Update, November 2026
Our Global Alliance is ‘Shaping Global Governance, Climate and Nature’
Steve Howard
Secretary General, the Global Foundation
Read this update as a PDF or read on…
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Annual General Meeting: Save the Date!
4:45pm – 6:30pm AEDT, Monday 7 December, Melbourne, in-person and online
Including presentations on key issues
Ms Louise Watson
Chair of the Board
Dr Mark Cutifani CBE
Member of the Board
Ms Sharan Burrow AC
Member of the Board
Mr Steve Howard
Secretary General
Join the Foundation’s leadership group and our major program leaders for our AGM and follow-on discussion, to hear insights and provide input to our forward program.
Personal invitations and specific details to follow.
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Important advice: our Rome Roundtable date changes as the program expands
We previously advised our intention to convene the next Rome Roundtable meeting at the Vatican in late January 2027, which will now not be able to proceed.
Instead, following more recent discussions with the Vatican and with our most significant supporters, our leadership group has decided that the agenda as proposed was too ambitious for a single meeting and that it would be preferable to convene multiple roundtable meetings at the Vatican during the course of the year ahead.
At least two of these meetings will involve our Global Alliance around dialogue and action on climate change and the energy transition.
Dates and details for these roundtable meetings are under negotiation and will be advised as soon as known, well ahead of time.
Separately, the topic of global governance of Artificial Intelligence has taken on such significant momentum as to also warrant specific focus.
The Vatican’s key advisor on AI, Father Paolo Benanti, met with the Foundation while visiting Australia recently and has now become an advisor to our work in this area.
We are also in discussions with the Office of Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, with whom Father Benanti met while in Australia, to encourage his further leadership of other middle-power nations on the topic.
Further details will be advised as soon as known.
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Accelerating the energy transition in and between Australia and Asia and the Pacific
As advised in our September update, this ambitious program is helping to accelerate and link the energy transition in and between Australia and Asia.
Foundation Key Partner, Jeff Dimery, CEO and Managing Director of Alinta Energy, is leading our strategy in this area, with great support from our leadership group.
We plan to convene a roundtable discussion in Australia early in the new year, which willinvolve our Partners, energy industry leaders, including the CEO of Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries, Kim Yin Wong and our Global Alliance members.
At the same time, we have kept the Office of the Australian Prime Minister abreast of developments, with the intention that, at the appropriate time, this joined-up strategy will be able to enjoy public-private sector collaboration, including from governments and businesses in Australia and Asia.
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A spotlight on circular economy
Later this month, Professor Bruce Dowton MD, Vice Chancellor of Macquarie University, one of the Foundation’s valued university members, will host a private dinner in Sydney to advance the work of creating a more sustainable world through nature positive futures.
Joining Professor Dowton will be Macquarie University Adjunct Professor Dr Nathan Ross MVO, formerly a NZ diplomat and Assistant Private Secretary to His Majesty King Charles III.
The Foundation’s Leadership will be represented by our Chair, Ms Louise Watson and myself.
Join the conversation
Contact the Global Foundation’s Chief of Staff, Ms Natalia Cikorska at natalia.cikorska@globalfoundation.earth
Find out more about our work at globalfoundation.earth