respond. The question is which businesses, cities and institutions will move fastest, build the strongest partnerships and turn climate pressure into long-term value.
Glasgow is making its answer visible.
Official source base used for this article: Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Congress of Business 2026 page; Glasgow Chamber of Commerce official news releases on COB26 and Glasgow Climate Week; Glasgow City Council and Sustainable Glasgow materials on Glasgow Climate Week and the city’s climate policy; British Chambers of Commerce official materials; official event partner information from the University of Glasgow, Scottish Chambers of Commerce and E.ON UK.