10 August 2022, London - With just fifty days to go until Climate Week NYC (September 19-25), the next wave of high-profile speakers have been announced. Big ticket names include the likes of David Miliband, Executive Director, International Rescue Committee; Dr. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization; and Ashley Allen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Oatly. This year, we're back in person in New York, and we're putting climate action in the context of today's world.
Run by international non-profit Climate Group, Climate Week NYC will bring together hundreds of leaders from business, government and civil society to showcase the best climate action and discuss how to do more. But just as importantly, it will explore and confront where the world is still falling short. Climate Group runs a series of events which form the main program of the week. The Climate Week NYC Opening Ceremony and The Hub Live bring together a global audience of senior leaders from business, government and the climate community.
"Leaders are navigating a very different world to the one during the signing of the Glasgow Climate Pact last year. But this isn't the time for backtracking on promises. The science is clear that time is running out to halve emissions by 2030. Commitments on clean energy, transport, and industry are not being delivered fast enough. Leaders need to show that they can be trusted and relied on to deliver on their climate pledges that the world now so desperately needs. Climate Week NYC is about 'Getting It Done' and demonstrating how we'll keep the temperature goal within 1.5 °C. We can't afford to fail."
"Leaders are navigating a very different world to the one during the signing of the Glasgow Climate Pact last year. But this isn't the time for backtracking on promises. The science is clear that time is running out to halve emissions by 2030. Commitments on clean energy, transport, and industry are not being delivered fast enough. Leaders need to show that they can be trusted and relied on to deliver on their climate pledges that the world now so desperately needs. Climate Week NYC is about 'Getting It Done' and demonstrating how we'll keep the temperature goal within 1.5 °C. We can't afford to fail."
Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony (September 19) kicks off Climate Week NYC each year and is the most high-profile moment of the week, featuring significant announcements and key discussions on achievements and how to deliver on commitments. This year the Opening Ceremony will cover the following themes:
- State of the climate: climate in the geopolitical context of today
- Cold truths for a warming world: what's stopping us from 'Getting It Done'?
- Putting equity back into our economy: making the green economy work for everyone
Speakers confirmed include:
- Lorena Dellagiovanna, Vice President and Executive Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Head of Global Environment Division, and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Hitachi, Ltd.
- Catherine McKenna, Chair, UN Secretary General's High-Level Expert Group on the Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities
- Damilola Ogunbiyi, Chief Executive Officer and UN Secretary-General Special Representative, Sustainable Energy for All and co-chair, UN-Energy
- David Miliband, Executive Director, International Rescue Committee
- Ezgi Barcenas, Chief Sustainability Officer, AB InBev
- Nancy Mahon, Senior Vice-President, Global Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability, The Estée Lauder Companies
- Dr. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization
- Dr. Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank
- Zain Asher, News Anchor, CNN International - Opening Ceremony host
The Hub Live
Gathering over 1,000 leaders and decision-makers over two days, The Hub Live (September 20-21) features four key flagship events and 13 themed sessions which will deep dive on central topics like the importance of accountability and bold leadership; the energy and transport transition; and food, nature and biodiversity. Confirmed speakers listed below. Further speakers will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Flagship sessions
Getting It Done: Now or never for bold leadership (Tuesday, September 20, 10.30am - 11.30 am ET)
- Christopher Guérin, CEO, Nexans
- Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer, Google
- María Mendiluce, Chief Executive Officer, We Mean Business Coalition
- Paul Polman, former Chief Executive Officer of Unilever, and Co-Author of 'Net-Positive
This session explores how leadership needs to change to keep us on track. Emissions aren't peaking and are not on course for the 50% drop we need this decade. It's now or never for bold climate leadership.
Getting It Done: Being accountable (Tuesday, September 20, 12pm - 1pm ET)
- Mark Campanale, Founder & Executive Chairman, Carbon Tracker
With climate strategies and actions being scrutinized more than ever, this session deep dives into the importance of accountability.
- Dr. Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
- Nigel Topping, COP26 UN High-Level Champion, UK Cabinet Office
- Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer, Unilever
- Dr. Zitouni Ould-Dada, Deputy Director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization
- Her Excellency Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, COP27 Envoy and Ministerial Coordinator, Arabic Republic of Egypt
The impacts of climate change are compounding existing and growing global crises; from energy and supply chain pressures to food and economic inequalities. Ahead of COP27, we explore what the international response should be to the multiple interlinked crises.
- Will Hazelip, President of National Grid Ventures, US Northeast
- Serge Abergel, Chief Operating Officer, Hydro-Québec Energy Services
This session discusses how we can deliver short-term solutions to addressing the current crises without turning on the taps for fossil fuels and undermining our long-term goals.
The Hub Live sessions
Snapshot of high-level speakers taking part in The Hub Live's themed sessions:
- Andreas Ahrens, Head of Climate, Inter IKEA Group (Supply chain emissions, Wednesday, September 21)
- Ashley Allen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Oatly (We need to talk about methane, Tuesday, September 20)
- Emma Stewart, Chief Sustainability Officer, Netflix (Communicating climate change, Tuesday, September 20)
- Jim Andrew, Executive Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo (Taking a bite out of emissions, Wednesday, September 21)
- Mirella Vitale, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs, ROCKWOOL Group (Going Retro, Wednesday, September 21)
- Sean Kidney, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Climate Bonds Initiative (It's a material world, Wednesday, September 21)
"We are at the edge of an unfolding climate catastrophe, with the poorest and most vulnerable on our planet that are already feeling its terrible effects. Faced with new challenges this year, we must massively accelerate climate action. But however ambitious, no one institution can go it alone. Climate Week NYC gives us a precious opportunity to ensure these efforts are entirely collaborative and channeled into joint action."
"We are at the edge of an unfolding climate catastrophe, with the poorest and most vulnerable on our planet that are already feeling its terrible effects. Faced with new challenges this year, we must massively accelerate climate action. But however ambitious, no one institution can go it alone. Climate Week NYC gives us a precious opportunity to ensure these efforts are entirely collaborative and channeled into joint action."
Catherine McKenna, Chair, UN Secretary General's High-Level Expert Group on the Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities, said: "Despite the growing number of net-zero pledges by businesses, global emissions are at an all-time high and they continue to rise. A net-zero commitment is not a get out of jail free card. To avert a climate catastrophe, we need bold pledges that are matched by concrete, measurable action now."
Official events program
The official events program is the primary way for communities and individuals to engage with the week. Boasting over 500 events from across 50 countries, the program includes a range of policy debates, workshops, concerts and exhibitions. Registration for the official Climate Week NYC events program is now open across our ten event themes; Built Environment, Energy, Environmental Justice, Transport, Finance, Sustainable Living, Nature, Policy, Industry and Food.
Media registration
