Global CSR Foundation and The European Launch the 100 Global Impact Leaders Initiative to Recognize the Organizations and Leaders Building a More Sustainable Future

Global recognition platform culminates at COP31 in Antalya, bringing together outstanding leaders from business, government, investment, academia, civil society and innovation to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

CHICAGO, Illinois, July 2026, The Global CSR Foundation (GCSRF) and The European announced the launch of the 100 Global Impact Leaders Initiative, a new international platform created to recognize, connect and elevate the organizations and individuals whose leadership is advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through measurable impact.

Developed in partnership with the UN World Women Organization (UNWWO), the Initiative represents a new model for global recognition – one that goes beyond awards to create an ecosystem where outstanding leaders gain international visibility, build meaningful partnerships and help shape the next decade of sustainable development.

The inaugural 100 Global Impact Leaders will be recognized during COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, where the Initiative will convene leaders from business, government, finance, academia, civil society, technology and international organizations to celebrate innovation, foster collaboration and inspire action toward the 2030 Agenda.

Recognizing the People Turning Commitment into Action

Around the world, thousands of organizations are making extraordinary contributions to climate action, social development, responsible investment, technological innovation, education, healthcare, gender equality, biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic growth, yet many remain largely invisible beyond their own sectors. While global sustainability commitments continue to grow, no widely recognized international platform brings together leaders from across industries, regions and disciplines to celebrate measurable impact and encourage collaboration.

The 100 Global Impact Leaders Initiative was created to fill that gap. Rather than recognizing influence alone, it recognizes implementation. Rather than celebrating promises, it celebrates measurable progress. Rather than rewarding visibility, it seeks to elevate those whose work is creating meaningful, lasting change for communities, industries and the planet.

“Recognition is not the destination — it is the beginning of a larger conversation,” said Jing Zhao Cesarone, Founder & CEO of the Global CSR Foundation. “The greatest challenges facing humanity cannot be solved by governments alone, businesses alone, or civil society alone. They require partnership across every sector. By recognizing those already leading that work, we hope to create new opportunities for collaboration, investment and shared innovation.”

Why This Initiative Matters Now

The launch comes during one of the most consequential decades in modern history. With fewer than five years remaining until 2030, governments, businesses, investors and international organizations face increasing pressure to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, even as sustainability moves from the margins of corporate strategy to the center of economic decision-making.

Investors increasingly evaluate organizations on environmental, social and governance performance. International sustainability reporting standards continue to reshape expectations for transparency and accountability. Climate adaptation, energy transition, biodiversity protection, resilient supply chains and responsible artificial intelligence have become strategic priorities across industries.

Yet despite this attention, one challenge remains remarkably consistent: many of the organizations creating meaningful solutions remain disconnected from one another. Innovation often develops in isolation, successful models go unshared, and cross-sector partnerships emerge more slowly than today’s challenges demand.

The Global CSR Foundation believes recognition can become an engine for collaboration. When outstanding organizations are brought together on a trusted international platform, they gain more than visibility. They gain access to new partnerships, attract investment, exchange knowledge, inspire others and, ultimately, accelerate collective impact.

Forty Categories Reflecting the Future of Sustainable Development

The Initiative recognizes excellence across 40 award categories, organized under seven pillars of impact: Leadership, Environment & Climate, Business & Industry, Social Impact, Technology & Innovation, Partnerships, and Emerging Leaders.

Together, these categories acknowledge that sustainable development is no longer the responsibility of a single sector. Today’s solutions are emerging from multinational corporations and family businesses, universities and research laboratories, startups and social enterprises, nonprofit organizations, investors, municipalities, indigenous communities and youth leaders alike. 

The Initiative deliberately places these diverse contributors on the same global stage – whether transforming manufacturing through clean technologies, financing inclusive growth, applying artificial intelligence for public good, restoring ecosystems, expanding educational opportunity, or advancing responsible governance. Each recipient contributes to the same shared objective: building a better future for people and the planet.

More Than an Awards Program

The 100 Global Impact Leaders Initiative has been designed as a comprehensive international platform rather than a single event. Selected leaders will be featured in a premium 100 Global Impact Leaders publication distributed throughout COP31 events and pavilion venues, as well as through international media channels and the Global CSR Foundation’s worldwide network.

The Initiative will also convene the Global Impact Leader Forum, bringing together policymakers, investors, business executives, scientists, entrepreneurs and international organizations to explore practical pathways for accelerating sustainable development. The program culminates with the COP31 Global Impact Leader Summit and Award Ceremony, where approximately 300 distinguished guests will gather to celebrate the inaugural class of Global Impact Leaders and explore new opportunities for cooperation across sectors and regions.

International editorial coverage, executive interviews and digital storytelling will ensure the achievements of the honorees continue to inspire audiences long after COP31 concludes.

A Global Platform Built on Credibility

The Initiative is guided by an international panel of distinguished advisors and judges representing global business, diplomacy, science, sustainability, public policy, law and innovation. Their collective expertise reflects the diversity of perspectives required to evaluate leadership in an increasingly interconnected world. By assembling leaders whose own contributions have shaped industries, influenced international policy, advanced scientific discovery and strengthened global cooperation, the Global CSR Foundation ensures that recognition is grounded in credibility, integrity and measurable impact.

Meet the Judging Committee

The inaugural panel includes:

• Fu Chengyu — former Chairman of both CNOOC and SINOPEC, two of China’s largest energy companies, and now a professor at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.
• Enzo Di Taranto Capozzi — a former United Nations diplomat turned sustainability futurist, creator of the “Planetology” framework linking sustainability, longevity and technology.
• Stanley Johnson — a conservationist and author who helped found UNEP itself in the 1970s and later served as a Member of the European Parliament.
• Professor Gary Yohe — a climate economist at Wesleyan University who shared in the IPCC’s 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
• Professor Konstantina Lambrinou — a materials scientist at the University of Huddersfield working to make nuclear reactors safer through advanced, accident-tolerant materials.
• Xiaofeng Zhang — Founder and President of the Global Green Development Alliance, with 30 years of experience in smart grids, electricity markets and renewable energy, and a Life Senior Member and Vice President of IEEE Smart Village.
• Thomas Patrick Gehl, JD — a lawyer who has spent thirty years building bridges between American and Chinese business, and who served on the advisory committee of President Clinton’s Council on Environmental Quality.
• Judith Diment, MBE — a humanitarian who has spent two decades leading Rotary International’s global campaign to eradicate polio.

Looking Beyond 2030

Although the Initiative celebrates achievements realized today, its vision extends far beyond COP31. The Global CSR Foundation envisions the 100 Global Impact Leaders Initiative becoming an enduring international platform that documents best practices, encourages collaboration, promotes responsible leadership and inspires future generations of innovators and changemakers.

As sustainability becomes increasingly integrated into business strategy, investment decisions, public policy, technological innovation and community development, the need for trusted global platforms will only continue to grow. The Initiative aims to become one of those platforms – not merely recognizing leadership, but helping shape it.

Applications and Nominations Now Open

Applications and nominations for the inaugural 100 Global Impact Leaders are now open. Organizations, companies, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, universities, public agencies, entrepreneurs, innovators and individual leaders demonstrating measurable contributions toward sustainable development are invited to apply. Recipients will be selected based on demonstrated impact, innovation, leadership, measurable outcomes, scalability, governance and contribution to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

The inaugural 100 Global Impact Leaders will be announced and honored during COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, before an international audience of government leaders, investors, corporate executives, academics, media and global partners.

As the world enters the final years of the 2030 Agenda, the Global CSR Foundation believes this is the moment not only to celebrate leadership, but to connect it because the future will not be built by one organization. It will be built by leaders willing to work together.