NYC readies for record Climate Week

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Express Tribune or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: New York City’s Climate Week 2025 is poised to be its largest ever, with over 1,000 events and record participation from companies, civil society, and philanthropic groups
• The surge comes despite the current U.S. administration’s rollback of climate policies and renewed support for fossil fuels
• Organisers report unexpectedly high engagement, with top executives attending and climate tech companies like Climeworks significantly expanding their presence

🔭 The context: Climate Week has been held alongside the UN General Assembly since 2009, traditionally spotlighting national commitments
• However, with the U.S. and EU stepping back from leadership roles this year, momentum is shifting to emerging economies and non-state actors
• Former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres noted that the drivers of climate ambition are now market forces and the private sector, rather than governments

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This shift underscores the growing influence of the private sector and local actors in sustaining climate progress, especially when national policies lag
• While over half of major global firms have pledged net-zero goals, 98% have yet to align their spending with those targets
• Climate Week may serve as a platform to accelerate concrete action and bridge this implementation gap amid increasing climate risks

⏭️ What's next: On Wednesday, the UN will host a special climate summit during the General Assembly
• While China and Brazil are expected to unveil updated national targets, the absence of new commitments from the U.S. and EU signals a changing leadership dynamic ahead of COP30 in Brazil
• The next critical milestone will be whether these forums translate into tangible progress, especially in light of ongoing disagreements within the EU and uncertainty around China's ambitions

💬 One quote: “The challenge for New York Climate Week and beyond is to ensure that individuals and institutions come together in new ways to reimagine how we can cooperate against common threats.” — Rajiv Shah, President, The Rockefeller Foundation

📈 One stat: 86% of the global population believes international cooperation is essential for tackling climate change, according to a new survey by The Rockefeller Foundation

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