From New York to Action: Three Levers for Impact
New partnerships and initiatives announced during UNGA and Climate Week NYC strengthen our networks to mobilise capital, collaborate across sectors and build sustainable markets through public-private partnerships.
Last week, New York was abuzz with impactful dialogues, new partnerships, and tangible outcomes. Impact Week New York brought a clear message: solutions are ready, but scaling them requires capital, coordinated sectors and stronger markets.
Across the week, at our Impact Hub and our World Climate Summit: New York, World Climate Foundation (WCF) announced new partnerships and initiatives designed to advance three levers for systemic impact. As World Climate Foundation CEO, Jens Nielsen, described it:
“Capital needs sectors ready to absorb investment, sector transformation needs capital, and both need the market conditions that allow solutions to scale globally.”
CAPITAL MOBILISATION
Connecting capital with solutions
How do we get more capital behind solutions that are ready to grow?
Capital mobilisation is a multifaceted challenge requiring targeted partnerships and elevated platforms.
WCF proudly announced new work with the EAC Foundation and Grundfos Foundation to establish a platform connecting philanthropic and catalytic capital with larger pools of investment.
The initiative builds on our network’s capital mobilisation work through efforts like the Climate Investment Coalition and the Investment Mobilisation Collaboration Alliance (IMCA), which we are part of.
The goal is straightforward: bring different sources of capital closer together, use catalytic funding where it can unlock investment, and help more capital reach climate, nature and sustainable development opportunities.
SECTOR TRANSFORMATION
No company can transform a sector alone.
WCF and the UNFCCC Climate Champions Team were happy to announce a new partnership to accelerate coordinated action across key sectors in terms of coalition building, the Action Agenda, and measuring outcomes towards the Global Stocktake in 2028. Lisa Larsen, Executive Director, Climate Champions Team, explained that we share an approach to systemic change and are excited for the partnership.
Beginning with the energy, food and cities sectors, the partnership will bring business, finance, and government together around the conditions needed to scale solutions – building on our existing work with coalitions and the Action Agenda launched during COP30 last year, this collaboration strengthens the ties to advance sectors towards a resilient and sustainable future.
MARKET BUILDING
Creating the conditions for solutions to scale
Scaling solutions requires more than capital. It also depends on strong market demand, clear policy signals and the right partnerships to turn investment opportunities into projects and implementation.
“We are not lacking proof of concept, but we are lacking the market conditions, demand signals and enabling policy.”
WCF brings business, finance and government together to address these market barriers – connecting investment opportunities with demand, policy and the partnerships needed for deployment.
Market building will be a key focus across the next two major convenings in our 2026 Roadmap, in Yerevan and Antalya, with a focus on investment, public-private collaboration and stronger markets across nature and climate.
NEXT: YEREVAN AND ANTALYA
The work now moves from New York to Yerevan for CBD COP17, followed by Antalya for COP31.
Yerevan | CBD COP17 | 19–30 October
During Impact Week Yerevan, WCF and our network will connect nature with the investment, business leadership and partnerships needed to build stronger nature-positive markets.
On 23 October, WCF will host the World Biodiversity Summit, in collaboration with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) Hive, and a dedicated leadership dinner. Together, these engagements will focus on the investments, partnerships and market development needed to advance a nature-positive economy.
Antalya | COP31 | 9–20 November
At COP31 in Antalya, WCF will deliver a series of major convenings and activations across the COP ecosystem under our umbrella, Impact Weeks Antalya (9-20 November).
The Implementation Hub in the Blue Zone, together with Sustainable Business COP (SBCOP) and the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI), will provide a dedicated platform for sector collaboration and practical delivery aligned with the COP31 Action Agenda. “
We already know what needs to be done, and the private sector needs to engage. We will help that in Antalya,” said Ricardo Mussa, CEO and Partner, SBCOP
WCF will also convene with the Zero Waste Foundation in the Blue Zone; bring finance leaders together through The Investment COP with the Milken Institute and global financial networks; and host our 17th World Climate Summit on 15 November, uniting C-suite executives, institutional investors, and multilateral actors to accelerate delivery at scale.
Throughout COP31, the WCF Hotel Hub will provide a dedicated home for the WCF community, creating space for high-level meetings, partner engagements and bilateral conversations, and opportunities for climate leaders to join.
The final quarter of our global roadmap is here, and we look forward to advancing the momentum with our network. We welcome you to join us.
