Helen Clarkson, CEO of Climate Group, delivered the opening address at the 2024 Climate Week NYC, held at the Times Center in New York, setting the tone for the event with a clear and urgent message on climate action.
Speaking to both the in-person audience and those tuning in online, Clarkson underscored the critical need for immediate, collective efforts, encapsulated by this year’s theme, “It’s Time.”
Reflecting on the escalating climate crises witnessed over the past summer, Clarkson reminded the audience that while much attention is focused on COP30 next year, there is urgent work to be done at COP29 and beyond.
She emphasized that climate action shouldn’t be seasonal. She insisted that climate considerations must be central to all international meetings, particularly those with the United Nations General Assembly this week.
Also read: Climate Week NYC 2024: It’s TimeÂ
Clarkson outlined five key principles for what “It’s Time” means in terms of immediate climate action:Â
First, she stressed the importance of a just transition, ensuring that clean energy investments benefit all communities, especially those most vulnerable to climate impacts.
She said the gains from renewable energy advancements must not be confined to the wealthy but should reach the hardest-hit populations.
Second, she called on the wealthier nations of the Global North to fulfill their long-standing commitments to climate finance.
Clarkson noted that while no one is immune to the effects of climate change, the most vulnerable communities often lack the resources to recover, and climate finance can help bridge that gap.
Third, Clarkson urged governments to listen to their citizens. Despite climate change playing a minor role in many recent elections, public support for stronger climate action remains overwhelming.
Clarkson called on leaders to seize this momentum and turn public demand into concrete policies.
She also cautioned against overreliance on emerging technologies, warning that some are used as delaying tactics, diverting attention from the immediate actions needed. Clarkson emphasized that no national climate plan should depend on solutions years away from being scalable.
Finally, she tackled the difficult issue of reducing fossil fuel use. Clarkson called for honest conversations about how the world will transition away from fossil fuels, highlighting the challenge of shifting entrenched business models focused on short-term profits.
Also read: Developing nations face the most climate finance challenges, says reportÂ
“What we’ve achieved in the last decade is remarkable – but we cannot stop here. We must aim higher, be bolder, and keep pushing forward. How the future will judge us depends on the action we take right now”, Clarkson declared in her address.
As she closed her address, Clarkson previewed the Climate Group’s “Global To-Do List,” a set of seven actionable steps to be pursued in the coming year, focusing on renewable energy, industrial decarbonization, and methane reduction.
(Read the full address here)
