Climate in the Crosshairs
This summer has been the hottest one on record, blazing through record-setting temperatures. It is ominously predictive of what we’re in for weather-wise over the next several years, and you don’t need a smartphone to recognize that this is a resounding wake-up call.
June and July were brutal, with heat domes and unrelenting 100-degree weather in the American south, generational floods in Vermont, hot-tub temperatures in the oceans off Florida’s coasts, wildfires in Canada and throughout Europe and Australia, and desertification throughout the Middle East and North Africa region, which has spurred employment and refugee crises, which have led to political instability and supply chain disruptions. We can no longer pretend this confluence of crises is not related.
We’re also about to commence the annual environmental season, with key annual conferences such as UNGA (UN General Assembly) and Climate Week NYC in New York in September, and the annual UN Climate Conference, known as COP, in November and December (this year in Dubai). What do we need to focus on and achieve in this absolutely critical 15-week gauntlet?
Here are some of the key events to keep an eye on in September that will have climate in the crosshairs, including the ones in which Blue Planet Alliance will be playing a role.
9/4-9/6: Africa Climate Summit and Africa Climate Week (Nairobi, Kenya)
The inaugural Africa Climate Summit, championed by President William Ruto of Kenya, aims to address the increasing exposure to climate change and its associated costs, both globally and particularly in Africa. With the expectation of escalating climate crises in terms of frequency and intensity, urgent action is required to mitigate these challenges. The Summit will serve as a platform to inform, frame, and influence commitments, pledges, and outcomes, ultimately leading to the development of the Nairobi Declaration.
9/5-9/25: UN General Assembly (UNGA), 78th Session (New York, NY)
Every September, the UN General Assembly reconvenes and heads of state from every country are invited to speak. Because so many of those leaders accept the invite and the opportunity to take the lectern, New York becomes the center of the international community for most of the month. And every year, a new President is elected to lead the GA, and this year it will be Ambassador Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago presiding over the 78th session. The President will assume his functions at the beginning of the session, scheduled to open on September 5th, and high-level debate will kick off September 18th.
9/17-9/24: Climate Week NYC (New York)
This year Climate Week NYC is presenting a full program of some 400 events and activities in New York City. This year the Climate Week NYC Opening Ceremony will tackle three key questions:
Climate action is not moving fast enough across the globe and those in positions of power have a responsibility to act without delay. Where must investment be channeled, and what vested interests need to be held accountable?
We have made huge strides — evidenced by the billions committed by the U.S., China and the EU to boost green technology and energy security. We know we have the solutions to the climate crisis. But how do we ensure they are implemented?
Where have we picked up our biggest wins so far and how can we use the collective will of the climate community to remain inspired, stay the course, and continue to drive climate action, fast?
9/17: March to End Fossil Fuels (New York)
The United Nations is calling on world leaders to take real steps to lead us off fossil fuels to protect people and the planet. Thousands will take to the streets of New York to demand that these leaders take bold action to end fossil fuels. Please help spread the word and join us on this march to send a strong message to our leaders.
9/18: Up2Us2023: A Better World is Possible - by Ethical Culture (New York)
The annual Up2Us event at the New York Society for Ethical Culture will yet again convene some of the leading thinkers on climate in an entertaining and informative evening. Blue Planet Alliance founder Henk Rogers will be a featured speaker, as will Scott Z. Burns (producer of “An Inconvenient Truth”), Bill McKibben (legendary founder of 350.org), and Kate Marvel (senior climate scientists at Project Drawdown).
9/18-9/19: Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) (New York)
Long one of the centerpieces of the UNGA season, CGI took a pause when Secretary Hillary Clinton ran for President. Returning last year, CGI is now back, convening high-level leaders from the public and private sectors and civil society, and bearing witness to commitments to a sustainable future, particularly those who are tackling some of today’s most pressing issues, including climate change, health inequities, food insecurity, economic inequality, threats to democracy around the world, and record-breaking refugee displacement. Two panels of particular interest to our audience are “Frontline Leaders: How to Drive Resources to Island States Leading the Way for a Climate Resilient Future” and “Funding Earth’s Future: How to Scale Climate Finance in Frontline Communities.”
9/18-9/19: SDG Summit (New York)
The Summit, held at UN Headquarters, will mark the mid-point of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a.k.a. The SDGs. As such, it will review the state of the SDGs implementation, provide policy guidance, mobilize action to accelerate implementation, and consider new challenges since 2015. The program of the Summit will address the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world, including the deterioration of key social, economic, and environmental indicators. It will focus first and foremost on people and ways to meet their basic needs through the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
9/19-9/20: Goalkeepers (New York)
The Goalkeepers, an annual event produced by the nonprofit Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will this year invite attendees to see the world as it is today, where progress toward the Global Goals is slow and, in some cases, backwards, and imagine a world with a more hopeful vision for the future.
9/19-9/21: Global Futures 2023 (GF23) (New York)
Each day of GF23 will include presentations and forums that grow knowledge and engage participants in lively discussions on “must-have” outcomes and “must-do” actions for thriving global futures. Blue Planet Alliance founder Henk Rogers will participate in a fireside chat and our youth ambassadors will take part in a youth climate panel.
9/22: Blue Planet Alliance’s Climate Impact Talks (New York)
For the second year in a row, Blue Planet Alliance will host its flagship event, Climate Impact Talks and Reception, at Times Square’s Hard Rock Hotel NYC (another member of Blue Planet Alliance). We proudly share the stage with Peace Boat US, and will have a number of special guests and entertainment, with a focus on helping island nations and territories transition to 100% renewable energy.
9/23: Global Citizen Festival (New York)
Global Citizen is the world's largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty NOW. The voices of millions of Global Citizens around the world are driving lasting change toward sustainability, equality, and humanity by taking action every day. Every September, Global Citizen has capped UNGA with a live concert, free for those action takers who comprise its community. This year, the headline artists include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lauryn Hill, and Megan Thee Stallion.
