WWF at UNGA and Climate Week 2025

The coming months present pivotal opportunities for shaping the health of our planet. As world leaders gather at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Climate Week in New York, we stand at a critical juncture where ambitious commitments must transform into tangible action. The challenges are intensifying—but we have made progress and must now accelerate action while integrating our greatest ally: nature. 

WWF's events and activities in New York will contribute to the collective effort needed to bridge the gap between words and action. We are working to integrate nature in climate solutions, mobilize climate finance for nature, protect communities and nature in the renewable energy transition, and conserve nature to build resilience to climate impacts for both nature and communities. From decarbonizing our energy systems to protecting the forests, wetlands, and oceans that sustain life on our planet, this work requires governments, businesses, and communities coming together with transparency and accountability. 

We have the knowledge, the tools, and growing momentum. What we need now is sustained commitment to act at the scale—because we need nature, and nature needs us. 

All times and locations are local to New York. Events are listed chronologically. Event registration and livestream access are listed where available.

Nature Needs Us Now: How Businesses Can Further a Future for Forests

Join HP and WWF to kick off Climate Week with an exclusive, invite-only roundtable to learn how, together, we’re taking action with nature-based solutions (NbS) to make a meaningful impact and what investment-ready opportunities are available in five priority tropical forest landscapes. You’ll hear from leaders in the sustainability, finance, and conservation space about how companies can integrate NbS into their strategies to protect supply chains, mitigate environmental risks, and generate measurable outcomes for business, people, and nature.

For more information, please contact Helen Belmont, Senior Director, Communications, Private Sector Engagement.

Nature Needs Us Now: Unlocking Finance for Nature and Climate

The Nature Hub, 54 W 40th Street, New York, NY 10018

Conservation efforts worldwide face an urgent $900 billion annual financing gap that leaves essential environmental work unfunded. This event will focus on how WWF, alongside partners, are taking critical steps to innovate and accelerate financial solutions at scale, building on proven transformative approaches with public and private sector leaders. Attendees will learn how the expanded Nature Finance and Investment team at WWF is enhancing existing programs like Project Finance for Permanence and the Nature-Based Solutions Origination Platform while developing new strategic partnerships that transform environmental commitments into actionable, investable opportunities. The session will showcase high-integrity, high-impact investment opportunities spanning multiple asset classes and financing mechanisms, backed by global reach, extensive partnerships, and deep scientific expertise. This pivotal moment demands accelerated innovation in nature finance to unlock the capital needed to address complex environmental challenges facing nature, climate, and communities worldwide.

Speakers

• Carter Roberts, President and CEO, WWF-US 
• John Morton, Executive Managing Director, Nature Finance and Investment, WWF-US
• Henry Gonzalez, Chief Investment Officer, Green Climate Fund (GCF)
• Heather Zichal, Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainability, JPMorganChase
  
• Chris Busch, Senior Director of Environmental Initiatives, Apple

Nature Needs Us Now: Market Mechanisms to Safeguard Nature From Food Production Impacts

The Nature Hub, 54 W 40th Street, New York, NY 10018

Producing food has the biggest environmental impact of any human activity, causing habitat conversion, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, soil degradation, and GHG emissions as we prioritize feeding a growing population over planetary health. This session introduces Codex Planetarius, a proposed system of minimum environmental performance standards for globally traded food, modeled after the successful Codex Alimentarius health and safety standards adopted by over 180 countries since 1963. The session will also focus on The 1% Fund, which would collect a small environmental levy on exported food commodities to address key environmental impacts and make food production legal and more resilient. Attendees will learn how these market mechanisms would transform global food trade by ensuring that exports maintain or improve the natural resource base of producing countries rather than depleting it. The session will build awareness and consensus among government officials, companies, and NGOs about pilot projects that would inform bilateral, multilateral, and World Trade Organization trade agreements.

Speakers

• Dr. Jason Clay, Senior Vice President for Markets & Food and Executive Director of The Markets Institute, WWF-US
• Dr. Lee Ann Jackson, Head of the Agro-food Trade and Markets Division in the OECD's Trade and Agriculture Directorate
• Charlie Langdale, CEO, Humanity Insured
• Gabriel Lui, General Coordinator of Strategies and Instruments of the Brazilian Forest Service/Ministry of the Environment
• Jinal Surti, Co-Founder & CEO, Epoch

From Forest Floor to Sales Floor: Scaling Business Action for Forests, Climate, and Nature

The Nature Hub, 54 W 40th Street, New York, NY 10018

As climate and biodiversity crises intensify, forests emerge as one of our most powerful tools for mitigation, but their full potential requires widespread conservation, restoration, and sustainable management through trusted business frameworks. This engaging session explores how the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) provides companies with credible solutions that connect environmental responsibility to economic value, helping businesses strengthen supply chain resilience, reduce risk, and build brand trust in an era of rising regulatory and consumer expectations. Panelists will share examples illustrating the compelling business case for sustainable forestry across entire value chains, exploring how companies can better measure return on investment from forest stewardship and nature-based solutions. Join FSC, WWF, and other partners for this event to explore real-world solutions and help shape a shared vision of forests as critical infrastructure for a climate-resilient, nature-positive future.

Speakers

• Sarah Billig, President, FSC-US (Moderator)
• Subhra Bhattacharjee, Director General, FSC
• Kerry Cesareo, Senior Vice President for Forests and Freshwater, WWF-US
• Jen Huffstetler, Chief Sustainability Officer, HP Inc.
• Christopher Reeves, Certified Forester & Director of Scientific Communications, P&G Paper

Ten Years on from Paris — does the UN Climate Regime need reform: NYCW Event

Ten years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the Earth continues to warm, and communities around the world are experiencing the accelerating impacts of climate change— from extreme heat and rising seas to food insecurity and displacement. While the Paris Agreement created a durable framework for collective climate ambition, the current pace of implementation is falling short of what the science demands. To achieve the 1.5 degrees C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement, the UN climate regime can and should evolve to drive more effective, cooperative, and impactful climate action. This evolution must be radical in ambition but solutions-oriented in execution—not a revolution, but a strategic evolution and recalibration of the system we already have.

This event will examine how the United Nations’ broader architecture, across the UNFCCC and beyond, can be leveraged to support the evolution, particularly in the context of intensifying climate risks, shifting geopolitical dynamics, and the growing pressure of financial constraints, including ongoing UN budget cuts. As demands on the multilateral system grow, so too must its ability to deliver.

The 30th Conference of Parties in Belém could present a critical opportunity to reorient the UNFCCC toward delivering transformational climate action. Taking place after full turn of the Paris Agreement’s ambition cycle, following the completion of first global stocktake as well as the submission of biennial transparency reports and new nationally determined contributions, COP30 should serve as a moment for reckoning and reflection. This panel discussion will explore how to make COP30 not just another checkpoint, but a catalyst for strengthening implementation and enhancing international cooperation across the UN climate regime.

Speakers

• Liliam Chagas, Director for Climate·Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Patricia Espinosa, Former Executive Secretary·United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Emmanuel Guérin, Fellow and Senior Advisor·European Climate Foundation
• Cecil Haverkamp, Director·United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network
• Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF Climate and Energy Lead, COP20 President

$24 Trillion at Stake: Corporate Leadership for a Prosperous and Nature-positive Ocean

The Nature Hub, 54 W 40th Street, New York, NY 10018

The ocean is rising—in more ways than one. As the planet’s largest carbon sink, economic engine, and source of life, the ocean—when healthy—can provide myriad solutions to the climate and nature challenges facing society. Yet, marine species abundance has declined by over one-third over the past half century, and 11 million metric tons of plastic waste enter our waters each year. How do we balance the needs of people and the planet and restore the health of the marine world that is vital to a peaceful and prosperous future for us all? This high-level panel will bring together corporate leaders to explore how responsible business practices can drive the blue economy forward and unlock new opportunities while addressing the dual challenge of climate change and nature loss. We’ll examine industry responses to mounting ocean challenges from climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss, spotlighting advances in Nature-Positive Ocean Pathways that allow companies to invest in and drive positive impact for both nature and people. Speakers will discuss how businesses are developing credible strategies to contribute to ocean protection and regeneration, how finance can accelerate this transformation, and what new forms of collaboration across sectors, borders, and communities are needed to unlock the ocean's full potential.

Speakers

• Johan Bergenas, Senior Vice President, Oceans, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) (moderator)
• Sheila Bonini, Senior Vice President, Private Sector Engagement, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), opening remarks
• Bridget Croke, Managing Director, Strategic Partnerships, Closed Loop Partners
• Karrie Denniston, Group Director of Sustainability, Walmart.org
• Alex Liftman, Global Environmental Executive, Bank of America
• Ingrid Reumert, Senior Vice President, Global Stakeholder Relations, Orsted

Forests, Floods, and Fever: Turning Crises Into Catalysts for a Zero Malaria World

The Langham Hotel, 400 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York

Over the past 25 years, increased funding and political will have driven historic progress in the fight against malaria—proving that elimination is possible. Yet global upticks in cases and the threat of reemergence reveal that these gains can be fragile. Climate change and deforestation now pose serious risks to “zero malaria” goals. Indigenous and remote forest communities—often on the frontlines of deforestation—face disproportionate risk. Civil society organizations like WWF are working to address these challenges through conservation’s role in prevention—integrating forest protection with surveillance and monitoring, community care, and resilience building. But the enabling conditions for innovation, intersectoral collaboration, and catalytic financing remain limited.

Moderator Andrew Revkin, award-winning environmental journalist and author, will engage a roundtable of leaders from the climate, environmental, and health sectors in a discussion of how climate and environmental risks are shaping malaria outcomes and explore strategic engagement opportunities in the lead-up to COP30 and beyond. We aim to amplify thought leadership, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and chart actionable pathways to accelerate progress toward malaria elimination in the face of the climate and environmental crises.

Roundtable: 3:30-4:30 pm
Cocktail Hour: 4:30-5:30 pm

Invitation-only. For more information, please contact Annika Terrana, Director, Forests and Health, at [email protected].

Speakers to be announced.

From Seed to Bloom: How Nature Anchors and Elevates Business

The Nature Hub, 54 W 40th Street, New York, NY 10018

L’Occitane en Provence is spearheading an event to connect with business leaders to discover how nature can become a powerful anchor and catalyst for business success. Business practitioners will explore three critical pathways: mastering nature assessment and target setting, transforming knowledge into decisive action through internal allies and operational levers, and unlocking tangible value creation from supply chain resilience to new market opportunities. WWF joins the expert panel to review frameworks and real-world business cases that demonstrate how companies can embed nature at the heart of their strategy while navigating shifting regulatory frameworks. Attendees can expect to learn about concrete tools, actionable guidance, and a strategic compass for sustaining long-term nature commitments that create value for business, ecosystems, and communities alike.

Speakers

• Martha Stevenson, Senior Director for Strategy & Research, Forests, WWF-US
• Additional speakers to be announced.

A 2030 Vision for the Climate Action Agenda at the UNFCCC

Intercontinental Times Square (300 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036)

The COP30 Presidency plans to align the COP30 action agenda with the global stocktake (GST) outcomes, as communicated in the 4th COP30 President designated Letter in June 2025. The Work Programme for the Climate High-Level Champions (CHLC) and the Marrakech Partnership (MP) for Global Climate Action for 2025,1 published in July, outlines elements for the implementation of a unified COP30 action agenda aligned with the Presidency’s letter.

This moderated panel discussion will explore how the COP30 4th Presidency Letter and the CHLC and MP 2025 work program could set a robust basis to develop a five year plan for the Global Climate Action Agenda (GCAA) to 2030 and possibly beyond (2030 Vision) aligned with the GST outcomes and process. The discussion will also comment on submissions received possibly summarized in a UNFCCC synthesis report to the call for input by the CHLC and MP on views for the development of this five year plan, to be launched by COP30.

Speakers

• Bruna Cerqueira, General Coordinator for the COP30 Presidency Action Agenda
• Cassie Flynn, Global Director of Climate Change at UNDP
• Julia Gardiner, UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) Chair
• Dan Ioschpe, COP30 Climate High-Level Champion, Brazil
• Kamal Kishore, Assistant Secretary General, Early Warning4All, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
• Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Special Envoy for Financing Sustainable Development, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP27
• Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, former COP20 President, Global Leader of Climate & Energy at WWF
• Nigel Topping, former COP26 CHLC, Co-Founder of Ambition Loop, Chair UK Climate Change Committee
• Laurence Tubiana, former COP21 CHLC, CEO of the European Climate Foundation

More info

WWF Partner Happy Hour

Join WWF experts for a happy hour in Midtown Manhattan. Drinks and light refreshments will be provided. 

For more information, please contact Helen Belmont, Senior Director, Communications, Private Sector Engagement, at [email protected].

Roots to Resilience: Seeding Women’s Leadership for a Thriving Planet

The Nest Climate Campus Javits Center North, 429 11th Ave, New York, NY 10001

Join us for an energizing networking breakfast during Climate Week, where we’ll hear from a dynamic panel of women leaders working across philanthropy, investment, public finance, and grassroots innovation—each reimagining how we finance nature and climate solutions, particularly those that are women-led. At a time that demands bold thinking and inclusive action, women are leading the charge with innovative, transformative approaches. Following a brief panel discussion, we’ll move into intimate roundtable conversations to foster deeper connections and collaboration. This is a unique opportunity to engage with inspiring women who are passionate about designing finance solutions that truly serve both people and the planet.

Speakers

• Ana Maria Loboguerrero, Director, Adaptive and Equitable Food Systems, Gates Foundation
• Ann Vaughan, Associate Vice President, CARE
• Loren Mayor, Chief Operating Officer, WWF-US
• Zainab Salbi, Co-Founder, Daughters for Earth
• Darshana Myronidis, Group Director of Sustainability, Virgin
• Naomi Morenzoni, Senior Vice President, Climate and Innovation Philanthrophy, Salesforce

Floods, Fire, and Fever: Building Resilience Through Nature and Across Sectors

The Nature Hub, 54 W 40th Street, New York, NY 10018

Millions of people live in communities at high risk of flood, fire, drought, and other climate-related extreme events that affect their health and well-being. People and nature rely on each other, and adaptation and resilience efforts should reflect this relationship. Nature supports communities, economies, and infrastructure in facing climate change while people play a vital role in restoring, managing, and protecting nature. WWF will lead a conversation that explores how scientific modeling, holistic decision-making, and cross-sector collaboration can prioritize high-risk areas and implement nature-based solutions—from forest restoration to integrated watershed management—that help communities survive shocks and thrive over time. This session will bring together panelists, including community health advocates, corporate risk managers, and insurance leaders, to share real-world examples of leveraging innovative technologies, financial mechanisms, and corporate leadership to build measurable resilience for people, businesses, and nature alike.

Speakers

• Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President for Climate, WWF-US (Moderator)
• Jennifer Chang, VP Senior Credit Officer / Global Lead for Physical Climate Risk, Moody’s
• Deborah Halberstadt, Special Advisor to the Commissioner on Biodiversity and Inclusive Insurance, California Department of Insurance
• Dr. Aysu Uygur, Senior Strategy Officer for Malaria, Gates Foundation
• David Croft, Group Head of Sustainability, Reckitt

Codex Planetarius: Transforming Global Trade

Regen House, 38 West 39th St., New York, NY

Food production is increasingly global, with 30% of all food exported. But it generates the largest environmental impact of any human activity, threatening long-term food security in the face of climate change. This session introduces Codex Planetarius, a proposed system of minimum environmental performance standards for globally traded food that aims to address these issues to create a more resilient food system. To ensure that smaller and lower income producers are not disproportionately affected, a complementary finance mechanism, The 1% Fund, is also proposed as a 1% levy on exported agricultural commodities. The session will build awareness and consensus among companies, governments and NGOs on collaboration and pilots to inform private sector, bilateral, and multilateral agreements.The session will build awareness and consensus among companies, governments and NGOs on collaboration and pilots to inform private sector, bilateral, and multilateral agreements.

Speakers

• Jason Clay, SVP, Markets & Food, WWF
• Chris Docherty, Fellow, WWF-US
• Charlie Langdale, CEO, Humanity Insured
• Gabriel Lui, Environmental Analyst, Brazilian Ministry of the Environment
• Jinal Surti, Co-Founder & CEO, Epoch

Procurement Is Power: How Subnational Actors Can Fight Deforestation

Treehouse at the Doris Duke Center, 444 Madison Ave 10th floor, New York, NY 10022

Join this invite-only discussion of efforts by state-level officials, businesses, and civil society to trace and remove illegality and unsustainability from everyday products to benefit nature, the climate, and people. US states like New York are at the forefront of these efforts. As major economic actors collectively spending over $1.8 trillion annually on goods and services, these states are considering standards to ensure their contracts don’t contribute to deforestation and abuses. This private convening, hosted by Environmental Advocates NY (EANY), National Wildlife Federation (NWF), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), will spotlight how state procurement is a strategic tool in the fight to reverse the loss of forests and support fair competition and legal trade.

We’ll use New York’s TREES Act as a case study to explore how policy, state agency action, and investor pressure can align to prevent tropical deforestation-linked products from entering public supply chains. New York leaders will discuss lessons learned, pitfalls, wins, and opportunities in the lead-up to COP30 and beyond. This gathering will drive cross-sector dialogue, mobilize public and private actors, and catalyze future steps toward state-level climate solutions rooted in natural ecosystems.

Speakers

• Vanessa Fajans-Turner, Executive Director, Environmental Advocates NY (Moderator)
• Emily Moberg, Senior Director, Markets Institute, WWF-US
• Alfred Lahai Gbabai Brownell, Sr., President, Global Climate Legal Defense (CLiDeF)
• Mary Beth Gallagher, Director of Engagement, Domini Impact Investments LLC