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At stuffy UN media briefings, in swanky auditoriums and at sticky progressive celebrations, one word was on all minds at this year’s New York Climate Week: affordability.

The American energy chief, Chris Wright, stated that under President Trump the United States is “returning to practical energy policies that focus on affordability”. The previous energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, said Democrats must focus on renewable power’s ability to reduce power bills to win elections. And supporters of the almost certainly soon-to-be New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, trumpeted their efforts to connect green policies with actions to cut city residents’ rent and make transit affordable.

The attempt to link daily cost issues to global warming is not new. The concept was a central part of the progressive climate plan, a forward-thinking policy platform popularized by young climate group the Sunrise Movement and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018. Joe Biden picked up the framing in the White House, naming his flagship green carbon-cutting policy the Inflation Reduction Act, from 2022.

Now, as energy costs soar around the country, Americans on every part of the political spectrum are presenting their energy and climate proposals as ways to protect ordinary people’s pocketbooks.

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Spotlight

Annually, Climate Week in New York City brings together public leaders, business representatives, experts and activists for a vast array of climate-focused events, timed to align with the United Nations general assembly.

This year, the Trump administration’s environment-deregulating blitz cast a significant shadow over the event. In appearances through the week, White House officials sought to frame its deregulatory agenda as a win to lower Americans’ bills, with Trump labeling green energy a “fraud” and Wright declaring: “The more people have gotten into supposed climate action, the more expensive their energy has become.”

Environmental supporters attempted to reveal those claims as inaccurate while getting Americans to support with green policies on the basis that they can cut costs. For instance, two Democratic representatives, from Illinois and California, introduced a proposal to speed new power-line construction and reinstate green energy incentives which Trump repealed earlier this year.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 served as US energy secretary under Biden, said she expected as climate slips down the list of political concerns for Americans, while financial anxieties 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 essential, and right now they’re in the critical mode,” she told reporters over avocado toast one morning. “Affordability is crucial.”

Those significantly Granholm’s progressive side also advocated a emphasis on affordability in the climate fight. But many demanded more ambitious solutions that provide more immediate benefits. Instead of merely adjusting with the tax code to incentivize green technology buildout – a signature of Biden’s climate efforts – politicians should prioritize less technical, “green economic populist” campaigns such as fare-free transit and the development of low-carbon public housing.

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

Mamdani, the left-wing who secured a stunning win in the New York City mayoral primary this summer, embodies this kind of agenda, said Hassan. On Wednesday of Climate Week, activists assembled for a celebration at the renowned Sounds of Brazil music venue to honor the candidate’s success.

“It has long been recognized that if we’re going to create a mass movement, people need to see the link between the shift to renewable energy and spending less money,” New York City comptroller Brad Lander said in an interview at the party, speaking over the thrum of Charli xcx.

Messaging is critical, but merely speaking 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 lowering bills as handing massive benefits to oil giants and other corporations. And many Democrats are also guilty of prioritizing their business backers’ interests, Avilés said.

“Some people speak about working-class folks, but then they make policies that are designed for the rich. We’ve been dealing with that frustration for a long time,” she said. “We need to focus on truly bringing relief to people. And we see that when we really center people over profit, people react to that. People can tell who is sincere.”

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