London launches climate action week as UK heatwave intensifies

From 18 June to 28 June London hosted the eighth edition of Climate Action Week, drawing more than 75,000 participants from governments, businesses, academia, civil society and investors. The event serves as a pre‑COP31 platform, featuring dialogues on accelerating climate action and strengthening international cooperation.

UN Secretary‑General António Guterres presented a seven‑point roadmap calling for rapid emissions reductions, elimination of fossil‑fuel subsidies, renewable‑powered AI data centres, job‑rich clean‑energy transitions, doubled financing for developing‑country climate programs, greater adaptation investments and reinforced scientific trust. Juana Hoffman, director for Colombia at the Amazon Conservation Team, highlighted the forum’s importance for civil‑society engagement in a “geopolitics increasingly difficult” landscape.

Simultaneously, the GLA Environment Unit partnered with Climate‑KIC’s Climathon hackathon, releasing extensive city data—including 167 million rows from UK Power Networks—to help citizens develop tech‑driven solutions for energy demand reduction and circular‑economy waste management. The week unfolded under a UK red‑heat alert, with temperatures forecast near 40 °C.