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At stuffy UN media briefings, in swanky auditoriums and at crowded socialist dance parties, one term was on all minds at this year’s New York Climate Week: affordability.

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

The effort to tie daily cost issues to global warming is longstanding. The concept was a key part of the Green New Deal, a forward-thinking policy platform championed by youth-led 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 energy costs soar around the country, Americans on all sides of the ideological divide are framing their energy and climate proposals as ways to safeguard ordinary people’s pocketbooks.

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Spotlight

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

This year, the Trump administration’s environment-deregulating campaign cast a significant shadow over the event. In appearances through the week, White House officials sought to frame its deregulatory agenda as a victory to reduce Americans’ bills, with Trump calling green energy a “scam” and Wright saying: “The more people have gotten into so-called climate action, the more expensive their energy has become.”

Environmental supporters worked to expose those claims as inaccurate while persuading Americans on board with green policies on the basis that they can lower costs. For instance, two Democratic representatives, from Illinois and California, introduced a proposal to accelerate new power-line construction and restore green energy incentives which Trump canceled earlier this year. Its title: the Cheap Energy Act.

It’s a framework that Jennifer Granholm, who served as US energy secretary under Biden, noted she expected as climate falls 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 secondary [concern], not a essential, and right now they’re in the critical mode,” she told reporters over avocado toast one morning. “Affordability is key.”

Those significantly Granholm’s left also called for a focus on affordability in the climate fight. But many called for more ambitious solutions that deliver more quick benefits. Instead of merely tinkering with the tax code to encourage green technology expansion – a signature of Biden’s climate efforts – politicians should prioritize less technical, “green economic populist” initiatives such as no-cost transit and the development of decarbonized public housing.

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

Mamdani, the socialist who secured a remarkable win in the New York City mayoral primary this summer, represents this kind of agenda, said Hassan. On Wednesday of Climate Week, progressives assembled for a celebration 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 mass movement, people need to see the connection 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 critical, but merely speaking about affordability is insufficient, Alexa Avilés, a New York City council member and progressive, told the Guardian at the Mamdani event. Trump, for instance, has not delivered to deliver on his promise of reducing bills while giving massive benefits to oil giants and other corporations. And many Democrats are also guilty of prioritizing their corporate donors’ interests, Avilés said.

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

Further Reading:

• US energy department tightens rules on workers’ use of climate crisis language
• Trump administration allocating $625m to revive dying coal industry
• Los Angeles pledged to host the Olympics without breaking the bank and environment. Can it?