Penn Institute for Urban Research Brings Urban Climate Finance and Governance to Climate Week NYC 2026

The Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) is joining leaders from cities, universities, international organizations, finance, and the private sector for Climate Week NYC 2026, contributing to a week of discussions focused on how cities can finance and implement a more resilient, equitable, and low-carbon future.

Penn IUR’s participation builds on its role as Secretariat of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance, a global initiative working to increase cities’ access to financing for sustainable and climate-resilient development. Launched in 2023, the Commission is co-chaired by Anne Hidalgo, former Mayor of Paris; Eduardo Paes, former Mayor of Rio de Janeiro; and Jeffrey Sachs, President of SDSN, and brings together mayors, finance and climate experts, city networks, practitioners, and scholars.

Across Climate Week, Penn IUR will convene discussions on urban climate finance and governance while its scholars and fellows contribute to events examining the built environment, planetary health, climate science, energy investment, and resilience.

A centerpiece of the week is the Plenary Meeting of the SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance, hosted by Penn IUR on Tuesday, September 22, at Milbank in Hudson Yards. The meeting advances the Commission’s work to identify and address the structural barriers that prevent cities—particularly those in emerging and developing economies—from accessing the capital needed for resilient infrastructure and sustainable development. The University of Pennsylvania hosts the Commission’s Secretariat through Penn IUR.

Also participating throughout the week is Stephen Hammer, Senior Fellow in Climate Finance, whose joint appointment spans Penn IUR, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, and Perry World House. Hammer brings more than three decades of experience in climate policy and finance, including senior roles at the World Bank, where he worked on international climate strategy and helped establish initiatives including the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action and the City Climate Finance Leadership Alliance. 

Penn IUR’s Climate Week activities include:

Friday, September 18 — Philadelphia

• 9:30–10:30 a.m. — Bridging Global Diplomacy and Planetary Health, Perry World House
• 2:00–3:30 p.m. — Built Environment: Urban Design, Heat Mitigation & Infrastructure, Perry World House 

Sunday, September 20 — New York

• 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. — Cities That Deliver: Affordability, Belonging, and a More Just Urban Future, Urban 20 Public Conference (invite only)

Tuesday, September 22 — New York and Philadelphia

• 8:00–9:30 a.m. — The IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change, Grace Building, New York
• 8:00–10:00 a.m. — Launch: University of Miami’s Resilience Finance Lab, Climate Resilience Institute/BlackRock, Hudson Yards
• 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. — Penn IUR hosts: Plenary Meeting of the SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance, Milbank, Hudson Yards
• 2:00–4:30 p.m. — Penn IUR hosts: Building Resilience Together: Partnerships for Climate Finance and Governance in Rio Grande do Sul, with CoalizãoRS, NYU Wagner School of Public Service
• 5:00–8:00 p.m. — The New Investment Map: Competitiveness, Climate Resilience, and the Future of Clean Energy Investment, Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, Philadelphia

Wednesday, September 23 — New York

• 1:00–3:00 p.m. — Penn IUR hosts: Trade and Domestic Revenue Impacts of the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, with Penn Climate, Penn Club of New York
• 3:30–5:30 p.m. — Climate Leadership and Health: Bridging Global Diplomacy and Planetary Health Realities, Penn Club of New York
• 6:00–9:00 p.m. — Perry World House Reception, Penn Club of New York

Thursday, September 24 - New York

• 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. — Penn IUR hosts: Business Risks and Opportunities in a World Beyond 1.5: A Dialogue Between Scientists and Business Professionals, with UNEP and Penn Climate

Friday, September 25 — Philadelphia

• 12:00–1:00 p.m. — The Road from Belém to Antalya: Reflections on Brazil’s COP Presidency and the Path Ahead, Kleinman Center Energy Forum

These events reflect a central focus of Penn IUR’s climate work to connect research with the institutions, financing mechanisms, governance reforms, and partnerships cities need to turn climate commitments into implementation. Penn IUR’s climate and resilience research encompasses climate-resilient infrastructure, nature-based solutions, housing risk, urban heat, and, across these areas, the question of how urban climate action can be financed.

Through its leadership of the Global Commission Secretariat and collaborations across Penn and with partners worldwide, Penn IUR is leveraging Climate Week NYC to help bring cities and the financing needed to support them more fully into the global climate agenda.