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Climate Week NYC: Why You Should Pay Attention Even If You Aren’t Attending
September 17, 2024
Here are Five Reasons to Set Your Google Alerts to Climate Week NYC
Climate Week NYC, hosted by the Climate Group, is fast approaching, and if you are not heading to the Big Apple for this mega-event, its significance ripples far beyond Manhattan Island. Scheduled for the week of September 22nd, this gathering isn’t just another high-profile meeting of policymakers, corporate executives, entrepreneurs and environmental advocates. It is a week-long conclave that addresses humanity’s challenge: our ever-warming planet.
If you care about the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the future your children inherit, then Climate Week NYC should command your attention—even from afar.
The connection between climate change and human well-being is unmistakable for those already tracking social determinants of health. The intersection of environmental and personal health is no longer a niche topic; it is mainstream science. While pundits will counter that the earth has always had warmer and colder periods – from the Ice Age to the El Nino to volcanic activity – the quickening pace of rising global temperatures and deadly weather. Atmospheric scientists have warned that global warming will increase the proportion of stronger hurricanes (categories 4–5) by 25% to 30% compared with weaker (categories 1-2) hurricanes.
The Gavi website, one of the many leading global organizations attending the Summit, provides a wealth of bi-partisan information on climate change and its impact. “In a joint report released in 2024 — Quantifying the Impact of Climate Change on Human Health — the World Economic Forum and Oliver Wyman calculated that as many as 14.5 million additional people could die by 2050 because of global warming. Tens of millions more are likely to face long-term sickness, disabilities and displacement as homelands become uninhabitable from the ravages of drought and flooding.”
That makes Climate Week NYC a focal point for everyone and everywhere, whether you walk the halls of the United Nations General Assembly, a co-sponsor, or work on Wall Street where climate influences fortunes. Here are five reasons to fine-tune your news interests if you’re on the fence about paying attention to this week-long Summit.
1. Climate Health is about Humanity’s Health
Climate change is not theoretical; it’s a public health concern. Rising global temperatures and resulting shifts in weather patterns endanger polar bears at the northern ice caps and people’s vacation plans in the sunny Southeast. The effects of a warming world are deadly, from worsening air quality and food insecurity to increased risks of respiratory diseases, heart conditions, and vector-borne illnesses like bird flu.
Studies indicate that poor air quality alone contributes to approximately seven million premature deaths worldwide annually. These aren’t just statistics; every community globally is touched by pollution, heat waves, or the spread of infectious diseases once relegated to warmer climates.
The consequences for health professionals are alarming. Extreme heat translates into increased emergency room visits, while natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods disrupt the health infrastructure. As heat waves, fires, and floods intensify, the public health system is already struggling to cope. If you’re not paying attention to the policies being discussed at Climate Week, you are missing developments that will shape the future of health delivery worldwide.
2. The Ripple Effect of Climate Policy on Global Markets
Even if you are not an environmentalist, climate policy’s impact should command your attention. Just as COVID-19 disrupted supply chains and exposed vulnerabilities in global markets, climate change is doing the same. Climate risks dramatically affect agriculture, energy, health, insurance, and real estate sectors. Extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and unpredictable growing seasons force us to rethink how we do business.
This is both a challenge and an opportunity. The climate transition offers new market frontiers. In 2023, investments in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and carbon capture technology hit record highs. Financial markets are increasingly pricing in the costs of climate inaction, and climate-conscious investing is no longer just a buzzword; it is an intelligent business strategy. Climate Week NYC will spotlight these trends, providing insight into which industries will thrive and which may struggle in a low-carbon future.
During the 1 BusinessWorld Climate and Sustainability Leadership Summit, one of the more than 600 events happening during Climate Week, leaders from companies like BlueGreen Water Technologies, Kitson & Partners, Tru Earth, and UBQ Materials will reinforce how science, planning, technology, and supportive public policy can eliminate toxic algae from the water, create environmentally sensitive communities powered by solar energy, tackle the global waste crisis by transforming landfill into household products, and even how we wash clothes.
If you are an investor or business leader, focus on Climate Week to understand where capital will be directed in the coming years. Conversations held in New York will influence global investment patterns, drive policy, and set corporate sustainability strategies. Miss these discussions, and you risk missing the most significant market transition since the internet.
3. Global Leadership on Display: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Leaders from governments, corporations, and not-for-profits will gather to make pledges, form alliances, and sign agreements. But here’s what makes Climate Week NYC particularly unique: Beyond the speeches, it is a week of action-oriented dialogue. Climate Week is known for pushing beyond rhetoric into real commitments and change.
After Climate Week in 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was among those that answered the carbon footprint reduction call when it launched two new Climate Pollution Reduction Grant competitions totaling $4.6 billion as part of the investing in America Agenda.
This year, American Humane is one of the nation’s first humane organizations, helping ensure animal safety, welfare, and well-being worldwide. It will launch its newest documentary, Escape from Extinction Rewilding, narrated by Meryl Streep, on September 27th. The compelling production outlines how rewilding, a proven method for sustainable conservation, has the potential to bring back hundreds of thousands of species from the brink of extinction.
Track the internet to hear who is sharing ideas and stories. You can learn from Peter Schlosser, PhD, who has traveled from the Arctic Circle to the South Pole–and many places in between–analyzing the planet and humans’ impact on its systems. Dr. Schlosser has taken his learnings to launch the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University to bring together natural science, social science, humanities, engineering science, and medical science as a collaborative center for action.
Policy and creative efforts set the tone for future efforts at broader international forums like the upcoming COP 29 gathering in Baku. They create momentum, influencing local policies in cities and states worldwide. Many of the most ambitious climate initiatives in the U.S.—from renewable energy standards to carbon trading schemes—originate in the discussions held during Climate Week NYC. The outcomes of the Summit have a trickle-down effect on how climate policies are implemented locally and a positive domino effect globally.
4. The Intersection of Climate Justice and Social Justice
Climate change does not affect everyone equally. Vulnerable populations—those in low-income communities and marginalized groups—are often the hardest hit. Extreme weather events disproportionately devastate these communities, deepening existing inequalities. A central conversation during Climate Week NYC 2024 will be climate justice: addressing these disparities and advocating for policies that protect the most vulnerable.
Leah Austin, EdD, president and CEO of the National Black Child Development Institute, will emphasize how climate change leaves the youngest vulnerable and impacts future generations as she speaks to “Climate Change and Its Impact on Black Childhood.” The week of conversations and talks by global leaders is one of the best opportunities to hear and follow the sharpest minds on important topics and ongoing conversations.
Climate Week is the platform for frontline voices—activists, community leaders, and policymakers working directly with those affected by climate change. Their stories are essential for understanding the full scope of our challenges. The event’s focus on intersectionality between climate and social justice ensures that the solutions proposed are environmentally sound and equitable.
Environmental inequality fuels broader social unrest, economic instability, and public health crises, all of which ripple and affect economic stability—and, for those watching Elections 2024, presidential hopeful outcomes. Paying attention to Climate Week is a way to stay informed on how policymakers and public leaders address these interconnected challenges, ensuring that progress on climate is also progress for societal justice.
5. Climate Week: an Elixir for Anxiety
Climate scientists reiterate that we are dangerously close to breaching critical planetary thresholds. The window for limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is rapidly closing. Some projections suggest we could exceed that mark within the next decade unless action is taken now.
But here is the good news: The fact that Climate Week NYC exists signals room for optimism. While the challenges are enormous, the world is increasingly mobilizing – communication is essential to the solution. Advances in clean technology, renewable energy, carbon capture, and more reinforce that a sustainable future is achievable.
So, society needs a bolus dose of optimism. Climate Week is home to people making things happen and with the background to effect change. Yishan Wong, an ex-engineer at PayPal and Facebook and ex-CEO of Reddit, is among those legions of people dedicated to transformation. His company, Terraformation, identifies, designs, and grows reforestation projects that deliver a portfolio of high-quality carbon credits.
Every individual has a role to play—whether through advocating for policy changes, adopting more sustainable practices, or simply staying informed. Climate Week NYC is where many of these ideas and initiatives will be shared, discussed, and refined. Suppose you are interested in traveling the globe and are worried about how your flights impact the environment or wondering what academia is doing to inform public policy. In that case, Climate Week has turned New York City into a giant stage of optimism.
But if you are not paying attention, you may miss learning about solutions that define the next phase of people’s and the planet’s progress. Staying informed is the first step toward action in a challenge that invites us all to engage in some way.
Regardless of Your Passion – Climate Plays a Role
Climate Week NYC may kick off in one of the world’s great cities for only a week, but its impact is enduring worldwide. The discussions, decisions, and innovations emerging from this Summit shape the future climate action trajectory. If you are interested in health, finance, technology, travel, manufacturing, or consumer goods or are a concerned global citizen seeking social impact, you cannot afford to look away. Beyond the environment, it’s about the world we live in and the world we leave as our inheritance for generations.
So, paying attention makes a difference even if you’re not heading to the Big Apple. Your health, your livelihood, and your future may depend on it.
POSTED BY: Gil Bashe
