Climate Week Zurich: Insights, highlights and key lessons

Swiss finance and innovation hub Zurich held its first Climate Week in May 2026, joining a growing global network of cities hosting climate-focused gatherings. All Things Sustainable is the official podcast of Climate Week Zurich, and in this episode, we bring you highlights, key takeaways and a look ahead to the next big events on the climate calendar.

To learn about Zurich's approach to decarbonization and climate adaptation, we sit down with the city's Director of Environmental and Health and Protection, René Estermann.

"We know climate change is a huge risk," René says. "As the major economic driver in Switzerland, Zurich wants to grow its business hubs here for climate technologies, climate science, carbon management ... [and] climate finance ... to turn these risks to opportunities."

To understand how financial institutions are responding to growing calls to make the business case for sustainability, we talk to Sabine Döbeli. Sabine is CEO of Swiss Sustainable Finance, a nonprofit whose members aim to strengthen Switzerland's position as a leading worldwide center for sustainable finance.

"If you invest today to improve your factory, to have less pollution, to use less water, to have a circular process, then that of course means capex, it means investments," Sabine says. "It will pay off in the long term if you have less costs. But to prove this at every point in time is not always easy."

And we talk to Christophe Lumsden, Partner and Sustainability Lead at Ernst & Young AG Switzerland and EY's Global Climate Change and Decarbonization Leader. He says Climate Week Zurich is an example of how climate action continues to develop at a local level even as it faces pushback in parts of the world.

"Science is clear. Evidence is there. Climate change is not going away anytime soon," Christophe says. "Health repercussions are massive, human repercussions are big. So we just need to continue the movement."

S&P Global Energy is a founding partner and sponsor of the inaugural Climate Week Zurich.

Further listening

Hear the podcast interviews referenced in today's episode:

California's biggest utility talks decarbonization, climate adaptation and AI energy demands

CSO Insights: How climate adaptation is hitting the mainstream for Middle East banks

Listen to our interview with Johan Rockström, who spoke at the Climate Week Zurich Opening Ceremony:

What planetary health means for the private sector

Listen to all our interviews from Climate Week Zurich:

How Swiss food giant Nestlé tackles sustainable supply chains

Swiss private bank talks sustainable investment opportunities

How one of the world's largest insurers is building climate resilience

How retail giant IKEA built the business case for sustainability

World Meteorological Organization leader on the need for science, data and collaboration

Learn about Nature and Biodiversity data and solutions from S&P Global Sustainable1.

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