The Decline of Climate Week NYC Shows the Net Zero Dream is Dying

The absence of any major global leaders speaks volumes

As New York City hosts Climate Week NYC and the Global Renewables Summit 2025 this week with much fanfare, the absence of major global leaders at these events speaks volumes. Dubbed by its organisers as “the world’s largest climate event” alongside the annual UN General Assembly, it boasts over 1,000 events and a theme of 'Power On' to rally climate action. Sixteen years after its first 'climate week' in 2009, the event is meant to represent a high profile gathering of senior representatives of government, business and NGOs to provide momentum for the upcoming UN climate change conference in Brazil (COP30) in November.

Yet the guest list tells a different story: only three heads of state of relatively minor countries — Kenya’s President William Ruto, the Bahamas’ Prime Minister Philip Davis and Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne — are confirmed. This is a far cry from the global heavyweight presence one might expect. The unelected Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and Brussels’s chief green cheerleader, is also expected to attend.