The Great NY Climate Week Guide
Welcome to the Big Apple! We're here to help you meet people IRL, enjoy the sights and sounds of our beautiful city, and plan for the biggest climate event of the year 🗽
What is Climate Week?
If you haven’t heard about it already, NY Climate Week is coming September 17th - 24th. New York has dozens of “weeks,” but if you’re in climate, this is the big one. Climate Week is the largest event of its kind in the world, bringing together business leaders, scientists, policymakers, activists, and stakeholders for seven shambolic days of panels, plenaries, conferences, happy hours, and parties.
The most important thing to know about NY Climate Week is that it’s not just one big conference. Think of it more as a coral reef, providing the structure for 400+ independently organized events to swim and thrive. There are big fish, small ones, and dazzlingly weird ones, and never enough time to see them all.
We’re here to help you choose your own adventure through it all. While the NY Climate Week official website is a good starting point, there are literally hundreds of events that never get listed there.
There are 241 events and counting - we’ve picked our Top 10 List below of where we’ll be an what we like! Our guide is focused on in-person events in New York that you can attend. We’ll include a few invite-only events where you can contact the organizer, but know that there are a lot more we haven’t listed here. We only list in-person or hybrid events, not online ones. There’s a lot going on in parallel, but we think you should make the most of being here, meeting people IRL, and enjoying the sights and sounds of New York.
We hope these streets will make you feel brand new and the big lights will inspire you! We look forward to seeing you in the Big Apple! 🍎
Cheers,
Alec and Sonam
About Climate Week
The Climate Group started Climate Week in 2009 to coincide with the UN General Assembly, when world leaders unite to shut down traffic in midtown Manhattan. It has always overlapped with UNGA as a clear opportunity to make climate front-and-center of the international agenda. In the years since, NY Climate Week has grown into a distributed conference and hub for everyone working in climate.
Making the Most of Climate Week
Don’t feel like you need to go to everything or skip out on your day job (unless going to these events is your day job). Decide the right balance of networking, learning, and getting out and about.
Are you looking to get a pulse on climate, or do you have a specific area you want to focus on? We’ve come up with 20 different categories for events, highlighted the biggest events in each one, and broken everything down day-by-day. Enjoy!
Our Top 10 List: Where We’ll Be and What We Like
There’s so much, where should I go, what should I do?!? We get these questions every year, so without further to do, here’s a list of our favorite events to see and be seen:
We’ll see you on the streets at the ✊ March to End Fossil Fuels on Sunday.
Join Alec and English for the 🍿Climate Film Festival “First Look” on Monday in the Lower East Side for a happy hour, four short films, and a post-screening chat with the filmmakers (huge thanks to our sponsors SOSV and SNØCAP!).
Join Sonam, Laura, and Tom at 🌇 Urban Climate Solutions in Action on Monday, where you’ll enjoy a pecha-kucha style startup showcase of the best companies building at the intersection of cities x climate. There’s no better happy hour in town than on the beautiful Rooftop Park at Pier 57 in Chelsea!
Come party with your favorite Brooklyn-based VCs, startups, and DJ Large Professor on Tuesday at the 🎉 Brooklyn Block Party at the Nest Climate Campus at Javits and sing your heart out later at 👩🎤 Climate Karaoke.
Swing by the Navy Yard to hear Alec talk about Thalo Labs and better Scope 1 data at 💚 Green Data by Design on Wednesday.
As investors and operators, we care a lot about how startups utilize capital effectively and accelerate their path to commercialization. Join us at the 💰Climate Capital Summit on Wednesday in Midtown and then meet some of these successful startups at the 👩🏻🔬 Activate Demo Hall down the street.
On Thursday, head to New Lab for ☀️ New Climate Futures to see a who’s-who of hardware startups and innovators. Bonus points: see Alec demo what he’s been working on with the team at Thalo Labs. Finish off the day with our very own 🗽 NY Climate Tech x Climatebase Picnic at Central Park!
On Friday, the 🌎 Marketplace for the Future puts on a fantastic exhibition of climate solutions from compost to carbon capture to renewable energy and more.
Find us at the 🌱 Sustainability Summit, 🪺 Nest Climate Campus, and the 🌎2023 SDG Summit throughout the week.
And finally, don’t forget that you’re in New York, one of the most diverse and awe inspiring cities in the world! Get out of the conference room and into the streets with an 🚉 Amtrak at Climate Week rail tour on Wednesday, a 🙋🏽♀️ Climate Justice Walking Tour on Thursday, and the 🦪 Billion Oyster Project Walking Tour all week!
Events by Category
We’ve classified 163 events 241 [updated Sept. 12] so far, and have them broken down by category and day. Each category has a few highlighted events that are sure to attract a larger crowd.
✊ Activism (3)
🐝 Biodiversity and Nature (29)
🌇 Buildings and Cities (14)
🌳 Carbon Markets and Removal (23)
♻️ Circular Economy (3)
🎬 Climate Arts, Media, and Storytelling (10)
✨ Climate Tech (23)
🧩 Corporate Sustainability (21)
⚡️ Energy (15)
⚖️ Environmental Justice (21)
💸 Finance (13)
👩🌾 Food and Agriculture (12)
🌎 General Climate (17)
🎉 Party (5)
🏛️ Policy (7)
🪙 ReFi (2)
🌱 Touch Grass and Play Games (6)
🚴♀️ Transportation (4)
🛫Travel (1)
🌊 Water (11)
As much as this is, there’s more to come! We’ll be updating this guide as NY Climate Week comes closer with new events as they’re posted.
To get early-access to the full list of Climate Week events and start RSVPing, subscribe now!
Free subscribers will get access in September.
✊ Activism (3)
Highlights
March to End Fossil Fuels, Sun, Sep 17
The March to End Fossil Fuels will be the biggest activist event during Climate Week. The UN Climate Ambition Summit will gather world leaders to commit to phasing out fossil fuels. Thousands of will take to the streets before the summit to demand President Biden take bold action to end fossil fuels.
All Activism Events
Sunday
Tuesday
🐝 Biodiversity and Nature (29)
Highlights
World Biodiversity Summit, Thu Sep 21
The World Biodiversity Summit is the pioneering platform for global public-private partnerships to address the urgent need for biodiversity restoration through nature-based solutions and nature-positive investments.
Nature Positive Hub, Mon Sep 18 - Wed Sep 20
From September 18-20, the Nature Positive Hub will convene a series of events aimed at elevating the dialogue on Nature-based Solutions to complement existing efforts on energy, industry, and transport to lessen the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss by 2030. Nature Positive is a global goal to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030
Natural Capital Investment Americas 2023, Mon Sep 25
With the interest in sustainable investments at an all-time high, institutional investors are shining a light on a previously sidelined indicator of environmental health: biodiversity. But despite an increasing number of funds being created, natural capital investment opportunities remain limited, and biodiversity needs to be built into consideration of all companies and their investors.
All Biodiversity and Nature Events
Monday
Collaborating for Scaled Investment in Forests and Nature: Forest Investor Club
Biodiversity Credits: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities for Financing Biodiversity Conservation
From Communities to Partnerships: Catalyzing Investments to scale Natural Climate Solutions
Hearing Nature’s Voice: Perspectives from Law, Ethics, Business, and Science
Tuesday
Wednesday
NBSAP Accelerator Partnership Operational Launch and Launch of the NBSAP Toolkit for Civil Society
Working Together to End Financed Deforestation: Forest Finance Risk Consortium
Can nature foster equity when it comes to adapting to extreme heat?
U.S. Government Support for Natural Climate Solutions Implementation
Stop the Amazon Tipping Point: Alliance for Bioeconomy launch
Wisdom of the Ages: Why Indigenous Guardians Are Essential for Meeting Climate Targets
Tackling Deforestation Through Responsible Supply Chain Management
Thursday
Monday, Sept 25th
🌇 Buildings and Cities (14)
Highlights
Urban Climate Solutions in Action!, Mon Sep 18
How do we get climate solutions out of PDF reports and into our streets and neighborhoods? Join climate tech investors from Streetlife Ventures and Burnt Island Ventures and representatives of New York City’s urban test beds including the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the NYC Economic Development Corporation, Jamestown Properties, and Xylem to discuss how startups can work with public and private partners to de-risk their technologies and accelerate the path to commercialization. We’ll have a fun, pecha-kucha style showcase of urban climate solutions in action, featuring leading founders from Cadence OneFive, Blocpower, Thalo Labs, Bedrock Energy, Voltpost, Oonee, Numina, Vycarb, Floodbase, CREW Carbon, CivilGrid, Daupler, and more. Mix and mingle afterwards at the beautiful Pier 57 rooftop park overlooking the Hudson River!
CRETech Climate Day, Thu Sep 21
Join us after the CREtech New York conference and expo for this extraordinary gathering of the greatest minds in sustainability during Climate Week NYC. If you are interested in decarbonizing real estate, you must attend CREtech Climate Day.
All Building & Cities Events
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Designing the Irresistible, Sustainable City – A Collaborative Approach
Regenerative, Carbon Neutral and Just Communities with Actionable Outcomes
Climate Week 2023 NYC Funky Partnerships for Urban Climate Resilience
High-Level event on market transformation to a net-zero built environment
Thursday
🌳 Carbon Markets & Removal (23)
Highlights
North America Climate Summit - NACS 2023, Tue Sep 19 - Thu Sep 21
The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) looks forward to welcoming delegates to our flagship North America Climate Summit (NACS) 2023 on 19-21 September, an official accredited event of New York Climate Week 2023 and the UN General Assembly 2023.
Carbon Smart Summit, Tue Sep 19
Want to get up to speed on the latest changes in the fast-evolving voluntary carbon market? Join experts working at the forefront of carbon markets — from project development and finance to key policy initiatives and corporate sustainability and technology trends.
Climeworks at Climate Week, Thu Sep 21
For the 2023 edition of Climate Week NYC, Climeworks will host a series of events focused on high-quality carbon removal on September 21, including workshops and networking opportunities. Through these gatherings, Climeworks’ goal is to bring together all stakeholders that are key to the deployment of carbon removal at scale,
All Carbon Markets & Removal Events
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Fostering Forest Carbon Credits in Brazil: Perspective and Case Studies
Market opportunity: high integrity Brazilian forest carbon projects
Why buy? The business case for using nature-based carbon credits.
Thursday
Friday
♻️ Circular Economy (3)
Highlights
NYC Circularity Meetup, Tue Sep 19
The NYC Circularity Network is a series of meet-ups and events around the city for circular economy practitioners to connect, share ideas & resources, amplify voices, build power, and influence the direction of NYC's circular economy. Whether you're a sustainability enthusiast, an established professional, or simply curious about circularity, this event is open to all who wish to learn and contribute to the growing movement.
All Circular Economy Events
Tuesday
Wednesday
🎬 Climate Arts, Media, and Storytelling (10)
Highlights
Climate Film Festival “First Look”, Mon Sep 18
Join us for an early-access preview of New York's first Climate Film Festival! CFF showcases energizing, compelling, and diverse motion pictures and new media that encourage deeper engagement with the stakes of living in a changing world. Meet filmmakers, scientists, artists, and climate leaders over a dynamic evening of innovative, unexpected stories and emerging climate conversations.
Sunday, Sept 17
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Saturday
✨ Climate Tech (23)
Highlights
Activate Demo Hall: Hard Tech Solutions to the Climate Crisis, Wed Sep 20
Our Climate Week event will convene the NY hard-tech community and spotlight the growing momentum around decarbonization. As part of the day’s programming, we’re thrilled to host a fireside chat featuring Dr. Evelyn Wang, Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), and Molly Wood, Founder and Chief Storyteller at Molly Wood Media, and previously host of Marketplace on NPR. The event's demo hall will showcase prototypes of the technology reshaping the energy and climate economy, with 20+ companies displaying their innovations in clean-tech solutions.
New Climate Futures: A Newlab Event, Thu Sep 21
NEW CLIMATE FUTURES is the only gathering with real-world outcomes towards local and global climate goals for entrepreneurs, technology developers, policymakers, investors, industry experts, and community leaders.
Marketplace of the Future, Fri Sep 22
Inspired by the 1939 New York World's Fair, aka the "World of Tomorrow", the Marketplace of the Future is an expo of organizations working within various spheres of climate solutions. Everything from compost, carbon capture, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and MORE will be on display to give us a glimpse of what a sustainable future looks like in the present.
All Climate Tech Events
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
The New York Climate Exchange Presents: Deep-Tech Innovation Launchpad
Activate Demo Hall: Hard Tech Solutions to the Climate Crisis
Thursday
Scaling Climate Tech Startups: From Innovation to Market Adoption.
Scaling Climate Solutions through Smarter Investing and Philanthropy
Friday
Saturday
🧩 Corporate Sustainability (23)
Highlights
Nasdaq Annual NY Climate Week Conference 2023, Tue Sep 19
On the heels of 2022's successful Nasdaq ESG Leadership Forum, we are excited to inaugurate this year's NY Climate Week Conference. Join thought leaders across corporates, investors, rating and ranking organizations, regulators, and innovation-drivers for impactful discussions.
Forbes 2023 Sustainability Leaders Summit, Wed Sep 20
Join us as we bring together business leaders, entrepreneurs, policy leaders and newsmakers who are embracing viable solutions and visible action to address climate change.
All Corporate Sustainability Events
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
How to Cash Out of Carbon and Future-Proof Your Sustainability Plan
Net Zero Value Chains: Enabling Collaboration to Unlock Value Chain Decarbonisation at Scale
An Insights Workshop for Corporates – Exploring the Value of Impact Funds
Climate Week Workshop: Connecting Corporate Climate and Nature Strategies
Pure Strategies Climate Week Panel: Brands Scaling Scope 3 GHG Solutions
Thursday
⚡️ Energy (15)
Highlights
Dynamo Energy Transition Summit, Tue Sep 19
The Dynamo Energy Hub community will come together on September 19th in New York City, for our annual Climate Week event. This year, the Summit will bring together executives from energy and finance, along with elected leaders from around the world. Our moderator will be the noted journalist Amy Harder, Executive Editor at Breakthrough Energy by Cipher and will feature moderated conversations, keynote interviews and thought provoking discussions.
World Energy Transition Summit, Wed Sep 20
On 20 September World Energy Transition Summit will bring together global energy leaders in New York from public and private sectors from North America and beyond to keep up important momentum, foster strong alliances – and take stock of the global energy transition.
REFF Wall Street - Renewable Energy Finance Forum, Wed Sep 20 and Thu Sep 21
Get ready for the 20th edition of REFF Wall Street, the premier renewable energy finance event. This year’s conference is your chance to engage with the leading voices spearheading the ongoing renewable energy finance market overhaul. Meet the teams behind the most influential deals and discover new opportunities driving the industry forward.
All Energy Events
Monday
Tuesday
Accelerating the Energy Transition – Climate Week Conference at NYU
Power with Purpose: How to Accelerate a Clean, Green, and Equitable Energy Future
Wednesday
Thursday
⚖️ Environmental Justice (21)
Highlights
Indigenous Women - Creative Economy as a Tool for Preserving Nature, Wed Sep 20
The YACY project, a collaboration between "Instituto Por Elas" in Brazil and Angélica Walker Projects in New York, is an initiative to celebrate the creativity, resilience and cultural heritage of women from indigenous communities. Its mission is to highlight entrepreneurship and culture as tools for fostering green economy.
From Mississippi to Manhattan: How Climate Change Impacts Resilience of Underserved Communities, Thu Sep 21
'From Mississippi to Manhattan' is a riveting screening of an upcoming documentary on climate change and resilience among underserved communities followed by an insightful panel discussion on approaches to community-crafted resilience solutions. Hosted by the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM), the event will explore conversations on new approaches to improving equitable outcomes and community empowerment in the wake of our current climate crisis.
All Environmental Justice Events
Sunday, Sept 17
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Women Ending the Era of Fossil Fuels and Leading a Just Transition
The Intersection of Climate Change and Racism in the Southern US
Indigenous Women - Creative Economy as a Tool for Preserving Nature
Climate Justice and Energy Democracy: Putting Frontline Communities First
Thursday
Friday
How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis
From Mississippi to Manhattan: How Climate Change Impacts Resilience of Underserved Communities
Jews, Land, and Climate Café--an art sharing and workshop for Jews, and our friends & allies
Saturday
💸 Finance (13)
Highlights
Sustainable Investment Forum North America, Tue Sep 19
The Sustainable Investment Forum North America is recognised as one of the leading events for attracting asset owners with more than USD $3 trillion in assets under management. Climate Action and the UNEP Finance Initiative present the forthcoming Sustainable Investment Forum North America as the number one meeting point for the finance community during Climate Week NYC.
REFF Wall Street - Renewable Energy Finance Forum, Wed Sep 20 - Thu Sep 21
Get ready for the 20th edition of REFF Wall Street, the premier renewable energy finance event. This year’s conference is your chance to engage with the leading voices spearheading the ongoing renewable energy finance market overhaul. Meet the teams behind the most influential deals and discover new opportunities driving the industry forward.
Climate Capital Summit, Wed Sep 20
Equal Ventures is hosting their first annual Climate Capital Summit. This event will bring together the industry's most exciting senior innovators, investors, executives and policymakers to gather and discuss trends ranging from the CleanTech market cycle to today's ClimateTech market. The Climate Capital Summit is invite-only and completely free of charge.
All Finance Events
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
👩🌾 Food and Agriculture (12)
Highlights
NYC AgTech Week 2023, Mon Sep 18 - Fri Sep 22
NYC AgTech Week has become a nexus of CEA, urban farming, sustainable development and entrepreneurship discourse; attracting a community of some of the most innovative AgTech startups and organizations in the world.
INNOV-EAT Expedition, Thu Sep 21
In this event, we will embark on a trailblazing adventure, exploring ground breaking innovations and strategies to transform global food systems. Prepare to challenge the status quo and address the root causes of food system issues.All Food Events
Monday
Tuesday
Net-Zero Target Setting for Banks in the Agriculture Sector: Unpacking Complexity
Net-zero throughout the world: decarbonizing the agricultural supply chain.
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
🌎 General Climate (17)
Highlights
The Nest Climate Campus, Tue Sep 19 to Thu Sep 21
The Nest Climate Campus is expanding from two to three incredible days of climate action and inspiration. Join us for this extended experience, where you'll have even more opportunities to immerse yourself in cutting-edge education, connect with like-minded individuals from around the world, and take meaningful action to combat climate change. Continue reading for more on the leaders joining the Main Stage, co-hosting an event at the Campus, or activating inside of the Climate Collective.
NYT Climate Forward, Thu Sep 21
Join us at The Times Center for a day of live journalism, exploring where the solutions to the climate crisis stand today and what might come next. From world leaders and activists to business innovators and scientists, we’ll be bringing together some of climate’s most vital newsmakers — both onstage and in the audience — to share ideas, work through problems and answer tough questions.
All General Events
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
🎉 Party (5)
Highlights
Climate Tech Cocktails NYC Climate Wk '23 Kickoff Party, Mon Sep 18
Party with 1,000+ other climate week attendees at Irving Plaza
Brooklyn Block Party, Tue Sep 20
Join your favorite Brooklyn-based VCs and startups to celebrate all the climate innovations in the best borough - from EV charging infrastructure to shared mobility to green personal finance solutions and more. Boogy with us, Brooklyn Style, at the Next Campus on Tuesday Night!
All Party Events
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
🏛️ Policy (7)
Highlights
2023 SDG Summit, Mon Sep 18 to Tue Sep 19
The 2023 SDG Summit will take place on 18-19 September 2023 in New York. It will mark the beginning of a new phase of accelerated progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals with high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to 2030. Convened by the President of the General Assembly, the Summit will mark the half-way point to the deadline set for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. It will be the centerpiece of the High-level Week of the General Assembly. It will respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world and is expected to reignite a sense of hope, optimism, and enthusiasm for the 2030 Agenda.
All Policy Events
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
🪙 ReFi (2)
Highlights
ReFi NYC 2023, Thu Sep 21
ReFi NYC: Navigating the Intersection of Climate Tech, Sustainability, and Finance. From keynote presentations to panel discussions and interactive talks, you'll have the opportunity to learn about the latest trends and innovations in ReFi, as well as connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about creating positive change.
Transformative Impact Summit, Sat Sep 23
So much good is being done in the world. Transformative Impact Summit (TIS) brings today's leading change-makers, goodwill organizations, and impact investors together to celebrate their work, connect them across impact sectors, and connect vetted efforts with aligned funders.
All ReFi Events
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
🌱 Touch Grass and Play Games (6)
Highlights
NY Climate Tech x Climatebase Picnic, Thu Sep 21
As the city buzzes with the momentum of Climate Week NYC, we invite you to join Climatebase, NY Climate Tech and the broader climate community for a casual outdoor gathering in Central Park. Whether you're a veteran climate professional or just starting your journey, this is a great opportunity to network, share stories, cultivate new ideas, and celebrate the energy of Climate Week with like-minded folks.
Oceanic Global NYC Hub Cleanup: Coney Island Inlet Park, Sat Sep 23
The Oceanic Global Hubs are regional, volunteer-based chapters of the Oceanic Global team that drive localized impact on a global scale through educational programming, community engagement, and stakeholder partnerships. This free event is to help preserve our beautiful beaches and blue planet and is an opportunity to meet our local NYC Hub community! This is our second year dedicated to keeping Coney Island Creek Park in New York clean and waste-free.
All Touch Grass and Play Games Events
Wednesday
Thursday
Saturday
Sunday
🚴♀️ Transportation (4)
Highlights
Amtrak at Climate Week: Moving at high-speed to a climate resilience future, Wed Sep 20
We have the exciting opportunity to provide walking tours through Moynihan Train Hall, led by Amtrak representatives while they share the history of the station and Amtrak. The tours will serve to inspire and show how consistent investment and ambition are modernizing the domestic rail experience. After the tour, Amtrak, along with the Port Authority, will present on the criticality of climate resilience and the steadfast focus needed to advance the modal shift toward lower carbon transportation options – especially intercity passenger rail service.
All Transportation Events
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
🛫 Travel (1)
Highlights
Regenerative Travel Summit 2023, Wed Sep 20
As the future of tourism is increasingly being shaped by regenerative principles, we aim to take the lead in this paradigm shift. The Regenerative Travel Summit event is designed to inspire and showcase diverse and unexpected thought leadership, challenging participants to build an industry that generates abundance for all.
All Travel Events
Wednesday
🌊 Water (11)
Highlights
Rethinking Water: Solutions Now for America's Water Infrastructure
Hosted by Columbia Water Center and Sciens Water, join us at the Rethinking Water Conference 2023, where finance, academia, government and industry meet to find solutions to the most pressing water challenges in the United States. From c-suite executives and environmental stewards to government organizations, industry leaders, and academic professionals, our conference is a hub of expertise and innovation. With a focus on aging infrastructure and evolving regulations, we will explore how funding can be effectively applied to achieve sustainable solutions.
All Water Events
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
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