From Climate Week NYC to COP31: A shift from ambition to delivery

New York Climate Week has concluded, and the attention now turns to COP31, this year held in Antalya, Türkiye between 9-20 November 2026. Alfa Laval stands at the intersection of three of the most critical challenges on the global climate agenda: accelerating energy efficiency, scaling biosolutions and resilient food systems, and building the digital infrastructure the transition depends on.

At Climate Week NYC, Alfa Laval joined policymakers, financiers, industry leaders, and implementation partners to discuss how to move from ambition to action. During the week of roundtables, panels, and conversations, one theme emerged more clearly than any other: the shift from setting climate ambitions to delivering measurable results. The question now is what that shift means in practice.

Electrification needs a partner, and that partner is energy efficiency

Electrification was everywhere at Climate Week NYC, propelled further by the proposed COP31 “35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge.” But our team consistently brought the conversation back to what makes electrification achievable.

“Electrification was the word on everyone’s lips in New York,” said Anna Hall, Head of Public Affairs for the Energy Division. “But it only works if we also cut demand. Energy efficiency is what makes electrification affordable and achievable. We need to realize that it is not competing for attention, it is the enabler underneath it.”

A particularly important development was the growing recognition of energy efficiency as a strategic business issue, not just a sustainability measure. Increasingly, it is being discussed as a means to strengthen competitiveness, improve resilience, enhance energy security and support industrial growth. The Electrification special report (Link: Electrification - IEA) from the International Energy Agency (IEA) as electricity becomes a larger share of the energy system, making every kilowatt-hour go further is increasing in importance.

Energy efficiency helps keep electrification affordable, reduces pressure on power infrastructure, and enables industry to grow while using energy more productively.

“Electrification and energy efficiency need to move together,” said Jan Debruyn, President of Alfa Laval North America, who joined CEOs at a roundtable hosted at the Empire State Building. “Efficiency reduces electricity demand, improves affordability and helps make system-wide electrification possible.”

The shift from ambition to delivery

A consistent theme throughout the week was the shift from setting climate goals to proving execution, and a shift in tone. Conversations on water and energy efficiency were notably pragmatic — focused less on what should be possible in theory, and more on what can be delivered today, at scale.

“The challenge is no longer proving that efficiency works. The challenge is deploying it fast enough,” Jan Debruyn said. “The technologies already exist. What happens next depends on whether industry, finance, policymakers and technology providers can work together to turn opportunity into action at scale.”

Scaling biosolutions — from conversation to coalition

During the week in New York, Alfa Laval joined Bayer and the Danish Trade Council for a roundtable discussion focused on one of the most important challenges in the transition to a more resource-efficient future: how to accelerate the adoption of biosolutions at scale. Conversations centred on the role biotechnology can play in improving resource efficiency, supporting decarbonization efforts, and strengthening resilience across industries.

Building on the momentum of that discussion, Alfa Laval and its partners are planning a further session at NC State University at the end of October — a continuation of the collaboration first established through an MOU signed at last year’s Climate Week.

Simultaneously at Regen House, Alfa Laval’s Sheldon Young contributed with the game show “Myth Smashers” which turned food-system facts into friendly competition. “There was a lot of laughing, learning, and meeting new friends,” Sheldon Young shared. “Climate Week provided many opportunities for the Alfa Laval team to be part of the conversation around making sustainability real, whether food, data centers, or novel protein, Alfa Laval was there and engaged.”

Data centers and digital infrastructure

Alongside the week’s conversations on energy and food systems, Alfa Laval co-hosted a panel discussion on data center sustainability with ABB, as part of Sustainability LIVE at Climate Week NYC. The discussion focused on the growing energy demands of digital infrastructure, and the role of efficient cooling and fluid handling technology in meeting that demand responsibly.

Leading up to COP31

With COP31 on the horizon, the conversations started in New York on energy efficiency, electrification, and investable action now carry forward onto a global stage. As Debruyn put it: “The destination is clear, and the urgency has intensified. Execution will determine success.”