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During formal UN media briefings, in swanky auditoriums and at sticky socialist celebrations, one word was on everyone’s minds at this year’s Climate Week NYC: affordability.

The American energy chief, Chris Wright, stated that during President Trump the United States is “reverting to commonsense energy policies that focus on affordability”. The previous energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, said Democrats must center on renewable power’s capacity to shrink power bills to secure elections. And supporters of the likely soon-to-be New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, trumpeted their initiatives to connect green policies with efforts to lower city residents’ rent and make transit cost-effective.

The attempt to tie daily cost issues to climate change is longstanding. The concept was a central part of the Green New Deal, a progressive policy platform popularized by youth-led climate group the Sunrise Movement and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018. Joe Biden picked up 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 proposals as ways to protect ordinary people’s pocketbooks.

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In Focus

Annually, Climate Week in New York City brings together government officials, corporate actors, experts and activists for a wide range of climate-focused events, timed to align with the United Nations general assembly.

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

Climate advocates attempted to reveal those claims as false while getting Americans on board with green policies on the grounds that they can cut costs. For instance, two Democratic representatives, from Illinois and California, introduced a plan to speed new power-line construction and reinstate green energy incentives which Trump repealed earlier this year. Its name: the Cheap Energy Act.

It’s a framework that Jennifer Granholm, who acted as US energy secretary under Biden, said she expected as climate slips down the list of public priorities 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 nice-to-have [concern], not a must-have, and right now they’re in the critical mode,” she told reporters during avocado toast one morning. “Affordability is key.”

Those well to Granholm’s progressive side also advocated a focus on affordability in the climate fight. But many called for more ambitious solutions that provide more quick benefits. Instead of merely tinkering with the tax code to incentivize green technology expansion – a hallmark of Biden’s climate efforts – politicians should prioritize less technical, “green economic populist” initiatives such as fare-free transit and the build-out of low-carbon public housing.

“These kinds of programs do have decarbonization benefits, but they’re highly important for starting to establish a broad support [who have] trust in public institutions and trust in the government,” Batul Hassan, labor director at the progressive thinktank Climate and Community Institute, said at a panel.

Mamdani, the socialist who secured a stunning win in the New York City mayoral primary this summer, represents this kind of agenda, said Hassan. On Wednesday of Climate Week, activists gathered for a dance party 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 create a broad coalition, people need to see the connection between the shift to renewable energy and paying less money,” New York City comptroller Brad Lander said in an interview at the party, speaking over the thrum of Charli xcx.

Communication is critical, but merely talking about affordability is not enough, Alexa Avilés, a New York City council member and democratic socialist, told the Guardian at the Mamdani event. Trump, for instance, has not delivered to deliver on his promise of reducing bills while handing huge benefits to oil giants and other corporations. And many Democrats are also culpable of prioritizing their corporate donors’ interests, Avilés said.

“Some people speak about everyday folks, but then they make policies that are designed for the rich. We’ve been living with that frustration for a long time,” she said. “We need to focus on truly providing relief to people. And we see that when we genuinely prioritize people over profit, people respond to that. People can discern who is sincere.”

Further Reading:

• US energy department tightens rules on workers’ use of climate crisis language
• Trump administration spending $625m to resurrect declining coal industry
• Los Angeles vowed to host the Olympics without breaking the bank and environment. Is it possible?