The Best Events to Attend during NYC Climate Week
#ClimateWeekNYC to keep up momentum after 100,000s joined “Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice” across NY and around the world, and following NYC announcing $4 billion for climate solutions
New York, NY — The 10th annual New York City Climate Week kicks-off on Monday, September 24 through Sunday, September 30. Community organizers, local officials, and global activists are packing the week with inspiring events and keeping up momentum during a month of widespread and powerful climate action around the world.
Historically, NYC Climate Week has served as an opportunity to showcase global and local strategies to tackle climate change, as well as community-led solutions for a just transition away from the fossil fuel economy toward 100% renewables for all.
This year, Climate Week comes less than two weeks after the California-based Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS), where state and local officials from around the world gathered with intention to announce climate commitments to fill the void of the national level.
This comes weeks after 3,000 people joined the New York Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice march through in coordination with over 900 events around the world ahead of GCAS. The day before the march, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer announced his opposition to the Williams Pipeline, a 23-mile pipeline from New Jersey that would extend past Staten Island and Coney Island and into the Rockaways. A week later, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Comptroller announced a $4 billion investment by the NYC pension funds in climate solutions.
Organizers say these commitments, along with fighting dirty fossil fuel projects across the state, are just the beginning for the work to build a Fossil Free New York.
Key events this year include:
Monday, September 24, doors at 6:15pm, starts at 7pm: “Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming”
- Where: New York Society for Ethical Culture 2 W 64th St – Auditorium
- Who: Sponsored by The New York Society for Ethical Culture, 350NYC, Pachamama Alliance.
Featuring:
- Moderator: Bill McKibben, Senior Advisor, Co-Founder, 350.org
- Lynne Twist, Co-Founder, Pachamama Alliance
- Katharine Wilkinson, Senior Writer, Drawdown; VP of Communication and Engagement, Project Drawdown
Panelists:
- Chad Frischmann, VP of Research, Project Drawdown
- Karen Washington, food justice activist and urban farmer
- Dan Zarrilli, Senior Director, Climate Policy & Programs and Chief Resilience Officer, New York City Office of The Mayor
- Lauren Zullo, Director of Sustainability, Jonathan Rose Companies
Wednesday, September 26 from 7-9pm: “Voices from the Frontlines of Climate Change: Holding Fossil Fuel Companies Accountable for Climate Harms”
- Where: New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th St., New York, NY 10023
- Who:
- Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, co-founder, Brooklyn Academy for Science and the Environment, and author of Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet
- Marinel Ubaldo, student and climate activist from Tacloban City, Philippines
- Reverend Donna Schaper, senior minister, Judson Memorial Church
- Dan Zarrilli, senior director of climate policy & programs and chief resilience officer, New York City Office of the Mayor
- Brenda Ekwurzel, director of climate science, Union of Concerned Scientists
- Phil Bloomer, executive director, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
- Raphael Agosto Miranda, EMT with experience in Puerto Rico in aftermath of Hurricane Maria
Thursday, September 27 from 9-10:30am: Fiduciary duty in the era of climate change
- Where: Cervantes Institute 211 East 49th Street, New York, NY 10017
- Who:
- Introduction by Payal Parekh, Global Programme Director, 350.org
- Scott Stringer, Comptroller, New York City Retirement System
- Sir Merrick Cockell, Chair, London Pensions Fund Authority
- Elliot Harris, Chief Economist, United Nations
- Lisa Hamilton, Climate Director, Center for International Environmental Law
Thursday, September 27 from 6-8pm: “State of the Climate: What Our State Can Do to Stop Climate Catastrophe”
- Where: Marble Collegiate Church Loft, 276 Fifth Avenue
- Who: Hosted by New York State Senators Liz Krueger and Brad Hoylman
Featuring:
- Payal Parekh, Global Programme Director, 350.org
- Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
- Lara Skinner, Ph.D, Executive Director, The Worker Institute at Cornell
- Alex Tindal Wiesendanger, Campaign Coordinator at NY Renews
Wednesday, September 27 & 28, at from 9:30am – 5pm: United Nations Philippines Human Rights Commission Hearing
- Where: New York City Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street
Spokespeople available for interviews by emailing lindsay@350.org include:
- Hoda Baraka, Global Communications Director, 350.org
- Payal Parekh, Senior Programme Director, 350.org
- Bill McKibben, author and co-founder, 350.org