By Nehmat Kaur, Director of the Under2 Coalition and Subnational Governments
With COP31 in Antalya as the major milestone ahead, Climate Week NYC gives subnational governments an opportunity to define the role they want to play before others define it for them. It's easy to treat the week as a networking moment, but it must be more than that. It’s where governments, investors and multilateral bodies shape the next phase of climate action from policy and investment to implementation.
Subnational governments are not simply delivery partners in that process; they can help set the agenda and shape the decisions that follow. If you're in attendance, here are five moments worth prioritizing:
Monday 21 September – Subnational Information Integrity Initiative
Climate disinformation is now a policy risk in its own right, not just a communications nuisance, and subnational governments are increasingly the front line defending public trust in climate data and decision-making. A recent survey from the EU highlighted that 49% of its citizens find it hard to tell the difference between reliable climate facts and disinformation on social media. This session looks at what protecting that integrity requires in practice. If your government is dealing with disinformation pressure on climate policy and the mistrust that builds in communities, this is the room to be in.
Tuesday 22 September – USCA Roundtable: Climate Aligned Subnational Data Center Growth
Data centers don’t just use large amounts of water and electricity, they’re heating the environment too, and their growth is reshaping subnational energy demand faster than most governments have policy frameworks to match. This roundtable, cohosted with the US Climate Alliance (USCA), looks at how states are keeping that growth aligned with climate commitments rather than working against them. This is relevant to any government facing the same pressure.
Wednesday 23 September – UN Secretary-General Special Session
Antonio Guterres will be giving his address to attendees. With states and regions previously highlighted as crucial to climate action, this session will give one of the clearest signals all week of how climate leadership is evolving over the next twelve months and gives subnational governments a direct opportunity to help shape that agenda through the plenary and working group discussions.
Wednesday 23 September – Governors Island Global State and Regional Dialogue and Reception
The single largest gathering of state and regional leaders during the week, the event will explore how subnationals can continue to lead on implementation, investment and economic transformation while strengthening collaboration across borders. This is the moment strength in numbers can mean something, as the governments in this room are the ones setting the pace on ambition. Being there and ready to drive action matters more here than anywhere else on this list.
Thursday 24 September – Americas Ministerial breakfast with Quebec
Recognizing the Americas’ significant role in driving the climate agenda, discussions will focus on strengthening multilevel governance to accelerate action and create economic opportunity. Smaller, more direct and covering key climate finance issues such as carbon pricing, this is a useful opportunity to strengthen regional relationships, identify shared priorities and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Many of the most valuable conversations during Climate Week NYC take place in smaller, closed-door settings, where participants need to be able to speak with authority about their government’s priorities, challenges and ambitions.
Thinking ahead about who is best placed to participate – and ensuring they are equipped to engage on both current priorities and what comes next - will help governments get the most from these opportunities.
Join us in New York City, September 20-27, 2026.
For a full breakdown of all the events on offer at Climate Week NYC, head to our website:
Event search | Climate Week NYC