Climate Week NYC 2022
What's happening in The Big Apple this week?
Did you know…
That the average carbon footprint of an individual in The United States is 16 tons/year?
That the average footprint for a person globally is 7 tons/year?
That we all need to reach 2.3 tons/year by 2030 if we are to have a chance against climate chance?
People in India are there already but most of us have long ways to go. This is only one of the eye-opening things I’ve learned these past few days. Welcome to climate week!
(As learned by Sonam Velani)
Hello Friends!
We're there again — it’s climate week in New York City!
For those of you who’ve never attended, it’s a yearly event that’s been taking place in NYC since 2009. In the few years I’ve been participating, it keeps growing — both in the number of events and topics being represented, as well as the attention it’s gaining from people around the world. As someone with a background in the fashion industry, I’m thrilled to say that this week is starting to be just as hip (if not cooler) than fashion week!
WOOP!
But since it’s climate week it also means that I’m like a little squirrel running around town trying to attend as much as I can. With that said, this week’s newsletter will be fairly brief, but I’d love to share some insights from the week so far as well as a few things that are happening on my end.
Come with me!
Thank you, as always, for your support and for your continued curiosity and excitement to co-create a better world. There’s no better time than now to step up to that plate and into empowered action.
If you like this newsletter, please give it a like (click the little heart on the bottom) and a share!
Clinton Global Initiative Summit
I had the honor to attend the CGI summit to learn about what commitments the Clinton Foundation is summoning on important topics in our world today, like the climate crisis, women’s productive health, the emergence of green cities, and what a just transition to renewable energy will look like.
It was an inspiring two-day event and below are some quotes worth taking in!
“We don’t have the answers in this room. We must trust people to solve their own problems. They have the ability to drive local agendas. I know that because I’m living proof. So my question to you is: how will you give power to the people?”
—- Kennedy Odede, Founder & Chief Executive Officer: Shining Hope for Communities
“We are the closest of the problems, and we are closest to the solutions, but the solutions must come from a diverse environment. States and cities will fall behind if they don’t embrace the ideas of citizens coming from new cultures.”
— Mayor Eric Adams, City of New York
The most important question we have to ask ourselves today is not, “What’s wrong and what can we do about it?” t’s: “How are we going to do it?
—- Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, Founder, Clinton Foundation
Climate Optimism + The Power of Action
I was honored to speak on this topic at the Women & Climate event at the Humanscale HQ next to other amazing female leaders in this field. Thank you to everyone who came and to all of you who tuned in live — let’s keep the conversations going!
I’m taking the TEDx stage
A long-lived dream of mine, I’m so excited to step onto the TEDx stage this weekend at TEDxOneonta. The theme of the event is “transformation” and I look forward to the opportunity to share how we transform our thoughts from one of doom, gloom, and fear, to one of optimism, curiosity, and hope!
I will of course share the talk as soon as it goes live. For now, if you want to send some good thoughts and energies my way, I’ll receive them with gratitude and love!
Snippets from my STHLM+50 speech
I decided to finally create a reel with some snippets from my speech on Environmental Day back in June when I had the opportunity to share some climate optimism at the We Don’t Have Time x UNDP STHLM+50 event. Sharing it on social media this past week, the message seems to have hit home with a lot of people, and for that, I’m truly humbled!
Maybe you’ll feel inspired too :)
Climate Optimism — A Billionaire Worth Looking Up To!
Last week, the news got around that Yvon Chouinard, the founder of outdoor company Patagonia, donated his company and all its profits to climate work! Not only that but how the donation was structured, he and his family didn’t get any tax benefits from the transaction. Speaking of a leader who simply wants to do good!
“Hopefully this will influence a new form of capitalism that doesn’t end up with a few rich people and a bunch of poor people,” Mr. Chouinard, 83, said in an exclusive interview. “We are going to give away the maximum amount of money to people who are actively working on saving this planet.”
BRAVO, just… bravo! This is optimism. This is leadership. This is hope.
Anne Therese in conversation with…
…Jonathan Angel & Melker Larsson on The Decade Podcast. We talked about how to find optimism about climate change, what climate optimism is and myths around it, common barriers to action, and how science shows that optimism can serve as an antidote towards that inaction.
… with Tracey Thomas on the Talk With Trace Podcast. We talked about my activism over the years, how that stemmed from (surprise) my modeling platform, the #MeToo movement and what we can learn from it for climate, and much more!