New York was buzzing. Climate Week was the largest on record, filled with panels, side events, and steady conversations across the city. It has always been a place where ideas collide, but this year one theme stood out more clearly than ever. Super pollutants are no longer a side note. They are moving to the center of climate action.

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Why super pollutants

While not as photogenic as a forest or as futuristic as DAC, tackling methane, black carbon, nitrous oxide, HFCs, and ODS is one of the fastest ways to impact the climate. These gases may only linger for years instead of centuries, but they are responsible for about half of the warming we live with today. Addressing them buys us time and helps avoid tipping points we cannot reverse.

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Corporate leadership is accelerating the shift

Leaders from major tech companies spoke about why they are prioritizing super pollutants. One phrase captured the moment: “If super pollutants make up more than 50% of our emissions, they should make up more than 0% of our portfolio.” One company also shared that they are not just buying credits but actively financing new projects through upfront capital and forward offtake. This is a clear signal that demand is moving from passive to catalytic.

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Momentum in the market

One theme that kept coming up was the need for a buyers coalition. Stronger collective signals could help unlock more projects and give developers the confidence to build. At the same time, everyone acknowledged that methodologies are slowing things down. They take too long to move through the system, even as the urgency to act grows. It was encouraging to see new registries like the Global Heat Reduction Initiative and OneShot.Earth stepping into this space, and to see ICVCM and ratings agencies working to raise the bar on quality.

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Our role
Our CEO Reid Calhoon spoke on three panels during the week:

• Beyond CO₂: Scaling Market Incentives for Super Pollutant Abatement (Carbon Containment Lab and Mitti Labs)
• Methane Mitigation Demand Signals and Business Value (Methane Mitigation Industries Council)
• A Forward Look at High Potential Emerging Carbon Project Types (IETA and Climate Action Reserve)

Beyond the stage, ClimateWells was present at more than twenty-five events ranging from CSO awards to morning climate runs to net zero negronis. We also connected with more developers working on oil and gas well plugging than ever before. ClimateWells is seen as a leader in this space, and we continue to share our expertise to help move projects forward in ways that deliver for both communities and the climate.

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