Climate Week NYC and COP: How Do They Differ?

Climate Week NYC is held every year in New York City. Timed to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly, it serves as a bellwether ahead of COP, which takes place a few weeks later and will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in 2026.

“Both events are extremely important: Climate Week brings a crucial business and investment perspective, while COP is the main forum for generating political momentum and public-private collaboration,” explains Miguel Muñoz, climate coordinator at the Spanish Green Growth Group (GECV), an association of nearly 60 companies that promotes public-private collaboration in the green transition. According to Muñoz, the two events “do not compete with one another; quite the opposite, they often reinforce each other. Climate Week takes place less than two months before COP, so it often serves as an early forum for building momentum, alignment and visibility ahead of the debates and commitments that are later addressed at the climate summit.”

What is Climate Week NYC? Origins and international relevance

Climate Week NYC was originally launched by Climate Group, an international nonprofit founded in 2004 that works with business leaders and regional governments to accelerate climate action. Over the years, it has grown into a week that brings together all kinds of events and meetings organized by a wide range of organizations, companies and institutions to advance the climate agenda. Participants range from world leaders and business executives to communities driving climate action and other representatives of civil society.

Climate Group, which launched the initiative, describes Climate Week NYC as a way to “connect the people and ideas shaping how we live, work and build a low-carbon economy and a more secure future.” It was first held in 2009 as a parallel event to the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The idea was to provide a forum for discussion ahead of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

“It is a major event on the international climate agenda, with a strong focus on business and investment, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. It brings together a host of high-level events and meetings where companies share best practices, launch campaigns and policy positions, and showcase leadership and opportunities arising from the green transition,” says Muñoz.

What began in 2009 has evolved into an extensive program of more than 1,000 events, campaigns and opportunities for climate leaders at every level to get involved. They cover topics ranging from health and energy to finance and food and take place across New York City. In fact, there is no single format for Climate Week NYC events. They may be in-person, virtual or hybrid, ranging from small community gatherings and workshops to large-scale conferences and public events.