Europe has started to reveal its targets for 2040 regarding sustainability. One of the objectives includes reducing greenhouse emissions by 90 per cent. Such an announcement was made by the President of the European Commission, during the last New York Climate Week. This event might have passed unnoticed, especially given the current geopolitical situation. Still, it is a major and relevant gathering worthy of following, understanding, and questioning when necessary.
Climate Week history
The first New York Climate Week ever was held in 2009, and aimed to prepare for the upcoming Conference of Parties (COP). It has taken place every year since, and is today considered the second biggest climate oriented event after the COP. It is organized by The Climate Group, a non-profit organization that has formed dialogues with governments and businesses to accelerate climate efforts. Rather than a decision-making reunion, it is more of an international high-visibility forum on climate action. N.Y. Climate Week is not the same as the United Nations regional climate weeks, as those were created following the COP 21 in 2015, and serve other goals under the United Nations jurisdiction.
What about 2025
This year, the N.Y. Climate Week took place from the 21st to the 28th of September. It welcomed over 900 events both in presence and digitally, making it the largest edition to date. The theme leading the event was Power On, discussing diverse matters such as “clean energy, climate finance, technology, green jobs, and climate justice”. But who attends the climate week? Participants are highly diverse: CEOs, policymakers, activists, scientists and more. This year, political figures, like Ursula von der Leyen and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, were brought together around climate action.
Discussions and advances
As mentioned before, the N.Y. Climate Week is not a meeting for international binding resolutions, but for announcements, partnerships, investments, raising awareness and much more. Among the most discussed topics, we find AI and digitalization as a sustainable tool for companies, new financing and investing models, and how being climate aware for corporations is becoming economically attractive and a competitive advantage, not a burden anymore. There also were
many inquiries for more effort regarding the funding and rapidity of action, considering the urgency of the matter. But beyond discussions, this week was home for progress, solutions and movement forward. We have seen a shift from ambition and promises to implementation and accountability for business and governments, signaling that they realized the current urgency, and are adapting accordingly. Moreover, green energies are under the spotlight, becoming in some cases cheaper than fossil fuels, and thus encouraging transition as well as technological advances. Actors are also showing resilience, especially cities like the mayor of Phoenix, member of the C40 cities operating under the Paris Agreement guidelines. There also is a call for innovation at scale, where productions must be designed taking the whole value chain into account. The circular economy must become the “default logic of growth”. Finally, sustainability now represents a necessity for businesses, as it can represent a $600 billion opportunity for those who lead on it. However, climate conferences skepticism has arisen recently, and in order to solve it, we must understand where it comes from.
Critics and debates
Despite the massively growing scale of the N.Y. Climate Week and other similar conferences, criticisms have arisen. Indeed, the concrete effectiveness of such gatherings is often decried. Many are asking for stricter legally-binding action against governments. We observe a fragmentation of global climate governance, especially with states’ non-compliance and the U.S. many withdrawals. Indeed, this Climate Week ironically takes place in New York, when the current president Trump’s administration has taken several steps back regarding climate cooperation. The main one being the retreat from the 2015 Paris Agreement. To counteract this decision, NGOs, American cities and activists are essential now more than ever, proving that states are not the only actors able to initiate change. But still, as a result, effective solutions seem far to reach. Yet, this must be put in perspective. With the upcoming COP 30 happening this November in Brazil, there is a hope for binding measures regarding energy, biodiversity and industry. All those announcements and progress made during the N.Y. Climate Week, like the Green Europe goal can and will serve for the COP through discussions, compromises and concrete effective solutions.
Insights for the future of climate governance
Climate change concerns us all, as it does not respect borders and thus cannot be solved individually, nor nationally. That is why global governance is not an option anymore. We are currently in a climate crisis, and little time is left if we want to avoid the point of no-return. The damage made by humanity impacts all aspects of the Earth, endangering all life, including us and future generations. Therefore,
gatherings like the New York Climate Week are essential and must be developed even further. It is home for sensibilization, for seeing what has been achieved, what is still to reach, and what are the solutions and steps to do so. Having an entire week annually dedicated to climate action, at such a scale as the N.Y. one, also gives hope: individuals, corporations and governments are willing to change, and are already engaging in a sustainable transition. It might not be perfect alone, but this week must be added in a process of international environmental efforts and governance.
Photo by leyousfilms via https://pixabay.com/photos/new-york-city-new-york-city-skyline-1866864/
