About Stockholm+50
Stockholm+50 was a high-level international meeting on 2-3 June 2022 in Stockholm, Sweden, marking 50 years since the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment. It addressed the global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, emphasising urgent, cooperative action for a sustainable future. Leaders from over 130 nations, along with civil society and business representatives, focused on accelerating solutions for a healthy planet and prosperity for all.
The mayor of Stockholm invited Nik to moderate the four hour +50 conference on the future of cities on June 1 2022.
A large number of mayors joined the interactive town hall setting. Remarkably, all participants made contributions to the conversation. You can sample the energy and focus Nik achieved in this video.
David Preuss, International Policy Adviser for the Mayor, emphasised the importance of Nik’s contribution both in the pre-planning and on the day:
Your guidance in all of this was extremely helpful to me. It’s the first time that I had been involved in an event of this magnitude and your clear asks helped me develop a much clearer picture of where we should go with the event. Both in my head, and ultimately on paper.
“I still remember quite vividly our discussion in one of our first calls of how the room should be set up. The vision that you brought to the table (i.e. max three panellists, remaining seats arranged in a semi-circle) was quite different from what we had previously discussed internally – and it made such a difference for everything that came after.
“The setup not only made the event itself livelier and more enjoyable for participants, it also helped me immensely in my approach towards potential speakers. Because suddenly, seats in the audience were almost as attractive as actual panel seats. I honestly don’t think we would have been able to secure as many high-level speakers with a more traditional setup. That said, several participants have approached me and asked for pictures of the scene design, as they are now considering using a similar setup for their upcoming events. Including for upcoming C40 meetings.
“This is just one of many ways in which your input has helped me build the event that it ultimately became. There is a lot that I have learned from you and that I will take with me going forward – and I am really grateful for all of that.
“Of course, virtually every participant that I talked to also underlined how pleased they were with your moderation. It was clear, engaging and thoroughly to the point. Which is truly remarkable given the number of speakers and opinions voiced over the course of the different sessions. None of this was ever in any doubt from our side, but I would be remiss not to mention it. We are all extremely grateful how the event turned out, and how you managed to steer the sessions and conversations.
“I really hope we will get the chance to work on another event together in future.”
“Your innovative vision and precise guidance transformed our event setup, making it dynamic and appealing, which helped us secure top-tier speakers and left a lasting impression on attendees.”
Our Latest Client Examples
Explore the latest from Thinking the Unthinkable. From global conferences and summits, to town hall meetings. Click on an example below to learn more about the work we do.
Exeter Climate Forum | Exeter, 2026
Thinking the Unthinkable partnered with the University of Exeter to deliver a thought-provoking session exploring one of the biggest barriers to climate action: how to communicate effectively in an increasingly polarised and misinformation-rich environment.
UK Nature Summit | York, 2026
The UK Nature Summit 2026, was hosted by Environment Bank at the historic Castle Howard Estate in North Yorkshire and moderated by Nik Gowing. The event brought together business leaders, investors, sustainability professionals and nature experts to examine how organisations can move from nature ambition to meaningful action.
CWZ Climate & Nature: Achieving Restoration at Scale | Zurich, 2026
At the opening of Climate Week Zurich 2026, Nik Gowing was invited to moderate a flagship session focused on one of the most persistent challenges in climate action: how to move from knowledge to implementation at scale.
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