London Climate Action Week: Everything you need to know

World-leading climate experts and policy makers are gearing up for the first ever virtual London Climate Action Week, taking place from 1-3 July 2020.

The packed agenda includes more than 60 events designed to develop climate policy solutions for a post-Covid world.

Experts spanning the public and private sectors – including government, private finance, institutional investors, trade associations, academia, think tanks and NGOs – will join forces to propose solutions in three key areas:

• Green investment to rebuild economies
• International collaboration to address the climate crisis
• Solutions for adaptation and resilience

Nick Mabey, chief executive of independent climate change think tank E3G, organisers and hosts of London Climate Action Week, said: “The Covid-19 crisis and the shift of the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow to 2021 threaten to take momentum out of global climate action at the very time when huge decisions are being made on economic recovery which will shape our future world.

“Actions over the next 18 months will determine whether the world moves onto a path that will keep 1.5°C within reach. London Climate Action Week is an opportunity for the city’s cutting-edge climate organisations to re-energise the debate by working with colleagues worldwide to find innovative solutions.”

Theme 1: Green investment

Central to both climate action and the economic recovery will be accelerating investment in low carbon industries. Now, as governments plan significant strategic investments to rebuild their economies, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ‘build back better’ and deliver a green and sustainable recovery.

Fiona Reynolds, CEO of the Principles for Responsible Investment, said: “With COP26 postponed due to Covid-19, London Climate Action Week is more important than ever. We must keep momentum and focus on the transition to a net-zero world. We really are in the race of our lives.”

Theme 2: International collaboration

Recent events have demonstrated that global crises require strong international governance and cooperation. Our political leaders have been tested like never before – and have frequently come up short. Non-state actors, whether corporate leaders, lawyers, or NGOs, will be essential in driving forward socially just and cooperative action on climate change. 

A collaborative approach will be the only way to ensure successful policy outcomes.​

Theme 3: Adaptation and resilience

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought our collective vulnerability into sharp focus. Leading policymakers are beginning to consider the transformation of cities and urban areas to become more resilient and sustainable.

London, along with many other cities, is accelerating investment in infrastructure for cycling and walking, and the high levels of air pollution and lack of open spaces for pedestrians are being considered through a new lens. There is now a significant window of opportunity for sweeping reforms of urban areas.  

We need to focus on a fair and green transition and scale some of the solutions that we see around the world at speed.

Harriet Lamb CBE, CEO of climate charity Ashden, commented: “To tackle climate change, we all need to pull together like never before. That’s why we’re such fans of London Climate Action Week; a time for civil society, government and business to come together and rally behind cutting carbon emissions at speed and scale.”

The Greenhouse team is working to support E3G and more than 60 stakeholders involved in delivering London Climate Action Week, helping to share news and drive impact.

Some of the highlights of London Climate Action Week will include:

• The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), whose members hold more than €30 trillion in assets under management, is hosting an event on investing in a sustainable recovery post Covid-19.
• The Grantham Research Institute at LSE event on strategic climate litigation, presenting a report outlining its insights from global experience.
• Chatham House and HSBC event on the effect of Covid-19 on different industry sectors – including transport, energy, aviation and insurance – and how investors can build green growth into the economic recovery.
• High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, bringing together 14 serving world leaders, will make the case for the oceans providing a dual solution to both climate change and the Covid-19 recovery.
• Climate charity Ashden will hold their annual awards, globally recognised as a mark of excellence in the field of climate solutions.

• UK financial think-tank Carbon Tracker will discuss its most recent report on the energy transition, and the size and vulnerability of the fossil fuel system.

London Climate Action Week will take place in two parts this year. The digital event series from 1-3 July will be followed by a second burst in November, during the period originally scheduled for the COP26 UN Climate Summit, which will include over 150 events.

To find out more and see the full schedule of events, visit www.londonclimateactionweek.org, or join the debate by searching #LCAW2020 and #LDNClimateAction on Twitter and LinkedIn.