The seventh Climate Week NYC came to an end with key business and sub-national leaders gathering for the Week's signature event and calling on negotiators to match their ambition.
The global business figures represented Fortune 500 listed companies who announced plans to switch to 100% renewable energy and adopt science-based carbon targets, while local leaders spoke for the many sub-national governments that have enacted major action programmes to cut emissions.
28 September 2015: The seventh Climate Week NYC came to an end with key business and sub-national leaders gathering for the Week’s signature event and calling on negotiators to match their ambition. The global business figures represented Fortune 500 listed companies who announced plans to switch to 100% renewable energy and adopt science-based carbon targets, while local leaders spoke for the many sub-national governments that have enacted major action programmes to cut emissions.
The signature event was held on the last day of Climate Week NYC, which ran from 21-28 September 2015, and coincided with a call from organizations representing more than six million companies for an ambitious climate deal at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC in Paris, France. The companies used a full-page advertisement in the Financial Times to publish their call for the conclusion of a meaningful agreement at COP 21 in December 2015.
With businesses and sub-national governments presenting strong commitments and calling on national governments to step up ambition, Todd Stern, US Special Envoy for Climate Change said, “The stars are more aligned now for an historic universal agreement [in Paris] than they have ever been.”
A report released by The Climate Group on the same day highlights that over 170 major companies, states, regions and cities have committed to reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80-100%, or procuring 100% of their power from renewable sources. The report, titled ‘Unlocking Ambition: Top Corporate and Sub-National Climate Commitments,’ explores what motivates actors other than national governments to commit to bold climate change action. Some of the most frequently cited reasons are efficiency, competitiveness and values. Companies and cities alike point to win-win solutions like energy efficiency, which are both cost-effective and climate-friendly.
The Climate Group has organized Climate Week NYC for the past seven years. Taking place during the same week the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the 2015 edition of the high-profile event highlighted how climate action and low-carbon growth models can support sustainable development efforts.
A range of events took place throughout the city, from a Social Good Summit, a Global Citizen Festival and an Earth Science Colloquium to forums, online webinars, teach-ins and awards ceremonies featuring everything from financing decarbonization to disaster preparedness. [The Climate Group Press Release, Climate Week NYC Wrap-Up] [The Climate Group Press Release, Climate Commitments Report] [Publication: Unlocking Ambition: Top Corporate and Sub-National Climate Commitments – September 2015 Update] [The Climate Group Press Release, Signature Event] [Climate Week NYC Website] [IISD RS Coverage of the UN Sustainable Development Summit]