UN Day 2026 Gala
October 24 marks United Nations Day, established to commemorate the founding of the United Nations. On this occasion UN Global Compact Network Poland, the Polish office of the United Nations Global Compact, organizes the UN Day gala every year. The gala highlights the importance of cooperation between business, public administration, and civil society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s event took place on October 22, 2026, at the Kręglicki Fortress in Warsaw.
MATERIALITY was represented by members of the Management Board Justyna Biernacka, Piotr Biernacki and Marta Kęsik, Senior Sustainability Manager. The gala was attended by representatives from the government, parliament, public administration, the diplomatic corps, the business community, academia, the cultural sector, and civil society organizations.
Architects for Sustainable Development 2026
As part of the UN Global Compact Network Poland’s Sustainable Development Architect Award, recognition was given to initiatives promoting human rights, social solidarity, and climate security, as well as to the use of culture to address important social issues. The winners were:
- Anja Rubik – for creating and developing the SEXEDPL initiative, which breaks down taboos surrounding sex education, health, relationships, and violence, as well as for establishing a support system, including the Anti-Violence Helpline.
- Katarzyna Wiekiera (Workshop for All Beings), Prof. Zbigniew Karaczun (Polish Ecological Club, Climate Coalition) and Prof. Szymon Malinowski (Polish Academy of Sciences Committee on the Climate Crisis) – for organizing the first National Debate on Climate Security for Poles in the Sejm and for its long-standing efforts to mitigate climate change and combat climate disinformation.
- Natalia Panchenko – for fostering Polish-Ukrainian civic solidarity, mobilizing support, and creating support systems for those affected by the war.
- Wojciech Smarzowski – for the film „Dom dobry” and for using culture as a tool for social change that helps break the silence surrounding domestic violence.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners! We are particularly proud of the recognition we received for bringing climate security into the national security debate. This is an issue we address every day in our work with our clients. You can read more about the winners of the Sustainable Development Architect Award in an article by the UN Global Compact Network Poland.
Yearbook 2026: From Carbon Footprint to Climate Resilience
The annual „Yearbook 2026” publication by the UN Global Compact Network Poland was unveiled during the gala. It is a summary of the activities, projects, and initiatives carried out as part of UNGC Poland’s programs over the past twelve months, supplemented by insights and best practices from companies affiliated with the organization.
In last year’s edition, we analyzed Goal 12—Responsible Consumption and Production—in the context of our activities. We wrote about how high sustainability reporting standards help accurately measure impacts, risks, and opportunities. This year, we have chosen Goal 13: Climate Action.
On page 210, you’ll find the article „From Carbon Footprint to Climate Resilience” by Justyna Biernacka and Piotr Biernacki. In it, we outline the journey we’ve taken together with our clients over the past ten years: we started by measuring Scope 1 and 2 emissions, then expanded to include Scope 3, and today we base our calculations on source data from partners in the value chain. The next step is to accurately calculate the carbon footprint of products and services—a metric that retail chains, developers, and general contractors are increasingly asking for.
However, the climate is changing faster than our actions can keep up with it. That is why, in parallel with reducing emissions, we help companies understand how climate change will affect their business model and value chain. We also identify adaptation measures that will increase their resilience. We encourage these efforts to extend beyond their own „backyard.” In 2026, at the invitation of the Warsaw Climate Partnership, we encouraged companies to create publicly accessible cooling spaces.
We encourage you to familiarizing oneself with the publication „Yearbook 2026”.
Second Year in the UN Global Compact
We joined the UN Global Compact Network Poland in 2025. We view this membership as a commitment to transparency and to measuring our own impact just as rigorously as we do for our clients. This year, we published our first sustainability report. In it, we describe both MATERIALITY’s direct impacts and the indirect impacts that result from our work for our clients. We invite you to read it. MATERIALITY Sustainability Report for 2025.
We would like to thank the organizers of the UN Day 2026 Gala for the invitation, and we wish all members and signatories of the UN Global Compact another year of effective action toward sustainable development!
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