Reflections from New York Climate Week 2025: Turning Complexity into Clarity

New York Climate Week may be over, but the conversations are still unfolding across the Nature Tech Collective. Instead of quick impressions, we took a step back to listen to our members and collaborators who were in New York, to hear what stayed with them, what shifted, and what it might mean for the road ahead.

This year, Nature Tech Collective hosted and co-hosted several key moments during the week, from previewing the Nature Tech Directory, our free, open source discovery tool for nature tech solutions at the Nature4Climate’s The Nature Hub to a closed-door workshop with Conservation International at the Doris Duke Foundation’s Treehouse. Both spaces were designed to bring people together across science, finance, and conservation to explore how innovation and AI can help turn complexity into clarity for nature-positive action.

Across the week, one thing stood out: the energy around nature and technology has changed. The field feels less fragmented, more grounded in connection and credibility. Here’s what some of our members took away.

Image Credits: The Climate Group’s Multimedia Hub

From Hesitation to Readiness

For Rachael Notto from Kita, this year marked a visible shift in the voluntary carbon market.

“Over the years, there’s been a gradual willingness to adopt tech solutions to support nature-based projects. The conversation used to start from a place of ‘too expensive’ or ‘you need ground data anyway.’ At Climate Week, that had changed completely. Now, people start with ‘we must use tech’ or ‘I’m already using it this way.’”

Her reflection captures what many felt during the week: the question is no longer whether technology belongs in nature-based work, but how to make it practical and credible on the ground.

Laying the Foundations

Coby Strell from Kanop said NYCW was a reminder that collaboration still happens best in person.

“Those conversations always feel more productive and help build the kinds of real relationships that are essential if we want to come together as an industry. The sentiment still feels like we’re in building mode, laying the foundation for when the market does pick up.”

Despite uncertainty, he noticed a growing sense of shared purpose.

“Unity and dedication would be my two keywords to describe this past week.”

Soil, Systems, and Shared Responsibility

For Chris Tolles from Yard Stick PBC, the week revolved around soil and measurement. He helped convene a private workshop bringing together more than thirty experts in soil carbon MRV, Scope 3 accounting, and restoration.

“It was amazing to get global soil carbon experts in the same room for shared scientific priorities and market development. The diversity of perspectives can be messy, but it reflects the complexity of the field itself.”

He also saw encouraging signs of momentum — new offtake agreements, buyer engagement, and deeper technical collaboration across the soil and land restoration space.

Nature takes the Front Seat

Charles Shingles from NATCAP noticed a clear change in focus.

“Only last year, nature was barely being mentioned. This year, it was dominating conversation.”

He pointed to the release of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) status report, showing that more than 620 organisations, representing USD 20 trillion in assets — have now committed to adopting TNFD recommendations.

“Perhaps organisations are finally realising that nature is, after all, their number one supplier.”

Charles also reflected on how sustainability communications are evolving.

“Sustainability can’t stay in the domain of virtue. It has to be baked into core business as resilience and risk management.”

What Nature Tech Collective brought to the week

At both the Nature Hub and the Treehouse, Nature Tech Collective created spaces for collaboration and honest exchange. Together with Conservation International and partners across our community, we explored how tools like the Nature Tech Directory and AI Assistant prototype can help practitioners move from data overload toward shared clarity.

These sessions mirrored what many members were feeling throughout the week: optimism grounded in realism, and a shared drive to bridge conservation, technology, and finance.

Looking Ahead

Across every conversation, one message came through: collaboration is the condition for progress. From soil MRV to AI ethics, from financial disclosure to field practice, it’s clear that nature tech is no longer a niche, it’s becoming the connective tissue of how we act for climate and nature.

As a collective, we’ll keep building on the connections sparked in New York, through our working groups, shared tools, and the projects our members are leading. The momentum doesn’t end with Climate Week; it continues in the ways we show up for each other and for the work ahead.