Why Climate Weeks Matter: Lessons from New York, Ahead of The Hague

Every year, as COP approaches, cities around the world host their own climate weeks. New York and London are among the most well-known, while Brussels and Bangkok are growing, and in just a few weeks it’s our turn here in The Hague. But how can you make the most out of a climate week?

We spoke to Thomas Reeve, Climate Justice Advisor in the Green Unit at Oxfam Novib and a member of our Climate Justice Community, just after he returned from New York Climate Week (20 to 27 September).

Thomas’s work sits on the nexus on conflict, climate and fragility, building on his background in conflict and peacebuilding. work At Oxfam Novib, he works on climate resilience and climate justice, while also supporting local offices in shaping their countries’ national climate plans (NDCs).

Oxfam in New York: getting the right people in one room

This year, Oxfam Novib’s event in New York focused on fragile and conflict-affected states. The goal was to bring together voices that rarely sit at the same table: the private sector, philanthropic actors, UN organisations, knowledge institutions, and implementing organisations. The conversation centred on climate induced disaster risk reduction, preparing communities better so that emergency aid isn’t needed every time a disaster strikes, with participants in the session ranging from implementing organisations working in fragile and conflict affected settings, philanthropies and private sector looking to expand their financial and technical contributions to these areas, and multilateral funders seeking collaboration to scale their programmes. Other relevant events for Oxfam during the week were around the critical minerals needed for the new green economy, the right to climate reparations, and the impact of heat stress on value chains were also on the agenda. Oxfam left having achieved what it came for.

Throughout the week, the big themes were Artificial Intelligence, climate finance, the future of the UN, and the just energy transition. Despite the political climate in the United States, the mood was far from defeated: turnout was high, with many Americans continuing to fight for climate action, and collective action carries on.

You can read back about Oxfams acitivities around The New York Climate Week here.

Why a climate week is not a COP

What stood out most to Thomas was how different a climate week feels from a COP. At a COP, many people play a double role, negotiating and networking at the same time making it difficult to be in the right place at the right time. Climate weeks are less formal and carry less pressure. Events run longer (a three-hour session is no exception), there’s more time to talk, and you meet actors who are often absent from COPs, such as philanthropic actors and the private sector. For example, Thomas appreciated the opportunity to get to know the Adaptation Fund much better.

That also means you don’t need a grand strategy. In Thomas’s words, the approach is simply “getting to know people, exchanging ideas and learning from others.” It can be repetitive and a bit hit or miss, and it pushes you out of your comfort zone. But he came back full of energy.

Two ways to make the most of it

Thomas sees two strategies that work during Climate Weeks. The first is chance encounters: keep certain people in the back of your mind all year and use a climate week to raise the odds of running into them. Open events are ideal for this. The second is targeted work: a curated, invitation-only event on one theme. With 200,000 people at London Climate Week, a climate week is “a big enough pond to bring 20 to 25 people together for a really good conversation.”

Now it’s our turn

The Hague Climate Week (2 to 8 November) offers exactly this kind of opportunity, without the long-haul flight. It’s a chance to reconnect with your network, meet people outside your usual circles, and come away with some fresh energy. The Hub is co-organising four events during the week:

2 November: Environmental Harm as an International Crime

3 November: Beyond Waste, an exhibition opening

5 November: Community Drinks, Climate Week edition

6 November: Here Now Project film screening

We hope to see you there, and to bump into you by chance along the way.

Author: Leon Delansy