Climate Week NYC is a
charity event that takes place in New York City every year. Its purpose is to promote
climate action
Climate change mitigation is action to limit climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases or removing those gases from the atmosphere. The recent rise in global average temperature is mostly caused by emissions from fossil fuels b ...
by appealing to "business leaders, political change makers, local decision takers and civil society representatives". Climate Week NYC is run by
Climate Group.
It is the largest of the organization's annual flagship international events, and the largest annual climate event of its kind according to the organizers.
History
The first Climate Week NYC took place in 2009. The summit is held alongside the
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
, allowing heads of state and other senior governmental figures to attend and participate.
Climate Week NYC considers itself the largest annual climate event of its kind.
It was described by the New York Times as the ‘Burning Man for Climate Geeks’.
Climate Week NYC also creates a platform for some 600
bigger and smaller events across the City of New York, led by people and organisations that support climate action.
Over the years, many influential leaders have participated in Climate Week NYC, including New Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern
Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern ( ; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician who has been serving as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017. A member of the Labour Party, she has been the member of ...
as well as the Presidents of Haiti, Peru and the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...
.
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...
, US Secretary of State,
Tim Cook
Timothy Donald Cook (born November 1, 1960) is an American business executive who has been the chief executive officer of Apple Inc. since 2011. Cook previously served as the company's chief operating officer under its co-founder Steve Jobs.
...
, CEO of Apple and
Christiana Figueres
Karen Christiana Figueres Olsen (born 7 August 1956) is a Costa Rican diplomat who has led national, international and multilateral policy negotiations. She was appointed Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFC ...
, Executive Secretary of UNFCCC have also joined the Opening Ceremonies. In 2023, many notable figures, including
Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
, Governor of Maryland
Wes Moore
Westley Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978) is an American politician, investment banker, author, and television producer. He is the governor-elect of Maryland, after defeating Republican Dan Cox in the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial ele ...
, and
Razan Al Mubarak
Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak ( ar, رزان خليفة المبارك) is the Managing Director of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund as well as the current president of the International Un ...
, current President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, spoke during the event.
Previous event partners include
Saint-Gobain
Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. () is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris, at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety of ...
, McKinsey Sustainability and
Google
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
, as well as
Intersectional Environmentalist and the Youth Climate Justice Fund.
In 2020, Climate Week NYC turned into a virtual event due to the global Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and was the largest climate summit to take place that year. In a keynote opening address,
King Charles said, "Without swift and immediate action, at an unprecedented pace and scale, we will miss the window of opportunity to 'reset' for... a more sustainable and inclusive future."
In 2023, Climate Week NYC took place from September 17–24. The Hub Live brought together 1,857 of the most influential leaders from business, government, and the climate sector. The year’s theme was ''We Can. We Will.'' Over 580 events were held,
with over 6,500 attendees from 96 countries, both in person and virtually. Climate Week NYC stated the event's media reach was 6.9 billion, the largest Climate Group summit to date.
![FACING NEW REALITY](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/FACING_NEW_REALITY.png)
Climate Group’s short film, ''Facing The New Reality'', was premiered at the 2023 Climate Week NYC Opening Ceremony and was shortlisted for a
Smiley Charity Film Award
A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...
in 2024.
In 2024, Climate Week NYC will run from September 22–29. The strapline of the 2024 Climate Week NYC is: ''It’s Time''.
Events
Each year, Climate Week NYC launches with an opening ceremony featuring major announcements, discussions, and interviews with international leadership from business, government, and the climate community. In 2021, Governor
Kathy Hochul
Kathleen Hochul ( ; née Courtney; born August 27, 1958) is an American politician serving as the 57th governor of New York since August 24, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she is New York's first female governor, as well as the firs ...
announced two major green energy infrastructure projects to power New York City with wind, solar and hydropower projects from upstate New York and Canada. Major participants have included
Tim Cook
Timothy Donald Cook (born November 1, 1960) is an American business executive who has been the chief executive officer of Apple Inc. since 2011. Cook previously served as the company's chief operating officer under its co-founder Steve Jobs.
...
,
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is a British billionaire, entrepreneur, and business magnate. In the 1970s he founded the Virgin Group, which today controls more than 400 companies in various fields.
Branson expressed ...
,
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...
,
Christiana Figueres
Karen Christiana Figueres Olsen (born 7 August 1956) is a Costa Rican diplomat who has led national, international and multilateral policy negotiations. She was appointed Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFC ...
,
Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
,
Bill Gates
William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of Microsoft, along with his late childhood friend Paul Allen. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions ...
,
Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
,
Jacinda Adern, the Hon.
Chris Bowen
Christopher Eyles Guy Bowen (born 17 January 1973) is an Australian politician who has been Minister for Climate Change and Energy in the Albanese government since June 2022. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was first elec ...
,
Kristalina Georgieva
Kristalina Ivanova Georgieva-Kinova ( bg, Кристалина Иванова Георгиева-Кинова; ; born 13 August 1953) is a Bulgarian economist serving as managing director of the International Monetary Fund since 2019. She was t ...
,
Kathy Hochul
Kathleen Hochul ( ; née Courtney; born August 27, 1958) is an American politician serving as the 57th governor of New York since August 24, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she is New York's first female governor, as well as the firs ...
, and Dr.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (; born 13 June 1954) is a Nigerian economist, who has been serving as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization since March 2021. Notably, she is the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organiza ...
. The week was officially designated “Climate Week” by New York Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022.
In 2023, 566 climate leaders from 37 countries, and representatives from 362 companies attended the opening ceremony in New York, with thousands joining online.
![Helen Clarkson at Climate Week NYC 2023](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Helen_Clarkson_at_Climate_Week_NYC_2023.jpg)
Governor
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California fr ...
of California announced at a press conference during the opening ceremony that the state would be taking big oil companies to court for decades of misinformation. He also announced he would sign a bill which compels companies to disclose their emissions.
COP28 President-Designate Sultan Al Jaber and UN Special Envoy Michael Bloomberg used the focus on climate action during Climate Week NYC to announce the first COP-hosted ‘Local Climate Action Summit’.
Over 250 major companies and nonprofit organisations, including Climate Group, urged world leaders to commit to tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 ahead of COP28 in Dubai.
The Hub Live
The Hub Live was launched in 2018 and hosts a series of sessions where participants discuss and collaborate on how to best drive climate action. In 2023, The Hub Live welcomed more than 2,000 business, policy, NGO, and civil society leaders to sessions across four content streams.
Speakers have included: Former president of Colombia, Nobel peace Prize-recipient and member of The Elders Juan Manual Santos; Governor
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California fr ...
, Governor of California; Abbie Dillen, President,
Earthjustice;
Werner Hoyer
Werner Hoyer (born 17 November 1951 in Wuppertal) is a German economist and politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) who is currently serving as the President of the European Investment Bank.
Education and early career
Hoyer graduated as a ...
, President of the European Investment Bank; and
Sophia Kianni, Founder and Executive Director,
Climate Cardinals.
![Jane Fonda Climate Week NYC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Jane_Fonda_Climate_Week_NYC.png)
In 2023, actress and climate activist
Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
took to the stage for a flagship session on phasing out fossil fuels, stating “It’s too late for incrementalism. There’s no time left for politeness. We have to stand up and be brave.”
The Hub Live Executive series
An invite-only and closed-door event, the Executive Series gathers senior policy makers, influential business leaders and civil society champions to freely discuss challenges and opportunities across a range of climate-related issues, through roundtable discussions. These sessions include The Masterclass Series, which convene solutions-focused workshops of up to 50 people to tangible outcomes and build capacity, knowledge, and collaborative networks to accelerate the transition within the green economy.
10 Things campaign
In 2018 to mark the ten-day countdown to Climate Week NYC a ten things campaign (1. travel, 2. fashion, 3. food, 4. water, 5. plastic, 6. lighting, 7. health, 8. electric vehicles, 9. recycling, 10. getting involved) was launched to raise awareness of how the public can engage in tackling climate action. The campaign included a city-wide marketing drive, with over 3,000 sites across five boroughs of New York City taking part.
Taking it to the streets
In 2023, supported by JCDecaux and NYC Tourism + Conventions, Climate Week NYC highlighted local action in New York by creating a major outdoor advertising campaign featuring Broadway Green Alliance,
Junk Kouture
Junk Kouture is a television fashion competition for post-primary school students, where participants design, create and model fashion, made from recycled items. The competition has run in Ireland, since it was founded in 2010, by Troy Armour. T ...
, The NYC Agriculture Collective, Oliver Scholars, and Headline Partner
Saint-Gobain
Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. () is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris, at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety of ...
.
Event program highlights
Climate Week NYC in 2023 brought together a record breaking 585 separate events as part of the wider week. The events covered ten main themes: Built Environment, Energy, Environmental Justice, Finance, Food, Industry, Nature, Policy, Sustainable Living and Transport.
The week provides a platform for a number of major activations aimed at engaging the wider public to take climate action. This has included partnering with major late night talk shows for “Climate Night”; including
The Late Late Show, with James Corden,
Late Night with Seth Meyers
''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' is an American late-night news and political satire talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC. The show premiered on February 24, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. Airing weeknights a ...
,
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon.[ About pag ...](_blank)
and
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
''Full Frontal with Samantha Bee'' is an American late-night talk and news satire television program that aired on TBS from 2016 to 2022. The show was hosted by comedian Samantha Bee, a former correspondent on ''The Daily Show''.
In July 202 ...
. In 2023, Global collectiv
Projecting Changeput on a light show above the East River with 1,000 drones lighting New York City green at the start of Climate Week NYC. Over the years, Climate Week NYC has also hosted a series of artistic and cultural activations such as the “Climate Clock” in Union Square and partnered with the
Global Citizen festival
The Global Citizen Festival is an annual music festival started in 2012 and organized by Global Poverty Project. It was founded by Ryan Gall and Hugh Evans. Gall said he was inspired by visiting Austin City Limits and seeing the branding on th ...
in Central Park.
Climate Group partnered with Newlab
[https://www.climateweeknyc.org/events/newlab-climate-festival] to host a climate festival, bringing together event hosts from across the five boroughs to share ideas, collaborate and promote what action they were taking. The organisation's long-time partner
Junk Kouture
Junk Kouture is a television fashion competition for post-primary school students, where participants design, create and model fashion, made from recycled items. The competition has run in Ireland, since it was founded in 2010, by Troy Armour. T ...
hosted an event at the Parsons School of Design, featuring an exhibition of recycled couture designs, models, opening words from Climate Group, and a discussion on sustainable fashion.
References
{{Reflist
2009 establishments in New York City
Climate change conferences
Recurring events established in 2009
Environment of New York City
Environmental organizations based in New York City
Annual events in New York City