GOAL Invitational & Medals Ceremony
Climate Week NYC | September 21-22, 2026
The GOAL Invitational & Medals Ceremony returns during Climate Week NYC, bringing together leaders from across the GOAL Member community for two days of connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration.
Beginning Monday, September 21, the experience will include an optional Sustainability Tour and GOAL Member Happy Hour. On Tuesday, September 22, members will gather at UBS Arena for the GOAL Invitational before continuing to Midtown Manhattan for an elevated GOAL Awards experience recognizing leadership and impact across sports and live entertainment.
Thanks to the support of Deloitte, the GOAL Medals Ceremony will be held at Deloitte’s Climate Week event, called HORIZONS, in Midtown Manhattan. The GOAL community will join Deloitte’s high-caliber audience of Chief Sustainability Officers and global leaders to celebrate an evening of leadership in live events. This partnership enables GOAL to enhance the reach of our recognition program and allow all of your important work to show up in the larger context of sustainability leadership.
There is no registration fee for GOAL Members. Each GOAL Member organization receiving GOAL Medals will also be offered one additional seat at the GOAL Awards for a guest.
Previously completed the intent-to-attend form? Thank you! Please note that the earlier form did not serve as formal registration. All attendees must complete the official registration form.
Who’s Joining Us in New York
Meet Your Host: David Garrido
The evening will be hosted by David Garrido, a sports broadcaster with more than 25 years of experience across BBC Sport and Sky Sports in the UK.
Alongside his presenting work, David serves as sustainability lead for his channel at Sky, helping ensure that climate and biodiversity stories are reflected across its coverage. He fronted and executive-produced Football’s Toughest Opponent, a documentary exploring the relationship between football and the climate crisis, and has produced four seasons of Playing for the Planet, a feature and vodcast series highlighting the sustainability journeys of elite athletes.
David also works on sustainability with organizations including UEFA, FIA, Formula E, The R&A, and SailGP, bringing his expertise across sport, technology, and innovation.
Legacy of Impact Award: Jasmyne Spencer
Jasmyne Spencer will be recognized with the 2026 Legacy of Impact Award for using her platform to advance sustainability within sport and beyond it. She will also join Katharine Hayhoe and another special guest on stage for a conversation exploring the connections between sport, sustainability, and influence.
A professional soccer veteran who competed across 12 NWSL seasons beginning with the league’s inaugural campaign, Jasmyne most recently helped Vancouver Rise FC capture the inaugural Northern Super League championship. Beyond the pitch, she is the founder of Jas It Up, a sustainable lifestyle brand created to inspire more eco-conscious and socially aware living, and uses the influence of sport, fashion, and education to empower young people and encourage environmental action.
Special Guest: Dr. Katharine Hayhoe
At the GOAL Medals Ceremony, Katharine will join other guests for an on-stage conversation exploring the connections between sport, sustainability, and influence. Additional details about the conversation will be announced soon.
Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist whose work focuses on what climate change means for people and the places where we live. She serves as Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and is a distinguished professor at Texas Tech University. Author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, Katharine has been named to the TIME 100 and recognized as a United Nations Champion of the Earth.
Special Guest: Lucas Leiva
Former Liverpool FC midfielder Lucas Leiva will join the 2026 GOAL Medals Ceremony for a special fireside chat.
A fan favorite during a decade at Liverpool FC, Lucas made 346 appearances for the club between 2007 and 2017. The Brazilian midfielder earned Liverpool’s fan-voted Player of the Season honor in 2010–11 and was part of the squad that lifted the League Cup in 2012.
Lucas has also engaged directly with Liverpool FC’s sustainability efforts, joining club representatives at United Nations headquarters during Global Goals Action Week in 2024 to learn more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the club’s The Red Way strategy.
Event Agenda
Monday, September 21
3:00 PM-4:00 PM | Guided walking tour of Battery Park City Authority
Battery Park City is emerging as one of New York City's leading examples of climate adaptation and waterfront resilience. The tour will be guided by Battery Park City Authority (BPCA), which manages a 92-acre mixed-use district spanning more than 16 million square feet of residential, commercial, and cultural space. This unique tour will highlight BPCA's rapidly evolving resilience program, including newly completed projects and ongoing improvements across its parks, open spaces, and 1.2-mile Hudson River waterfront. Participants will see firsthand how innovative flood protection, landscape design, and infrastructure solutions are being implemented to address growing climate risks.
4:00 PM-4:15 PM | Short walk to Buro Happold Office
4:30 PM-5:00 PM | Info Session on Metropolitan Park Project
Metropolitan Park is an $8 billion-plus transformation of roughly 50 acres of Citi Field surface parking in Willets Point into a new entertainment district, with major public open space and improved transit access. This presentation will highlight how advisory and engineering services support the Client and wider project team in translating the Metropolitan Park vision into a high-performing destination for generations to come.
5:00 PM | Drinks & canapés on 23rd Floor of 100 Broadway
Reconnect with peers from across the GOAL network and welcome new members ahead of Tuesday’s programming.
Tuesday, September 22
9:30 AM–3:30 PM | GOAL Invitational at UBS Arena
The GOAL Invitational will bring members together for a day of learning, candid dialogue, and collaboration focused on advancing sustainability across sports and live entertainment.
The program will include:
A behind-the-scenes tour of UBS Arena
GOAL Member-only content and conversations
Opportunities to connect and exchange ideas with sustainability leaders from across the network
Additional programming to be announced
Transportation from the Event Hotel will be provided.
6:00–9:00 PM | GOAL Awards in Midtown Manhattan
The evening will include:
A cocktail reception alongside Deloitte’s Climate Week programming
The GOAL Green Carpet
Legacy of Impact Award & Panel moderated by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, with Jasmyne Spencer and Lucas Leiva
GOAL Medals & Awards, hosted by David Garrido
An after-party in Manhattan
Transportation from the Event Hotel will be provided.
Additional speakers, sessions, tours, and event details will be added as they are confirmed.
Registration
There is no registration fee for GOAL Members. Additional attendees may be welcomed on a limited, invite-only basis.
Your role and organization must fit the category described in the package.
GOAL Member
Represents Venue or Team
Full Experience
September 21 & 22
Complimentary
Event Logistics
Hotel
GOAL has secured a limited room block at The Garden City Hotel on Long Island for $299 per night plus fees.
The hotel is located near UBS Arena, and guests staying within the block will receive transportation to and from all official event locations.
Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Hotels throughout New York are especially expensive and fill quickly during Climate Week, so we recommend confirming your accommodations as soon as possible.
You will be able to request access to the hotel block during registration.
Transportation
GOAL will provide transportation from The Garden City Hotel to all official event locations.
For attendees staying elsewhere, we will work to coordinate transportation details and help facilitate seamless event logistics.
Plus Ones
Each GOAL Member organization receiving GOAL Medals will be offered one additional seat at the GOAL Awards for a guest. Medal recipients may request a plus-one invitation through the registration form.
Additional Climate Week Programming
Planning to remain in New York from Wednesday, September 23 through Friday, September 25? Indicate your interest during registration, and we will keep you informed about additional relevant Climate Week events and opportunities.
Check out past Invitationals & Medals Ceremonies
Behind-the-scenes guided tour of venues and facilities
Providing platform for leaders from a variety of roles to share their experiences and insight
Recognizing member achievements across GOAL’s 10 sustainable medals categories
An evening celebrating sustainability efforts across the network in unique venues