The United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019 and the SDG Summit 2019 will take place as part of the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week. WRI staff will host or participate in the following events.

Energy Action Forum: Accelerating the Energy Transition on the Road to 2020 and Beyond (PRIVATE)

In line with Sustainable Development Goal 7, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, the Forum aims to accelerate collective action towards sustainable energy systems to secure sufficient and sustainable energy to support economic growth, remove energy poverty and reduce GHG emissions to achieve the 1.5 degree threshold. The Forum will identify ways of accelerating the energy transition and support ambitious commitments to do so in 2020 and beyond.

Date: Sunday, September 22, 2:00 – 6:00 PM EDT

Location Details: Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, New York City

Organizers/Partners: Government of Denmark, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Sustainable Energy for All

Speakers:

  • Seleshi Bekele Awulachew (Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Ethiopia)
  • Dan Jørgensen (Minister for Climate, Energy & Utilities, Denmark)
  • Rachel Kyte (Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, CEO of SEforAll)
  • Isabelle Kocher (CEO, Engie)
  • Fatih Birol (Executive Director, International Energy Agency)
  • Francesco La Camera (Director-General, IRENA)
  • Amani Abou-Zei (Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, African Union Commission)
  • Helen Mountford (Vice President for Climate and Economics, World Resource Institute)
  • Barbara Buchner (Senior Director, Climate Policy Initiative)
  • John Loughhead (Chair of Mission Innovation Steering Committee)
  • Mette Frederiksen (Prime Minister of Denmark)
  • Sahle-Work Zewde (President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia)

Contact: Jennifer Layke

Seizing the Urban Opportunity (PUBLIC)

The launch of the Coalition for Urban Transitions' 2019 Global Report, in partnership with the UK, German and Swedish governments and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. The report demonstrates how national governments can secure shared economic prosperity and avert climate catastrophe by transforming cities. Featuring distinguished speakers including Christiana Figueres and Lord Nicholas Stern, this event will bring together leaders from national and local governments, industry, finance, and the urban and climate communities to accelerate ambition in the face of the climate emergency.

Date: Sunday, September 22, 2:00 – 3:30 PM EDT

Location Details: UN Headquarters, New York

Organizers/Partners: Coalition for Urban Transitions

Speakers:

  • Lord Nicholas Stern
  • Christiana Figueres
  • + more TBC

Contact: Georgina Short

Protecting and restoring forests: NYDF 5-year Assessment Report Launch (PUBLIC)

Since the New York Declaration on Forests was adopted in 2014, progress on ending deforestation and restoring forestlands has not lived up to the high level of ambition enshrined in its ten goals. As part of Forests and Restoration Day, NYDF Assessment Partners will present a 5-year assessment of progress on protecting and restoring forests: where we are and what are the priorities ahead. Presentations and a panel on the state of forests will take place (Livestream available via Twitter).

Date: Sunday, September 22, 3:00 – 6:00 PM EDT

Location Details: Convene, 101 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10178

Organizers/Partners: Climate Focus, UN, IUCN, TNC, TFA, WWF, and WRI

Speakers: TBC

Contact: Katie Reytar, Fred Stolle

Liveblog: UN Climate Action Summit

At the Summit, leaders from around the world are expected to pledge to increase action in achieving these goals and reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century, while demonstrating how these steps will reduce inequality, strengthen economies, better health, and secure a prosperous planet for all. WRI will capture commitments as they are announced along with commentary from experts.

Contact: Deborah Zabarenko, Sarah Parsons

Securing our Future: People, Food and Nature solving the Planetary Emergency (PUBLIC)

Providing healthy, safe and affordable food to 9 billion people in 2030 while protecting vital natural systems which sustain life will be one of the defining challenges of the coming decade. This event will showcase ambitious leadership and innovative partnerships that will transform food and land use to deliver resilient ecosystems and livelihoods, and unlock the potential for nature-based solutions to solve the climate crisis.

Date: Sunday, September 22, 6:00 - 9:00 PM (EDT)

Location Details: Cipriani 42nd Street, 110 East 42nd Street, NYC

Organizers/Partners: The Food and Land Use Coalition, WRI, National Geographic, World Economic Forum, UNDP, Conservation International, EAT, and others.

Speakers:

  • H.E President Alvarado of Costa Rica
  • Cristiana Paşca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat, UN Convention on Biological Diversity
  • M. Sanjayan, Chief Executive Officer, Conservation International
  • Farhana Yamin, International Lawyer and Climate Activist
  • Sam Kass, Partner, Acre Venture Partners and Former White House Chef and Senior Advisor for Nutrition, Obama Administration
  • More to be announced

Contact: Edward Davey

2019 P4G Partnerships Awards Luncheon (PRIVATE)

Selection of the 2019 P4G State-of-the-Art Partnership of the Year winner. Five innovative partnerships representing the SDGs P4G addresses will present the merits of their partnership to a global panel of judges, who then will vote for the P4G Partnership of the Year.

Date: Monday, September 23, Noon – 2:00 PM (EDT)

Location Details: 10 Hudson Yards, 48th Floor, SAP

Organizers/Partners: P4G Partnerships

Speakers:

  • Ian de Cruz and Ann Rosenberg (brief welcome)
  • Ministers from Bangladesh, Indonesia, South Africa. TBD: Ministers from Denmark and South Korea
  • Ana Hajudka
  • P4G Award Finalists

Scaling up effective community-driven solutions to protect the rainforest and tackle the climate crisis (PRIVATE)

A growing number of Indigenous communities in Central and South America are harnessing the power of high resolution satellite imagery, sophisticated drone equipment, and the latest smart-phone technology to precisely document and act on threats to their lands such as fires, gold-mining, logging, and deforestation for agriculture. This event will showcase first-hand accounts from Indigenous environmental defenders who are converting technology into action and the scientists who are assisting them in protecting the rainforest and highlight the findings of a rigorous scientific study carried out by Columbia University that measures the impact of community-based forest monitoring on combating deforestation in Indigenous territories of the Peruvian Amazon.

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (EDT)

Location Details: Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, 320 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017 Event

Organizers/Partners: Presented by the Rainforest Foundation US, in partnership with the Tenure Facility, ORPIO, COICA, the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, and the World Resources Institute

Speakers:

  • Alec Baldwin, actor & activist
  • Allan Asturias, Monitoring and technology field coordinator ACOFOP/AMPB, Guatemala
  • Betty Rubio Padilla & Francisco Hernandez, regional field indigenous representatives and technology coordinators of ORPIO, in Loreto, Peru
  • Coimbra Sirica, Burness Communications
  • Jessica Webb, Senior Manager, World Resources Institute
  • Jorge Perez, President of ORPIO
  • Michael McGarrell, Amerindian Peoples Association of Guyana
  • Nonette Royo, Executive Director, the Tenure Facility
  • Steve Kemler, Managing Partner, Stone Arch Group, LLC
  • Suzanne Pelletier, Executive Director, Rainforest Foundation US
  • Tara Slough, Ph.D. Political Science & principal investigator of the study, Columbia University
  • Todd Crider, Vice-Chair, Rainforest Foundation US
  • Tom Bewick, Peru Director, Rainforest Foundation US
  • Tuntiak Katán, Coordinator of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities & Vice Coordinator, COICA

Contact: Katie Fletcher

An Action Agenda for Halving Food Loss and Waste (PUBLIC)

Join Champions 12.3 – the world’s leading coalition of public and private sector executives working to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 – for landmark announcements in the fight against food loss and waste. An astounding 8% of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions result each year from food that is produced and never eaten. Find out if the world is on track to meet the global goal on reducing food loss and waste, where momentum is picking up, and how you can play an important role. Stay after for a light lunch and networking.

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM (EDT)

Location Details: Apella, 450 East 29th Street, Second Floor, New York, NY 10016

Organizers/Partners: The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and World Resources Institute

Speakers:

  • Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary, UN Climate Change Convention & Founding Partner, Global Optimism
  • Dave Lewis, Group Chief Executive of Tesco
  • Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder, CEO and Group & Managing Director of Olam International
  • Laura Tuck, Vice President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank
  • Hans Hoogeveen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN Organizations for Food and Agriculture
  • Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development
  • Liz Goodwin, Senior Fellow and Director, Food Loss and Waste at WRI
  • Denis Machuel, CEO of Sodexo
  • Theo De Jager, President of World Farmers' Organisation
  • Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, Co-Chair of Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture
  • Marcus Gover, Chief Executive of WRAP
  • Michael La Cour, Managing Director of IKEA Food Services AB
  • Yolanda Kakabadse, Member of WWF US Board

Contact: Craig Hanson

Countdown to the Climate Adaptation Summit: The Launch of the Year of Action (PRIVATE)

Following the United Nations Climate Action Summit on 23 September 2019, the Global Commission on Adaptation’s Year of Action will commence. The Year of Action will:

  • Advance recommendations from Flagship Report and Action Tracks
  • Help accelerate adaptation around the world
  • Improve human well-being and result in more sustainable economic development and security
  • Findings presented in October 2020 at Climate Adaption Summit hosted by The Netherlands

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (EDT)

Location Details: Conference Room 7, UNHQ, 760 United Nations Plaza, NYC

Organizers/Partners: Global Center on Adaptation; Kingdom of the Netherlands

Speakers:

  • Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the Global Commission on Adaptation
  • Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Co-chair of the Global Commission on Adaptation
  • Kristalina Georgieva, CEO, World Bank and Co-chair of the Global Commission on Adaptation
  • Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands

Contact: Emma Pearlstone

The Ocean as a Solution for Climate Change: 5 Opportunities for Action (PUBLIC)

The ocean has taken the brunt of human-made climate change, absorbing 93% of heat trapped by rising greenhouse gas emissions and taking up 30% of our carbon emissions. But while climate change is having a devastating effect on our coastal communities, coral reefs and sea life, new research shows the ocean can also be a source of innovation and hope in the climate change flight. Join us on September 24 in New York City for a presentation of the report “The Ocean as a Solution for Climate Change: 5 Opportunities for Action” which will show that the ocean and coastal regions can play a much bigger role in shrinking the world's carbon footprint and limiting global temperature rise than previously realized. The report is from High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (HLP), an ambitious effort led by 14 serving Heads of Government to highlight the importance of a healthy ocean in realizing future economic opportunities while at the same time ensuring its conservation and sustainable use. During this TED-style talk, authors of the report and other key representatives from the HLP will discuss the findings and explore how to put in place public policies to advance these ocean-based strategies and confront the threat of climate change.

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 4:45 – 6:15 PM (EDT)

Location: Park Hub, Convene 101 Park Avenue New York, NY 10178 United States

Organizers/Partners: High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy as part of The Nature Conservancy's Nature Hub

Speakers:

  • Jane Lubchenco
  • Peter Haugan
  • Maria Damanaki
  • Ken Caldeira
  • Ove Hoegh-Guldbeg
  • Jennifer Howard
  • Tristan Smith

 

Contact: Liz Hollaway

Inaugural Celebration of Cool Food Pledge (PUBLIC)

Over delicious food and drink, hear how hotels, hospitals, restaurants and company cafeterias are using cutting-edge behavioral science to slash food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2030. Come for a tasting of plant-forward cooking from celebrity chef Tom Colicchio’s Riverpark restaurant, with a side of innovative climate action through the new Cool Food Pledge.

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 4:00 – 6:00 PM (EDT)

Location Details: Riverpark, 450 E 29th St, Ground Floor, New York, NY 10016

Organizers/Partners: World Resources Institute, UN Environment, Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, Health Care Without Harm, Practice Greenhealth, Climate Focus, and EAT

Speakers:

  • Andrew Steer, President and CEO of World Resources Institute
  • Michael La Cour, Managing Director, IKEA Food Services
  • AB Kaj Torok, Chief Sustainability Officer, Max Burgers
  • Rachel Sylvan, Director, Corporate Responsibility, Sodexo
  • Caroline Meledo, Director, Corporate Responsibility and Human Rights, Hilton
  • Allison Lilly Tjaden, Assistant Director - New Initiatives, University of Maryland Dining Service
  • Karin Kemper, Global Director of the Environment and Natural Resources Group, World Bank

Contact: Gerard Pozzi

Road Tester Workshop: Science-based Targets for Financial Institutions (PRIVATE)

The objective of this workshop is to gather detailed feedback from road testers and other stakeholders on draft science-based target-setting methods for financial institutions.

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM (EDT)

Location Details: ING Office, 10th Floor 1133 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10036

Organizers/Partners: Science Based Targets Initiative

Speakers: Cynthia Cummis and Nate Aden

Contact: Yelena Akopian

Towards a science-based approach to net-zero in the corporate sector (PRIVATE)

Momentum behind net-zero emissions is steadily building. Informed by the IPCC SR15, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has developed and is refining a working definition of net-zero targets in the corporate sector, and is developing more detailed guidance and recommendations for the formulation, implementation and assessment of corporate net-zero targets. This roundtable will seek feedback from thought leaders on the working definition and a first draft of principles to inform corporate net-zero targets.. The round table will be followed by a reception starting at 5:00 pm.

Date: Thursday, September 26, 2:00 – 5:00 PM (EDT)

Location Details: 685 3rd Avenue (entrance on 44th Street), 12th Floor, New York, NY 10017

Organizers/Partners: Science Based Targets Initiative

Speakers:

  • Alberto Carrillo Pineda, Director of Science Based Targets & Renewable Energy, CDP
  • Cynthia Cummis, Director of Private Sector Climate Mitigation, WRI

Contact: Yelena Akopian