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The countdown is on: London Climate Action Week

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The countdown is on: London Climate Action Week

We are just under two months from the inaugural London Climate Action Week (LCAW) opening on the 1st of July 2019. LCAW will be hosted by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and co-chaired by Deputy Mayor Shirley Rodrigues and E3G’s CEO Nick Mabey.

London’s draw

What began as a moment of clarity while surrounded by Londoners in a room in New York has morphed into an organised and highly motivated cross-section of people in climate change arranging events across the capital. In the process of organising LCAW we’ve already proven that London has the largest cluster of climate change professionals in the world. The timing of LCAW couldn’t be better – as public awareness in the UK is arguably at an all-time high as a result of Greta Thunberg’s audience with a cross-party group of MPs, the Committee on Climate Change’s net-zero report, the IPBES summary on species extinction and Extinction Rebellion’s two weeks of protests.

This July will highlight London’s unique role as the leading international hub for organisations working globally to tackle climate change while engaging citizens, communities and institutions who have a stake in the UK’s commitments to the Paris Agreement and the new net-zero emissions objective. The week will stimulate new conversations and collaborations to broaden the climate message.

Seeing the big picture

LCAW is designed to be a distinct event in the global calendar which is complementary to other major global climate events, such as Climate Week NYC and the One Planet Summit. Strategically placed just after the Bonn Climate Change conference (June 17-27) and coinciding with Wimbledon and the Cricket World Cup, it provides a milestone in the calendar to get ducks in a row ahead of a notably important UN Secretary General’s Summit in September.

Something for everyone

There are now over one hundred events registered, collated around three key actions:

  • Highlighting London as a Global Climate Hub: showcasing London’s unique role as the leading international hub for climate change action by providing a global platform for world-leading organisations in sectors including finance, insurance, business, law, health, academia, civil society and foreign policy.
  • Delivering Net Zero London: mobilising London-based organisations, local government and communities to make commitments in support of London’s Net Zero and Resilience goals.
  • Broadening the Climate Message: stimulating new conversations and innovating framing of the climate issue to help move it beyond the usual audiences, particularly by engaging with London’s world class cultural organisations and communications industry.

A range of organisations have already committed to events during LCAW. These include: The City of London’s Green Finance Summit; The Economist’s Climate Risk Summit; The Ashden Awards & Ashden International Conference; The Financial Times Summit for General Counsels; The Great Exhibition Road Festival; and The Chatham House Climate Diplomacy conference.

Staying out in front

The week is about solving problems and implementing solutions together and across levels. It is rooted in London’s own climate ambition and aimed at helping to grow Londoners’ commitment. It should reach beyond the “climate bubble” to spark new, exciting and innovative conversations and action to solve climate change.

London is renowned for its concentration, scope and depth of climate-related organisations and service providers. However, there is room for improvement. LCAW aims to provide more cohesion, collective identity and mutual learning to the London climate community.

E3G at LCAW

E3G is organising several events through the week culminating in the first-ever London Climate Frontiers Forum, to address frontier climate issues at LCAW and beyond. The forum aims to innovate, link and broker climate action between sectors, countries and disciplines. It will regularly convene and exchange views to make better use of the deep capacity of London-based organisations to systematically tackle difficult issues in the climate transition.

See you there.

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