NY Climate Tech: May 30 - June 5
NY Climate Tech: May 30 - June 5
Energy equity, ocean-based carbon removal, sustainable picnics, theater, education, corporate transformations, and more events this week
Hi friends,
We hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend! We’ve spent it busy at work on a few new things that we’re excited to share with you, starting with our amazing new logo from the incredible Ariel Simon. She’s been working on a whole brand design, and this is just the start! In the meantime, here are our picks for the week:
Tuesday afternoon, dial into 🌊 The Potential and Pitfalls of Ocean-Based Carbon Removal with Keep Cool’s Nick van Osdol and Sifang Chen of Carbon180
Wednesday afternoon, head to the 🌆 hear from Professor Karen C. Seto of Yale and the UN on how cities can mitigate climate change
Friday, grab a drink at our 🍻 First Friday Climate Tech Meetup in the East Village
Sunday, swing by Closiist’s 🧺 Sustainability Picnic at Socrates Sculpture Park
And more! Want to meet founders? 👩🔬 Chloe Capital Showcase. Corporate ESG? ☘️ Corporate Responsibility in the Digital Age, and 6️⃣ the role of support functions in the corporate transformations. Emotional talks? ☕️ Climate Cafe. Theater? 🎭 The Climate Fables. K12 climate education? 🧑🏫 ClimateSTEM Series: Share Successes & Learn from Others.
Cheers,
The NY Climate Tech Team
Energy Equity in New York
– By Kathy Zhang
Recently, NY state put forth an ambitious plan to achieve 100% zero-emissions electricity by 2040, with at least 35 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments directed towards disadvantaged communities. What could a more equitable, clean energy system look like in NYC?
Energy equity is about providing affordable, reliable and efficient energy for all, in a way that includes the local community in the transition and benefits. This week, we’re focusing on some promising policy and community initiatives advancing energy equity.
Rising temperatures – and prices
Like the costs of other essentials like food and housing, utilities prices are also increasing. Minorities and older residents face a much higher energy burden–the share of household income spent on energy costs. In 2022, more than 1.2 million (one in eight) New Yorkers fell behind on their utilities bills. In the same year, NY announced the largest financial assistance program for utilities in its history, helping to administer $672 million to over 500,000 NY homes and small businesses.
In recent years, states like California have been piloting percentage-of-income payment plans (PIPPs), in which utilities companies provide tiered, income-based plans. Bill assistance and PIPPs are useful measures, particularly when used with other tools to tackle the larger structural challenges in energy equity.
A full(er) picture
The US Department of Energy (DoE) has put forth a beta “Energy Justice Dashboard” which layers DoE investments over environmental and demographic indicators from the EPA’s EJScreen and measures of energy burden from DoE’s Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD).
Local initiatives expanding access to clean energy
Major investment in Distributed Solar. Building upon the success of the NYSERDA’s NY-Sun program, NY’s Public Service Commission approved NYSERDA’s Distributed Solar Roadmap with over $1B in new incentives. With Distributed solar, power infrastructure is installed directly at the site of electricity consumption, reducing transmission losses and reliance on the grid, typically at a lower cost.
Financing building electrification. New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, in partnership with the New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation (NYCEEC), offers favorable loans for renewable energy upgrades for building owners.
Offshore Wind Ecosystem Fund. Equinor, a Norwegian energy company, has partnered with NYCEDC to establish a $5 million fund to support workforce development and business opportunities among marginalized communities in the development of NY offshore wind farms.
Additional resources to check out:
Events This Week
👩🔬 Chloe Capital Founder Fellowship Showcase: Tue, May 30
☘️ Corporate Responsibility (CSR) in the Digital Age: Tue, May 30
🌊 The Potential and Pitfalls of Ocean-Based Carbon Removal: Tue, May 30
🌆 FPA/OTR Elizabeth French Hitchcock Lecture 2023: Wed, May 31
6️⃣ The role of support functions in the corporate transformations: Wed, May 31
☕️ Climate Cafe: Thu, Jun 1
🍻 First Friday Climate Tech Meetup: Fri, Jun 2
🎭 The Climate Fables: Fri, Jun 2
🧺 Sustainability Picnic at Socrates Sculpture Park: Sun, Jun 4
🧑🏫 ClimateSTEM Series: Share Successes & Learn from Others!: Sun, Jun 4
Read on for more details about this week’s happenings and upcoming events this month
Events This Month
🥗 Vegan Night Market: Tue, Jun 6
🗽 NY Climate Tech + MCJ June Meetup: Thu, Jun 8
🌍 Climate Fresk and Dinner at Eat Offbeat (Chelsea Market): Thu, Jun 8
🎨 Alexis Rockman: Oceanus with Christina Brophy: Thu, Jun 8
👩🌾 FoodHack NYC Meet Up: Advances in Agriculture: Thu, Jun 8
🎬 Biosphere: Thu, Jun 8
🧩 Climate Fresk Workshop: Sat, Jun 10
🧑🌾 Climate Designers NYC x Brooklyn Grange Farm Tour: Sat, Jun 10
🏳️🌈 Out in Climate - NYC Pride Month Mixer: Tue, Jun 13
🔌 Make It in Brooklyn: Clean Energy - Diversity & Access: Wed, Jun 14
💩 DSNY Organics Diversion: A Master Composter Workshop: Wed, Jun 14
🇬🇧 Innovate UK Global Incubator Programme Climatetech Showcase: Thu, Jun 15
🧜♀️ Science Rebels at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade: Sat, Jun 17
⚖️ Scaling Justice: Wed, Jun 21
🍻 Green Drinks Brooklyn: Wed, Jun 21
💡 2023 Energy Summit & Expo: Thu, Jun 22
🇬🇱 Billy Fleming, “Fire, Ice, and Ore”: Thu, Jun 22
💧 Bringing Water to Light: An Artist Workshop for Flushing Creek: Sun, Jun 25
🌱 How to Start a Sustainable Life? by Closiist: Mon, Jun 26
Events This Week
👩🔬 Chloe Capital Founder Fellowship Showcase
When: Tue, May 30th from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Company Ventures, 335 Madison Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017
Investors, Founders, and Community Members, join us for Chloe Capital’s Founder Fellowship showcase, which will feature the latest innovations from the brightest minds in our community. The Founder Fellowship is an accelerator in partnership with NYCEDC that provides emerging entrepreneurs with the resources and support they need to scale their businesses. The showcase is an opportunity to see the fruits of their labor and network with other founders, investors, and members of the business community.
☘️ Corporate Responsibility (CSR) in the Digital Age: KindLink US Launch
When: Tue, May 30th from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: Starta Ventures, 220 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
Your social impact and sustainability programme is the best way to attract, keep and develop employees and clients. Make sure everybody knows about the difference you make in this new digital era. We are gathering a panel of industry specialists from the CSR, Non-profit, Sustainability, and technology space to talk about the digital transformation.
🌊 The Potential and Pitfalls of Ocean-Based Carbon Removal
When: Tue, May 30th from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Join Nick van Osdol (Keep Cool), Sifang Chen (Carbon180), and Mike Kelland (Planetary) for a panel discussion on the present and future of ocean-based carbon removal. There'll be time for Q&A at the end of the session as well. Attendance is free!
🌆 FPA/OTR Elizabeth French Hitchcock Lecture 2023
When: Wed, May 31st from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Where: New York City Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036
This year's Hitchcock Lecture will be delivered by Professor Karen C. Seto, Hixon Professor of Geography and Urbanization at the Yale School of the Environment. Professor Seto was the Coordinating Lead Author and co-led the chapter on how cities can mitigate climate change for two UN climate reports, one in 2014 and the other in 2022.
6️⃣ Carbon: the role of support functions in the corporate transformations
When: Wed, May 31st from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Where: CapGemini America Inc, 79 5th Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10003
As carbon disclosures become the norm, pressure is high on business support functions. Are back office teams finally on the frontline when it comes to CO2 and other Sustainability Challenges? Join us for a roundtable discussion with practitioners to highlight the best practices and main challenges faced by businesses today:
☕️ Climate Cafe
When: Thu, Jun 1st from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Neighbor, 176 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Climate Cafes represent an opportunity to discuss difficult emotions that arise out of the climate crisis - everything from anxiety, fear, dread, hopelessness, and anger - in a supportive environment of peers. Climate Cafes are non-clinical, non-directive spaces where attendees can hold space for each others’ emotions without trying to fix other people. At it’s core, it can be meaningful to spend time with others who feel the same way.
🍻 First Friday Climate Tech Meetup
When: Fri, Jun 2nd from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: Belvedere Lounge NYC, 77 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003
Monthly happy hour for people who care about climate, tech, and building cool things!
🎭 The Climate Fables
When: Fri, Jun 2nd from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Where: New Perspectives Theatre Company, 458 West 37th Street, New York, NY 10018
The Torch Ensemble is a new theater company started by Padraig Bond, Penelope Deen, Luis Feliciano, Kristen Hoffman, and Tibor Lazar. Our mission is to premiere two of Padraig’s original plays, The Trash Garden and Debating Extinction, at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival this August.
🧺 Sustainability Picnic at Socrates Sculpture Park
When: Sun, Jun 4th from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Where: Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Boulevard, Queens, NY 11106
Join us for our upcoming sustainability-themed picnic at Socrates Sculpture Park! We'll be discussing the latest trends and tips on living sustainably, and we welcome both experts and newcomers to the conversation.
🧑🏫 ClimateSTEM Series Culminating Event! Share Successes & Learn from Others!
When: Sun, Jun 4th from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Where: Online
Please join us for an afternoon of cross-curricular cross pollination around climate change lessons, units and teaching tools! Over the course of the fall and spring semesters STEMteachersNYC has offered a series of 16 workshops focused on Climate Change. On May 6 we will be inviting all facilitators and their alumni to return and share what they have tried and to tell stories of how students responded.
Join the Fun!
Submit Events
We know all of you are cooking up great events across that highlight the latest and greatest in our collective effort to save our city - and our planet! 🌍 We would love to spread the word. Please share any event details and we'll add them to the list!
Climate Tech Cities
We are expanding! We started as an 8-person dinner and now have over 4,000 members in our community. We’ve had people across the world reach out to us to start their own chapters - so we’re launching a new Climate Tech Cities organization this year! If you have friends who are interested in becoming chapter leads, please share the word. Here’s to a global network of local communities making a positive impact!