From the 20-27th September, New York will be hosting the world’s largest annual climate gathering. Multiple days of discussions and talks will bring together hundreds of climate experts and industry professionals for what is one of few opportunities for a global cross-sector conversation.
This year’s event is all about ‘implementation’, with a focus on how we update outdated regulations, address infrastructure constraints, and align markets with sustainability objectives to remove barriers and deliver change at speed and scale. These themes are highly relevant to tropical timber-producing countries, where strengthening forest governance and improving market recognition for robust national forestry systems are important in ensuring sustainable development.
The key themes and agenda for Climate Week New York City 2026
Talks span a range of sectors, from energy to food, leadership and green growth to transport and industry. Three key flagship sessions will cover:
- The challenge: Navigating a world in flux – discussing how we implement change at pace and scale in a constantly changing world
- The choice: Committing to competitive pathways – how do we decide how to focus our efforts and power
- The opportunity: Who leads, who wins – how we turn momentum into reliable and resilient advantage/change
Why CWNYC matters for sustainable forestry and the BMRC
Share – BMRC members continue to look for ways to achieve better access to timber markets worldwide, and our work is now also focussed on ‘implementation’. Tropical timber producers face a range of challenges, from combatting illegal logging to balancing the needs of a wide variety of stakeholders, all whilst navigating complex sustainable forestry standards. But as a result, the sector is leading the way in areas such as implementation of monitoring and reporting techniques, a good example being Indonesia’s Integrated Digital Systems for Accountability, which plays a crucial role in establishing traceability, legality, and sustainability in Indonesia’s forestry sector. CWNYC offers a great opportunity to share our progress and the methods used by the tropical timber sector
Learn – Tropical timber is a globally traded natural resource that supports the livelihoods and economic development across many countries. As a result, the sector is inextricably linked to other sectors and the broader conversations being had at CWNYC, from the transportation of goods to ecosystem health and human wellbeing. CWNYC provides a valuable chance to gain a strategic understanding of market shifts and regulatory changes that may affect tropical timber, while also offering insight into how other sectors approach implementation challenges.
Converse – As the BMRC seeks to incentivise good forest governance by promoting its members’ National Forestry Systems, representation at and engagement in conversations of this scale are particularly valuable, especially as more countries introduce import controls and strengthen procurement policies. Participating in these discussions can help to raise the profile of the BMRC, spread the word about what we are doing, help BMRC members anticipate regulatory change, and contribute to an evolving policy landscape that supports sustainable tropical timber.
How can you engage with CWNYC?
Even if you’re not in New York in person this week, you can still get involved. Many of the sessions are live streamed and recorded, along with regular updates on social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook).
In addition to three key flagship discussions, there are many other talks, discussions and panels covering a range of topics. Here are some that are especially relevant to BMRC members.
- The age of permacrisis: how can governments keep up? – Amid interconnected threats, from climate shocks and geopolitical instability to supply-chain disruption, this session examines how governments can build resilience in an age of permacrisis.
- Where capital goes next: the choices shaping the transition economy – The pool of finance supporting the transition economy is under pressure. How do we keep finance flowing to the areas that need it most and where it can be most effective despite competing demands and interests.
- Not one ‘why’ but many – why communities are demanding action – Exploring the complexity of the case for action, how the case for ‘why’ has changed from ‘to keep temperatures below 1.5C’, to the varied and more personal demands of different communities.
- The Food Forum: building resilient food systems for planet and profit – How we can improve resilience, traceability and reduce waste in the food system, while supporting affordability and long-term competitiveness.
- Hiding in plain sight: the conventional materials that will scale the clean economy – This session explores how to scale supply, build market confidence, and accelerate the adoption of low-carbon materials while ensuring supply chain resilience.
- Climate as growth: how to communicate opportunity, not cost – How can we communicate the opportunities presented by climate change effectively. Exploring how to translate complex climate data into actionable, credible narratives, mobilise stakeholders and create measurable ROI.
CWNYC is a great opportunity to get involved in the wider climate change conversation. If you have any learnings, questions, or insights from the event, please share them with fellow BMRC members via social media tagging our LinkedIn, or with us at bmrc@forestgovernance.org.
