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During stuffy UN media briefings, in swanky auditoriums and at crowded progressive celebrations, one word was on everyone’s lips at this year’s Climate Week NYC: affordability.

The American energy chief, Chris Wright, said that under President Trump the United States is “reverting to commonsense energy policies that focus on affordability”. The previous energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, emphasized Democrats must focus on renewable power’s ability to shrink power bills to secure elections. And advocates of the likely future New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, trumpeted their efforts to link green policies with actions to cut city residents’ rent and make transit cost-effective.

The attempt to tie everyday cost issues to climate change is not new. The idea was a central part of the progressive climate plan, a progressive policy platform popularized by youth-led climate group the Sunrise Movement and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018. Joe Biden picked up the approach in the White House, calling his signature green carbon-cutting policy the Inflation Reduction Act, from 2022.

Now, as utility bills soar around the country, Americans on every part of the ideological divide are presenting their energy and climate proposals as methods to safeguard everyday citizens’ pocketbooks.

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Every year, Climate Week in New York City brings together public leaders, business representatives, scholars and activists for a wide range of climate-focused events, scheduled to align with the United Nations general assembly.

This year, the Trump administration’s anti-environmental campaign threw a massive shadow over the event. In speeches 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 declaring: “The more people have gotten into supposed climate action, the more expensive their energy has become.”

Climate advocates attempted to expose those claims as false while getting Americans on board with green policies on the grounds that they can lower costs. For instance, two Democratic representatives, from Illinois and California, introduced a plan to speed 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 acted as US energy secretary under Biden, noted she anticipated as climate falls down the list of political concerns 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 must-have mode,” she told reporters during avocado toast one morning. “Affordability is key.”

Those well to Granholm’s progressive side also called for a focus on affordability in the climate fight. But many called for more far-reaching solutions that provide more immediate benefits. Instead of merely adjusting with the tax code to encourage green technology buildout – a hallmark of Biden’s climate efforts – politicians should prioritize less technical, “green economic populist” initiatives such as no-cost transit and the build-out of low-carbon public housing.

“These kinds of programs do have decarbonization benefits, but they’re highly important for starting to establish a mass base [who have] faith in public institutions and confidence in the government,” Batul Hassan, workforce lead at the left-leaning thinktank Climate and Community Institute, remarked at a panel.

Mamdani, the left-wing who secured a remarkable win in the New York City mayoral primary this summer, represents this kind of platform, said Hassan. On Wednesday of Climate Week, activists gathered for a celebration at the legendary Sounds of Brazil music venue to honor the candidate’s success.

“It has long been recognized that if we’re going to create a mass movement, people need to see the connection between the shift to renewable energy and paying less money,” New York City comptroller Brad Lander said in an interview at the party, shouting over the thrum of Charli xcx.

Communication is important, but merely talking 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 fulfill on his promise of reducing bills while giving huge benefits to oil giants and other corporations. And many Democrats are also guilty of favoring their business backers’ interests, Avilés said.

“Some people speak about everyday folks, but then they create policies that are designed for the rich. We’ve been living with that disappointment for a long time,” she said. “We need to concentrate on truly providing relief to people. And we see that when we really prioritize people over profit, people react to that. People can discern who is for real.”

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