𝑁ew York Climate Week: 𝑊𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐶'𝐬...

As the 2025 edition of New York Climate Week comes to a close, we reflect on the key themes from an exhilarating (and exhausting) week in Gotham. And yes — there were a lot of C’s in play. Here’s my Top 3:

🇨🇳 𝐶𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 – For the first time ever, Beijing committed to Nationally Determined Contributions (a Big Moment). Speaker after speaker pointed to the astonishing stats: China added more clean energy capacity in the first six months of 2025 than the US has added ever. With America retreating from climate leadership, Xi Jinping is gleefully picking up the mantle. The next industrial revolution is unfolding — and the US risks watching jobs and tax dollars slip away while stuck in grievance politics.

🌍 𝐶𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 + 𝐶𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Forget the jargon. Carbon is where the action is. It’s the north star for the world’s biggest companies: decarbonise, and do it fast. Scope 3 is the battleground. Collaboration and innovation aren’t optional — they’re survival.

💪 𝐶𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Amid competing agendas, conviction still shines through. The world’s largest corporates are pressing ahead, even if they’re shouting less loudly. And politically? As California Governor Newsom made clear at the New York Times Climate Forward event, the real action is happening at state and local level. Thank goodness for that.

Not every C made the podium. 𝐶𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐲 loomed large over AI and its climate footprint. The answers? Patchy. The hope? That AI’s acceleration of solutions will outweigh its energy demands — with nuclear (especially SMRs) cast as the safety net.

And then there was 𝐶𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲. Step forward US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who claimed offshore wind farms “make it hard for radar to track drone attacks.” Cue raised eyebrows, stifled laughter, and the inevitable new nickname: Secretary Wrong.

Other notes: the Brits and Europeans were out in force (great to see so many friends and make some new ones: Katie Neck Ted Christie-Miller Ed Agnew). And NYC reminded us of its own C’s: 𝐶𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐞 + 𝐶𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐬 — a city running on urgency and action, much like London (as ever exemplified by Mete Coban MBE in his London & Partners panel). Neither waits for the light to cross the street.

Reasons to be 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥? The pace of learning is accelerating. Collaboration is thriving. Innovation is focused on people. And optimism still beats outrage.

Vamos.