I had the opportunity to attend New York Climate Week for the first time! Climate Week NYC is the largest climate gathering outside of COP with over 1,000 events hosted by various governmental groups, businesses, and organizations. As the social media manager here at Walking Softer, my intention for the week was to capture content and interview Changemakers…but I left NY Climate Week with so much more than a completed checklist of goals. I found myself immersed in conversations, ideas, artistic expressions, and workshops that took climate action beyond the traditional panel format. Over the course of the week, I attended twelve events spanning from storytelling, art, innovation, comedy, and even ice cream. Here are a few of the moments that stood out the most!

Battery Tour Concert

Music is something that touches almost every person on this planet, and to see music related to the climate movement was pretty special. AY Young, Walking Softer Young Leader Award Alum, is the founder of Battery Tour, the longest-running clean energy-powered concert series worldwide! This New York Climate Week marked Battery Tour’s 960th concert on their road to 1,000 clean energy powered concerts! Beyond being entertaining, this concert series is a great reminder of how something like music and entertainment can fuel climate actions. Not only did the audience enjoy the show, but we also experienced clean energy in action! I think that music is such a connecting force, and in the climate space, Battery Tour shows how music can also be a climate communications tool that reaches beyond the graphs and numbers.

Media and Storytelling

I was reminded throughout the entire week how vital storytelling is to any movement…especially the climate movement. There were several events I attended that related to communicating (digital) narratives, but I will be sharing about three events in particular whose messages have stuck with me long after leaving New York. 

• To kick off Climate Week, Youth Climate Collab and Chilli hosted a Media Training Day where media experts gave insights on the creative, cultural, and communications landscape today. I had the honor of speaking about why stories matter and why having, and sharing, your “why” is a powerful tool for connection and online community building.
• In the Climate Communications for Creators and Communicators Live Workshop, content creators, storytellers, and climate communicators came together to share practical skills, strategies, credibility, and insights on how to craft effective and compelling climate narratives. One of my favorite moments was listening to Suzie Hicks the Climate Chick share about their journey creating climate content and education materials specifically aimed for children. While I may no longer be Suzie’s target audience, their approach really highlighted how knowing your audience, building authentic relationships, and tailoring content to meet people where they are is the foundation of effective communication.
• Innovate for Impact highlighted business leaders, creatives, and Changemakers who are turning [sustainability] ideas into solutions. One of the most memorable speakers for me was Phoebe Tickell, scientist, “imagination activist,” and founder of Moral Imaginations. She opened up her panel in a way that I have never experienced before:“My name is Phoebe Tickell and I come from the future.” For a moment, I had no idea where her next few sentences were going. She began to describe a more sustainable future, the kind of future we all talk about striving towards at every climate event. The difference was how she described this as a current reality rather than an abstract goal. Phoebe’s practice of “imagination activism” sits at the intersection of activism, storytelling, imagination, and creative solution-building!

“Soft Served Impact”

Perhaps one of the most whimsical and fun events I attended was Walking Softer’s very own Soft Served Impact at the Museum of Ice Cream hosted by Summit community member Manish Vora! We were able to tour the museum and enjoy meaningful conversations and shared lots of laughs. I found that this playful evening simply cultivated joy and connected to a broader theme of joy, community, and meaningful connection. New York Climate Week could begin to feel chaotic as I scrambled to get from one event to the next…but entering this space prompted me to pause, and simply enjoy the company of those around me and be fully present in the conversations happening around me. It was a perfect start to an incredible week!

Climate Comedy

Walking Softer Young Leaders Award alum, Rollie Williams, hosted an official Climate Town Town Hall with special guests, comedy, and even a live taping of his YouTube series! I think it’s safe to say that everyone enjoys a good laugh…and I honestly can’t think of a more engaging way to bring people into the climate conversation than through humor! Rollie and his team did a phenomenal job of communicating a serious and fact-heavy topic in a way that felt funny, approachable, and relatable. The jokes landed, but so did the information and insights. Personally, I left the show reminded that not every climate conversation needs to feel heavy or overwhelming…laughter is just as powerful of a tool to spark curiosity and make complex issues stick.

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From music to media, and comedy to community, this New York Climate Week was an unforgettable experience! I came for the content, and left with a more informed perspective and a deeper connection to the climate community and changemakers. Each event highlighted the different ways people are showing up in the movement and all the different and creative ways there are to communicate and tell a story. Every event I attended and person I connected with moved me in some way this Climate Week and I would have to say that my biggest takeaway is that climate communication doesn’t have to look one way…it can be as fun as comedy, as entertaining as music, or as tasty (or unexpected) as ice cream. I’m looking forward to the next New York Climate Week already!

-Allyssa Salcedo