The power of thousands of people coming together to work toward a shared goal is remarkable. This energy was palpable at the 2024 Climate Week NYC – an annual event bringing together business leaders, political change makers, local decision takers, and civil society representatives of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the world, for more than 600 activities taking place across the New York City over a week’s time.
USF Professor Stephanie Siehr, who’s currently on sabbatical, was an active participant at Climate Week NYC, and we recently connected with her to hear about the experience.
The theme of this year’s event was “It’s Time.” How did this focus on urgency and action come to life there?
Every climate event across the city emphasized that “it’s time” for action, time to deliver. We are in the implementation phase, turning climate plans into real changes on the ground (and in the ocean and in the sky). The discussions were about how we are implementing changes in business operations and products, financing, policy support, workforce development, restorative justice, and ecological regeneration.
One of my favorite quotes on this theme:
“Now is better than new.” – Dr. Jonathan Foley of Project Drawdown.
We have so many strategies for GHG emission reduction and ecological carbon sequestration already available now, let’s use them! Don’t put off action while developing a new technological approach. Remember that warming is based on cumulative greenhouse gas emissions, so timing matters. Reducing methane (CH4) emissions – by capping abandoned oil and gas wells, and by avoiding food waste – offers important near-term avoidance of temperature rise, since methane is ~80 times more potent a GHG than CO2 in the near-term and has a shorter atmospheric residence time. We have needed emission reductions for decades. Because we’ve delayed, we now need to reduce emissions, pull carbon back from the atmosphere and oceans (sequester carbon), and deal with severe impacts of climate disruption – all at the same time.
What were other common themes running through the sessions and events you attended that really stood out?
Collaboration and climate justice were also big themes at Climate Week NYC.
One of my favorite quotes on the theme of collaboration:
“Collaboration is the Taylor Swift song of Climate Week.” – Sandra Goldmark, Columbia Climate School, author of Fixation: How to Have Stuff Without Breaking the Planet
Because climate action is so multi-faceted, we need exchange across expertise, we need public-private partnerships to scale up action, and we need collaboration with communities. I heard emphasis on collaboration from mayors and city staff, from the Offshore Wind Alliance, from Danish government and industry, from the largest sporting goods retailer in the world (Decathalon), and from sustainability leaders at IKEA. There’s a shift in mindset happening, from ‘why’ to ‘why not,’ that is expanding and accelerating action.
What does collaboration for climate action look like? In Helsinki, Finland, the city can directly influence only 50% of GHG emissions; they need citizens and businesses – especially the shipyards – to tackle the other 50%. The shipyards share the ambition for carbon neutrality and partnered with the city to achieve GHG reductions, through energy saving and electrification with renewables. In New York City, school building superintendents are collaborating with solar installers and fire departments to shift those public buildings to zero-carbon energy in a safe way, bringing cleaner air to the city’s children. In Denmark, the IFU blends public pension funds with private funds to de-risk climate investments, thereby leveraging the larger financial market.
Climate justice was another big theme at Climate Week NYC. Frontline communities around the world continue to repeat: “Climate justice is social justice.”
At the 2nd Annual Climate Justice Forum in Queens, community leaders shared how they are Building the Green Energy Future with Frontline Communities in ways that inspire and address historic injustices. Those injustices include redlining, zoning that puts freeways and hazardous facilities in low-income and BIPOC communities, asthma and flooding as environmental violence… Here are a few highlights of their actions and insights, challenges and visions:
“Just because something becomes law doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. As an organizer, you must stay with it for the long run, do the work of ongoing community engagement, day in and day out. I want to see coalitions of communities taking down harmful infrastructure.” – Jaqi Cohen, Director of Climate & Equity Policy, Tri-State Transportation Campaign
“You need to have a Plan A, B, and C. You have to be flexible. My dream is to have more elected officials at every level who understand and work on climate justice.” – Pamela Stewart-Martinez, Director of Civic Engagement & Organizing, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
“Being right isn’t enough. Find your way around barriers and useless battles. In asthma alley, I want to see Rise Light & Power building renewable energy in the community, see people suffering with asthma knocking down those smokestacks!” – Costa Constantinides, CEO of Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens, Former New York City Council Member
“Black and brown communities have been subjected to levels of violence that have led to abnormal survival responses. We are working with community to heal. Let’s make the environmental revolution more attractive. Use your music, your art, media… Get past fighting each other. Lift each other up.” – Demetrius Similien, Operations Director, Community Capacity Development
There were many other inspiring and moving events on the theme of climate justice, from indigenous women filmmakers seeking to protect their communities and Mother Earth, to Pacific Islander musicians singing for their sinking homes, from state-level requirements for equity in climate projects, to federal Justice40 initiatives. So many opportunities to be involved in climate justice!
You’re currently working on a book project. How did your experience at Climate Week connect with that project?
The book project is an environmental action guide, offering stories and skills – from policy analysis to protest, from litigation to legislation, from collaboration to community. These stories and skills are centered in social justice, seek systemic change, and recognize that we are all related – humans and water, trees and bees, sky and soil. The book draws on all of my years of teaching and research; it’s both a strategy guide and a love letter to our collective future.
I went to Climate Week to gather new stories and test some of the frameworks and ideas in the book, like system leverage points, and the power of collective action in shaping environmental policy. Throughout the week I felt a lot of resonance; the book emphasizes action, skills, justice, system change, collaboration for mutual well-being… All these themes were big during Climate Week, so many good examples, I’m very encouraged!
Did you connect with any MSEM alumni at Climate Week NYC?
Yes, I closed the week in NYC by going to the ClimateMusic Project event organized by MSEM alumnus Stephen Crawford – the same event that MSEM students and faculty were watching via livestream. Hearing the live performance of Voice of the Animals, and the discussion among panelists involved in wildlife protection, was extra special knowing that you were watching in California.
What trends do you see shaping career opportunities in climate-related fields for MSEM students and alums? What advice do you have for students seeking ways to actively work on climate issues?
There are so many ways to work on climate. Find a good match with your particular skills, find the kinds of work that are energizing and joyful for you. One trend: businesses are deepening their GHG reductions, and Scope 3 emissions across supply chains are especially challenging. They need people who understand carbon accounting, are knowledgeable of GHG reduction strategies, can manage data, and can communicate and engage equitably.
Another trend: expanding climate action by changing the way organizations operate and engage with employees. Firms like Planet Fwd, Carbon Collective, Terra.do, and Scope Zero have innovative practices for 401(k) investments and employee training; take a look at what they are doing. Also watch the climate efforts by industry associations – from wind to shipping, fashion to music. In government, knowledge of environmental justice practices is a must, along with law and policy. Another overarching trend is the connection of climate change mitigation, resilience, and regeneration. We need strategies that do all three – and people knowledgeable about the connections.
Need more ideas? Check out this video Turn Your Job Into a Climate Career (a Grist event). MSEM offers valuable skills and knowledge for climate work, with courses in climate change mitigation, urban resilience in climate change, renewable energy, geospatial analysis and scripting, water management, wildland fire ecology, environmental law and policy, and more. I’m looking forward to bringing updates to some of that coursework when I’m back in the classroom next Fall.
