New York Climate Week: uniting to drive climate action
Each year some of the most influential leaders from business, government, and the climate community are brought together in New York to discuss how to address climate change. But most importantly, how to drive climate action. Fast. One of the best ways to achieve a goal is to not be the only one working towards it. That is why collaboration is key for bringing about the change we need. Especially when it’s urgent.
A global study, done together with GlobeScan and involving 18,000 participants in 19 markets across North America, Asia Pacific and Europe, reveals that 34% of consumers are in favour of banning internal combustion engine (ICE) cars by 2030. A number that rises to 47% when a 2035 deadline is proposed. But despite the fact that one third of consumers support a ban of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 (or earlier), both policy and the car industry lags behind.
About eighty million new cars are produced yearly, yet only 1.5% of the cars found on the roads today are electric. To meet the demands of both the planet and the people, it’s obvious that a change is needed.
Since collaboration is key when driving change, Polestar attended New York Climate Week to meet with decision makers, NGOs, businesses, and consumers who are working on mitigating climate impact. Polestar’s own Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability, joined a media roundtable with Hertz, Bloomberg and Green biz, among others. She also made several keynote speeches and panel discussions, with the We Don't Have Time panel discussion being streamed to 11 million people globally.
‘’It is of great value to meet others with the same ambitions as us” says Klarén. “Climate action is a complex issue, and greenwashing coupled with non-transparency makes it hard to understand what is really going on and what actually works. New York Climate Week is a time and a place where we can meet in person to listen and learn from companies and organizations who share our agenda. It is perfect for exchanging experiences and building new alliances.’’
‘’It is evident that we must speed up the shift from ICEs to EVs and the discussions we had in New York further confirmed that this is what consumers want,” she continues. “New York Climate Week is an important stepping stone on the road to COP27 where we will continue to share our key messages with the world.’’
Polestar’s messages are clear. We need more EVs on the roads, thoroughly de-carbonized supply chains, and more renewable energy. Now. And the one and only way to achieve it all is through transparency, collaboration, commitment, and action.
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At COP26 last year, Polestar’s climate goals were set in stone. We also invited other car brands to take action and join us on our mission towards climate neutrality. A lot was said at the conference, but unfortunately, not much was done. The only thing that was set in stone by our industry was silence. We’re hoping more will break that silence this year.
“With just 1.5% of the vehicles on the road being electric today, it is clear we are living in an EV bubble, not an EV boom,” states Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath. “This decade is the most critical we have ever faced when it comes to not overshooting the Paris agreement. We need governments to lead the charge with robust policies, both on infrastructure and addressing electricity prices so that drivers can confidently go electric, but more importantly, car makers must act now and not wait for policy changes.”
Commitment, collaboration, and action equal change. And to accelerate our journey towards climate neutrality, change is key. It is time to break the silence and act before it is too late.
