The Innovation and Sustainability Corporate Affiliates Workshop, held January 29–30, 2026 at American University in Washington, D.C., was organized by The AHC Group (AHC) and C2E2 Strategies, LLC (C2E2). Both the organizations provide advisory services to companies on how to gain competitive advantage by effectively managing change in the context of rapidly evolving energy and environmental developments.
The workshop brought together senior corporate, policy, and academic leaders to share how businesses are turning sustainability from a compliance obligation into a source of competitive advantage. Across two days of sessions, speakers emphasized that new regulatory frameworks such as CSRD and emerging disclosure standards have made climate, nature, and circularity action a non‑negotiable component of corporate strategy. Topics ranged from federal affairs to next‑generation energy, climate resilience, and how investors, customers, and employees increasingly expect rigorous action on Scope 3 emissions, biodiversity, and circular economy initiatives. Corporate leaders and experts shared practical insights on aligning sustainability with business value.
A central thread running through the workshop was how innovation, especially data, analytics and artificial intelligence can help close the gap between disclosure and delivery on sustainability commitments. In a featured session on “Innovation and Sustainability Readout,” co-presenters Roman Kramarchuk, Head of Future Energy Analytics, Policy Analysis, S&P Global, and Dr. Nicole Darnall, Eminent Scholar Chair in Sustainability, American University Kogod School of Business talked about innovation as means to close the gap between disclosure and delivery. During the session participants were informed how Scope 3 emissions account for between 70 and 96% of a company’s total footprint, making supplier engagement, product redesign, and logistics optimization critical levers for sustainability impact.
Speakers highlighted a three‑step framework to move from disclosure to design: mapping high‑emissions categories, engaging suppliers with scorecards and incentives, and redesigning products and materials to support circular business models. Additional discussion focused on biodiversity and nature‑related risks, where tools such as nature monitoring and AI‑enabled analytics can help companies meet converging investor expectations around climate and nature while improving supply chain resilience.
The workshop concluded with forward-looking conversations on AI governance, sustainable supply chains, and climate and sustainability communications, underscoring the role of robust data, thoughtful guardrails, and clear messaging in scaling innovation with measurable environmental and business outcomes.
Additional Insights: Amidst the backdrop of this workshop"93% of all the Americans believe climate change is happening, among these are 87% Republicans, 95% Independents, and 98% Democrats." - Echelon Insights, Conservative Leaning Polster