Celebrating Leadership and Impact: The First 50 Global Impact Leaders Announced Ahead of COP 31

Global CSR Foundation and The European recognise leadership in climate, technology, investment and social impact, with celebrations in Antalya during COP 31

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, October 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Global CSR Foundation (GCSRF) and The European magazine have announced the first 50 honourees of the 100 Global Impact Leaders initiative, recognising individuals and organisations whose leadership and achievements address global challenges and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Representing more than a dozen countries, the inaugural cohort brings together climate scientists, technology innovators, investors, public servants, social entrepreneurs and cultural leaders.

Among the first honourees are Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, Fei-Fei Li of Stanford HAI and World Labs, climate scientist Daniel Kammen, Carl Benjamin Page of the Anthropocene Institute, Zhenhua Xie of Tsinghua ICCSD, and Ida Liu of HSBC Private Bank. The complete list of 100 honourees is expected by the end of 2026.

“Addressing the challenges of our time requires leadership grounded in responsibility, measurable achievement and international co-operation,” said Jing Zhao Cesarone, Co-Chair of the Judging Panel and Chair of the 2026 COP31 Global Impact Leaders Summit. “Our COP31 gatherings will strengthen collaboration across regions, sectors and generations, and accelerate solutions with lasting global impact.”

“Credible leadership is demonstrated through results,” said Charles Nugent-Isitt, CEO of The European and Co-Chair of the Judging Panel. “We are pleased to bring these honourees’ achievements to an international audience.”

Recognition at COP31

Two afternoon programmes will take place on 10 and 11 November 2026 at the Rotary International Pavilion in the COP31 Blue Zone in Antalya, Türkiye, featuring the Global Impact Leaders Summit, the Women Impact Leadership Summit and the Youth Impact Leadership Summit.

The programmes will bring honourees together with government delegations and United Nations officials. COP31 runs from 9 to 20 November 2026.
The initiative has already recognised honourees at three international gatherings. The first five received their certificates at APEX in Las Vegas on 23 September, followed by a further five at United Nations Headquarters in New York during the 7th Global CSR Summit on 16 October. A third ceremony, held in Rome during the World Changers Summit, honoured Prof. Gabriele Pao-Pei Andreoli, Sara Penco and Peter Liu.
The COP31 events will serve as the initiative’s concluding and largest in-person recognition gathering of 2026.

The First 50 Honourees
Honourees are grouped under the seven themes of the 40 award categories and listed alphabetically by surname within each award.

Leadership
Lifetime Achievement in Global Impact: Peter Liu (WI Harper Group) and Zhenhua Xie (Tsinghua ICCSD).
SDG Pioneer Award: Lan Xue (Schwarzman College, Tsinghua).
Transformational Leadership for Impact: Alev Baymur and Yue-Sai Kan (One World Foundation).
Visionary Leader in Sustainable Development: Feng Liu.

Environment
Climate Action Leadership Award: Daniel Kammen (Johns Hopkins University), Christopher Puttock and Domenico Vito (Metabolism of Cities Living Lab).
Net Zero Strategy Excellence: James L. Sweeney (Stanford University).
Clean Energy Innovation Award: Yi Cui (Stanford University) and Xiaoxin Zhou (China Electric Power Research Institute).
Water Stewardship & Conservation Award: Alberto Palombo.
Circular Economy Champion: Birnur Temel Birtane (MILKist Social Design Center).

Business
ESG Leadership in Business: Hock E. Tan (Broadcom).
Women Impact Leader, Ida Liu (HSBC Private Bank)
Sustainable Finance Innovation Award: John Rosser (2050 Advisors) and Max Studennikoff (CC Forum).
Responsible Investment Leader: Cheng Ai (iAsk Media) and Carl Benjamin Page (Anthropocene Institute).
Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence: Menglong Jia (Hangzhou Heshun Culture Creative).
Ethical Governance & Transparency Award: Prof. Gabriele Pao-Pei Andreoli (IASC World Changers).
Inclusive Economic Growth Award: Mayan Metzler (TerraLux).
Sustainable Innovation in Industry: Sudip Mukhopadhyay (AirMyne).

Social Impact
Social Impact Leader of the Year: Grace Chen and Ernie Kwok (Yatop Media).
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion: Ruomei Li (Women in Power China).
Gender Equality Leadership Award: Cathy Allara Latiwa (Build Her A Future), and Gina Roda (WOWMOVEMENT).
Education & Skills Development Impact: Peter Wu (Xavvi Holdings).
Healthcare Innovation for Impact: Andrea Atzori (Doctors with Africa CUAMM).
Poverty Reduction Initiative Award: Rajan Kapur (IEEE Smart Village).

Technology
Tech for Good Innovation Award: Vincent Février.
Digital Inclusion Leadership Award: Dee C. Marshall (AI Training Plus) and Rosalind Panda (Oqulus Tech).
Smart Cities & Sustainable Infrastructure Award: Christian Johnston, Jie Kinoshita and Zehong Liu (GEIDCO).
AI for Social Impact Award: Fei-Fei Li (Stanford HAI and World Labs).
Data & Analytics for Sustainability: Jensen Huang (NVIDIA).

Partnerships
Global Partnership Excellence Award: M.R. Malinee Chakrabandhu.
Cross-Sector Collaboration for Impact: Dr. Geeta Kadambi (Rotary International District 5170) and Sara Penco (Sapere Project).
NGO & Non-Profit Leadership Award: Bruce Knotts (Citizens for Global Solutions) and John D. McDonald (IEEE Foundation).
Public-Private Partnership Impact Award: Peter Kuo (SIAS International).
Youth Leadership Impact Award: Dr. Linda J. Stillman (Young Global Leadership Foundation).

Emerging Leaders
Rising Star in Global Impact: Miles C. Prime (MavenPay) and Wally Chen-Lin Yang.
Youth Leader for Sustainable Development: Darasing Khurana (Pause.Breathe.Talk. Foundation)

Selection and Judging Panel
Honourees are selected by an independent Judging Panel. Nominations are assessed on written impact dossiers for measurable results, scale, innovation and alignment with the SDGs.
The Judging Panel is co-chaired by Jing Zhao Cesarone, Founder and CEO of the Global CSR Foundation, and Charles Nugent-Isitt, CEO of The European. Its members are:
• H.E. Angela R. M, Director-General, World Women Organization (UNWWO)
• Mr. Chengyu Fu, former Chairman of CNOOC and Sinopec; Professor, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business;
• Xiaofeng Zhang, Founder and President, Global Green Development Alliance
• Enzo di Taranto, sustainability strategist and climate technology investor; Founder, XZEN Technologies; Host, PLANET GOLD
• H.E. Mohammed Saeed Al Neyadi, CEO and Founder, Smart Solutions
• Prof. Gary Yohe, Huffington Foundation Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, Wesleyan University
• Prof. Konstantina Lambrinou, Professor of Advanced Materials, University of Huddersfield
• Judith Diment MBE, President, Rotary Club of London; Chair, Rotary International Polio Eradication Advocacy Committee
• Beatrice de Salles, Board Member, Global CSR Foundation; adviser on international relations, cultural diplomacy and global communication
• Liza Brenda Sekaggya, international human rights lawyer; President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Swiss–Uganda (CCISUG)

The remaining 50 honourees will be announced in the coming weeks, with the complete list of 100 to be published by the end of 2026.

SOFIA C
Global CSR Foundation
+1 312-316-0379
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn