Peace Boat US and the Blue Planet Alliance would like to thank everyone who attended this year’s Climate Week NYC, both in person and online! Together we shared the message to encourage a restorative future where humanity and nature can live in harmony.
Our Climate Week NYC events included:
- An interactive and educational art exhibition at Arcadia Earth gallery, followed by a Jeffersonian Dinner to build partnerships with NGOs working towards climate action, featuring sustainable cuisine by Madhi Food. Distinguished guests included H.E. President Surangel S. Whipps Jr and First Lady Valerie Whipps from Palau, CEO’s and sustainable business partners, NGO leaders and community organizers who are dedicated to climate action and creating a regenerative future for our planet.
- Climate Cinema, hosted online with our partners at SIMA Studios, showcasing short films that are making a positive impact on people and the planet.
- A Special Climate Week Event and Reception co-hosted by the Blue Planet Alliance and Peace Boat US, including civil society and NGO representatives, sustainable businesses, United Nations and diplomatic community partners, artists, musicians and youth leaders who are taking action for solutions to the environmental and climate crises. The event included a variety of pop-up exhibitions, speakers, networking, presentations, performances, and more. Blue Planet Alliance also recognized various partners who also signed an MOU to confirm their commitment to creating a world in which “Humanity and Nature live in Harmony”.
See more Climate Week NYC highlights here!
As part of our dedication to raising awareness of solutions for the climate, we started off the week with a curated a youth-led Instagram Live on September 20 as part of the Global Week to #Act4SDGs. It featured Peace Boat’s “Youth for the SDGs” scholar Silvia Cantu from Mexico, Chair of the Sustainable Ocean Alliance Youth Policy Advisory Council Mark Haver, and Peace Boat Ocean and Climate Youth Ambassador Khadija Stewart from Trinidad and Tobago. The dialogue can be seen on the Peace Boat US Instagram account here.
This year’s online Climate Cinema showcased a series of short and impactful documentaries to raise awareness about climate issues and solutions around the world. Directors’ Talks and selected films were also screened at the Selina Chelsea NYC Hotel, including “Against the Tide: A Journey for Climate Hope”, which shares the inspiring stories of youth leaders from Small Island Developing States on the front lines of climate change and ocean degradation.
The Climate Cinema also highlighted the inspiring work of the Blue Planet Alliance, established in 2020 by visionary entrepreneur and leading climate change advocate Henk Rogers, with the aim to create a world in which humanity and nature live in harmony. The non-profit builds upon monumental climate change policies and initiatives of his Hawaii-based Blue Planet Foundation, which successfully passed the nation’s first 100% renewable energy law, requiring the State of Hawaii to commit to 100% clean energy by 2045. We look forward to working together to help island nations transition to clean energy and join the Blue Planet Alliance during this Decade of Action for the SDGs!
The films remain available for on-demand viewing via the Climate Cinema page with SIMA Studios here.
A highlight of the Climate Week event was hearing from H.E. Ambassador Ms Ilana Seid, Permanent Representative of the Mission of Palau to the United Nations, who shared her message of solidarity from island nations to work together towards climate action and ocean conservation. Those who attended the event were inspired to hear about Palau’s leadership on the renewable energy transition and the upcoming ‘Our Ocean’ conference to take place in February of 2022, providing an opportunity to mobilise action to protect our ocean which is so closely connected to the climate emergency.
Thank you to all of the speakers, UN representatives, youth leaders, artists and filmmakers for your inspiring contributions, discussions and fruitful interactions, and above all, for your strong commitment to work together on saving our environment and resolving the climate crisis.
Peace Boat US and partners held a closing event for Climate Week NYC at the lush green outdoor space, POLLYN, a sustainable plant shop and garden cafe under the famous Mona Lisa of Williamsburg mural. As the first plant store in the United States to sell all plants in biodegradable nursery pots, Pollyn aims to bring more environmental awareness to the gardening sector with the goal of eliminating single use plastics from the retail experience. Thank you to our partners at VIta Coco for the collaboration and AKUA for a delicious vegetarian BBQ featuring their internationally-recognized kelp burgers, helping to reduce our carbon footprint through sustainable farming and production.
We are so glad that you could join us for Climate Week NYC this year both online and in-person at Arcadia Earth, Pollyn and the Selina Chelsea NYC Hotel.