About the Week

Why does Minneapolis Climate Week exist?

Climate change can feel heavy, overwhelming, and existential. It is. But there’s also a shocking amount of good work is happening across the Twin Cities metro that most people never see. The week exists to change that.

The purpose of Minneapolis Climate Week is to animate Minnesota as a hub for climate action by building connections, celebrating vibrant work, and accelerating solutions that cultivate a decarbonized, regenerative, and equitable future.

Who is Minneapolis Climate Week for?

It's built for a wide circle.

• People doing climate work as their careers — including founders, innovators, scientists, advocacy organizations, and community organizers.
• Job seekers, Minnesota companies, the University of Minnesota, funders, and faith communities.
• Small businesses, unions, neighborhood associations, healthcare workers, teachers, and students.

What is the week seeking to accomplish?

We’d love for the week to accomplish this:

1. See the whole ecosystem at once. Hundreds of organizations work on climate here, and most don't know each other. We count how many organizations host and how many new collaborations come out of the week.
2. Help people use programs that already exist. Rebates, enrollments, and grants are already funded and waiting. We count sign-ups and applications.
3. Open the front door. We track how many attendees are new, and how many are still connected six months later.
4. Celebrate the people doing the work. Nonprofits, public agencies, and community leaders get a real platform and are named.

We also want the week to feel human. Alongside talks and tours, we hope to see events that make room for environmental justice, for joy, for rest, and for grief. You don't need to hit all of this. Pick one thing and aim at it.

Is MCW an advocacy event?

Nope. MCW is a big tent. It welcomes many climate stories at once: business as a source of good, right relationship with tribal nations and Native-led organizations, and centering environmental justice. We support all-of-the-above solutions. Advocacy organizations are welcome to host, and the week itself doesn't campaign for any one position. Neither does the Twin Cities Climate Collaborative (TC3), which coordinates it.

Who runs MCW?

TC3 and Structure Climate coordinate the week, as part of the Climate Week Network, with a growing coalition of local hosts, volunteers, and partners. We're also forming a steering committee to check us against blind spots and guide our decisions. TC3 runs the calendar, the newsletter, and the coordination. It doesn't run the events.