HSC 2025: Hamburg Sustainability Conference kicks off amidst geopolitical tensions

Participants from more than 110 countries are gathered today in Hamburg, Germany, for the second edition of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC).

This event aims to foster partnerships for sustainable development and to expedite advancements in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

According to a statement issued Sunday by the organisers and shared with PREMIUM TIMES, this year, around 1,600 participants from more than 110 countries will convene across 60 sessions to develop concrete solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges.

PREMIUM TIMES’ Editor-in-Chief and Chief Operating Officer, Musikilu Mojeed, received an invitation from the German government to facilitate a high-level panel discussion at the event this year.

The HSC is an international forum that convenes distinguished leaders from politics, business, academia, and civil society to develop solutions to the most pressing global challenges of the time. The German Government organises it in partnership with other relevant stakeholders.

The annual conference is a joint initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the Michael Otto Foundation.

According to the organisers, this year’s edition of the HSC will centre on three thematic pillars; it will address the urgent need to reshape the global financial architecture, ensuring fairer and more sustainable financing models while alleviating debt burdens associated with climate change and other transnational challenges.

The event will also focus on unlocking investment flows to accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global climate and biodiversity targets, particularly mobilising private sector capital for sustainable projects in emerging and developing economies.

Join the Premium Times WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.

Open in WhatsApp

Additionally, the conference is expected to explore strategies for ensuring a just transition to a sustainable future, encompassing green urban infrastructure, sustainable mobility solutions, and socially inclusive ecological transformation.

“Geopolitical tensions”

The organisers noted that although only eight months have passed since the first edition of the conference, the second HSC will unfold in a markedly different global context.

“It takes place at a time of profound shifts in international relations, rising geopolitical tensions, and increasing fragmentation,” the statement said.

It noted that in a survey conducted by UNDP ahead of HSC 2025 among conference participants, approximately 67 per cent of respondents identified “geopolitical tensions” as the “greatest challenge” to global cooperation in the year ahead.

In this context, the organisers said the HSC sends a clear and deliberate message that sustainable development can only succeed through joint action.

“The conference was intentionally conceived as a continuous process, with the ambition to generate impact well beyond the conference days. This sustained, the action-oriented approach is essential not only to achieve real-world impact but also for the HSC to truly fulfil its mission: to co-create sustainable development,” the statement said.

Additionally, the conference organisers explained that this year’s high-level participation sends a strong signal that the HSC approach resonates widely—even in times of heightened uncertainty.

“Period of global uncertainty”

In his remarks, the German Development Minister, Alabali-Radovan, said the international challenges are greater than ever before, which means that international cooperation must be stronger than ever before.

“If the Hamburg Sustainability Conference didn’t already exist, then now would be the time to invent it. Many of the traditional forums for exchange are currently blocked. The value and the benefit of international cooperation are being questioned worldwide, in some cases quite aggressively,” he said.

On his part, First Mayor Peter Tschentscher said the HSC has created a forum to promote the practical implementation of the SDGs worldwide.

“Our city itself pursues a consistent sustainability strategy, is a strong business location and is well connected internationally. Last year, the conference led to many concrete agreements and projects. This should be continued. We are looking forward to the guests, an interesting exchange and new ideas for implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda,”

Similarly, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said, “We are in a time of uncertainty with rising geopolitical divisions, where development pathways are under pressure because of aid cuts, trade tension, and the debt crisis. What we need now is more cooperation, not less.”

The official said the conference offers opportunities where they can find those critical touch points to take on big ideas, rebuild trust, advance innovative solutions, and forge meaningful connections across

Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Otto Group, Michael Otto, explained that the enormous potential of the private sector to accelerate progress on the SDGs must be unleashed and that the economy must be transformed from its role as a contributor to the sustainability crisis to a new role as the key solution.

At the inaugural edition of the HSC last year, organisers said it delivered important progress with tangible results—including the Hamburg Declaration on the Decarbonisation of Global Shipping, the Hamburg Declaration on Green Aviation, and the first governments joining the Global Battery Alliance.

Building on this momentum, HSC 2025 aims to take the next step by advancing significant new initiatives and alliances designed to deliver concrete improvements in key areas.

These include the signing of the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs as well as the establishment of the Global Alliance against Inequality.

Notable dignitaries

The German Federal Minister will open the first day of the HSC 2025 for Economic Cooperation and Development, Reem Alabali-Radovan, the First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, and UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, organisers said.

READ ALSO: Why empathy, ethics, best practices matter in reporting vulnerable groups — Musikilu Mojeed

It noted that the subsequent opening panel will feature Reem Alabali-Radovan, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany; Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment, St. Kitts and Nevis, among others.

The second day of the conference(3 June) will be opened by the German Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance, Lars Klingbeil, with a keynote address, followed by a Q&A session.

Further notable high-level participants include Michael Otto, Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Otto Group; Antoine Denoix, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Climate; Günther Thallinger, Member of the Board of Management for Investment, Management and Sustainability, Allianz SE; Amitabh Behar, Executive Director, Oxfam International; Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Carolina Pasquali, Executive Director, Greenpeace Brazil; and Elizabeth Wathuti, Climate Activist and Founder of the Green Generation Initiative.

“The diversity of participants and the cross-sector collaboration between leaders from politics, business, science, and civil society—across all world regions—reflects the HSC’s multidimensional approach and creates the foundation for new alliances and collaborative action. This makes the HSC a platform for real, tangible progress,” the statement said.