World leaders open Climate Week in New York as record El Niño fuels extreme weather

World leaders gathered in New York on Monday for Climate Week, held alongside the UN General Assembly, to address the climate crisis amid a record-breaking El Niño and months of extreme weather events globally. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir delivered keynote speeches, detailing their countries' fossil fuel transitions and urging international cooperation. Speakers highlighted security and economic reasons for action, citing the Iran war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine as wake-up calls to break fossil fuel dependence. Organizers noted this year's Climate Week is the largest yet, with over 100,000 attendees, but acknowledged an uptick in "climate hushing" among leaders distracted by wars and inflation. Speakers stressed the need for urgent action, with Iceland's leader advising to "start before you must."