Climate Week NYC — Transportation Decarbonization events

Sep 22, 2024 - Sep 26, 2024

Join us at Climate Week NYC to discuss the future of transport decarbonization. The following events are brought to you by CALSTART/Drive to Zero, Ceres, Smart Freight Centre, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Climate Group, C40 Cities, Crux, ICCT, ITDP, NY Climate Exchange, Aspen Global Change Institute, Regulatory Assistance Project, Drive Electric Campaign, and Bloomberg.


Just Bumps in the Road? How Can EV Policy Smooth the Transition to Clean Transportation

Invite-only

September 23, 3:00-4:00 PM ET | The Hub Live – The Glass House

The EV transition is gaining momentum, particularly in areas where ambitious, well-implemented regional, national, or state government policies are in place. However, the transition continues to face significant challenges in maintaining momentum. This dynamic session will bring together global leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to explore the cutting-edge policies driving the EV revolution. We’ll delve into strategies that can fast-track EV adoption globally, including a focus on how these policies can be tailored to meet the unique challenges and opportunities in emerging economies. Discover how innovative regulations, incentives, and infrastructure investments are setting the stage for a sustainable, electrified future.

If you are interested in attending, please reach out to Daniel Vise at dvise@climategroup.org. This event is hosted by Climate Group.


Book and Claim Dinner—”Collaborative Community Table”

Invite-only

September 23, 5:30-8:30 PM ET | Bryant Park (exact location TBC upon registration)

It’s time to jumpstart transportation decarbonization by widening access to low emission transportation solutions and closing the gaps between us and a low carbon, prosperous future. A robust book and claim chain of custody approach is one tool to get us there. The Book and Claim Community Secretariat is hosting a private, collaborative dinner on Monday evening, September 23, and has saved a few spots for Community newsletter participants (sign up for the newsletter here). If you’re interested in joining us, please send us a note with your name and organization, and we’ll add you to the attendee list (or the waitlist, depending on interest).

Organized by: the Book and Claim Community Secretariat (SFC & RMI). Register your interest via email: Secretariat@BookandClaimCommunity.org


Green Markets Day at New York Climate Week

Open to the public – registration required 

September 24, 2:00 – 7:00 PM ET | J.P. Morgan 383 Madison Ave.

Part of this day will highlight progress towards the development of a first-of-its-kind, scalable procurement model focused on getting zero-emission heavy-duty trucks on the road.

GMA Trucking is a demand aggregation buyers alliance under the GMA umbrella that aims to accelerate the path to a decarbonized trucking sector by driving investment in and adoption of ZE-HDTs. GMA has partnered with the Smart Freight Centre (SFC) on this initiative to provide additional expertise on road decarbonization.

Register here. This event is hosted by Bain & Co., Center for Green Market Activation, H2Global, J.P. Morgan, Mission Possible Partnership, RMI, and GMA and supported by Smart Freight Centre.


Grid Development – The Hidden Priority for Charging Infrastructure Deployment

Invite-only

September 24, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET | The Hub Live – The Glass House

Reliable charging infrastructure networks are the lifeblood of EVs. As the transition gathers pace, it’s imperative that we focus on and invest in energy grids to ensure they develop at the same rate and can power the ever-growing number of EVs on the road. We need more emphasis on coordination, planning, and investment to address the challenges many regions are already experiencing as they build out charging infrastructure.

If you are interested in attending, please reach out to Daniel Vise at dvise@climategroup.org. This event is hosted by Climate Group.


Charging Ahead: Global Strategies for Bus Electrification

Open to the public

September 24, 3:00 – 5:30 PM ET | Governor’s Island, Manhattan

Electric cars alone won’t save the climate. To limit global heating, cities must get drivers out of cars and into reliable, all-electric bus systems. By doing so, cities can lower housing and transport costs for residents, cut pollution, enhance livability, and promote equity. At this event, you’ll hear inspiring stories from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and North America, where electric bus systems are effectively cutting carbon emissions, while delivering affordable, accessible, world-class transportation to rapidly-growing cities. Policymakers, sustainable transportation experts, and climate funders will share how they collaborate to overcome political, financial, and technological challenges, and illuminate key lessons learned for other global cities charting the path to electric transport for all.

Register here. This event is hosted by Crux, ICCT, ITDP, NY Climate Exchange, Aspen Global Change Institute, Regulatory Assistance Project, and Drive Electric Campaign.


Building a Just Transportation Ecosystem

Open to the public – registration required

September 24, 3:30 – 5:00 PM ET | 675 3rd Avenue (2nd floor)

The transportation sector is a key driver in the climate crisis, comprising about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the consequences of climate change will endanger transportation infrastructure by increasing the severity and frequency of extreme weather events. To meet the moment, it is critical that policymakers and industry leaders make drastic, near-term changes to decarbonize the sector and move toward clean, sustainable transportation solutions.

This panel will bring together civil society and policy experts working to address the negative climate and environmental justice impacts of our current transportation infrastructure with a particular emphasis on skyrocketing emissions from the ecommerce sector.

Register here. This event is hosted by Clean Mobility Collective.


Road to Action – Towards Accelerated Truck Electrification

Invite-only

September 25, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET | Amazon Office JFK27

Join us for an interactive session on truck electrification and its benefits as one of the most effective strategies in road freight decarbonization. Together with industry frontrunners such as Amazon, PepsiCo, and Microsoft, as well as government leaders such as the California Air Resources Board, this session will dive into engaging discussions on aggregated demand, policy, infrastructure, and real-world corridor deployments. Join us if you are interested in learning and discussing the following topics:

  • How shipper aggregated demand can help compliance with policy targets, how shippers can impact and support policy development, and how strong policies can support shipper efforts in meeting logistics emission reduction targets through truck electrification.
  • How fast we should anticipate the scale up of charging infrastructure for long-distance heavy-duty trucks, how shippers and carriers can support an accelerated timeline for charging infrastructure deployment, and what the role of government regulations is to accelerate charging infrastructure for long-distance heavy-duty trucks.
  • The latest lessons from real-world long-distance electric truck projects in the U.S., how those lessons can accelerate other zero-emission freight corridors, how these projects can contribute to a full market transformation towards zero-emission trucks, and how to leverage collaboration between industry and government to launch, scale up, and replicate these projects.

If you are interested in attending, register your interest here. This event is hosted by Smart Freight Centre, Amazon, and CALSTART.


Collective for Clean Transport Finance – 2024 C-Level and Investors’ Roundtable

Invite-only

September 25, 1:00 – 2:30 PM ET | Bank of America Headquarters

The roundtable will convene high-level public officials, corporate chief executive officers, and finance leaders who aspire to accelerate the adoption of clean transport technologies and infrastructure and familiarize themselves with investment opportunities in green road freight corridors in elected geographies.

This event is hosted by the WBCSD in partnership with Sustainable Market Initiatives, supported by Bloomberg New Energy Finance and Smart Freight Centre, as part of the Road Transport Breakthrough Agenda.


Helping Cities with Comprehensive Freight Decarbonization

Invite-only

September 25, 2:30 – 3:30 PM ET | Brooklyn Borough Hall

New York City, the largest consumer market in the U.S. relies heavily on trucks to move nearly 90% of its freight. This dependence contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and economic costs due to congestion. With freight volumes projected to grow by 68% by 2045 and a substantial portion of the population living near warehouses, decarbonizing freight transportation has become crucial for both the environment and public health.

Unlike initiatives in passenger transportation, freight decarbonization faces unique challenges in achieving significant emissions reduction. This panel discussion brings together experts from both the private and public sectors to tackle this multifaceted challenge.

If you are interested in attending, please email Catherine Ittner at cittner@c40.orgThis event is hosted by C40 Cities and Sam Schwartz Consulting.


BNEF Global Energy & Industry Event

Invite-only

September 26, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET | Bloomberg Headquarters

Our systems are breaking down. It’s time to reassemble. The ReAssembly is where solutionists meet to put the pieces back together. A convergence point of ideation, innovation and investment. This year’s event will gather hundreds of leaders from finance, business, policy, non-profits, academia, and more. We aim to convene solutionists to thoughtfully ReAssemble people and industry in harmony with planetary boundaries.

If you are interested in attending, please register here. This event is hosted by Bloomberg and Smart Freight Centre.


ReAssembly ’24

Ticket required

September 26, 9:00 – 10:30 AM ET | Location provided upon registration

This event will discuss the future of US energy policy and pathways to decarbonization. At this event, the Bloomberg /SFC report on zero-emission trucking as asset class will be launched and presented. While zero emission truck application offers many benefits, uptake and investments are relatively low. Zero emission trucks are seen as a new asset class with which many investors seem partly unfamiliar also due to the lack of real time use data and experience. This session aims to enhance the understanding of zero emission trucking as a solid asset class enabling a more solid understanding as a basis for a consideration of a stronger and scaled up engagement in specific opportunities for zero emission truck investment.

During this event, members of the CALSTART and Drive to Zero teams will participate in the following sessions:

Turning Emissions into Opportunity Across Hard to Abate Sectors
Time: 11:50PM – 12:15PM
Description: Explore the multi-trillion-dollar potential in decarbonizing heavy industries like steel, cement, chemicals, freight and manufacturing. This session will highlight cost-saving strategies, green financing, and cutting-edge climate innovations across hardware and software currently being adopted by countries and multinationals. The discussion will emphasize the strategic benefits of adopting low-carbon technologies across hard to abate value chains, and the essential role of public-private collaboration in driving the multi- trillion in annual investments needed to achieve net-zero targets by 2050.

Breakout Session: Building the Future: Decarbonizing Industry and Infrastructure
Time: 3:30PM – 5:00PM
Description:  This session will explore the future of the built environment, emphasizing the urgent need to decarbonize heavy industry, which accounts for nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions. With urbanization on the rise, the construction sector is at a pivotal moment where sustainable practices and innovative solutions are crucial to meeting climate targets. The session will highlight key opportunities for emission reductions, such as low-carbon cement and hydrogen-based steel production, and discuss the economic potential of decarbonizing construction, projected to create a $1.2 trillion market by 2030. Participants will also learn about sustainable construction practices and the role of policy and public-private partnerships in driving the transition to a decarbonized built environment.

If you are interested in attending, please register here. This event is powered by Regeneration.VC.


Public-Private Dialogue: Priorities for Accelerated ZEV Deployment in Mexico

Invite-only

September 26, 2:00 – 4:00 PM ET | The Woolworth Building

The event will convene governments, private sector representatives, and financial institutions to discuss priorities for accelerating ZEV deployment in Mexico. It will discuss a collaborative approach to supporting the transition, outlining private sector ambitions and collaborative opportunities, as part of the Zero Emission Vehicle Emerging Markets Initiative (ZEV-EMI) and the ZEVTC international support offer.

If you are interested in attending, please email Gunay Huseynalizadeh at huseynalizadeh@wbcsd.org. This event is hosted by WBCSD.


Transparency in Motion: Holding Automakers Accountable for Responsible Policy Engagement

Invite-only

September 26, 3:00 – 5:00 PM ET | The NEST at the Javits Center

While most companies in the transportation sector and other high-emitting sectors have publicly committed to supporting Paris-aligned climate policies, Ceres’ research shows that they have engaged in lobbying practices, including through their trade associations, that have undercut it. The good news is some automakers are beginning to hold their trade associations accountable while more investors hold companies to their climate policy commitments and practices. In this session, participants will explore this growing accountability trend and examine the recent actions of companies to hold their associations accountable.

If you are interested in attending, please email Michael Kodransky at mkodransky@ceres.org. This event is hosted by Ceres.


Enabling the Transport Transition Using Insurance

Open to the public – registration encouraged

September 26, 3:45 – 5:15 PM ET | BCG Office

The Breakthrough Agenda requires 85-100% of new car sales, 60% of new truck sales to be zero- emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2030 to achieve the breakthrough that society needs. However a number of barriers hamper that uptake at scale: High capital costs and perceived risks, such as uncertainty around battery performance, residual value, and charging infrastructure, hinder widespread adoption. To date, the enabling power of insurance, which is a critical part of finance, has largely been overlooked in lowering capital cost and (perceived) risk; financing the transition; and in giving confidence to purchasers of clean-technologies. This session will demonstrate and explore a range of ways that insurance can help accelerate this transition and begin a collaboration to help enable this, including identification of priority use cases with real deal pipelines – and portfolios of bankable project actions – that will enable material additional acceleration of this transition in areas where insurance enabling will help society most.

Register here. This event is organized by Smart Freight Centre, Howden & CCT and hosted by BCG.


Transportation Decarbonization Reception

Open to the public – registration encouraged

September 26th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET | The NEST at the Javits Center

Join leaders from around the world at a reception on transportation decarbonization. Co-hosted by Ceres, Accelerating to Zero (A2Z) Coalition, CALSTART Drive to Zero, Electrification Coalition, UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE) and Smart Freight Centre.

Register here.


Visit ClimateWeekNYC.org for more transportation-related events taking place during Climate Week NYC.