LCAW: How Women & AI Can Lead the Future of Sustainability

The 20 to 28 June marks London Climate Action Week (LCAW), one of the world's largest independent climate events, bringing together business leaders, policymakers and sustainability experts to accelerate climate action.

Taking place on 25 June 2026 at CodeNode London, Sustainability LIVE @ London Climate Action Week – The Leadership Summit, in association with Philip Morris International, is a one-day event designed for senior sustainability executives leading the transition to a low-carbon future.

The event provides a platform for collaboration, innovation and knowledge-sharing as organisations navigate an increasingly complex sustainability landscape shaped by regulation, technology and global policy developments.

Sustainability LIVE @ LCAW

Making its official debut at CodeNode London, Sustainability LIVE @ London Climate Action Week will welcome more than 250 invite-only C-suite and senior executives for a day of high-level discussion, networking and practical learning.

Featuring more than 25 expert speakers and four executive workshops, the conference is designed to help organisations accelerate progress towards net zero while addressing the challenges and opportunities emerging across ESG, climate action and sustainable business transformation. 

From embedding sustainability into operations and supply chains to navigating new disclosure requirements and investment decisions, the programme delivers the insights, connections and solutions leaders need to turn ambition into action.

Women in sustainability

Women are increasingly shaping the sustainability agenda, bringing leadership styles often associated with long-term planning, collaboration and community engagement to some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges.

While women remain disproportionately affected by climate change, with the UN reporting that women and children are 14 times more likely to die in extreme weather disasters and that women and girls account for the majority of climate-related displacement, they are also driving solutions across business, agriculture and clean energy.

Their growing influence is reflected in the corporate world, where women now hold 63% of sustainability executive roles in major companies.

At Sustainability LIVE @ LCAW, the following women are set to take to the stage:

• Sheri Hickok, CEO of Climate Impact Partners
• Dr Márcia Balisciano, Chief Sustainability Officer at RELX
• Dr Gabrielle Walker, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist at CUR8
• Sarah Schaefer, ESG Director at Wrightbus

Joined by moderator Charlie King, Senior Editor at Sustainability Magazine, the panel aims to explore how female leaders are helping organisations accelerate climate action, strengthen ESG performance and build more inclusive pathways to sustainability leadership.

The future of AI in sustainability

AI is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful tools available to sustainability leaders, enabling organisations to turn vast amounts of environmental data into actionable insights.

Companies are increasingly using AI to optimise operations, improve reporting, reduce emissions and drive efficiency across value chains.

IFS, where panellist Sophie Graham serves as Chief Sustainability Officer, is leveraging Industrial AI within IFS Cloud to help organisations optimise asset performance, reduce waste and improve operational efficiency.

Industry research from IBM shows that 46% of executives already view AI as critical to advancing sustainability reporting and performance, while 77% of CEOs pursuing transformational sustainability strategies expect AI-powered workflows to become standard across their organisations.

During the session, the following panelists are set to explore AI's role in creating a sustainable future: 

• Sophie Graham, Chief Sustainability Officer at IFS
• Bianca Wong, Chief Sustainability, Digital & Marketing Officer at Kingspan Group
• Mark McKenna, Global Director - Impact Office at Arcadis
• Lyndsay Harris Kyei, Vice President of Global Impact and Sustainability at ServiceNow

The moderator Tom Chapman, Senior Editor at AI Magazine, is set to discuss with the panel how AI is transforming sustainability strategies, from emissions management and supply chain transparency to data-driven decision-making and long-term business resilience.

Register your interest here.