Stand Up for Science to host Climate Week panel on science, democracy and climate

Stand Up for Science will hold a public panel Wednesday in Midtown as part of New York Climate Week 2026, bringing together climate, policy and science leaders to discuss how democratic decision-making and scientific urgency collide. The free event will be livestreamed and open to public questions.

Why it matters: - The panel will examine a growing political problem: scientific consensus and democratic decision-making do not always move at the same speed. - The discussion is aimed at the climate crisis, where delays in policy can widen the gap between evidence and action. - The event is free and open to the public, making the conversation accessible beyond the room in Midtown.

What happened: - Stand Up for Science will host a public panel discussion, “Science, Democracy and Climate,” on Wednesday, September 23, at 3 p.m. Eastern in New York City. - The event is part of New York Climate Week 2026 and will take place at 22 East 30th Street, New York, NY 10016. - Dr. Colette Delawalla, CEO and founder of Stand Up for Science, will moderate. - Dr. Ticora Jones, chief science officer at the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Dr. Michael Mann, a climate researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, will also participate. - The event will be livestreamed via Stand Up for Science’s YouTube channel, and a recording will be available afterward. - Attendees can submit questions during the event. - Interested attendees can reserve a spot through the registration link in the event notice.

The details: - The panel will bring together voices from climate science, political theory and science activism. - Discussion will focus on the relationship among scientific consensus, democratic governance and the climate crisis. - The organizers say the goal is to explore why democratic systems can struggle to keep pace with scientific urgency. - The conversation will also look at what is needed to bridge the gap between evidence and action.

Between the lines: - The event reflects an effort to frame climate action as both a science issue and a democratic-governance issue. - By pairing a policy and science audience with livestream access, Stand Up for Science is extending the discussion beyond the physical event. - The panel also fits the group’s broader mission of mobilizing around science and democracy.

What's next: - The panel will take place tomorrow, with public attendance and livestream access available. - Organizers will likely use the discussion to keep attention on the conflict between evidence-based policy and political decision-making during Climate Week. - A recording will remain available after the event for people who cannot attend live.

The bottom line: - Stand Up for Science is using Climate Week to make a larger case: climate progress depends not just on better science, but on political systems that can act on it.