Join MIT and the MIT Climate Project at Climate Week NYC, one of the largest global gatherings of the energy and climate community.
This year, the Climate Project and more than 10 other programs at MIT are hosting sessions on a number of critical topics on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Browse the events below and follow us on LinkedIn for regular news and updates.
Venue/Location
All sessions will be held in the Chelsea/Meatpacking District area of Manhattan. Exact venue details provided upon RSVP approval; no walk-ins permitted.
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Tuesday, September 22
Next-Generation Super Pollutant Solutions: Challenges and Opportunities
Host: MIT Climate Project
Date: Tuesday, September 22
Event: 8:00-10:00 AM
Networking: 10:00-11:00 AM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Super Pollutants—including methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and fluorinated gases—account for nearly half of all anthropogenic warming. Pound for pound, these gases warm far more potently than CO2, making their abatement critical to climate mitigation. However, solutions remain limited for many high-impact emission sources that currently lack viable pathways for adequate abatement.
This event focuses on frontier innovations for hard-to-abate super pollutants across agriculture, waste, oil and gas, and industrial processes. Researchers, developers, and policymakers advancing these solutions face parallel challenges: understanding emission sources, identifying technical and economic barriers, and forging partnerships to accelerate solutions to market.
The MIT Climate Project convenes super pollutant researchers, technology developers, funders, policymakers, and industry leaders for a breakfast session. Through presentations and facilitated panel discussion, participants will identify the critical innovation frontiers and gaps, and chart a path for turning next-generation breakthroughs into real-world climate impact.
The event will be from 8-10 AM followed by time for networking from 10-11 AM.
Speakers include:
Panelists include:
- Brian Buma, Senior Climate Scientist and director of the Climate Innovation Initiative at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
- Phil Duffy, Chief Scientist at Spark Climate Solutions
- Ariel Furst, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Desirée Plata, School of Engineering Distinguished Climate and Energy Professor, Associate Dean of Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Claire Walsh, Global Director of Policy and Communications at Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and Project Director at the King Climate Action Initiative (K-CAI)
Mobilizing Climate Knowledge for Action
Host: MIT Open Learning (web)
Date: Tuesday, September 22
Time: 10:00-11:30 AM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
You may have heard the saying that “all jobs are climate jobs,” but what do people need to know and be able to do in order to act on climate solutions, and how do they learn it? This session explores the essential role of climate literacy and capacity-building as an accelerator of climate action. Through an expert panel and small-group discussions, participants will dive into how we can mobilize knowledge and build agency across ages, geographies, and industries.
This session is convened by the team behind Universal Climate and Energy, MIT Open Learning’s forthcoming self-paced, online, learning experience for people of all backgrounds interested in learning the tools and frameworks to implement climate solutions across fields.
Food & Agricultural Systems in a Changing Climate: A Senior Leaders’ Roundtable
Host: MIT Climate Project and the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS)
Date: Tuesday, September 22
Time: 12:00-1:30 PM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
By invitation only
Description:
Agricultural systems face unprecedented pressure: they must simultaneously feed a growing population, adapt to climate volatility, reduce environmental impact, and restore soils, water, and atmosphere. While substantial innovations exist—from technologies to financing models—the challenge is scaling them from promising pilots to real-world impact.
This roundtable, led by MIT Climate Project and MIT-Abdul Latif Jameel Water & Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS), convenes senior leaders from industry, philanthropy, development finance, implementation science, and research. Participants will map the system's trajectory, identify highest-priority gaps, share hard-won lessons from scaling innovations, and define the partnerships, investments, and collaborative actions needed to move proven solutions to meaningful impact.
Trading for Food Security in a Changing Climate
Host: MIT Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS)
Date: Tuesday, September 22
Time: 2:00-3:00 PM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Description:
International food trade is essential for global food security, yet the interconnected networks that move food also transmit climatic, economic, and geopolitical shocks. This panel examines food trade and food security through the lens of healthy diets and introduces MIT's Jameel Index for Food Trade and Vulnerability, which maps vulnerabilities across more than 180 countries.
The Index reveals a paradox: while most of the world's population lives in low-vulnerability countries, climate projections show that nearly every region will increasingly rely on food imports by 2050. As demand grows faster than production in low- and middle-income regions, roughly 450 million people remain at risk of hunger under current trajectories. The panel will explore how targeted investment in local productivity, infrastructure, and R&D can build resilience and help vulnerable regions achieve food security and nutrition goals under climate change.
Speakers are:
- Greg Sixt, Director of Research for Food and Climate and Project Lead, Jameel Index for Food Trade and Vulnerability, MIT J-WAFS
- Prof. Kenneth Strzepek, Technical Lead, Jameel Index for Food Trade and Vulnerability, MIT J-WAFS
- Prof. Sheryl Hendriks, Extraordinary Professor, University of Pretoria
- Mark Rosegrant, Research Fellow Emeritus, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Former Director of IFPRI's Environment and Production Technology Division
- Paola de Almeida, CEO, Natural Systems Capital and Jameel Index Advisory Committee Member
Climate Communication for Impact: Breaking Through with Messages People Care About
Host: MIT Climate Portal (web) (AskMIT Podcast)
Date: Tuesday, September 22
Time: 2:00-3:00 PM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Description:
At a time of rising climate risks and declining news coverage, join MIT for a conversation about the state of public climate communication in the U.S. Leaders in the field will survey the landscape: What is the public's appetite for climate news and knowledge in 2026? And how can climate communicators break through with information that speaks to people's concerns, questions, and values?
Panelists:
- Allison Crimmins, founding member of the Talking Climate Collaborative, Executive Director for Industry Partnerships at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, and former Director of the Fifth National Climate Assessment
- Mallika Talwar, Deputy Director of Partnerships for U.S. & India at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
- Arielle Tannenbaum, Director of Programs for Climate in the Media at Climate Central
- Aaron Krol (moderator), Managing Editor of the MIT Climate Change Engagement Program
Industrial Decarbonization: Pathways to Productivity and Growth
Host: MIT Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM)
Date: Tuesday, September 22
Time: 3:30-4:45 PM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval.
Description:
The industrial sector generates about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions yet pursuing industrial decarbonization strategies can be expensive for companies that also have to meet ROI targets and increase productivity and growth. In addition, shifting policy environments are creating headwinds where policy tailwinds used to exist.
This panel brings together several global industrial firms that are successfully pursuing industrial decarbonization strategies that are win-win-win: increased productivity, increased growth and a decrease in emissions. They show how industrial actors are setting – and clearing – a higher bar in which green strategies are pursued as part of larger goals around growth, security and competitiveness. In an era when customers and consumers are reluctant to pay a green premium, panelists will speak to the “how” of industrial decarbonization and the role of the private and public sectors.
Confirmed panelists:
- Jon Dearing, Vice President of Strategy and Public Affairs at National Cement Company
- Bilal Mohammed, Process Sustainability Director at Saint-Gobain North America
- Noorie Rajvanshi, Head of Environmental Sustainability, US at Siemens
- Heidi Peltonen, Vice President of Sustainability, Outokumpu Corporation
- Elisabeth Reynolds, MIT Professor of the Practice, Moderator
What is Sectoral Acceleration and How Do We Fund It: The Case of Nature-Based Solutions
Host: MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative (SSI)
Co-Hosts: Georgetown Tech & Society Initiative (web), Capital for Climate (web), and TransCap Initiative (web)
Date: Tuesday, September 22
Time: 3:00-4:45 PM
By invitation
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Description:
A new organizational form, variously known as a capital orchestrator, field catalyst, backbone organization, ecosystem builder, and/or network weaver is emerging as a key actor in the nature and climate space. These organizations share common functions — coordinating capital and ecosystems to build markets, connect actors, catalyze sectors, and accelerate green economy transitions. This invitation-only workshop brings together funders, investors, practitioners, and researchers to develop a shared understanding of how these organizations work and to build templates for assessing and funding them.
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Wednesday, September 23
Rethinking Climate Innovation
Host: MIT Climate Project
Date: Wednesday, September 23
Time: 9:00-11:00 AM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Description:
What would it take to dramatically accelerate the development and scaling of technologies that can meaningfully address climate change?
At the MIT Climate Project, we’ve been thinking deeply about this question. Not just to build better technologies but to improve the entire innovation pipeline: from identifying the problems that matter most, to assessing the potential impact of solutions, to developing promising ideas into successful startups and ultimately scaling them into the world.
This session will bring together a small group of funders from venture to philanthropy and innovation ecosystem partners for an informal breakfast and conversation about how we can collectively make that pipeline more effective.
The conversation will explore questions including:
- How can we engage the broader ecosystem to strengthen and de-risk the pathway from breakthrough research to startup and scale?
- How can we work more closely with partners to identify and define complex, systems-level challenges that are ripe for innovation?
- How can we collaborate on important problems that remain underserved because the existing market does not provide sufficient financial incentives to address them?
- What new approaches, partnerships, and models could help us identify consequential problems, direct resources toward high-impact solutions, and accelerate their path to scale?
This will be a small, candid discussion designed to bring together different perspectives and generate ideas for what a more effective climate innovation ecosystem could look like.
Building Flood Resilience with MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Host: MIT Lincoln Laboratory (MITLL)
Date: Wednesday, September 23
Time: 9:30-10:30 AM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Description:
Floods are the costliest, most frequent disaster in the United States. The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates flood damage to homes and businesses topped $8.8 billion nationwide in 2024. But long before floodwaters rise, response depends on modeling and mapping tools that predict where and how flooding will happen, and current tools have real limitations.
This panel brings together state and local officials, engineering firms, researchers, and investors to discuss the limits of current flood modeling, how challenges differ between coastal and inland flooding, and where necessary investment in flood research and resilience is—and isn’t— happening today.
Confirmed participants include:
- Heather Roiter, Deputy Commissioner, Planning & Resiliency, NYC Office of Emergency Management
- Doug Farnham, Chief Recovery Officer, the State of Vermont
- Clara Decerbo, Director, Providence Emergency Management Agency
- Derrick Hiebert, Infrastructure Resilience Practice Leader, AECOM
- Haythem Shata, Senior Engineer, Arup
- Julia Hopkins, Technical Staff, MIT - Lincoln Laboratory
- Zach Iscol, Venture Partner, Lux Capital
2026 State of Supply Chain Sustainability Report Launch
Host: MIT Center of Transportation + Logistics (CTL)
Date: Wednesday, September 23
Time: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Description:
The 2026 State of Supply Chain Sustainability Report examines a paradox at the heart of corporate sustainability today: commitment is rising, even as the ability to deliver is becoming more difficult. The report explores how companies are responding to geopolitical disruption, governance gaps, fragmented sustainability data, rapid advances in Industrial and Agentic AI, and the broader challenge of embedding sustainability more deeply into supply chain decisions and operations.
Produced by the MIT Sustainable Supply Chain Lab at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics and sponsored by C.H. Robinson Foundation, Breakthrough, and CO2 AI with Dassault Systèmes, the report reveals where progress is real, where the constraints are tightening, and why greater efficiency and intelligence do not automatically translate into greater sustainability.
Join us for a panel discussion with the research team exploring the major themes from this year's findings. Further details in our teaser video and on the registration page.
Simulating the Future: The En-ROADS Climate Solutions Workshop
Host: MIT Climate Policy Center (CPC)
Date: Wednesday, September 23
Time: 11:00 AM-12:30 PM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Request an invitation to attend.
Description:
The En-ROADS Climate Solutions Workshop is an interactive group experience that uses the En-ROADS climate solutions simulator—a free, easy-to-use, system dynamics model co-developed by Climate Interactive and the MIT Sloan School of Management. En-ROADS gives users the opportunity to test out different climate change solutions, en route to creating a future that limits global warming to well below 2°C from pre-industrial levels, in line with the Paris Agreement.
In this 90-minute session, you will get a tour of the En-ROADS simulator, work together to test out your own solutions, build a collective scenario of success, and explore the future you’ve created.
Speakers: Bethany Patten, Andrew (Drew) Jones
The Future of Data Centers: Technologies to Change the Paradigm
Host: MIT Climate Project
Date: Wednesday, September 23
Time: 1:00-3:00 PM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Description:
Data centers are at an inflection point, facing interconnected technical, operational, economic, and community constraints that demand cross-sector dialogue and innovation. The program will feature presentations from MIT researchers and spinouts developing technologies that will reshape the future of data centers, followed by a panel discussion exploring the sector’s most pressing opportunities and challenges.
The session will also bring together a panel of leaders from technology, infrastructure, capital, and policy to explore how a systems approach can reveal pathways to reshape data center performance, strengthen community outcomes, and support long-term operational viability. A dedicated showcase and networking period will allow attendees to connect directly with presenters and explore areas of mutual interest.
MIT Climate Impact Founder & Funder Connect
Host: MIT Priscilla King Gray Center for Social Impact (PKG)
Time: 1:00-2:30 PM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Description:
Join the MIT PKG Center for a small gathering of climate founders, impact investors, philanthropists, family offices, and ecosystem leaders during NYC Climate Week.
This gathering focuses on the practical relationship-building needed to move capital toward MIT-affiliated climate ventures primed for long-term systems change. Founders will explore how mission-aligned capital partners—from philanthropy, angels, and family offices to impact-focused investors—can be partners in achieving long-term systems change. Funders will meet MIT-affiliated early-stage climate founders.
The gathering will convene ~30 climate-focused capital partners, including investors, foundations, family offices, and angels, alongside MIT-affiliated student and alumni founders. It is intentionally designed as a small-format space where participants can get to know one another, identify shared interests, and create paths to follow-up conversations.
Educating Tomorrow's Climate Leaders: An MIT Perspective
Host: MIT Climate Project
Date: Wednesday, September 23
Time: 3:00-4:00 PM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Description:
Join the MIT Climate Project for an exploration of how MIT cultivates the next generation of climate leaders and innovators. Through lightning talks from program leaders and student participants, discover MIT's ecosystem for participatory design, disciplined entrepreneurship, and systems thinking.
Network with peers, partners, and funders invested in building the future of climate innovation.
Speakers include:
Lauren Tyger, Assistant Dean for Social Innovation, MIT Priscilla Gray Center
Adeposi Adeogun, MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Audrey Parker, MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
MIT Sustainability Alumni Networking Reception @ NYCW
Host: MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative (SSI)
Date: Wednesday September 23
Time: 5:30-8:00 PM
Location: Chelsea/Meatpacking District. Exact address provided upon RSVP approval
Description:
MIT Alumni: Join us for an evening of networking, food & beverages, and an opportunity to connect with MIT alumni leveraging their careers in sustainability. This event follows a full day of MIT programming and will provide an opportunity to keep the conversation going. Plus, you'll get to meet others interested in sustainability and climate, from cleantech to sustainable finance to responsible operations and everything in between.