A look back at the London Climate Action Week

Last month, London once again hosted London Climate Action Week, bringing together thousands of people working to tackle the climate crisis. Every June, the city becomes a hub for hundreds of events covering topics from climate finance to community action. But beyond the packed programme, the week's greatest value lies in bringing the global climate movement together.

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from the left: Al Gore and Mary Robinson in conversation, meeting of the Branch and Climate Reality Leaders, Climate Reality Leaders during the 20th anniversary event at London Climate Action Week

At a time when international climate leadership is facing growing uncertainty and the United States government takes an actively opposing stance, opportunities to connect, exchange ideas and build new partnerships are more important than ever.

Climate Reality Europe was represented throughout the week by Branch Manager Gosia Rychlik, Northern Europe Regional Organizer Shooka Bidarian, and members of our London Climate Hub, who joined discussions and connected with organisations working across climate policy, finance and grassroots action. Here you can read a note about the week by Versha Jones, London Hub Leader.

A particular highlight of the week was our 20th anniversary event, "An Inconvenient Truth: Then and Now," bringing together Al Gore, Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and Will Attenborough, actor and founder of Green Rider. Looking back nearly 20 years after An Inconvenient Truth helped transform public awareness of the climate crisis, the conversation explored how climate science, communication and public engagement have evolved since then. Al Gore and Mary Robinson also reflected on their own roles in shaping international climate negotiations and their continued efforts to push for more ambitious climate action. While the discussion acknowledged the urgency of a rapidly changing climate - made all the more tangible by the heatwave outside - it also highlighted the remarkable progress made in clean energy, technology and public support for climate action, leaving us with a sense of cautious optimism about what is still possible.

As part of Earthfest, one of the events taking place during London Climate Action Week, Shooka Bidarian gave a presentation on climate finance and the work of Climate Reality Europe, highlighting why shifting financial flows away from fossil fuels is essential for accelerating the clean energy transition. We also attended a panel on advancing climate action in the finance sector organized by our host organisation, Urgewald, where representatives from major financial institutions discussed both the progress made and the challenges that remain in moving away from fossil fuel investments. If you'd like to learn more, visit Banking on Climate Chaos report, with contributions from Urgewald.

This year's London Climate Action Week unfolded during an intense heatwave, with some outdoor events cancelled because of extreme temperatures. It was a timely reminder that climate change is no longer a distant threat - it is already affecting our cities and communities.

London is a fitting place for these conversations. The city has set climate targets on net zero, clean transport and air quality, while its position as one of the world's leading financial centres makes it an ideal place to discuss how policy, finance and civil society can work together to drive climate action.

For Climate Reality Europe, the week was a valuable opportunity to reconnect with partners, share our work, and bring new ideas back to our growing network of Climate Reality Leaders and Hubs across Europe.