“Goals are goals, I want results!”
- Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York
I must say that the opening day of NYC Climate Week was filled with a lot of power. I’ve been on the hunt for optimism for many years now and this is probably - honestly - the first time I actually felt a sense of… hope!
Not that we’re close to figuring this out (or even on the right track, and you’ll read more about that statement from US Special Climate Envoy John Kerry further down), but because what landed with me, listening to experts from both the private sector, non-profits, and governments around the world, was that… We’re getting it! The world is finally getting it.
And as the theme of this year’s climate week says - we’re not just getting it, we’re getting it done!
Bold statements
Two hours into the program, New York’s new governor Kathy Hochul took the stage and she took it with fire! Although we were running behind and spilling into our already short lunch break, the room became electrified in her presence. She’s only four weeks in as New York’s first-ever female governor but I can tell she’s gonna make some serious change happen!
She boldly stated that she’s aiming to make New York City a leader in the race to a carbon-neutral world, not just nationally, but globally. When shared that she’s been offered two different renewable energy projects that could help the city get there, she didn't just choose the better of the two, she chose both! To put it in her own words:
As I’m writing this, day two of Climate Week is just about to begin, and we have many important sessions and meetings coming up. With both UNGA and Climate Week taking place at the same time this week, I’m feeling momentum taking shape.
I know we’ve been here before and that the phrase This is the time to get it right! is starting to lose its… umph. But the next 40 days leading up to COP26 are so important and if we don’t scream “CLIMATE ACTION” from the rooftops now, then… when?
What brings me optimism in all of this is that I see the interlinkedness coming together. I see leaders in the private sector making bold statements and asking the right questions, I see a push from the finance world to fun the transition, and I see people in public power speaking the truth. I had the honor to attend a “Leader’s Summit” on Monday night with an incredibly powerful panel: US Special Presidental Envoy for Climate John Kerry, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina Mohammed, and President and CEO of Bezos Earth Fund Andrew Steer.
Being up-close with these people, people I respect immensely for different reasons, I got a little starstruck (let’s be honest). But more so than anything, what they said - all of them - filled me with hope. It wasn’t the same old “beautifying” of the movement, where leaders from big companies say they care about climate change but it’s easy to see through the BS and know that they’re not. No, the message was straight and clear and with no room for misinterpretation or illusion - climate change is here and we’ve all got to face it!
To quote John Kerry:
“We can win this battle. But the IEA, the IPCC, the interim report we just had on the NDCs tell us we’re not on a winning path today. In order to win, we need to deploy renewable six times faster than we are today, we have to be stopping coal five times faster than we are today, we have to be planting trees five times faster than we are today, we have to deploy electric vehicles 22 times faster than we are today. Anybody here thinks we’re on that schedule?”
The response in the room was a sounding “No.”
Photo: Timon Studler
It was sobering to hear but also empowering considering it was received by a room filled with people with some real power, people who have signed the Climate Pledge and committed to putting their companies on track to a climate just future and world.
So will we get there in time? There is no knowing, of course. But are we at least beginning to see the attention needed to bring forth the action we so desperately need? I think so, because I can feel it, and I think there’s a lot more coming…
Jeff Bezos boldly opened the evening with:
“This is an important week, in a critical year, and in what I think we all know is a decisive decade.”
Might sound like a lot coming from someone who I know many believe to be killing the world, not saving it, but it should be noted that he just donated $10 Billion to the Bezos Earth Fun, which will be distributed in $1 Billion increments over the next ten years. Mr. Kerry applauded the gift and pointed out that this kind of money will enable us to make the big moves in climate action that we haven’t been able to do before (because of lack of funds)and Mr. Bezos himself seemed clear on the fact that he wanted this money to get it right. So say what you want to say about him and his company, but to put it simply - we need his money, so let’s take it!
—> This topic about billionaires funding climate action I’m well aware of is a touchy one, and I think it’s a conversation worth having! If you have any thoughts or comments, please leave them in the comments below. *Inappropriate comments will be deleted.
So yes,
it was a day with a lot of bold statements and (may I say) proof of leadership across sectors, but I also know that they know that our eyes are on them. The world is watching and they all know it, and the people on stage yesterday were not just speaking on behalf of their companies and organizations, they were speaking as citizens too. It’s becoming increasingly clear to all of us that we don’t have time to lose, only time to commit and collaborate, and I think we’re starting to see the change! And we must remember that we need everyone on board to make this possible at all!
Here are a few other quotes from Climate Week so far that I think are worth sharing:
“We need growth! There needs to be growth upfront financing the transition. We need to pull people out of poverty, we need sustainable and equitable growth taking shape inside our planetary boundaries. We need growth to fund a just transition to a carbon-neutral and climate just world”
- Dickon Pinner, Senior Partner & Global Leader, McKinsey Sustainability
“The transition is underway and it’s the grassroots movements taking the lead. It’s the social structure that is the backbone of our society.”
- Gloria Walton, CEO & President, The Solutions Project
“We need innovation. We will not reach the 2050 target without innovation we’re not even aware of today.”
- Dr. Werner Hoyer, President at European Investment Bank (@EIB)
“Accelerate, think outside the box, and collaborate!”
- Nancy Mahon, SVP, Global Corporate Citizenship & Sustainability, L’Oréal
Remember, you matter too!
Where does this leave us, the everyday citizens who want to be part of this important movement? Well, I would say it leaves us right in the glory middle, with a lot more power than we might think!
We are the consumers helping companies like L’Oréal push for innovation and sustainable growth. We are the investors putting our money where it matters. And we are the conscious citizens putting pressure on and staying connected to our elected officials and governments, demanding this accelerated change. And on top of all of it, we have the power to mobilize outside all these already existing structures and forces. Like Gloria Walton (The Solutions Project) pointed out over and over again - it’s on the ground, in communities coming together and seeking empowerment, where the fastest change happens!
So I want you to tune into this optimism with me and find the will to believe we can get this right! I want you to show up in all your might and do whatever you can to support the transition to a just and sustainable world. These are scary years ahead of us, but they’re incredibly exciting too, and we must keep showing up in that faith and decide to keep going! I’ll end this week with one final quote from Governor Kathy Hochul that I found to so empowering:
“I do see opportunities lie before us. We just have to find the courage to face them.”
Before you go - help save Antarctica!
There is one VERY important thing happening that you can make a huge difference in right here, right now - help save Antarctica. We’re losing our majestic ice sheets in an uncomfortably fast speed and the scary truth is - we can’t grow more ice!!!
Global leaders are considering three marine protected areas (MPAs) in the southern ocean and the annual meeting or CCMLAR is in October. Collectively, these MPAs would represent the largest act of ocean protection in history and provide vital Antarctic ecosystems with critical relief and resiliency from the impact of climate change and overfishing.
Join the #CallOnCCAMLR campaign and help us speak up in the lead up to the meeting! SIGN THE PETITION HERE and make your voice heard, this is very important and you can make a difference! Thank you!
Last night, I had the honor of listening to Paul Nicklen and learn about his incredibly discoveries in Antarctica over the years, both when it comes to the unbelievably biodiverse ecosystem down there, but also in regards of how fast we’re losing it. His work with SeaLegacy, which he co-founded with his wonderful wife Cristina “Mitty” Mittermeier. Make sure to also follow OnlyOne and support them in their work!