Recapping Climate Week NYC 2023: Highlights and Some Exciting News from Ambee

Climate Week NYC 2023–one of the world's most significant climate summits, has come to a close, leaving behind a trail of hope, inspiration, and a clear roadmap for a sustainable future.

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From September 18th to 24th, global leaders, activists, and experts gathered to tackle the urgent challenges posed by our changing climate. Centered around the theme, ‘We can, we will,’ the goal was clear: reducing carbon emissions by half by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

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Helen Clarkson, CEO of the Climate Group, set the tone with a stark reminder in her opening ceremony speech:

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Let's take a closer look at some key highlights and one very important announcement featuring Ambee.

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Highlights  and Outcomes of Climate Week NYC 2023

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The WSJ quoted, "In an agenda of 600-plus events, the word “solution” occurs 245 times, and “problem” is just six.” Despite the climate crisis, this gives an optimistic outlook for the future.

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Climate Week NYC saw politicians, companies, governments, and nonprofits pledging to take action on climate change.

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• The Rockefeller Foundation made a remarkable announcement before Climate Week: It will invest more than USD 1 billion over the next five years to accelerate the global transition and help ensure everyone’s participation.

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• In the opening ceremony, Governor Gavin Newsom made a striking announcement that California is filing a landmark lawsuit, ‘Hold Big Oil Accountable,’ against major fossil fuel companies. The intention is to sign a bill mandating major companies to disclose their emissions.
  
  

• COP28 resident-designate Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and UN Special Envoy Michael Bloomberg announced the COP28 Local Climate Action Summit.
  

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• Paulette Frank, Chief Sustainability Officer at Johnson & Johnson, emphasized the importance of healthcare resilience in the face of climate change. Along with a global health group, Americares, they launched a new initiative to accelerate the climate resilience of health clinics.

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• Bob Moritz, Global Chair of PwC, underscored the significance of Climate Week as a prelude to upcoming global meetings, emphasizing the importance of local-level ideas and innovation.
  
  

• Scotland First Minister Humza Yousaf announced new funding for countries that are worst affected by the climate crisis. 

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• L’Oreal Groupe announced the endowment fund of €15 million to support communities faced with the greatest disaster risk. 

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• Volvo has pledged to end all diesel production by early 2024 as part of its plan to become all-electric.

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• The new report, Climate Action at Scale, published by Climate Group and Oliver Wynman, explores how companies can thrive in a decarbonizing world.

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• Ahead of COP28 in Dubai, over 250 major companies and non-profit organizations, including Climate Group, urged world leaders to commit to tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030.

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Post Climate Week NYC, the International Energy Agency (IEA) also released an update to its Net Zero Roadmap, emphasizing the need to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency to reduce fossil fuel usage by two-thirds by 2035.

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Nearly two years post COP26 in Glasgow, major companies and institutions diligently implement their ambitious commitments. While many firms used Climate Week to reaffirm their belief that emission reduction drives value creation, some dissenting voices emerged. This dissent ranged from disputes within the Global Financial Alliance for Net Zero to shareholder debates during proxy seasons and the UK government's reversal of crucial 2030 climate targets.

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Overall, Climate Week NYC 2023 was an impactful event, demonstrating the growing commitment to addressing climate change globally.

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Where Ambee Comes Into The Picture: Launch of Allegra Airways

At the start of UNGA ClimateWeek NYC, Sanofi, a global healthcare company, partnered with Ambee to launch their groundbreaking new app ‘Allegra Airways.’ Allegra Airways is a new mobile app that provides real-time routes with less air and pollen pollution. It is backed by Ambee’s environmental data in real-time, ensuring that users can breathe easily while exploring their city.

The user-friendly map prominently displays where air pollution and pollen intersect along city routes, offering valuable insights to users. It helps identify routes with cleaner air for commuting while highlighting routes to avoid poor air quality.

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This tool is beta testing in New York City, with a vision to cover more U.S. locations by Spring 2024.

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Our collaboration was forged based on our mutual commitment to leveraging climate intelligence to improve lives. Together, we recognize the vital role climate data and insights play in addressing pressing environmental issues and shaping a more sustainable and resilient future for communities worldwide.

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What can we look forward to

Climate Week NYC left behind a trail of inspiring discussions, commitments, and actions taken by leaders, businesses, and advocates in the fight against climate change. The Climate Group sees hope in emissions reduction, citing impressive examples like RE100 and EV100 despite industry challenges.

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As we bid farewell to this event, our gaze now turns toward the next major milestone on the climate calendar: COP28. With COP28 on the horizon, the global community must sustain the momentum generated during Climate Week NYC and carry it forward to ensure that the critical decisions and actions needed to combat climate change are realized on a global scale. The challenges are immense, but so is the collective determination to forge a sustainable and resilient future for our planet.

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In the words of Helen Clarkson, CEO of Climate Group, “Together, business and policymakers have the clout to accelerate the transition to net zero.” They can exercise that clout if they so wish. But will they? With 2030 rushing up very quickly, they’re fast running out of road to decide.

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Learn more about how climate data can accelerate your business sustainability. Get in touch.