PWH at UNGA and Climate Week

Marking the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, Perry World House hosted two major conversations at the margins of the UN General Assembly and Climate Week. They explored the legacy of this treaty and the evolving challenges shaping the future of climate action.

Led by the Penn International Climate Observatory (PICO), an expert discussion focused on The Changing Geopolitics of Climate and drew a packed room of experts to examine how the global landscape for climate policy has shifted since the Paris Agreement was adopted. It underscored the need for a recalibration of climate strategy that responds to geopolitical competition and weaker multilateral structures. Participants also emphasized the need to link climate action more closely to socio-economic security, especially at the local level. Some thought that extreme weather events with cascading economic impacts would drive action. Others discussed how new forms of climate cooperation—through subnational networks, bilateral and trilateral partnerships, as well as knowledge sharing platforms and unexpected grassroots collaborations were emerging in response to new risks and tensions. Participants also highlighted how entrenched fossil fuel interests and geopolitical tensions, particularly over trade with China, were complicating the energy transition.