Hudson Valley communities and organizations are joining forces to promote and take part in Climate Week 2019, September 23-29, a global educational event. This year, Sustainable Hudson Valley and the Hudson Valley Climate Solutions Network are promoting a high profile, action-oriented program with support from the New York Library Association’s Sustainability Thinking and Action Round Table. A speaker’s bureau has been created and is available to support community organizations, schools, workplaces, houses of worship and municipalities throughout the Hudson Valley in organizing events that focus on actions we can all take now.
UN’s Action Portfolio to Curb Greenhouse Gases
Organized by the NYC Climate Group, Climate Week is run in coordination with the UN General Assembly’s Climate Action Summit which convenes annually to encourage stronger action. The Secretary-General has prioritized six action portfolios which are recognized as “having the high potential to curb greenhouse gas emissions and increased global action on adaptation and resilience.”
- Finance: mobilizing public and private sources of finance to drive decarbonization of all priority sectors and advance resilience.
- Energy Transition: accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, as well as making significant gains in energy efficiency.
- Industry Transition: transforming industries such as Oil and Gas, Steel, Cement, Chemicals and Information Technology;
- Nature-Based Solutions: Reducing emissions, increasing sink capacity and enhancing resilience within and across forestry, agriculture, oceans and food systems, including through biodiversity conservation, leveraging supply chains and technology;
- Cities and Local Action: Advancing mitigation and resilience at urban and local levels, with a focus on new commitments on low-emission buildings, mass transport and urban infrastructure; and resilience for the urban poor;
- Resilience and Adaptation: advancing global efforts to address and manage the impacts and risks of climate change, particularly in those communities and nations most vulnerable.
What can you do to promote climate week at your library?
- Feature books related to the action portfolios
- Focus on one or more action portfolios
- Promote the UN’s Climate Action Summit
- Register your Climate Week event on the HV Climate Solutions Network Calendar
- Register for the live stream the UN’s Youth Summit on Saturday, September 21st and invite the public to watch
- Schedule a local speaker from the Hudson Valley Climate Solutions Network Speakers Bureau
- Schedule a youth speaker for a youth program through PNW BOCES Center for Environmental Education
- Register to attend Drawdown Learn at Omega Institute, October 18-20
- Have students create and hang posters suggesting actions
- Organize a biomimicry youth design challenge which is an annual competition that asks teams of students and professionals to address climate change with nature-inspired solutions
- Screen a film from author Lynne Cherry’s Young Voices for the Planet video series
For more info, contact Dorna Schroeter
