During New York’s bustling Climate Week, which unfolded alongside the 80th United Nations General Assembly, the city became a hive of climate action, innovation, and urgent dialogue. The packed schedule saw global leaders, entrepreneurs, and activists racing between venues—each determined to push the climate conversation forward. Yet, amid the whirlwind, the Women Inspiring Network (WIN) carved out a rare space for reflection and collaboration, reminding everyone that the fight against climate change is as much about community as it is about policy.
On September 24, 2025, WIN hosted its signature Lounge event on two floors of a prominent New York firm. More than 50 global leaders from over 20 countries gathered for a day brimming with panel discussions and a lively networking mixer on the firm’s chic terrace. According to WIN’s founder and moderator Stuti Jalan, the event was designed as “a space not for performance, but for presence”—a deliberate pause in the city’s relentless pace, and a chance for participants to reconnect with the mission that brought them together in the first place.
The Lounge began with a keynote fireside chat titled “India 2047: People Powering a Green Future,” delivered by Jayant Chaudhary, India’s Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education. His presence underscored India’s growing reputation as a driver of people-powered climate solutions. Chaudhary called for industry to “step up, co-create curricula, and build ecosystems that empower the force of the future,” stressing the need for shared ownership and preparation in the face of accelerating change. He emphasized that platforms like the WIN Lounge are essential for turning ideas into action, saying, “These are spaces that bring together diverse voices to solve collective challenges.”
The day’s programming reflected the urgency of the climate crisis and the breadth of solutions required. Panels explored everything from the culture of sustainability and the role of ‘eco algorithms’ to the ways capital markets can drive systems-level climate action. Discussions also delved into clean energy transitions, the human cost of plastic, the gendered lens of climate, and how women in wealth can shape a lasting climate legacy. Notable speakers included Karen Quintos, former CMO of Dell Technologies; Prat Panda of Accenture; Geetha Murali from Room to Read; Maggie Liu of Microsoft; Sanjeev Joshipura from Indiaspora; Dr. Maliha Hashmi, a World Economic Forum Global Future Council Expert; Tea Trumbic of the World Bank; Manoj Sinha from Husk Power Systems; Indian designer Payal Jain; Amanda Ellis from the ASU Global Futures Lab; and Ajaita Shah of Frontier Markets. Each brought a unique perspective, but all echoed the same truth: sustainability is no longer a siloed agenda—it is the new language of progress.
Midway through the event, the networking mixer on the terrace transformed into a hub of spontaneous connection. Investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and activists mingled over coffee and conversation, sparking new partnerships and collaborations that seemed poised to outlast the day. The energy was palpable, and as Jalan observed, “When you put the right people together, the dialogue continues long after the panel discussions end.”
To ensure the day’s insights would resonate beyond the event itself, the WIN Voices podcast recorded conversations with Dr. Maliha Hashmi and Kathy Diaz, Chief People Officer at Cognizant. These interviews captured the spirit of the Lounge and extended its reach to a global audience eager for stories of hope and action.
But the urgency of climate action was never far from mind. According to the BBC, 2024 marked Earth’s hottest year on record, with global temperatures surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time. The World Meteorological Organization confirmed that the ten warmest years on record have all occurred since 2015. The consequences are already severe: in January 2025, the Los Angeles fires—fueled in part by climate change—were projected to cost over $100 billion, making them one of the most expensive weather-related disasters in U.S. history. In East Africa, the worst drought in 40 years left more than 20 million people at risk of severe hunger in 2022, with scientists attributing the increased frequency of such droughts to climate change.
The root cause, as outlined by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is clear: human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels, have driven a rapid rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide. By 2024, CO2 levels had soared to over 420 parts per million, a sharp increase from the historical range of 180-300 ppm. “This CO2 acts like a blanket, trapping extra energy in the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface,” the BBC explained, “causing the planet to heat up.”
The impacts are not evenly distributed. The IPCC estimates that between 3.3 and 3.6 billion people are highly vulnerable to climate change, with poorer countries suffering the most despite contributing the least to global emissions. This has fueled calls for fairness and increased climate finance. At COP29 in November 2024, wealthier nations pledged $300 billion annually by 2035 to help developing countries tackle climate change—a sum still well below what many say is needed.
Despite these challenges, the international community remains committed to the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5C. However, current trends suggest this target could be breached as soon as 2030. In October 2025, UN Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged that “overshooting” 1.5C was now inevitable, but expressed hope that temperatures could be brought back down by the end of the century. Meanwhile, the next round of global climate negotiations, COP30, is set for November 2025 in Brazil.
Against this backdrop, the role of individuals and grassroots organizations like WIN becomes even more significant. While governments and corporations must lead the charge, individuals can make a difference by reducing flights, using less energy, improving home insulation, switching to electric vehicles, and eating less red meat. Each action, however small, contributes to the larger movement.
Toward the end of Climate Week, the legendary primatologist and environmentalist Jane Goodall made one of her final public appearances at the Journal House. Her words resonated deeply: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Goodall’s message, as reported by WIN, was a poignant reminder of the stakes and the opportunity at hand.
Looking ahead, WIN is already planning its next chapters, with events slated for Davos 2026 and a collaborative gathering with Newsweek in London this December. The mission is clear: to inspire, connect, and create impact on a global stage—one conversation, one partnership, one action at a time.
As the city’s traffic returned to its usual thrum and inboxes filled once again, those who attended the WIN Lounge left with a renewed sense of purpose. In a world grappling with unprecedented environmental challenges, it’s these moments of genuine connection and shared vision that just might tip the scales toward a greener, more hopeful future.
