It’s Time for Bold Climate Leadership From Corporations
By Dan Lambe
The theme for this year’s Climate Week NYC signals the urgent need for a shift in our approach to climate change. In many ways, the fight against the climate crisis has been routinely dominated by conversation. Important conversation, of course. Talks that have changed minds and hearts and brought more people into the fold. Speeches that have inspired, pledges that have wowed, and convenings that have helped us take crucial steps forward.
But now, it’s time for climate action to be dominated by actual action. Dreaming of a better, healthier future for our planet won’t make it so. What comes next will grow from what we do right now. If we hold tight to hesitancy, climate change will take advantage of our passivity and we — as a global community — will feel the consequences.
It’s time to be bold.
This is particularly true for the private sector, which plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change. Business and corporate leaders are uniquely positioned to drive momentum around climate issues in ways most individuals simply can’t. Their position of public influence and their access to financial resources give them the tools to make a meaningful impact on our planet. Thankfully, many private sector leaders are choosing to make that impact through trees.
Science shows reforestation is one of the most effective strategies for mitigating climate change and, according to McKinsey & Co, it’s also one of the most affordable. As they pull carbon from the air, trees and forests are regularly contributing to the well-being of our lives. More than 75% of the world’s water supply originates from forests. In the U.S., trees and forests remove more than 17 million tons of air pollution. They improve mental health, minimize the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and reduce life-threatening heat. Trees are powerful, and when corporate changemakers help employ them in the right ways and in the right places, they can be transformational.
Given the magnitude and importance of this work, we know we can’t go at it alone. Collaboration is a key part of tree planting and it's crucial to addressing the many effects of climate change. We can do more together than we can alone.
That’s why the Arbor Day Foundation is proud to mark the beginning of a new project in New York City that highlights the power of partnerships. Riverside Park South was once the home of an industrial rail yard and over many decades, local leaders have been able to give the site a second life as a greenspace. But they’ve struggled to obtain the resources needed to plant a thriving urban forest. Until now.
Verizon, DoubleVerify, Maesa, UPS, Angel’s Envy, and DraftKings have all stepped up to help plant trees in Riverside Park South. The project aims to bring 400 trees to the park, with the first 100 trees planted this week. This work not only unites these six organizations but will also include collaboration from the New York City Parks Foundation and engage Climate Week NYC attendees as volunteers. The trees planted here will provide shade for nearby residents and improve stormwater management.
This is the kind of tangible commitment we need from more corporate leaders. We need companies to raise their hand and ask, “How can I help?” And we need it to happen now. Not in ten years. Not when solutions are deemed “perfect.” Not when deadlines for net-zero goals are around the corner.
I urge all business leaders in attendance at Climate Week NYC to spend time considering how they can turn big goals into concrete plans and accelerate their impact. The fight against climate change needs the innovation, resources, and reach of the private sector. We can’t do this without you.
It’s time to take action.
Dan Lambe is CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation, the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. He can be reached at dlambe@arborday.org.
