The Nobel Sustainability Trust (NST) successfully convened its 2025 Annual Summit at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami, uniting global leaders, policymakers, scientists, innovators, and entrepreneurs for a day dedicated to accelerating solutions for a sustainable future. The gathering underscored NST’s growing influence as a premier international platform for sustainability leadership and cross-sector collaboration.
The summit opened with an elegant Gala Dinner, moderated by celebrated journalist Gloria Ordaz. Guests were welcomed by NST leadership and representatives of Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. Ambassador Andrew Jackson Young delivered a keynote address, setting a tone of urgency and shared responsibility for the planet’s future, accompanied by remarks from distinguished VIP dignitaries. The official programme commenced under the moderation of global entrepreneur Jeff Hoffman, Chairman of the Global Entrepreneurship Network and co-founder of Priceline/Booking.com. Opening remarks from Peter Nobel, Chairman of the Nobel Sustainability Trust, and leading climate scientist Johan Rockström highlighted both the progress achieved and the challenges that lie ahead.
A standout moment of the morning was the Sustainability Award Ceremony, introduced by the NST Board of Directors. Ed Russo, speaking on behalf of the President of the United States, delivered a keynote address and received an official NST recognition for his contributions to advancing sustainability initiatives nationally. Two prominent government leaders, H.E. Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiya and H.E. Dr. Yasmine Fouad, were honoured with the 2025 Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Medal for their ongoing work to champion global environmental efforts. The Academic Awards segment showcased the future of scientific and technical innovation. The Technical University of Munich presented the 2025 Sustainability Award themes, followed by announcements of this year’s distinguished academic laureates: Prof. Manfred Curbach for Leadership in Implementation, Prof. Paul Hebert for Outstanding Research in Biodiversity, and The Global Observatory for Healthy & Sustainable Cities for Intelligent and Sustainable Urban Solutions.
One of the summit’s major milestones was the declaration of NST’s new academic partnership with the University of Cambridge and its Frontier Technology Lab. Announced by Simran Chana, the partnership will position Cambridge as a strategic academic collaborator beginning in 2026. The alliance will focus on frontier technologies, AI governance, sustainability innovation, and large-scale global solutions. Midday sessions included the announcement of a new strategic partnership between AECOM and NST. Together, they unveiled the first Smart & Sustainable City Certificate, awarded to Lusail City in Doha—recognising its pioneering approach to smart urban development.
Throughout the afternoon, attendees engaged with forward-looking themes such as AI-enabled sustainable cities and biodiversity as critical global infrastructure. A keynote on behalf of the President of Panama was delivered by the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, followed by interventions from Youssef Nassef, Head of the UNFCCC Adaptation Division, and Professor Graciela Chichilnisky. Two dynamic fireside chats addressed climate finance and the emerging era of artificial intelligence, reinforcing NST’s mission to integrate policy, science, technology, and investment to create meaningful global impact. With its next summit planned for Doha in 2026, the 2025 Miami gathering reaffirmed the Nobel Sustainability Trust’s position as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration, and leadership in the global sustainability landscape.
