Climate Week began on Sunday, September 21, in New York, bringing together environmental organisations, philanthropists, and non-profits to explore collaboration and innovation aimed at slowing humanity’s march toward a climate-ravaged future.

This year’s edition comes at a time when the current US administration, led by President Donald Trump, is rolling back the nation’s efforts to combat climate change.

Notably, the 16th edition of Climate Week is its largest to date, with organisers reporting record attendance and the highest number of events scheduled.

WHAT IS CLIMATE WEEK?

The annual event, held in New York City, is organised by The Climate Group, a non-profit founded in 2003, in collaboration with New York City officials and the United Nations (UN).

It hosts a mix of in-person, remote, and hybrid events, including expert panels, workshops, and public talks. These sessions aim to raise awareness, share solutions, and evaluate the progress still needed to address the climate crisis.

Climate Week is intentionally scheduled to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at UN headquarters in New York. This alignment ensures greater political engagement and visibility, as global leaders, organisations, and media are already present in the city.

The 16th edition promises over 1,000 events across New York City. The guest list includes prominent political figures such as Dr. William Ruto, President of Kenya; Philip Davis, Prime Minister of The Bahamas; and Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change for Vanuatu. Hollywood celebrities Jane Fonda and Mark Ruffalo are also expected to attend.

Last year’s Climate Week drew around 6,000 attendees and over 200 expert speakers from across the globe.

EVENT UNDER TRUMP’S CRUSADE

Donald Trump has become synonymous with efforts to undermine US climate action. His administration has repeatedly weakened regulations, slashed funding, and dismissed scientific expertise.

Last month, the administration announced plans to undo the 2009 “endangerment finding”, which had concluded that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. Reversing this would significantly dilute existing regulations and provide a lifeline to the fossil fuel industry.

At the time, US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin described the move as the “largest deregulatory action in US history.”

Earlier this year, Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement, a global pact aimed at limiting temperature rise to well below 2C and ideally under 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Scientists warn that surpassing this threshold could trigger devastating impacts.

The administration has also cut funding for vital climate research and dismissed the authors of the National Climate Assessment (NCA), a body responsible for producing critical scientific reports on climate change and its risks.

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