New York Is Hosting the Unofficial Climate Summit of the Year

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(Bloomberg) — This week New York City gets to lay claim to many of the leaders of the world and what could end up being the year’s biggest climate gathering. 

Climate Week NYC, which starts at the same time as the United Nations General Assembly, will include hundreds of events across Manhattan hotel ballrooms, Brooklyn rooftops and even a beach in Queens. Participants will include financiers, entrepreneurs, scientists, diplomats, corporate executives and heads of state. There will be an almost uncountable number of sustainability announcements. 

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Azerbaijan is due to host a two-week UN climate summit in November that would typically be the biggest moment on the calendar. But COP29 is expected to draw far fewer business executives and bankers than last year’s COP28 event in the financial hub Dubai. It’s hard for the Azerbaijan capital of Baku to compete with the sheer scale of what the wealthy United Arab Emirates put together. Plus this year’s UN climate summit promises lower-stakes diplomatic action. 

That could mean that segments of the corporate climate crowd, who’ve been an increasing presence at COP, turn up in New York this week instead.

Climate Week will be held on the margins of UN deliberations, where it’s likely that ongoing wars shape the agenda. In years past, however, the General Assembly meeting has produced showstopping climate moments. Chinese President Xi Jingping made a surprise pledge in 2020 to reach net zero emissions. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley emerged as charismatic proponent for the climate-finance priorities of developing nations in a 2022 UN speech.

Mottley will be among the world leaders and diplomats who will be popping up at various Climate Week events. Other power players such as former US climate envoy John Kerry and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be in the mix.

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The staff of Bloomberg Green has curated a list of some of the more interesting events to check out if you’re in New York. Some of these may be streamed online, and most require registration in advance. If you’re not into the conference or cocktail scene, there are plenty of other, offbeat Climate Week events to explore, from science fairs to late-night karaoke. It’s going to be a busy several days.  

Monday Sept. 23

UN’s Summit of the Future Climate Week happens alongside the biggest United Nations gathering of the year, although there are few events that actually take place inside the UN’s iconic HQ. The Summit of the Future, which runs for two days ending Monday, is an exception. Don’t expect to get in if you’re not already a participant.Time: 9am-9pmFurther details here.

Emerson Collective Presents Climate Science FairWho doesn’t love a science fair? Especially when it’s happening at one of Manhattan’s most beautiful parks, the High Line, with the backing of Laurene Powell Jobs.Time: 10am-7pmFurther details here.

The 2024 InnSure Climate Week ForumAn insurance conference only sounds dry if you haven’t been following all the ways climate change and extreme weather disasters have been pummeling this crucial industry.Time: Monday and Tuesday, 8am-5pmFurther details here. 

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For ClimateTech Innovation ShowcaseA few dozen climate tech startups bring their pitches on buildings, transportation and the grid to this facility inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a hotspot for cutting-edge companies.Time: 11am-6pmFurther details here. 

US Chamber of Commerce Business Case for Resilience EventTime: 12pm-2pmThe person you’ll want to hear from here is National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chief Scientist Sarah Kapnick, who is participating in a roundtable discussion on climate resilience. A climate scientist and former JP Morgan managing director, Kapnick has led the agency’s efforts to generate and deliver reliable scientific data about rising climate risks, as well as tools to help people evaluate them. With the climate changing, the private sector needs to better understand what conditions new infrastructure will have to withstand. Further details here. 

This is Climate: The Global StakesTime: 2pm-5:30pmThe summit is sure to raise some of the hot-button issues ahead of the COP29 climate summit in Baku. One of the headline speakers is Germany’s climate envoy Jennifer Morgan, who has in the past publicly clashed with her boss Chancellor Olaf Scholz over the G7’s continued funding for natural gas projects. Further details here.

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AI for Climate Action: From Data to ImpactTime: 2:30pm-5pmThere’s a clear climate downside to the AI boom: a huge uptick in data center energy demand, much of it from polluting sources. This event at Glasshouse Chelsea looks at what AI can do to help the climate, including an update on Google DeepMind.Further details here.

Powering the Future: Sustaining momentum: Ensuring Long-Term Impact of Climate LegislationTime: 3pm-4pmThis session will explore just how resilient the Inflation Reduction Act is against resistance to climate action. A featured speaker is Ali Zaidi, who as national climate advisor to President Joe Biden has overseen implementation of the most aggressive climate law in US history. Further details here.

It’s Time to Deliver on Climate Finance and Power Sustainable GrowthTime: 4:30pm-6pmBrazil is the heir apparent to global climate leadership, since the nation will host next year’s crucial COP30 summit in the rainforest. So the planned appearance of Ana Toni, the Brazilian secretary for climate, at this event makes it automatically interesting.Further details here.

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Climate Night LiveTime: 5:30pm–10pmJohn Kerry, the former US climate envoy and secretary of state, headlines a talk-show-style event by the folks at Canary Media, who produce intelligent climate podcasts, and the Pew Charitable Trusts.Further details here.

Climate Tech Cocktails NYCW ’24 Kickoff PartyTime: 8pm-12amThis claims to be a cocktail party with room for more than 2,000 climate tech people. And it’s being held in one of Brooklyn’s newest trendy concert venues.Further details here.

Tuesday Sept. 24

NYCW ’24 5K RunTime: 7:15am-8:30amGet up early and run in an event co-sponsored by the Bill Gates-backed team at Breakthrough Energy.Further details here.

Earthshot Prize Innovation SummitTime: 9:30am-11amPrince William’s Earthshot Prize will announce the finalists for its annual award for organizations working to address the environmental crisis. Out of the 15 finalists, five eventual winners will receive £1 million ($1.3 million) to scale their solutions, as well as other support. Further details here.

The Global Renewables SummitTime: 11:30am- 5:30pmA panel of some of the most powerful people in climate diplomacy will give an update on the big challenge set at COP28 in Dubai: tripling renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade. The list of speakers include COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley.Further details here.

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Geothermal HouseTime: 11am-7pmGeothermal energy startups are buzzy right now, and more than a dozen will be in one house at Hall des Lumières.Further details here.

Educating for Climate Action SummitTime: 1pm-8pmThe main focus of this event, climate literacy, has become a hot topic, especially as studies show many students are not learning the full reasons behind global warming. Researchers have found some middle-school textbooks still say humans are only partly responsible for climate change. Further details here.

The Emerging Landscape of Green Finance in the US Time: 4pm-5:30pmA look at the future of green finance with a panel at the SoHo digs of the Jain Family Institute, which produces a reliably interesting and wonky climate newsletter called the Polycrisis.Further details here.

Wednesday Sept. 25

Accelerating Climate Action: Delivering High Integrity Carbon MarketsTime: 9am-6:30pm Voluntary carbon markets have been tainted by controversy over the quality of credits. This event will look at the role the market has to play in accelerating corporate climate action and efforts to bring more integrity and transparency.Further details here.

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Swissnex presents the Climate RingTime: 9:30am-Late (also runs Thursday and Friday)This promises to be a “a pop-up boxing arena” for the climate fight, featuring scientists and artists. No word on if they’ll be punching each other.Further details here.

Climate Forward Time: 8am-6:30pmThe event lineup includes an on-stage interview with Kevin D. Roberts, a conservative intellectual who was until recently the leader of Project 2025.Further details here.

Climate Tech ShowcaseTime: 9:30am-6pmA showcase for startups under incubation at the New York Climate Exchange, and a chance to take the ferry out to Governors Island to enjoy sweeping views of the New York Harbor.Further details here.

Sustainable Bites: Seven Plausible Scenarios for the Food IndustryTime: 12:30pm-2pmWhat does the climate future taste like? This event, which promises “food and drink served to illustrate the scenarios,” will provide some potential answers.Further details here.

Bridges and Barriers to Fossil Fuel Phase OutTime: 11am-5:30pmCome for the perspectives of two developing countries that produce substantial oil and gas. One of them, Colombia, has signed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, which commits the country to not explore and develop new fossil fuel reserves. The other, Brazil, hasn’t and the country’s climate ambassador will be asked to answer why.Further details here.

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Building a Climate-Ready NationTime: 1:30pm-2pmWith climate catastrophes from flooding to wildfire surging, this conversation on how communities can prepare and how they can get money from the federal government to do so couldn’t be more relevant.Further details here. 

Climate Tech x AI: The UnconferenceTime: 3pm-8pmThis “unconference” wants to loosen the formality of conference events, starting with a live audio broadcast from Costa Rica’s protected forests to set the mood. A TED-style talk on AI’s climate tech potential will follow.Further details here.

Yale 360 Climate Meet and GreetTime: 5pm-8pmGuests are invited to hear short talks from Andrew Steer, president of the Bezos Earth Fund, and Anthony Leisewitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Communication. Stay for drinks and networking.Further details here.

Thursday Sept. 26

BNEF Global Energy & Industry EventTime: 8am-12pmDecarbonizing heavy industry will play a major role in countries’ net zero strategies. Executives from manufacturer Holcim and producer US Steel will be among the speakers at this event addressing the challenges. Further details here.

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World Biodiversity SummitTime: 9am-6:30pmThe event is part of the run-up to COP16 in Cali, Colombia, next month and will take stock of where the world is in developing solutions to meet a global goal for halting or reversing biodiversity loss.Further details here.

Newlab’s New Climate FuturesTime: 10am-4pmClimate-tech policymakers, investors and company executives will gather to discuss issues at the core of the industry’s advancement, ranging from whether startups have bottomed out from a years-long investment downturn to what to expect from the upcoming US election. Further details here.

Sustainable Finance ForumTime: 12pm-5:30pmExperts covering the world of finance will share their insight on the biggest risks and opportunities climate change presents. Bloomberg Intelligence and BloombergNEF will give two perspectives on financing the energy transition. Razan Al Mubarak, the president of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, will also deliver a fireside chat alongside former SEC Chair Mary Schapiro. Further details here.

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Climate Karaoke – Presented by SNØCAP and gener8torTime: 8pm-12amThe week will be full of events highlighting solutions to the climate crisis, yet there can’t possibly be a more fun way to relieve your anxiety about the state of the world than belting out tunes in front of total strangers. Right? Perhaps not. This might just be one for the Bloomberg Green team. Further details here.

Friday Sept. 27

Computational Sciences & Climate Modeling: Learning from the AI RevolutionTime: Friday 12:30pm-3pmArtificial intelligence is increasingly being used for near-term weather forecasting, and it may also hold potential for the long-term modeling that’s important for adaptation to climate change. Pierre Gentine, a Columbia University professor of geophysics and Earth and environmental sciences, will discuss what AI means for climate forecasting. Further details here.

Zero Day Launch PartyTime: 4pm-8pmIf you show up here, you’ll get to see a 40-foot-tall structure made of food waste. Oh, and it’s an interactive installation.Further details here.

Saturday Sept. 28

The 2024 Marketplace of the FutureTime: 11am-9pmThis event at the Splashlight studio promises to give World’s Fair vibes to climate solutions, inspired by the World of Tomorrow tagline for the 1939 expo in New York that presented air conditioning and television as groundbreaking technologies.Further details here.

—With assistance from Aaron Rutkoff, Leslie Kaufman, Matthew Griffin, Eric Roston, Coco Liu, Alastair Marsh, Akshat Rathi and Siobhan Wagner.

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