CCAC at New York Climate Week – Day 1

by Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) - 22 September, 2026

New York Climate Week 2026 is underway, bringing governments, business, civil society and the wider climate community together alongside the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. Against a backdrop of growing urgency to deliver faster climate action this decade, CCAC opened the week by putting the focus on practical action on super pollutants, and the partnerships needed to translate ambition into results.

Monday’s programme spanned clean air, business leadership and subnational action, while strengthening partnerships and building momentum towards COP31 in Antalya.

Strengthening cooperation on clean air

CCAC Head of Secretariat Martina Otto met with South Africa’s new Minister of Environment and fellow members of the Our Common Air Commission to discuss opportunities to strengthen cooperation on clean air and super pollutants.

Caption: CCAC Head of Secretariat Martina Otto meets with South Africa’s Minister of Environment and members of the Our Common Air Commission during New York Climate Week.

Our Common Air brings together leaders from government, science, health, finance and civil society to elevate clean air as a global political and development priority. The meeting provided an opportunity to connect this wider agenda with CCAC’s work on super pollutants, including the economic, health and development benefits of integrated climate and clean air action, and to discuss closer collaboration with South Africa towards COP31 and beyond.

Accelerating business leadership on air pollution

A UNEP–UN Global Compact roundtable brought together leaders from government, business and finance to explore how to strengthen private sector leadership on air pollution.

The discussion was opened by Martina Otto and UN Global Compact’s Tolulope Lewis Tamoka, with participants including CCAC Co-Chair and Brazil’s National Secretary of Urban Environment, Water Resources and Environmental Quality Adalberto Maluf, Japan’s Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs Takeshi Sekiya, World Bank Environment Director Valerie Hickey, and representatives from ReNew and Amazon.

Caption: Government, business and finance leaders discuss opportunities to strengthen private sector leadership on air pollution at a UNEP–UN Global Compact roundtable.

The discussion explored how air pollution can be more systematically integrated into corporate strategies and decision-making, including through improved measurement and reporting, action across value chains and greater mobilisation of private investment.

CALL-OUT

Every US$1 invested in integrated climate and clean air action can generate around US$15 in benefits.

UNEP–CCAC Hidden Assets assessment

The new UNEP–CCAC Hidden Assets assessment helped frame the economic case for action. The discussion underscored the opportunity to shift the way clean air is viewed, from an environmental cost to an economic and development opportunity, and highlighted the important role of business in translating this case into action at scale.

Turning local action into global results

CCAC and Climate Group also convened The Super Pollutant Sprint: Local Action, Global Results, bringing together national and subnational leaders to share experiences of turning commitments on super pollutants into implementation.

Moderated by Martina Otto, the discussion brought together Rwanda’s Minister of Environment Dr Bernadette Arakwiye, Jalisco Secretary of Environment and Territorial Development Paola Bauche Petersen, and PCI Institute Executive Director Richard Smith from Mato Grosso.

Caption: National and subnational leaders share experiences of turning commitments on super pollutants into implementation

The discussion highlighted the critical role of subnational governments in delivering action on methane and air pollution, with policies translating directly into benefits for climate, public health, economic development and local communities.

Speakers explored how stronger cooperation across levels of government, together with support from international partners, finance and philanthropy, can help scale successful approaches.

The event concluded with a celebration of Catalonia joining Climate Group’s Subnational Methane Action Coalition, further strengthening the network of subnational governments working to accelerate methane action.

Coming up

Tuesday

Tuesday puts cooling and methane firmly in focus. The Cool House will mark the approaching tenth anniversary of the Kigali Amendment, looking back at a decade of progress and ahead to the next chapter of action on sustainable cooling, with Martina joining the opening plenary.

Later in the day, attention turns to accelerating methane solutions, alongside the Super Pollutants Communications Mixer, bringing together communications and advocacy partners working to strengthen the global narrative around super pollutant action.

Wednesday

Rwanda will lead the high-level launch of the Friends of the Kigali Amendment, bringing governments and partners together to renew political momentum around implementation of the Kigali Amendment, sustainable cooling and the next decade of action.

Thursday

Thursday will bring a strong focus on methane and implementation, including Global Methane Day and the COP31 Presidency’s Climate Implementation Bridge, alongside discussions on agricultural and fossil fuel methane and opportunities to accelerate delivery towards 2030.

With Climate Week only just getting underway, the days ahead provide an important opportunity to connect the growing political, economic and development case for action on super pollutants with the partnerships and practical solutions needed to accelerate implementation. We’ll continue to share highlights from New York as the week unfolds.