The International Conference “Future GREEN Business 2026 – HUMAN REVOLUTION”, organized by the International Institute for Climate Action (IICA), was held on 18 June 2026 in the Emerald Hall of the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb.
This year’s edition of the conference, held in partnership with the European Commission Representation in the Republic of Croatia and under the auspices of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Croatia and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition, was dedicated to the connection between innovation, artificial intelligence and climate change and their role in building a sustainable economy of the future.
The conference focused on the changes shaping the global economy, from the development of renewable energy sources, energy storage systems and electric mobility to the increasing application of artificial intelligence in climate risk management and resource optimization. Special attention was paid to the concept of “Green AI”, i.e. the development of more efficient models of artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure based on renewable energy sources.

The keynote speaker of the conference was Dr. Tariq Qureishy, ​​Chairman & CEO of the Future Readiness Forum and Xponential, who spoke about the connection between artificial intelligence, leadership, trust and sustainability, and how organizations can build more resilient and responsible business models in times of accelerated change.
The conference brought together representatives of the European Commission, the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the financial sector, industry and academia. Opening remarks were given by Marija Pujo Tadić, President of IICA and Special Advisor/Envoy for Climate Action of the Republic of Croatia, Zrinka Ujević, Head of the European Commission Representation in the Republic of Croatia, Tanja Radić Lakoš, State Secretary in the role of Envoy of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Ana Zorić, representative of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Croatia, and Luka Balen, Director of the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency.

The panel discussion was dedicated to the role of the business and financial sectors in strengthening resilience to climate change and adapting to the new regulatory framework of the European Union. The panel was moderated by Andrea Čović Vidović, and was attended by Luka Balen, Sandra Švaljek, Deputy Governor of the Croatian National Bank, Krešimir Barić, CFO and Member of the Management Board of Erste Bank d.d., Viktor Lučić, Director of the Corporate Strategy and Business Development Sector at KONČAR, and Marija Pujo Tadić.

The Women Green Leaders Club (WGLC) initiative and the “Future Green Leaders” scholarship program were presented during the conference, which again this year attracted a large number of applications from all over Croatia. The first prize was won by Viktorija Moguš, who received the right to internationally recognized ESG Level 1 and ESG Level 2 education and a one-month professional internship. Doris Bičak, winner of the second prize, won ESG Level 1 education and a one-month internship, while Mihaela Geber, winner of the third prize, won the right to ESG Level 1 education. The awards were presented by a representative of Gitone Kvarner d.o.o., this year’s sponsor of the competition.

The conference was held with the strong support of partners and sponsors, such as the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency as a gold sponsor, and Coca-Cola HBC, KONČAR and Hrvatska poštanska banka as silver sponsors. Donors included Erste banka and Kelemen energija.

The conference “Future GREEN Business 2026 – HUMAN REVOLUTION” concluded with a message about the importance of joint action of the business, financial and public sectors in accelerating the green and digital transformation and strengthening the economy’s resilience in the face of climate and technological changes.