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During stuffy United Nations media briefings, in swanky halls and at crowded socialist dance parties, one term was on all lips at this year’s Climate Week NYC: affordability.

The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, stated that under President Trump the United States is “returning to practical energy policies that focus on affordability”. The former energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, emphasized Democrats must focus on renewable power’s ability to reduce power bills to win elections. And supporters of the likely future New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, trumpeted their efforts to connect green policies with actions to cut city residents’ rent and ensure transit cost-effective.

The effort to link everyday cost issues to climate change is not new. The concept was a key part of the progressive climate plan, a forward-thinking policy platform championed by young climate group the Sunrise Movement and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018. Joe Biden adopted the framing in the White House, naming his flagship green carbon-cutting policy the Inflation Reduction Act, from 2022.

Now, as utility bills rise around the country, Americans on all sides of the political spectrum are framing their energy and climate plans as methods to safeguard ordinary people’s finances.

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In Focus

Every year, Climate Week in New York City brings together public leaders, corporate actors, experts and activists for a wide range of climate-focused events, scheduled to coincide with the United Nations general assembly.

This year, the Trump administration’s anti-environmental blitz threw a massive shadow over the event. In speeches 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 worked to reveal those claims as inaccurate while getting Americans on board with green policies on the basis that they can cut costs. For instance, two Democratic representatives, from Illinois and California, unveiled a proposal to accelerate new power-line construction and restore green energy incentives which Trump canceled earlier this year. Its name: the Cheap Energy Act.

It’s a strategy that Jennifer Granholm, who acted as US energy secretary under Biden, said she anticipated as climate falls down the list of public priorities 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 must-have mode,” she told reporters over avocado toast one morning. “Affordability is crucial.”

Those well to Granholm’s left also called for a emphasis on affordability in the climate fight. But many demanded more ambitious solutions that deliver more immediate benefits. Instead of merely tinkering with the tax code to encourage green technology buildout – a signature of Biden’s climate efforts – politicians should focus on less technical, “green economic populist” campaigns 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 extremely important for starting to establish a broad support [who have] faith in public institutions and trust in the government,” Batul Hassan, workforce lead at the left-leaning thinktank Climate and Community Institute, remarked at a panel.

Mamdani, the left-wing who secured a remarkable win in the New York City mayoral primary this summer, represents this kind of platform, said Hassan. On Wednesday of Climate Week, activists assembled for a dance party at the renowned Sounds of Brazil music venue to celebrate the candidate’s success.

“It has long been understood that if we’re going to build a broad coalition, people need to see the link between the transition 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 important, 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 failed to deliver on his promise of lowering bills as giving massive benefits to oil giants and other corporations. And many Democrats are also culpable of prioritizing their business backers’ interests, Avilés said.

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

Further Reading:

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