Riffing off The Rift at London Climate Action Week – 9 of the Best Events to Attend

Next week signals the beginning of the 7th annual London Climate Action Week – an action-packed seven days of climate discussion and activities across the capital. But, with over 300 events at this year’s LCAW, knowing which ones to go to can be tricky.

With our offices located in Westminster, we’ve been scouring the scene for nearby events to attend, looking particularly for ones relevant to our new research cycle - The Rift. So, to help with your itinerary planning, we thought we’d use the research we’ve done to offer a Rift-inspired rundown of the must-attend events at this year’s LCAW.

Whether you’re interested in learning more about how to grapple with uncertainty, channelling the hopeful optimism of renewal, or understanding how to cope with collapse, this year’s LCAW has something for everyone…

Our first research strand scrutinises the ways in which governments and society can productively engage with ideas around collapse. Major disruptions to environmental and human systems are already underway and the science shows they are bound to become more severe. Discussions around how we respond to the breakdown of existing structures, both emotionally and practically, are becoming increasingly necessary and more commonplace.

LCAW’s 2025 programme reflects this; with events addressing the difficult emotions associated with collapse, the uncertain futures we face, and the actions we can take to build resilience and adapt in the face of ongoing change. Here are three collapse-relevant events which have caught our eye:

Hosted by Force of Nature, this event aims to frankly explore the difficult emotions associated with climate change; providing a safe-space to vent and channel negative feelings into positive action. Find more information here.

With a range of pop-ups and activities, the Natural History Museum’s climate action evening engages with a range of themes, including collapse. The museum will play host to a broken planet gallery, drop in sessions designed to highlight planetary crises, as well as activities centred around hope and reconnecting with nature. A night at the museum which blends candid conversations about our current predicament with hopeful narratives of future renewal. Find more information here.

In a similar vein to Force of Nature, frontline resilience is providing a safe space to confront and share strong emotions – the workshop asks: ‘how might collectively witnessing and expressing [negative] emotions unearth an untapped sense of clarity, energy and resilience inside of ourselves, our movements and our communities?’ Find out more here.

Our second research strand focuses on the impacts of deep uncertainty on decision making processes, and how governments, businesses and international actors are evolving their praxes to meet the demands of an increasingly volatile and unpredictable global context.

The issue of how corporate actors and governments can address uncertainty in their decision-making processes is present in many LCAW events this year. Here’s some of our favourite events engaging with aspects of uncertainty.

Hosted by PURE, this online event discusses how present-day decision making strategy is maladapted to navigate uncertainty. The webinar discusses the latest tools available for decision makers to navigate uncertainties effectively. Find out more here.

Hosted by Bentley Systems, this event analyses the ways in which infrastructure systems can be better designed to cope with, and adapt to, ‘an evolving risk landscape’. Bringing a range of actors across sectors together to discuss how uncertainty can be embedded in infrastructure systems decision making. Find out more here.

With the international geopolitical environment driving widespread contractions in aid budgets, uncertainty around climate finance has proliferated. This event explores ‘ways forward for climate finance in these uncertain times’. Find out more here.

Our final research strand centres around ideas of Renewal and transformative adaptation – focusing on the ways in which transition pathways which proactively seek to generate simultaneous benefits for mitigation, adaptation and societal renewal through long term, structural changes can be implemented at scale.

LCAW has a plethora of events centred around strategies for transformative renewal, from roundtable discussions to artistic exhibitions. Here are some highlights.

Bringing together a range of actors from the Global South ‘at the forefront of innovative climate action’ this event investigates how financing can drive the implementation of high-impact, locally driven projects at broader scales. Find out more here.

The OXO gallery is hosting an exhibition throughout LCAW to showcase local projects from around the world which ‘restore landscapes, improve livelihoods and reduce carbon emissions’. Comprised of photos from around the world, the exhibition offers a stimulating visualisation of approaches to renewal across the globe. Find out more here.

Hosted by Grimshaw, and featuring a keynote address from André Aranha Corrêa do Lago (COP30 President) this event discusses innovative regenerative design principles can be used to ‘create resilient, thriving’ urban communities. The event is free to attend via zoom. Find out more here.

Amidst the many events taking place, we hope this little Rift-list might provide some itinerary inspiration. For more details about this year’s LCAW, visit their website here, and to learn more about our new research cycle, click here. And we’ll see you on the LCAW trail...