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At formal United Nations media briefings, in swanky halls and at sticky progressive dance parties, one word was on everyone’s lips at this year’s Climate Week NYC: affordability.

The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, stated that during President Trump the United States is “reverting to practical energy policies that focus on affordability”. The previous energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, emphasized Democrats must focus on renewable power’s ability to shrink power bills to secure elections. And advocates of the almost certainly soon-to-be New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, trumpeted their initiatives to link green policies with efforts to cut city residents’ rent and make transit cost-effective.

The effort to tie everyday cost issues to global warming is longstanding. The concept was a key part of the progressive climate plan, a forward-thinking policy platform championed by youth-led climate group the Sunrise Movement and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018. Joe Biden adopted the approach in the White House, naming his signature green carbon-cutting policy the Inflation Reduction Act, from 2022.

Now, as energy costs rise around the country, Americans on every part of the political spectrum are framing their energy and climate plans as methods to safeguard everyday citizens’ pocketbooks.

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In Focus

Every year, Climate Week in New York City unites government officials, business representatives, scholars and activists for a wide range of environment-centered events, timed to align with the United Nations general assembly.

This year, the Trump administration’s anti-environmental blitz threw a massive shadow over the event. In speeches through the week, White House officials aimed to peg its rule-cutting agenda as a victory to reduce Americans’ bills, with Trump calling green energy a “fraud” and Wright declaring: “The more people have gotten into supposed climate action, the more expensive their energy has become.”

Climate advocates attempted to reveal those claims as false while persuading Americans to support with green policies on the basis that they can lower costs. For instance, two Democratic representatives, from Illinois and California, introduced a proposal to speed new power-line construction and restore green energy incentives which Trump canceled earlier this year. Its name: the Cheap Energy Act.

It’s a framework that Jennifer Granholm, who served as US energy secretary under Biden, noted she expected as climate falls down the list of political concerns for Americans, while economic worries rise. “My guess is you’re not going to see a lot of politicians using the word ‘climate’, because people see that as a secondary [concern], not a must-have, and right now they’re in the must-have mode,” she told reporters during avocado toast one morning. “Affordability is crucial.”

Those significantly Granholm’s progressive side also called for a focus on affordability in the climate fight. But many called for more far-reaching solutions that provide more immediate benefits. Instead of merely adjusting with the tax code to incentivize green technology expansion – a signature of Biden’s climate efforts – politicians should focus on less technical, “green economic populist” initiatives such as no-cost transit and the build-out of low-carbon public housing.

“These kinds of programs do have decarbonization benefits, but they’re extremely important for starting to establish a mass base [who have] trust in public institutions and confidence in the government,” Batul Hassan, workforce lead at the left-leaning thinktank Climate and Community Institute, remarked at a panel.

Mamdani, the socialist who secured a stunning win in the New York City mayoral primary this summer, embodies this kind of platform, said Hassan. On Wednesday of Climate Week, progressives gathered for a celebration at the legendary Sounds of Brazil music venue to celebrate the candidate’s success.

“It has long been understood that if we’re going to build a broad coalition, people need to see the link between the shift to renewable energy and paying less money,” New York City comptroller Brad Lander said in an interview at the party, shouting over the thrum of Charli xcx.

Messaging is important, but merely speaking about affordability is insufficient, Alexa Avilés, a New York City council member and progressive, told the Guardian at the Mamdani event. Trump, for instance, has failed to fulfill on his promise of lowering bills as handing huge benefits to oil giants and other corporations. And many Democrats are also culpable of favoring their business backers’ interests, Avilés said.

“Some people talk about everyday folks, but then they create policies that are designed for the rich. We’ve been dealing with that disappointment for a long time,” she said. “We need to concentrate on truly providing relief to people. And we see that when we really center people over profit, people respond to that. People can tell who is for real.”

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