Some big themes are jumping out at our crew here at Climate Week NYC, even though a gathering this sprawling resists any single narrative.

Why it matters: The annual event is packed with boldface names in global business and policy, so it's a good place to get the pulse.

A few toplines...

🥊 No olive branch from team Trump. The president launched an attack on U.N. climate efforts and renewables more broadly during his speech before the U.N. General Assembly.

• His lieutenants are here, too, promoting his "energy dominance" message.
• Energy Secretary Chris Wright is making multiple appearances, while a top White House aide said officials are seeking oil and gas deals on the sidelines of the UN meeting.

🍎 Climate Week > COP. Let's clear the decks by saying COP summits are formal negotiations and Climate Week isn't.

• That said, one discussion point here is Climate Week's rise as a convening spot while COP faces hurdles.
• Some of them are logistical — you've probably heard about the housing mess in Belém, Brazil, where COP30 will unfold in November.
• But the whole COP process is experiencing growing pains. Diplomats and stakeholders are grappling with how — and whether — it can spur real-world implementation of non-binding pledges.

💻 AI upsides for the planet. There's emphasis here on how AI can help fight climate change, despite the tech's massive energy needs.

• At an Axios House event, Ben asked climate investor Tom Steyer whether AI's threat to emissions cuts is overrated as a problem.
• His answer? "Way overrated." Potential to cut CO2 using AI "dramatically" outweighs climate risks from power needs, he said.
• Kara Hurst, Amazon's top sustainability official, spoke at Axios House about AI use cases.

📸 A wider lens: There's fresh discussion of forces we've been covering a lot — geopolitical upheaval, trade friction, higher energy costs, and how all this affects decarbonization.

• "There's a new reality that requires a broader conversation," Jason Bordoff, who heads Columbia University's energy think tank, said at an Axios breakfast on Monday.
• It's one that's "not only among 'climate people,' but with economic policy officials and foreign policy officials and people thinking about the broader changing of the global landscape of competition [and] economic fragmentation."

😐 Mixed emotions. Kalee Kreider, a climate diplomacy vet, sees a surprisingly "strong element of 'Keep Calm and Carry On' among stakeholders here."

• "Not that there's a sense of denial about the major geopolitical shifts since the Paris Agreement, including the war in Ukraine and changes in the U.S., but just an understanding that history is a long game," she said via email.

⚛️ Nuclear gets love. DOE boss Wright, in an interview yesterday with Amy, joked about his alignment with Al Gore on nuclear, given their agreement on little else.

• "Well, it's a little uncomfortable being on the same side of any issue with Al Gore. I've had a 20-year history on the opposite side," Wright said.

Amy Harder and Chuck McCutcheon contributed reporting.

The Trump administration wants a small equity stake in Lithium Americas as it renegotiates the company's $2.26 billion DOE loan for the Thacker Pass project in Nevada, a White House official said yesterday.

• Reuters first reported the proposal.

Why it matters: It's the latest example of the government taking stakes in companies that produce key materials, following rare earths miner Mountain Pass Materials and chip giant Intel.

• There's bipartisan support for boosting U.S. mineral supplies, and Thacker Pass — aided by the loan approved in 2024 — would provide major new domestic output.

State of play: The official said Lithium Americas and partner GM sought a small modification to enable a longer repayment period on part of the loan.

• "In exchange for their minor modification, our minor modification was essentially for the administration to have some equity in the deal to create a cash buffer and eliminate some risk for taxpayers ... we want some equity on behalf of taxpayers," the White House official said.
• Lithium Americas has agreed, but negotiations with GM continue, the official said. Reuters reported the stake could be up to 10%, but the official signaled it's likely smaller.

Of note: Lithium Americas said it's in discussions with DOE and GM "regarding first draw on the DOE Loan."

• This includes "incremental requests from the DOE for potential further conditions to first draw and/or potential amendments to the DOE Loan and associated transaction documents," it said.
• GM didn't provide comment.

What we're watching: The talks — and the market. Lithium Americas' stock jumped 68% in pre-market trading.

• "We're ... trying to find a way that this works for everyone," the White House official said.

🇨🇦 GE Vernova and Deep Sky, a Canadian carbon removal developer, today unveiled plans to deploy GE's direct air capture system at its multi-tech hub in Alberta.

• Why it matters: It's GE Vernova's first commercial DAC deployment deal and calls for 1,500 tons of removal capacity at Deep Sky's Alpha site by late 2026. Terms weren't disclosed.

⚔️ Via Utility Dive, "Republican and Democratic governors of PJM Interconnection states on Monday threatened to pull out of the grid operator's markets unless states are given a role in governing the organization."

Voltpost, a startup that specializes in turning street lights into electric vehicle charging stations, is launching a sleeker, more flexible charger today in Brooklyn during Climate Week.

Why it matters: The new charging platform, Voltpost Air, allows cities to repurpose existing infrastructure to quickly expand EV access without disruptive construction or costly grid upgrades.

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That's the value of Sempra's sale of a 45% equity stake in its infrastructure unit to a group led by private equity giant KKR.

Why it matters: It's a sign of the times. The sale allows Sempra to focus more heavily on its utility business, a growth area amid rising demand and AI growth.

Investor deck