BEYOND WHY TO HOW

McKinsey at COP31

November 9-20, Antalya, Turkey

As the global economy shifts toward a more sustainable future, capital is moving, industries are transforming, and leaders must decide where to play—and how to win.

The conversation has moved beyond why to how. Today’s leaders are focused on how to accelerate the energy transition while strengthening competitiveness, where climate technology can create the greatest impact, and how to build resilient industries, cities and economies.

How can organizations mobilize capital at the scale and speed the transition demands? What will define the next era of green industrial growth? Where are the greatest opportunities to create lasting value—and how can leaders turn them into competitive advantage?

Join McKinsey leaders and global decision makers at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye for a series of executive discussions exploring the strategic choices shaping sustainable growth. Together, we’ll examine what’s changing, what’s working and what leaders can do today to accelerate progress, build resilience and create long-term value.

Our themes
November 9 – 13, 2026

Clean Energy Transition
How can the energy transition accelerate without compromising affordability, security, or growth?
Explore how organizations can deliver the whole-system transformation needed for a secure, affordable, and low-carbon energy future. With renewables now scaling faster than any energy technology in history, the challenge is increasingly about execution.

Climate Resilience
How can climate adaptation shift from risk management to resilience and growth?
Discover how companies and communities can move from managing climate risk to building long-term resilience. Closing the $350 billion annual adaptation gap could unlock an estimated $1 trillion resilience opportunity.

Green Industrialization
Where will the next era of industrial growth come from?
Learn how innovative organizations are executing end-to-end transformation across R&D, manufacturing, and supply chains to drive cost reduction at speed. The transition represents an annual green growth opportunity of $9–12 trillion by 2030.

Zero Waste
What if waste is the resource we haven’t learned to value yet?
Learn how organizations are scaling circularity across materials value chains to reduce emissions, strengthen supply security, and manage costs. For critical commodities, circularity can turn overlooked waste streams into valuable inputs and help close future supply gaps.

Who You’ll Meet

Meet the McKinsey leaders bringing our perspectives to COP31. Drawing on expertise across sustainability, energy, industry, cities, finance, and AI, they'll share insights from leading organizations around the world—and continue the conversations shaping the future of sustainable growth. Connect now!
Anna Granskog
PartnerHelsinki
Leads McKinsey’s green business building work in Europe. Advises clients on strategy and organizational topics, bringing deep expertise in energy and materials, climate technologies and sustainability
Stefan Helmcke
Senior PartnerVienna
Stefan Helmcke is co-leader of McKinsey’s global Sustainability Practice. He is responsible for sustainability strategy as well as for sustainability issues at energy companies and within the raw materials industry in Europe. He has also worked on related matters such as climate change, water, and the circular economy for more than twenty years.
Sanjay Kalavar
Senior Partner and Global Coleader, SustainabilityHouston
As global coleader of McKinsey Sustainability, helps energy investors and operators build businesses, evaluate assets, reduce emissions, improve operations, and manage risks.
Sinan Köksoy
Senior PartnerBaku
Leads McKinsey’s work across Turkey, Caspian, and Central Asia and advises energy and industrial companies on strategy, transformation, capital investment, and the energy transition.
Bengi Korkmaz
PartnerIstanbul
Mekala Krishnan
McKinsey Global Institute PartnerBoston
Leads research on sustainable and inclusive growth, focusing on physical climate risks, climate adaptation, and the net-zero transition
Mark Patel
Senior PartnerBay Area - San Francisco
Advises clients across sectors on sustainability with a focus on climate technologies; leads client work across industrial, high-tech, and semiconductor sectors
Peter Spiller
PartnerFrankfurt
Advises companies and business leaders across industries on the development and implementation of environmentally-sustainable operations and ESG strategy, including carbon accounting and tracking, supplier sustainability transformations, and supply chain decarbonization
Christian Therkelsen
PartnerOslo
Shapes value-creation agendas and drives performance transformations with clients in the energy and basic-materials sectors
Alexis Trittipo
PartnerNew York
Leads our global climate analytics work and serves companies on climate risk, resilience, and adaptation
Cengiz Ulubas
PartnerIstanbul
Leads McKinsey Operations and Digital / AI practices in Turkey and Caspian. Advises clients across sectors on transformations including sustainability
Manolya Yazarkan
PartnerIstanbul
Leads McKinsey Turkey and advises financial institutions and diversified groups on digital and AI transformation, organizational performance, leadership development, and capability building

Contact us for media requests and more information about McKinsey Sustainability at COP

Contact us