Learn more about the Work Programme and the COP30 Action Agenda. Read here.
Parts of this site were translated using AI. Accuracy may vary.
Learn more about the Work Programme and the COP30 Action Agenda. Read here.
Parts of this site were translated using AI. Accuracy may vary.
Monday, 22 September 2025 | By Climate High-Level Champions
With less than two months until the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Brazil, Climate Week New York City (NYC) is emerging as one of the world’s most visible gatherings for climate action this year. The annual event has become a platform where businesses, investors, cities, and civil society test solutions, secure financing, and set the tone for delivery on climate initiatives.
This year, momentum comes against a backdrop of political uncertainty. Some national governments have signaled delays or rollbacks in climate commitments, raising questions about how the world will meet emissions targets. Organizers say the focus in New York will be on measurable progress despite changing political headwinds — through private sector initiatives, municipal programmes and community-led solutions.
Climate High-Level Champions, Dan Ioschpe and Nigar Arpadarai will be on the ground to help rally attendees around the COP30 Action Agenda. This includes addressing financing solutions for small businesses and climate project owners, and highlighting the important contributions of Indigenous Peoples, to spearhead climate action where it is needed most.
Climate Week NYC is set to open on September 21 with more than 900 events, making it the largest global gathering of climate leaders outside of the COP process. Running alongside the second week of the UN General Assembly, Climate Week has become a magnet for world leaders across politics, business and advocacy.
This year’s theme — “Power On” — is about clarity, decisions, and delivery. Organizers say this means being clear on objectives, implementing at pace and powering through despite geopolitical and economic uncertainty. This fits seamlessly with the COP30 Action Agenda: a framework that takes climate commitments and translates them into concrete, measurable progress across mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, and capacity-building.
The world is entering a decisive moment for climate action, as countries prepare new national plans to tackle the climate crisis. These commitments, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), outline how countries plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Paris Agreement requires that NDCs are updated every five years with increasingly higher ambition.
To drive that momentum, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will host a Special High-Level Event called Climate Summit 2025 at United Nations Headquarters on 24 September. The summit will also bring together leaders from governments, businesses and civil society in a series of Solutions Dialogues. These conversations will spotlight practical ideas to cut emissions, adapt to climate impacts, unlock finance, strengthen information integrity, and tackle other urgent priorities — all in step with the Paris Agreement and the road to COP30.
The main themes and focus areas of Climate Week NYC will feature in the Hub Live, and align with COP30 Action Agenda priorities. Expect discussions to zoom in on private sector contributions and public-private collaborations that demonstrate scalable solutions, mobilise capital, and reconfirm commitments to ambitious targets.
At Climate Week NYC, businesses must show how they are adapting to new realities: securing renewable energy supply, greening supply chains, and investing in resilience. These are not only climate measures — they are strategies for staying competitive in turbulent times.
Speaking in New York City, Climate High-Level Champion Nigar Arpadarai will demonstrate support for how small businesses can strengthen their own resilience and competitiveness. During meetings, we expect to see major companies announcing new supplier engagement programs that show how climate action is embedded in core business strategy.
Action towards the energy transition is decisively underway. For example, road vehicles are electrifying rapidly. More than one in four cars sold in 2025 is expected to be electric and cities with e-bus deployments are on track and sales of e-trucks almost doubled in 2024. The next five years must also convert today’s cost advantage into faster deployment and equitable access to sustainable energy. Positive signals are coming from Africa, where this year 20 countries saw a record rise in Africa’s solar panel imports, and 25 countries imported at least 25 megawatts, providing a secure supply of renewable energy to help run schools, hospitals and homes.
Measurable action must also be seen around protecting forests and transforming food systems, as agriculture drives 90% of deforestation and ranks second in global emissions. However, proven solutions exist. Farmers are restoring land profitably, the Tropical Forests Forever Facility is aiming to mobilize USD 4 billion annually, and catalytic capital funds can finance deforestation-free commodities and sustainable practices if governments and markets scale them now. Brazil is expected to push the Facility by framing it like an IPO prospectus to attract private capital.
The Climate High-Level Champions will also be looking at the USD 300 billion needed annually for climate adaptation by 2030, and will continue to support adaptation efforts for frontline communities. Baku’s COP 29 ambitious target of $1.3 trillion in global climate finance is inspiring, and can be delivered with a strong roadmap with finance from all sources.
The Climate High-Level Champions are pairing project developers with investors to fund small-scale solutions in developing countries. The goal is to scale these efforts into a pipeline that makes larger investments less risky and more attractive to mainstream financiers. We also expect the COP30 Presidency to gather finance ministers and advance the Baku-to-Belem Roadmap, using input from LSE’s research on scaling climate finance, which is being updated this year.
As we look to Belém and beyond, Climate Week NYC sets the pace for the road to COP30, giving business and finance leaders a global stage to prove that climate leadership doesn’t wait on politics. CEOs are urged to act on plans now and arrive ready to demonstrate progress. In a world of economic uncertainty, access to climate finance will separate the winners from the laggards. Climate Week is where investors can signal confidence and unlock the capital to scale solutions. Expect announcements on new finance mechanisms, sector-wide partnerships, and stronger national plans as proof that climate action is not only possible, but also popular.
