New York Climate Week took place in late September 2026, more than six months into the crisis in the Middle East. Policymakers around the world continue to face a stark choice in how they address the fossil fuel crisis: continue applying short-term sticking plasters or take proactive action to enhance energy security and resilience.
In June 2026 GGI published a 10-point plan outlining how countries can respond to the energy price shock through electricity grid optimisation.
GGI will take this flagship report into a programme of high-level roundtables with government ministers, private investors and civil society.
These roundtables will cover:
– Grid optimisation
– Grid finance
– Integration of renewable energy and EVs
– Maximising flexibility
Contact dariok@green-grids.org to arrange interviews with GGI spokespeople who can provide expert commentary on:
- Rapid measures to optimise grids that will help protect consumers from spikes in fossil fuel prices
- Technical challenges and solutions to enable grids to meet surging demand from AI and air conditioning
- How to overcome high levels of congestion on grids that currently means huge amounts of solar and wind energy cannot be used - threatening affordability, energy security and climate goals
On 23 September the UN launched the Global Grids Accelerator.
GGI’s full reaction can be found here.
Wednesday 23 September
08:45–10:30 ET – Arup, 140 Broadway
Hosted by GGI, IRENA, UNEZA and Arup, this session of the Coordinating Council for the Acceleration of Expansion and Resilience of Grids convened senior industry and country representatives in preparation for COP31. It will cover how to deliver energy security and minimise consumer costs through grid optimisation and flexibility. The Coordinating Council was established by the Brazilian government during its COP30 Presidency. It is the central forum for aligning global efforts on grid expansion and resilience. Established under the COP30 Action Agenda, it brings together over 20 organisations from across the international grids ecosystem (including the IEA, OECD, IRENA, UNEZA, the Inter-American Development Bank and the African Development Bank). GGI serves as lead and Secretariat of the Coordinating Council.
Wednesday 23 September
13:00–15:00 ET – United Nations
Organised by the United Nations the discussion highlighted the investments, policies and partnerships needed to scale up renewable energy deployment, expand and modernise grids, accelerate storage and flexibility solutions, electrify industry, and encourage faster uptake of electrification of end-uses.
The session focused on the concrete actions needed to unlock grid investment and accelerate grid deployment at scale in emerging and developing countries.
Wednesday 23 September
15:00–17:00 ET – Accenture, One Manhattan West
Organised by GGI, REN21, FIA Foundation, SLOCAT, UITP, with support from the Climate Champions Team, this roundtable made progress on a practical solutions roadmap that moves from diagnosing the disconnect between transport and energy planning to identifying how that gap can be closed politically and institutionally.
Thursday 24 September
13:15–14:30 ET – United Nations
Organised by the COP31 Presidency of Turkiye this event provided an opportunity to present progress in the design and operationalisation of BRIDGE, introduce its emerging framework and implementation approach, and hear perspectives from the first cohort of participating countries. It convened leaders from governments, multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, climate funds, investors, private sector organisations, international organisations and other strategic partners to discuss how existing institutions, financing mechanism and implementation platforms can work more effectively together to accelerate country-led climate action.
Friday 24 September
09:00–11:00 ET – Hudson Yards
Organised by COP30 Presidency, COP31 Presidency, Climate High Level Champions, and Marrakech Partnership this roundtable advanced the delivery of the outcomes supporting COP31 priority under Axis 6, the Climate Implementation BRIDGE, building on the Plans to Accelerate Solutions present in the Global Climate Action Agenda.
