• Climate Week NYC: Draws over 100,000 attendees with more than 900 events, outshining COP29’s expected turnout of 40,000.
• Corporate Focus: Executives prioritize New York over Baku due to easier travel, networking opportunities, and event relevance.
• COP Criticism: Concerns about Azerbaijan’s human rights record and fossil fuel ties impact participation at this year’s U.N. conference.

Climate Week NYC, an annual gathering of climate leaders, is now taking center stage over the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP). The event, running through Sunday in Manhattan, has attracted over 100,000 participants with more than 900 sessions. In contrast, COP29, set to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, later this year, is forecasted to see a sharp decline in attendance.

“You come to be inspired by the palpable power of people in the streets and the genius of the entrepreneurs actually solving their piece of the climate problem,” said Durwood Zaelke, president of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development.

Shift in Focus

With the number of senior leaders attending Climate Week more than doubling from last year, organizers have seen 1,350 speaker applications—double the submissions from 2023. Corporate executives view events like Climate Week as prime networking opportunities. “It’s not about the panels—the real work gets done in the meetings, roundtables, and impromptu conversations,” said Barry Parkin, chief sustainability officer at Mars.

Meanwhile, COP29 faces hurdles as many executives opt to skip the lengthy journey to Azerbaijan, with travel times exceeding 19 hours. “New York is much more convenient for people to get together,” said Lucy Hargreaves, VP of corporate affairs at Patch.

COP Faces Criticism

COP29’s lower expected attendance is partly due to concerns about Azerbaijan’s human rights record and its ties to the fossil fuel industry. “Azerbaijan has had an abysmal human rights record for many years,” said Giorgi Gogia of Human Rights Watch, raising concerns about freedom of expression during the event.

Related Article: Global Investors Push for Stronger Climate Policies Ahead of COP29, Urging Governments to Unlock $29 Trillion for Net-Zero Transition

Despite these challenges, some argue that hosting COP in countries like Azerbaijan could be an opportunity to engage fossil-fuel-dependent nations. “We need everyone to be on board to achieve the goals we need to achieve by COP 30 next year,” said Cosima Cassel, senior policy adviser for E3G.

(Source: Yusuf Khan, WSJ)