Goals House Day 3 Tackles Climate Finance, AI Trust, and the Youth Jobs Crisis

Goals House Day 3 during UNGA and Climate Week New York 2026 brought together corporate heavyweights, government officials, and civil society leaders across 13 sessions — all circling the same question: how do you move from commitments to implementation when uncertainty is the new normal? From EY reframing climate as an economic competitiveness driver to Tarana Burke demanding government action on tech-facilitated gender violence, the day's through-line was clear: resilience now means building the conditions for progress, not just recovering from disruption.

• EY positions climate and nature as core economic competitiveness drivers, arguing clarity unlocks capital for vulnerable communities

• Lloyds Banking Group and Macquarie signal climate-risk integration is now standard business practice for infrastructure investment

• Only 18% of workers aged 18-24 hold quality jobs, McDonald's, JFF, and ManpowerGroup warn, calling for stronger career pathways

• Salesforce warns most governments won't publicly discuss AI governance even as they pilot agentic AI in public services

• Tarana Burke launches "Safer Tech, Safer World" report demanding government action on technology-facilitated gender-based violence

• Bayer, UPS Foundation, and IOM connect drought, migration, and food security as converging crises hitting the same communities

Climate Risk Becomes Core Business, Not Sustainability Sidebar

Why it matters: When EY's global sustainability leadership and one of the world's largest asset managers both frame climate risk as a mainstream economic imperative, it signals a fundamental shift in how capital gets allocated — with real consequences for communities seeking investment.

Where things stand: The day opened with an EY breakfast session hosted by Colm Devine, Global Vice Chair for Sustainability at EY, and Gregory Daco, Chief Economist at EY Parthenon, moderated by Elizabeth Meager, Deputy Editor of Sustainable Views at the Financial Times. The discussion situated climate and nature not as standalone sustainability concerns but as increasingly important drivers of economic resilience, investment, and growth.

Devine's framing cut to the core: "Clarity unlocks confidence and capital for the communities that need it most."

That message found its operational counterpart in a Lloyds Banking Group roundtable led by Andrew Walton, Chief Sustainability Officer, and Khadijah Ali, Group Director of Sustainability and Responsible Business. The session explored what financing resilience at scale could look like over the coming decade. Liam Gallagher, Director of Real Assets at Macquarie Asset Management, captured the shifting consensus: "Baking in climate risk is now becoming good business practice."

The framing marks a notable departure from resilience-as-cost toward resilience-as-investment-thesis — a distinction that matters for cities, utilities, and infrastructure developers seeking private capital.

Proven Solutions Exist — So Why Aren't They Scaling?

Why it matters: Multiple sessions converged on the same paradox: available technology and proven solutions for climate, energy efficiency, and sustainability exist but face persistent barriers to adoption.

Where things stand: Jess Monk Hansen, CEO of Rockwool, brought together leaders including Lord Marvin Rees (former Mayor of Bristol), Jay Lippman (co-founder, Resilience), Lolita Jackson (Executive Director, Sustainable Cities at Sustainable Development Capital), and Guy Granger (Global Head of Sustainability Services and ESG at JLL). Moderated by David Garrido of Sky Sports, the session pressed on a central question: "If the value is clear and the solutions are available, what is standing in the way of implementing these technologies and practices?"

The answer, participants suggested, was not technological but structural — misalignment between policy frameworks, financing mechanisms, and market signals.

A separate session from Trane Technologies, CBRE, and Ecolab tackled the same gap in the built environment, where buildings account for roughly 40% of global emissions. Their focus: scaling proven efficiency technologies that could deliver outsized near-term climate impact.

L'Oréal's Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer echoed the theme, convening leaders from policy, finance, and industry: "As we advance our understanding of the challenges around the world, we must find new ways to connect with each other and collaborate." The L'Oréal session diagnosed the alignment gap between government policy, investor confidence, and corporate demand as the primary obstacle blocking climate-tech adoption at scale.

The Youth Quality-Jobs Gap

Why it matters: A global talent gap is widening just as technology reshapes labor markets. The statistic at the center of this session — that fewer than 1 in 5 young workers hold quality jobs — reframes the workforce challenge from employment quantity to employment quality.

Where things stand: Sue Haley-Nattall Davis, Chief Sustainability, Social Impact, and Inclusion Officer at McDonald's, hosted a panel with Maria Flynn, President and CEO of Jobs for the Future, and Alison Dedoon, VP of Global Client Solutions at ManpowerGroup.

Flynn delivered the session's sharpest data point: "Only 18% of workers aged 18 to 24 are currently in what would be considered a quality job, underscoring the need for stronger routes into opportunity, advancement, and long-term economic mobility."

Speakers emphasized that creating pathways to quality employment — not just any employment — requires sustained corporate investment, skills development, and career progression infrastructure. The session drew on McDonald's own experience building career pathways as a case study.

Salesforce Says Government AI Transparency Is Lagging

Why it matters: As governments pilot AI for citizen services, whether the public trusts those systems will determine how fast — or whether — adoption scales. The governance frameworks being established now will shape that trajectory for years.

Where things stand: Salesforce convened leaders from government, business, international organizations, and civil society. Moderated by Benedict Macon Cooney, Chief AI and Innovation Officer at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the session featured perspectives from the World Food Programme and NYCERS (New York City Employees' Retirement System).

Wendy Anderson, SVP of Government Affairs at Salesforce, delivered a candid assessment: "Many governments and companies are thinking about this problem, but very few are willing to talk about it publicly." Anderson argued that communicating AI decision-making to the public is essential to building trust. Participants stressed that keeping people at the center of technology adoption is a prerequisite for success, not a nice-to-have.

Tarana Burke Demands Action on Tech-Facilitated Gender Violence

Why it matters: Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is framed by the report's authors not as a niche digital safety issue but as a threat to public health, economic participation, democracy, and security — cutting across multiple national policy agendas.

Where things stand: Tarana Burke, co-chair of All In: Global Leaders to End Gender-Based Violence, led the launch of a report titled "Safer Tech, Safer World: Courageous Government Action to Prevent Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence," accompanied by newly commissioned artwork from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and artist Mona Chalabi.

The event featured Gabriela Ramos, President of the Board of the Center for AI and Digital Policy; Baroness Harriet Harman, UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls; Dr. Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Laureate; Ross Taylor, former captain of the New Zealand cricket team; and Geeta Rao Gupta, co-founder of the Arch Collaborative.

Baroness Harman delivered the session's most pointed remarks: "We must fight for women to be in politics without having to look over their shoulders as a tide of misogyny crashes over their heads."

Converging Crises: Drought, Migration, and Food Security

Why it matters: Climate shocks don't arrive in neat policy silos. When drought hits a community, food insecurity, displacement, and economic disruption follow — and they demand coordinated, not fragmented, responses.

Where things stand: Matthias Berninger, SVP of Public Affairs, Science and Sustainability at Bayer; Nicole Clifton, President of the UPS Foundation; and Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, participated in a roundtable moderated by Kate Warren, EVP of DIVEX. Natalia Ambrosio, International Public Affairs Manager at Bayer, underscored the convergence: "The company faces all of these challenges every time, and there is room for partners to come and work with them." Partnership — not just policy — emerged as the recurring theme.

Minor Items

• UAE and Formula 1 explore cross-sector innovation: Shaima Gargash, Director of Energy and Sustainability at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, previewed the UAE's co-hosting of the 2026 UN Water Conference, saying "the spark for innovation, a new idea, and out-of-the-box breakthroughs can come from anywhere and any sector." A related Mercedes-AMG Petronas session explored how F1's rapid-innovation culture can accelerate sustainability beyond motorsport.

• GE Vernova highlights human ingenuity in energy transition: Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, convened industry and academic leaders to explore how technology can unlock energy opportunities while keeping human creativity central as AI transforms the sector.

• Colgate-Palmolive and WHO link oral health to universal coverage: Dr. Saya Mau Piukala, WHO Regional Director for Western Pacific, declared that "there will never be universal health coverage without oral healthcare," drawing on 35 years of Colgate's Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program.

• Tesco and Oatly explore digital influence on food choices: Eco-chef Priyanka Naik observed that "people are more likely to be moved by a creator online than by a celebrity," pointing to a shift in how sustainability messaging reaches consumers at scale.

Note: This edition covers a narrated recap of Goals House Day 3 sessions during UNGA and Climate Week New York 2026. Individual session speakers are identified by their attributed names and titles as referenced in the recap. No formal votes or motions were taken.