Utrecht, 2 October 2026 – Four leading sustainability events will take place this year at Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs during Climate Week. ESG Days, the Green Data Centre Conference, the Built Environment Climate Summit and Sustainable Switch will bring together executives, policymakers, entrepreneurs, experts and professionals working on the major transitions of our time.
Four perspectives on the same future
Each of the four events highlights a different aspect of the sustainability transition: from future-proof business practices and digital infrastructure to the built environment and the labour market. Together, they demonstrate that tomorrow’s challenges can only be solved through collaboration across sectors, disciplines and people. Herman Mantel, CCO of Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs: “The sustainability transition does not call for more isolated discussions, but for connections between the people working on it every day. It is precisely where different perspectives meet that new ideas, collaborations and progress emerge. By facilitating these encounters, we create the connections needed to drive social and economic impact.” By bringing these communities together under one roof during Climate Week, Jaarbeurs fulfils its role as a connector of people, ideas and markets, and creates space for knowledge-sharing, new connections and concrete collaboration.
ESG Days: sustainability shifts from ambition to business strategy
Sustainable progress begins with the choices organisations make today. That is why, during ESG Days, Future Up and Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs are bringing together directors and decision-makers to address a question of increasing urgency: how can an organisation remain future-proof in a world where raw materials, nature, legislation and geopolitical developments have a direct impact on business operations? On Tuesday 3 November, the focus will not only be on sustainability, but above all on its role as a strategic driver of growth, innovation and continuity. Corry Neggers, co-organiser of ESG Days at Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs: “Sustainability is no longer separate from business strategy. The choices organisations make today regarding raw materials, circularity and nature will help determine how resilient and competitive they will be tomorrow.” Green Data Centre Conference: digital growth must go hand in hand with sustainability
The digital economy is growing at breakneck speed, and with it the demand for data storage and digital infrastructure. The Green Data Centre Conference on Wednesday 4 November will therefore bring the sector and its stakeholders together to address a key question: how can further digitalisation be reconciled with the responsible use of energy and raw materials? The focus will be on innovation, efficiency and collaboration to make tomorrow’s digital infrastructure future-proof. Stijn Grove, Managing Director of the Green Data Centre Conference, said: “Data centres form an indispensable foundation for our digital society. Further growth requires innovation and collaboration in the areas of energy, space and raw materials.”
Built Environment Climate Summit: from ambitions to concrete action
How can we accelerate the transition to a more sustainable built environment? On 4 and 5 November, 3,000 participants from government, the business sector and research institutions will gather at the Built Environment Climate Summit (KTGO) in Utrecht. Over two days, the focus will be on how to translate ambitions into concrete action. Chaired by Diederik Samsom, the summit will address themes such as housing construction, district heating networks, grid congestion, circularity, nature-inclusive and zero-emission construction. Irene Walinga Schwering, programme manager of the KTGO, said: “Making the built environment more sustainable does not require more isolated plans, but rather joint implementation. By bringing together policy, practice and innovation, we are accelerating the shift from talk to action.”
Sustainable Switch: the transition also requires new professionals
No sustainability transition can succeed without the people who carry it out. The national career event Sustainable Switch therefore focuses on professionals who want to use their knowledge and experience to build a more sustainable future. The event connects talent with organisations tackling societal challenges and demonstrates that the labour market is a crucial link in accelerating the transition. Laura Wolf, event manager at Sustainable Motion: “The sustainability transition stands or falls with the right people. Sustainable Switch brings professionals who want to make an impact into contact with organisations that need their knowledge and experience.”
Face-to-face meetings as a driver of sustainable impact
The four events demonstrate that the sustainability transition has many facets, but one thing in common: progress is made when people come together. During Climate Week, Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs is therefore bringing together executives, policymakers, entrepreneurs, experts and professionals under one roof. By facilitating these connections, Jaarbeurs creates the space for new insights, collaboration and concrete steps towards a more sustainable and future-proof Netherlands. |
