London Climate Action Week (LCAW) has become a flurry of events. One of the Weeks’s founders Nick Mabey noted that the event has doubled in size this year compared to last. But does bigger not always equal better? Amongst thousands of events spread across the radius of London, how do you find the meaningful connections, the rigorous debate, the innovation and newest developments? In a London Climate Action Week punctuated by record-breaking hot temperatures, how do you find the climate diamond in the rough?

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The answer: You get by with a little help from your friends!  

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One Carbon World has over recent years being an active participant at the Climate Innovation Forum (CIF), one of the premium gathering spaces at the beautiful iconic London Guildhall. This year the CIF has expanded to include dedicated stages for nature, waste/circular economy etc, which I thought helped create smaller, sector specific spaces for engagement. This year the CIF also featured important interventions from Al Gore, a lifelong leading climate advocate, and the UN Secretary General, who made it to London. Both speeches highlight the importance of the CIF as a platform for senior engagement and messaging, noting that both of these speeches made headlines in the UK, something that we should continue to be prioritising at a time where climate action is at times relegated to the second pages.  

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In the margins of the CIF there were also important but more intimate events around how to grow and scale the forest -based carbon markets, and work to showcase and discuss some of the recent developments in climate standards (including from the British Standards Institute/ISO event to  mark the launch of the public consultation for the world’s first ISO net zero standard (ISO 14060), and much coverage of the just-released SBTi Corporate Net Zero standard v2.0. There is a lot of diverse commentary online about this, if you care to learn more.

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And with huge thanks to our friends at Lincoln & York, One Carbon World were pleased to share our experience at the inaugural C20 Coffee Sustainability event in Camden. We were able to profile and share our work with partners across coffee-producing countries (Kenya and Ecuador) on how to build their emissions measurement and carbon management capabilities. This includes our longstanding collaboration with our friends at SASINI PLC in Kenya, who are helping demonstrate how robust emissions data can support both sustainability goals and business decision-making.

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The discussion highlighted the significant advances made in recent years in the methods and tools for measuring land-based emissions. As these approaches continue to evolve, businesses have greater opportunities to understand their environmental impacts and identify pathways towards climate action. We explored how emissions measurement can build valuable business intelligence, strengthen climate resilience, and enhance brand recognition.  

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The C20 was also the vibes LCAW should be seeking to create- a diverse group, brought together around a shared agenda, bringing perspectives from the local to the global, across the supply chain. We covered the coffee bean, the milk, the cups, the machines, and the water quality that all go into making your perfect cup.

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This is what climate week should be about - learning new things, connecting across sectors and best practice, speaking honestly about challenges, encouraging everyone to learn and take steps. Without curated attendee lists and planted questions. It’s what London does best - strength in our diversity.