Climate Week 2020 Is Here — Check Out the Most Exciting Free Livestreams
Here are some of the event highlights from the coming week.
Updated Sept. 21 2020, 2:12 p.m. ET
It’s Comic-Con for climate nerds!
The week of Sept. 21, 2020 marks the annual Climate Week NYC, a climate action-focused summit held in tandem with the UN General Assembly. As the name implies, Climate Week NYC is typically held in NYC — but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event is being conducted virtually this year.
It’s certainly a bummer that New Yorkers can’t go to Climate Week NYC events this year — but the upside is that more people from all around the world can virtually attend. So, we’ve gathered a list of some of Climate Week 2020’s most exciting livestreams.
Bear in mind that there are hundreds of events this year, and the following list is just a small sampling. On this list, we made sure to include plenty of events highlighting climate justice, working to champion voices that are typically marginalized in climate conversations, and working to bring people in this fight together — and to exclude events sponsored by major polluters, such as large corporations and banks.
Read on for the full list!
Women in the Climate Change Workforce
Organized by Climate Action Reserve, this panel of women environmental leaders will share their experiences working in the space, and what climate groups need to do to “institute equity, diversity, and inclusion in environmental organizations.”
Monday, Sept. 21, 2:00 p.m. ET. Register here.
Time Piece 2020
Time Piece 2020 is a virtual platform bringing together climate-focused artists (including visual artists, dancers, musicians, and writers) and audiences from around the world. Every day this week, artists will be presenting their work on a Zoom livestream. Each artist’s time slot will only last 100 seconds, which is the time left on the 2020 Doomsday Clock.
Monday, Sept. 21, 1:00 p.m. ET; various other times through the week. Register here.
Ending Racism and Classism in the Climate Movement
This workshop, hosted by Sustaining All Life and its United to End Racism program, will discuss how classism and racism are delaying our efforts to end the climate crisis, and how we can “heal these divisions, build unity, and more effectively organize a just transition to an economy that can sustain all life.” The livestream will be held in both Spanish and English, interpreted into French and Hungarian, and it will be followed by a support group discussion.
Monday, Sept. 21, 1:00 p.m. ET. Register here
Green Recovery from COVID-19: Perspectives From Across the Globe
Many world health leaders and environmentalists have stated that a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is the way to go for so many reasons. Hosted by Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s SIPA, the panel will discuss “green stimulus” packages in several global regions, and will feature speakers including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 12:00 p.m. ET. Register here.
Nature in the Park
Nature in the Park is one of this year’s rare in-person events! Hosted by NYC’s Battery Park City Authority, this self-guided tour of BPC’s parks will admit up to 20 children (with accompanying adults). Attendees will receive a worksheet detailing the plants, insects, and birds that can be found in BPC’s parks in downtown NYC. Social distancing and masks required.
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 3:00 p.m. ET. Register here.
How to Lead Listening Circles
Sustaining All Life and United to End Racism are hosting an event teaching participants tools that will help them lead successful listening circles about the climate crisis. This would be a great event for teachers, or anyone interested in getting a group together to share feelings and strategies related to the climate emergency.
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 10:00 p.m. ET. Register here.
An Indigenous Vision for a Just Transition
Indigenous communities often live with small environmental footprints, but they are also most disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. The Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative is hosting this panel, featuring a group of indigenous and environmental leaders, who will discuss their indigenous-led vision of the Amazon rainforest and so much more
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 3:45 p.m. ET. Register here.
Jews and Climate Justice: Building a United Front
Hosted by Sustaining All Life and United to End Racism, this panel will discuss the importance of the Jewish community building alliances with other marginalized groups, how anti-Semitism divides the fight, and more. The leaders will teach those in attendance tools for building alliances with all people, tools for healing from oppression and burnout, and how to increase one’s impact in the climate justice movement. The event will be held in English, and interpreted into Hebrew and Spanish, and it will be followed by a support group discussion.
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 10:00 a.m. ET. Register here.
Expressing Climate Grief
As part of the Youth, Public Mobilization and Justice and Climate Impacts and Adaptation programs, this event will put participants into groups and pairs to discuss grief, fear, and other emotions surrounding the climate crisis.
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1:00 p.m. ET. Register here.
Rewiring Law to Fight Climate Change
The Chancery Lane Project, a coalition of lawyers working to create legal solutions to fight the climate crisis, is hosting this event, marking Chancery Lane’s transition to a global organization. The event will feature a panel of law professionals, teach New Yorkers how they can fight climate disaster, launch the newest edition of the climate contract playbook, and more.
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 8:00 a.m. ET. Register here.
Hidden in Plain Bite: Food and Climate
Animal agriculture is one of the most polluting industries on Earth — so Kiely Smith, New York Director of the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, is giving an empowering Climate Week NYC presentation on how individuals eating plant-based diets can make a huge difference in fighting the climate crisis.
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1:00 p.m. ET. Register here.
Environmental Justice: Climate, Health, and Energy
Hosted by the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA, this event is a discussion about how climate change and air pollution impact our health, and how transitioning to renewable energy will not only protect our planet, but also improve human health.
Thursday, Sept. 24, 9:00 a.m. ET. Register here.
Building a DefaultVeg World
Eating a plant-based diet is one of the most impactful changes we can make for the environment — so the Better Food Foundation is hosting a panel about the idea of creating a “Default Veg” world, where plant-based options are the default, not just an alternative to animal-based meals. One of the panelists is Genesis Butler, one of our favorite teenage climate activists.
Friday, Sept. 25, 1:00 p.m. ET. Register here.
Microplastic Madness — Documentary Screening and Panel
Check out a virtual screening of the documentary Microplastic Madness, followed by a Q&A with co-directors and co-producers Debby Lee Cohen and Atsuko Quirk.
Saturday, Sept. 26, 3:00 p.m. ET. Register here.
Mossville: When Great Trees Fall — Film Screening and Discussion
Mossville: When Great Trees Fall is a feature-length exposé about environmental racism, focused on the town of Mossville, La. The film — and a pre-recorded panel with the filmmakers — will be available to view at your leisure for five days this week.
Thursday, Sept. 24, through Monday, Sept. 28. Register here.
