NY Climate Tech: May 4 - May 11
Plastic Detox, Sunset Park Solar, Supply Chains, Resilient Infrastructure, Internet of Animals, Investing in Sustainability, and more upcoming events!
Hi all,
New York’s Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act is a landmark piece of state climate legislation, and it’s incredibly important to maintain as fossil fuel prices spike and federal action grinds to a halt. It’s essential to affordability, green jobs, healthy communities and making real climate progress, but the governor is pushing to delay and defang its implementation.
This process has been going on as part of negotiations as part of the (now 1+ month late) state budget in Albany. You can help!
Recently, 17 state lawmakers asked the state court to enforce the CLCPA. There should be more pushing! Find your state senator, state assembly member, and call them (and call the governor) to give your support for the full CLCPA (it’s already law) and emphasize the importance of climate action for lasting affordability and economic growth.
Here are our picks for the week:
Today the Climate Film Festival and Columbia Climate School bring Netflix’s ♻️ The Plastic Detox to the big screen, followed by an expert Q&A. Don’t miss it and RSVP here.
Tomorrow learn about ☀️ Sunset Park Solar with UPROSE, dive into Ocean tech at the ⚓️ The Future of Supply Chains, Decarbonization & Global Scaling, or shape corporate narratives at 📖 Sustainability Storytelling
Friday spend the morning with the ⚡ Task Force Roundtable: Enabling Resilient Critical Infrastructure for Communities, then head to the Next Frontiers Symposium for talks on the 🦁📡 Internet of Animals: How Wildlife Can Help Forecast Environmental Change and 💰 Next Frontier of Capital: Investing in Innovation & Sustainable Progress
As always, scroll down for the full list of upcoming events.
Til next week!
Cheers,
Alec, Sonam, and the Climate Tech Cities team
This Week’s Events
Monday, May 4
Tuesday, May 5
🌱 Open Hours with the Human Impacts Institute: Creative Climate Awards 2026
🌊 Collective Currents: The Power of Storytelling with Diverse Communities
⚓️ The Future of Supply Chains, Decarbonization & Global Scaling
Wednesday, May 6
Thursday, May 7
Friday, May 8
⚡ Task Force Roundtable: Enabling Resilient Critical Infrastructure for Communities
🦁📡 Internet of Animals: How Wildlife Can Help Forecast Environmental Change
💰 Next Frontier of Capital: Investing in Innovation & Sustainable Progress
Saturday, May 9
Monday, May 11
Community Shoutouts
🌊 Waterfront Conference: May 19
The Waterfront Conference is our region’s premier forum for the shared waterfront. Annually, the event attracts more than 600 participants, including policymakers, community leaders, scientists, engineers, architects, academics, and environmental advocates, as well as labor, real estate, insurance, and financial service professionals. Want to get involved or table? Get in touch with dezer@waterfrontalliance.org
Opportunities
🌇 Urban Future Competition: Due 4/27
Celebrating its 10th year, the Urban Future Prize Competition is open for startup applications, awarding $50,000 in non-dilutive funding to two winners, $10,000 to two runner-up teams, and admission into the ACRE Incubator for leading climatetech startups across Climate Mitigation and Climate Adaptation tracks.
🚀 Entrepreneur Roundtable Accelerator: Due 5/4
ERANYC is where founders build, connect, and grow their companies with the help of our team and deep network of mentors and investors. ERA provides a unique advantage to founders—NYC’s largest mentor network, with 1,000+ expert mentors and 700+ alumni founders across all major industries. $150K investment on a 6% Post-Money SAFE, $600K+ in perks & cloud credits (AWS, Google Cloud, OpenAI & more).
Upcoming Opportunities
ConEd Nonprofit Grants: Due June 30
Upcoming Events
🏢 NYC Energy Code: May 13
🌙 After5NewYork: The Future of Going Out: Can Nightlife Be Sustainable?: May 13
⚡ Data Center Summit Day 2 - Onsite Power Generation Technology Solutions: May 14
🐬 Dolphin Tank: May 14
🗳️ Exhibit Opening: The Shirley Chisholm Way: Brooklyn’s Blueprint for Change: May 14
📚 New Nonfiction Panel w/ Alison Kinney, Anjali Enjeti, & Nicole Walker: May 14
⚡ Renewables Happy Hour: May 14
🌱 Green Social Club Spring ‘26: May 14
🍄 Learn to Grow Your Own Mushrooms and Take Home a Live Grow Kit: May 14
🌱 SJC Youth Eco Ambassador Program-Climate Policy & The Art of Doing w/ CRAN: May 15
👋 Sustainability Social Mixer | Meet the 2026 Social Impact Cohort: May 15
🌍 Bloomfield, NJ - Climate Reality Local Training Event: May 16
🌿📸 Anthotype Printing: Sustainable Photographic Practices Workshop: May 16
👗 Who Pays for Our Clothes?: May 16
🏛️ NYCXDESIGN Student Tour: Architecture at New York Institute of Technology: May 16
🌍❄️ Is Climate Stabilization still possible? - Metacrisis Salon #10: May 16
🌍 New Brunswick, NJ - Climate Reality Local Training Event: May 17
🌊 NYC 520 - East Side Coastal Resiliency Tour at East River Park: May 17
🏘️ JESSOR - Co-ops Today: The Case of Penn South with Bernheimer Architecture: May 18
📚 Book Launch: Christopher M. Finan with Lee Rowland: May 19
🚌 Empire Clean Cities 17th Annual Stakeholder Meeting: May 21
📊 The 4th Women in Quantitative Finance Americas Conference (WQFA): May 21x
🌎 Climate Tech Cities and Streetlife Ventres Startup and Talent Platforms
Climate Tech Cities and Streetlife Ventures are launching new platforms to support climate founders, funders, and career transitioners! There is no shortage of great companies raising money for their groundbreaking ideas, great investors looking to support with capital, and great talent living the mantra that every job is a climate job. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Events in Detail
🎲 Climate Game Night at IX Restaurant, Brooklyn
When: Monday, May 4
Where: IX Restaurant, Brooklyn
Climate Fresk hosts an interactive 3-hour game night at IX Restaurant in Brooklyn designed to educate participants about climate change while fostering community connections. The event combines climate education through gamification with cultural immersion, featuring Guatemalan cuisine and cultural exploration. This free event offers a unique approach to climate awareness that prioritizes both learning and social engagement in a casual dining setting.
🌿 Healing Land & People: Gender-Based Violence & Protecting Indigenous Women
When: Monday, May 4
Where: Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, New York
This Indigenous women-led discussion addresses critical intersections of gender-based violence, land protection, and resistance to extractive industries affecting Indigenous communities. Hosted at the prestigious Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, the event brings together voices directly impacted by MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous People) and environmental exploitation. The free, two-hour session offers a rare opportunity to engage with Indigenous women leaders on systemic issues that remain underrepresented in mainstream discourse.
🌱 Open Hours with the Human Impacts Institute: Creative Climate Awards 2026
When: Tuesday, May 5
Where: Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), New York
The Creative Climate Awards 2026 exhibit showcases innovative projects addressing climate change through creative solutions. This drop-in event at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York offers an opportunity to explore award-winning climate initiatives and engage with the Human Impacts Institute’s work in environmental innovation. The free, accessible format encourages broad participation from professionals, students, and community members interested in climate action and creative problem-solving.
🌊 Collective Currents: The Power of Storytelling with Diverse Communities
When: Tuesday, May 5
Where: Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), New York
This climate-art salon brings together CCA artists to explore storytelling’s role in building resilience and collective community action. The event focuses on vision and shared narratives as tools for addressing climate challenges through diverse perspectives. Hosted at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, this free gathering offers a unique intersection of art, climate advocacy, and community engagement.
⚓️ Smart Port Challenge 2026 Roadshow
When: Tuesday, May 5
Where: Newlab, Kings County
PIER71’s Smart Port Challenge 2026 Roadshow brings together maritime innovators, investors, and industry leaders at Brooklyn’s Newlab to explore the intersection of New York’s hardware innovation ecosystem and Singapore’s maritime powerhouse. The event features insider briefings on the flagship SPC program, a panel discussion on scaling NY tech globally, and direct networking with Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore officials and maritime tech founders. This is a strategic opportunity for startups to learn about pilot opportunities and application requirements before the June 15 deadline, while investors can scout emerging maritime tech solutions in AI, robotics, and sustainability.
📖 Sustainability Storytelling LIVE NYC
When: Tuesday, May 5
Where: The Ragtrader & Bo Peep Cocktail and Highball Store, New York
Sustainability Storytelling LIVE NYC brings together corporate sustainability, communications, and legal professionals for a hands-on workshop and networking event focused on navigating greenwashing risks, ESG disclosure pressures, and effective sustainability communication. Led by Mike Hower, author of “Sustainability Storytelling,” the evening features expert speakers including Alison Taylor (NYU Stern) and Josh Wiener (MetLife), offering practical frameworks and direct peer connections with practitioners tackling these challenges in real time. Attendees receive a signed copy of the book, light refreshments, and immediate takeaways applicable to their organizations.
☀️ Sunset Park Solar
When: Tuesday, May 5
Where: UPROSE, Brooklyn
Sunset Park Solar showcases New York City’s first community-led solar project, offering insights into grassroots renewable energy initiatives and sustainable urban development. This event brings together architects, urban planners, and community stakeholders to explore innovative approaches to solar energy adoption at the neighborhood level. The free event at UPROSE in Brooklyn provides valuable networking opportunities within the sustainable architecture and clean energy sectors.
🌿 ONE Book Talk: Julia Watson, Lo—TEK Water
When: Wednesday, May 6
Where: One Architecture & Urbanism Inc., New York
This event features Julia Watson discussing her book “Lo-TEK,” which explores how Indigenous knowledge systems can inform climate-resilient design solutions. The conversation addresses the critical intersection of traditional ecological wisdom and contemporary urban design challenges. Hosted by One Architecture & Urbanism, this free event offers an opportunity to learn from a recognized voice in sustainable architecture and indigenous-informed design practices.
🌍📊 Spring 2026 Lecture in Climate Data Science: HANG FAN
When: Thursday, May 7
Where: Columbia Innovation Hub - Tang Family Hall, New York
The LEAP Center at Columbia University hosts a specialized seminar on climate data science featuring speaker Hang Fan. This lecture explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, physics, and climate science—a critical area as organizations increasingly rely on data-driven approaches to understand and address climate challenges. The event offers direct access to expertise in a rapidly evolving field with significant real-world applications.
🌳 Street Tree Canopy Care Volunteer Day
When: Thursday, May 7
Where: 213 E 7th St, New York
This volunteer day focuses on urban forest maintenance and canopy care in New York’s East Village, organized by the LES Ecology Center. Participants will engage in hands-on environmental stewardship while learning about the critical role trees play in urban ecosystems, including air quality improvement, temperature regulation, and flood mitigation. The free event offers a practical opportunity to contribute to community environmental health and connect with local conservation-minded volunteers.
🎮 Integrated Design & Media (IDM) Showcase: Spring 2026
When: Thursday, May 7
Where: NYU 370 Jay Street, Brooklyn
NYU Tandon’s Integrated Design & Media (IDM) Showcase presents an evening of interactive demonstrations and video game exhibits featuring student and faculty work from the IDM program. This free event offers direct exposure to cutting-edge projects at the intersection of design, media, and technology. Attendees will have opportunities to engage with creators and explore innovative work in an interactive setting at NYU’s Brooklyn campus.
🌲 Mass Timber in the City: Opportunities & Challenges for Residential Design
When: Thursday, May 7
Where: Bergen Brooklyn, Brooklyn
This event explores the practical applications and challenges of mass timber construction in residential design, hosted by AIA Brooklyn at a Brooklyn venue. The session provides architects and design professionals with actionable insights into delivering mass timber projects in urban settings. Free attendance makes this an accessible opportunity for professionals to engage with emerging sustainable building practices.
♻️ Wasted Fashion
When: Thursday, May 7
Where: 66 5th Ave, New York
Wasted Fashion is a student-led design competition and showcase exploring waste-less fashion systems, bringing together emerging designers and industry leaders to bridge the gap between sustainability theory and practice. The evening features a panel discussion with executives from major fashion brands and sustainability experts, followed by awards for winning design projects and structured networking. This event uniquely combines real-world design constraints with direct access to decision-makers from companies like PVH, Coach, Proenza Schouler, and KITH.
⚡ Task Force Roundtable: Enabling Resilient Critical Infrastructure for Communities
When: Friday, May 8
Where: 1 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York
This facilitated roundtable convenes grid asset owners, community stakeholders, regulators, nonprofits, and private sector leaders to address critical infrastructure resilience, equity, and affordability in New York’s energy ecosystem. The event tackles emerging challenges including geothermal heat pumps, battery energy storage systems, interconnection bottlenecks, and nuclear literacy while emphasizing community participation and collaborative solutions. Participants will engage in open discussion followed by moderated working groups to translate insights into practical, near-term action strategies for responsible energy transition.
🦁📡 Internet of Animals: How Wildlife Can Help Forecast Environmental Change
When: Friday, May 8
Where: 873 Broadway, New York
This lecture explores how wildlife monitoring and animal behavior data can serve as early indicators of environmental change and climate impacts. Part of the Next Frontiers Symposium, the event bridges technology and climate science by examining innovative approaches to using animal-derived insights for environmental forecasting. The session combines expert discussion with audience conversation, offering insights into emerging methodologies at the intersection of biology, technology, and climate research.
💰 Next Frontier of Capital: Investing in Innovation & Sustainable Progress
When: Friday, May 8
Where: 873 Broadway, New York
This fireside chat luncheon brings together business leaders and international relations professionals to explore innovative investment strategies and sustainable progress. Part of the Next Frontiers Symposium, the event offers a focused 90-minute discussion on capital allocation in emerging sectors. The intimate venue and fireside chat format create meaningful networking opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs, and policy stakeholders.
🦪 Volunteering Untapped NYC: Billion Oyster Project (May Event)
When: Saturday, May 9
Where: Governors Island, New York
Volunteering Untapped NYC partners with the Billion Oyster Project to restore oyster reefs in New York Harbor on Governors Island, combining hands-on environmental restoration with community building. Participants will engage in practical conservation work including shoveling shells and mixing cement, with a lunch break and post-event social at a local venue. This free event leverages oysters’ natural water-filtering properties to address ecosystem health while fostering connections among volunteers passionate about environmental stewardship.
🌱 ECOLOGICAL CITY: Procession for Climate Solutions
When: Saturday, May 9
Where: Lower East Side, New York City
Earth Celebrations presents an all-day procession and celebration focused on climate solutions and ecological urban living on the Lower East Side. This free community event combines activism, art, and education to engage New Yorkers in environmental action and sustainable city practices. The procession format offers a unique blend of public engagement and cultural expression around climate advocacy, making it accessible to diverse audiences beyond traditional conference settings.
🌍⚡ Climate Science and Energy Engineering Dinner
When: Monday, May 11
Where: Skylight Diner, New York
This dinner event brings together professionals interested in climate science and energy engineering for informal discussion at Skylight Diner in Manhattan. The free, casual format with separate checks encourages candid conversation and networking among attendees with shared interests in sustainability and clean energy. The May 2026 timing positions this as a timely gathering for industry professionals to exchange insights on pressing environmental and engineering challenges.