Episode 16: Takeaways from NY Climate Week 2023

Solving Climate, Naturally

SCN host Julia Strong and field correspondent Morrison Mast report from New York Climate Week 2023, bringing listeners voices from the Brazilian Amazon, London, New York, and more to experience one of the climate community’s biggest weeks and understand the state-of-play of nature-based solutions during this tumultuous time in carbon markets. In this episode, we share our takeaways from climate week by sharing recordings from panels and conversations at Nature4Climate’s Nature Positive Hub throughout the week. Our three main takeaways were:

NY Climate Week should be rebranded to Nature and Climate Week given the plethora of not only climate but also nature focused events.

Indigenous peoples are increasingly included in the conversation and recognized as critical and influential stewards of and stakeholders in nature-based solutions.

Concern about the current state of the market exists alongside optimism about ongoing efforts to resolve current issues and a general belief in the importance of this tool to protect, restore, and better manage nature for climate, biodiversity, and nature outcomes.

Other themes covered include:

Increasing corporate engagement in nature conservation and NbS spurred by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.

Alignment between climate action and biodiversity conservation via 30x30 commitments and Convention on Biological Diversity.

The importance of indigenous sovereignty in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.

Balancing necessary improvements with optimism, and views from some of the world's largest REDD+ project developers on rebuilding trust in carbon markets.

Featured Voices (in order of appearance):

Lucy Almond, Chair, Nature4Climate and Strategic Communications Lead for Nature-based Solutions at World Economic Forum

Roman Czebiniak, Nature Based Solutions & Climate Private Sector Lead, WRI

Eric Wilburn, founder and principal consultant, NatureBridge

Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, former UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples from a Nia Tero panel

Nemonte Nequimo, Indigenous activist, member of the Waorani Nation from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador, and co-founder of the Indigenous-led nonprofit organization Ceibo Alliance from a Nia Tero panel

Nara Baré, Indigenous leader and first woman elected to lead Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), Brazil

Renat Heuberger, co-Founder South Pole

Joshua Tosteson, President, Everland from a Nature Positive Hub panel

Want to learn more? Check out these websites for more information on the organizations, efforts, and events mentioned in the podcast:

Nature Positive Hub Day One Agenda

Nature Positive Hub Day Two Agenda

Nature Positive Hub Day Three Agenda

Nature Positive Hub NYCW 2023 panel recordings

Nature for Climate

Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures

Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM)

Nia Tero

New Yorker article on South Pole’s Kariba Project

South Pole announces senior leadership change

Interviews and panels recorded on: September 18th-22nd, 2023

Solving Climate, Naturally commentary recorded on: November 5th, 2023