Eco-Convocation Features Dozens of Lower Manhattan Events
The 2026 edition of Climate Week NYC, a green confab that seeks to spur climate action by bringing together leaders from the worlds of business, politics, and media, kicks off this weekend, and will offer dozens of opportunities to think globally while interacting locally. Organized every year in coordination with the United Nations General Assembly, Climate Week NYC offers a multitude of free events that range from technical discussions of clean energy implementation to parades, performances, and participatory workshops. Below, a selective guide. For comprehensive information and a map of dozens of events in Lower Manhattan, and more than 1,000 events around the five boroughs, click here.
Saturday (September 19), 11am-5pm
Governors Island
Preciously, the Planet: Plastic & Clothing Upcycling Workshop
A circular design workshop featuring plastic reclamation demos and a clothing upcycling workshop.
Saturday (September 19), 4pm-5pm
The Battery (meet at the SeaGlass Carousel)
Community Science: Pollinator Diversity Walk
Cornell University’s Aaron Sexton walk through the gardens, focused on bees, wasps, butterflies, flies, and other pollinators still active among the flowers.
Sunday (September 20), 11am-4pm
Governors Island
Eco Arts Festival
Live dance performances and workshops in paper making, weaving with recycled fabrics, and eating edible insects.
Monday (September 21), 2pm-8pm
South Street Seaport Museum
The Ocean Awakens Conference
A half-day public focused on plastics and their cascading impacts on health, biodiversity, and climate – featuring lively panel discussions, short screenings, and a networking reception.
Tuesday (September 22), 9am-5pm
Wagner Park Pavilion
Climate Resilience Institute Symposium
A day of conversations, open to all, exploring how research, innovation, and real-world partnerships are building stronger coastal communities through nature-based infrastructure.
Wednesday (September 23), 4pm-6pm
Governors Island, Taco Vista
Climate Trivia & Happy Hour
Competitive eco-knowledge will be gauged by Green Apple Trivia. Cash bar with food available for purchase.
Wednesday (September 23), starting at 6pm
South Street Seaport Museum
Climate Film Festival
Screening of three documentaries: “Between Moon Tides” (citizen scientists in New England struggle to save the Saltmarsh Sparrow from extinction); “Refuge Keepers” (fishermen and conservationists Mexico seek to create a pioneering marine refuge); and “Holdfast Together: Keepers of California’s Kelp” (activists seek to rebuild the once-thriving kelp forests off the coast of North California).
Thursday (September 24), 2pm-3:30pm
New York Academy of Sciences, 115 Broadway
Youth Climate Case Japan – An International Youth Dialogue
In Japan’s first youth climate lawsuit, 17 young plaintiffs are asking the Nagoya District Court to require 10 major electric utilities, whose emissions account for approximately 30% of Japan’s total CO₂ emissions, to make science-aligned reductions consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. At this youth-led event, three Japanese plaintiffs will share why they chose to take legal action and how the climate crisis is affecting their lives. Drawing on exchanges with other young plaintiffs from the United States and Korea, the panel will explore corporate climate accountability, young people’s rights, and the role of climate litigation in accelerating action.
Thursday (September 24), 8pm
Beyond Planting Trees: Designing the Urban Forest as Climate Infrastructure
WXY Studio, 25 Park Place, 5th floor
As cities confront rising temperatures, extreme rainfall, and widening environmental inequities, urban forests are increasingly understood as essential climate infrastructure. Yet expanding tree canopy at a citywide scale requires far more than planting trees. It demands new forms of collaboration across government, communities, designers, scientists, property owners, and the organizations responsible for long-term stewardship. Using New York City’s Urban Forest Plan as a point of departure, this conversation will explore what it takes to transform an ambitious citywide vision into action.
Friday (September 25), 8:30am- 1am
Wagner Park Pavilion
Preparing For The Future – At The Water’s Edge: Resiliency For Lower Manhattan
A panel discussion and guided walking tour exploring how Lower Manhattan is preparing for climate change, coastal storms, and rising seas.