Listen to this Sliced essay on any of the streaming platforms below.
Written by: Jay Tipton
Because I’ll be at New York Climate Week (NYCW) next week, there won’t be a Sliced essay next Tuesday. Instead, I’ve released two Sliced this week – the Tuesday edition featuring our recent podcast episode: “Turning Nature Data into Business Strategy with Sebastian Leape” and this edition.
Like most people attending NYCW, I’ve got a packed schedule while I’m there. That said, if you’ll be in the city too and would like to connect, please send me an email at jtipton@gordianknotstrategies.com.
Since I work primarily remotely, I genuinely value these moments of gathering with the climate and environmental community in person. It’s not just about networking – it’s motivating. Being surrounded by people who care deeply about these issues always leaves me re-energized for the months ahead.
As I’ve been preparing for the trip, I’ve been reflecting on NYCW itself such as its history, its role in the broader climate conversation, and some of the things I hope we’ll see come out of this year’s edition. Started back in 2009 alongside the UN General Assembly, NYCW has grown into one of the world’s biggest annual climate gatherings. It’s no longer just about panels and pledges, but also a stage for announcements, alliances, and financial commitments.
For me, it’s also an important litmus test – where are we actually making progress, and where are we still talking in circles?
One area I’ll be watching closely is carbon markets, especially the voluntary carbon market (VCM). Demand for high-quality carbon credits is growing, but credibility and integrity are still in question. My hope is that NYCW brings some clarity and confidence with more demand signals, stronger guardrails, and genuine commitments to scale.
I’ll also be looking for resistance to the current political headwinds. The current U.S. administration’s onslaught on climate science, regulation, and environmental protections is impossible to ignore. In that context, NYCW has the potential to serve as a counterweight and create a space where business leaders, NGOs, scientists, investors, cities, and communities double down on ambition rather than retreat.
Another area that deserves more airtime is adaptation. Too often, headlines are dominated by clean energy and carbon cuts. Of course those are vital, but adaptation – how communities actually cope with rising seas, intensifying heat, and spreading wildfires – needs much more attention and funding. I’d like to see serious conversations about scaling adaptation finance and embedding it into every investment decision.
At the same time, I hope to see more announcements on financial flows to vulnerable countries and communities. Many annual financial pledges continue to remain unmet, and new funds are still forming. NYCW can’t solve those gaps, but it can help keep pressure on wealthy nations and mobilize private finance to fill in where public money falls short.
There are other things on my wish list including:
1) discussions on stronger alignment between financial institutions and net-zero pathways
2) progress on nature-based solutions beyond forests, like wetlands and grasslands
3) conversations about creative uses of blended finance to unlock private capital at scale
A few credible commitments in these areas would go down as a win in my book!
Ultimately, what excites me most about NYCW is the mix of people it brings together in the same city, often in the same room. That combination has real power. My hope is that the week doesn’t just produce press releases, but sparks collaborations and commitments that carry into 2026 and beyond. The stakes are too high for anything less.
If you’re attending NYCW, what are you hoping to see? Drop me a note!
At Gordian Knot Strategies, we’re committed to making climate finance smarter and faster by fixing the broken screening process. That’s why we built Traro, a platform designed to help investors triage opportunities with clarity, consistency, and confidence.
If you’d like to dive deeper into best practices, download our free guide – Smarter Climate Investing: 7 Strategic Filters Before Your First Impact Dollar.
And if your organization is interested in seeing Traro in action, we’d love to show you how it works. Request a demo here: traro@gordianknotstrategies.com
There’s no cost to access the guide or the demo – our goal is to equip more investors with tools that unlock real climate impact.
We’re building a global database of impact investors to help mobilize $1 billion annually in climate finance by 2030. If your organization is interested in funding climate or environmental projects, we invite you to fill out our Impact Investor Information Form. Your contact details will remain confidential, and we’ll only connect you with aligned opportunities. There is no fee to participate.
To access the form click here.
Interested in connecting with us on climate finance, impact investment, climate solutions strategy, or carbon credit development and commercialization?
Book a 30-minute conversation with Gordian Knot Strategies here to discuss how we can support your goals.
Disclaimer: Hi there, you are receiving this update from Gordian Knot Strategies based on your previous engagement with us in some capacity. If you wish to unsubscribe, please use the link below, and we promise you that your contact details will be permanently removed from our distribution list. Thanks!
Want to unsubscribe?
Click here.
Want to receive the Sliced weekly dispatch?
Click here.
If you want to see more of our content, check out our monthly newsletter, Virtus.
Click here.
