Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend Climate Week 2024 in New York organized in tandem with the 79th UN General Assembly High-Level Week at the United Nations Headquarters.
Climate Week NYC is the world’s largest annual climate-focused gathering that governments do not organize. It features over 600 events all in one week across New York City, accessible to the public and attracting leaders, policymakers, and activists globally to accelerate environmental initiatives.
While Climate Week NYC runs in close coordination with the themes and developments happening at the 79th UN General Assembly, the General Assembly event is a more exclusive, high-level, diplomatic convening that spans a longer period and involves heads of state, government officials, and UN representatives.
Anyone who works in the climate sector or is interested in climate action can host a Climate Week event. According to the website, a proposed event has to fall under one of the following ten categories to qualify as a Climate Week event: Transport, Energy, Heavy Industry, Food, Environmental Justice, Health, Finance, Sustainable Living, Nature, and Policy.
Over three days, I worked with SustainableIT.org, a nonprofit organization led by technology executives who strive to advance sustainability around the world through technology leadership. I helped organize six impactful events with the nonprofit that aligned with the principles of the UN Digital Compact and AI for Good (Responsible AI).
Our timing couldn’t have been better; only days before this, the UN member states came together at the Summit of the Future to decide on the Global Digital Compact, something which I thought had been long overdue, since digital technology and artificial intelligence have evolved faster than what regulations can keep up with. The Compact seeks to tackle any ethical issues and manage safety risks to ensure that the benefits of digital advancements are shared fairly across all countries.
The convenings brought together global information and technology leaders, sustainability leaders from the biggest software and technology companies, consulting firms and other public organizations. Some of these leaders included Amy Jean Doherty, the CIO of the World Bank Group; Susan Kenniston, the Global Head and VP of Sustainability at Wipro; and Janina Bauer, Global Head of Sustainability at Celonis.
It was amazing for me to be sitting next to such great minds who spend their time finding technological solutions to solve the mammoth challenge of climate change and figure out how we can fine-tune, adapt and modify the rapid growth of generative AI and other newer technologies to make them more less-resource intensive and better for the planet.
Aside from organizing these events, I also managed to squeeze in time for some others.
I attended a high-profile kickoff reception hosted by Richard and Claudio Ramo Edelman, who gathered guests from diverse industries, nationalities, and backgrounds, all united by their commitment to advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and making the United Nations General Assembly a more inclusive and dynamic platform. It was incredibly cool to flit through the crowd—imagine, every ten steps, stumbling upon an iconic exchange like the head of sustainability at Coca-Cola chatting with the founder of Wikipedia!
I also attended an event inside the century-old, very exclusive Explorers Club, titled “Beyond the Ice: The Worldwide Impacts of Arctic Extremes,” a session hosted by the foundation of Prince Albert II of Monaco and moderated by CCJC Director Allison Agsten. It featured John P. Holdren, former science advisor to President Obama; Sue Natali, Arctic program director and senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center; and Edward Alexander, co-chair of the Gwich’in Council International. The discussion highlighted the critical role of Arctic science in global climate policy and the need to amplify the voices of those directly affected.
Prince Albert summed it up well: “The climate crisis in the Arctic region is more evident there than anywhere else. Its specific situation clearly requires international, even global, cooperation.”
Finally, my Climate Week NYC experience would not have been complete without visiting the Goals House, a highlight of the event known for its innovative event production and compelling communications. There, I attended a session on promoting health and well-being in the digital age, co-hosted by the WHO Foundation, TikTok, and Maybelline.
During the panel, the WHO Foundation and TikTok announced a new partnership to engage a group of over 800 healthcare professionals known as the Fides Network in creating and sharing evidence-based mental health content on TikTok. This initiative seems like a significant step toward enhancing the credibility of digital platforms as sources of public health information.
All in all, Climate Week NYC felt like a grand pilgrimage, a mecca of sorts for those committed to tackling the pressing challenges of our rapidly warming planet. Despite some criticisms about the pace of progress, these events provide a vital platform for business leaders, youth, activists, journalists, experts, and scientists from various fields to connect and foster collaboration. To me, they also served as a poignant reminder that in this journey toward sustainable development, no one is alone and everyone is welcome.
Anahita Mehra is a student at USC working on her Masters in Digital Media.
