Your ChiCW questions, answered.
General information
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Chicago Climate Week (ChiCW) is a shared week of climate-oriented events, conversations, and community action across Chicagoland and the Midwest. ChiCW brings together independently organized events from across the region, making it easier to discover what's happening, connect across sectors, and find your place in the work.
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ChiCW is a community-driven initiative organized by a coalition of local climate advocates, organizations, and community leaders from across the Chicago region, supported through a fiscal sponsorship with Chicago Climate Connect, a local 501(c)(3).
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ChiCW takes place July 18–25, 2026. Events are hosted independently by organizations and community members across Chicagoland and the broader Midwest. Once the ChiCW calendar goes live, the specific location and timing details for each event can be found on their registration page.
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All confirmed events will be listed on the public ChiCW calendar, where you can browse by date, theme, and location. New events will continue to be added as they are submitted by the community. Check each event’s listing for registration and attendance details.
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There are many ways to get involved with ChiCW including hosting an event, offering a venue, speaking at an event, providing vendor services, volunteering, or sponsoring an event. Check out the Get Involved section of our website to find the right fit for you.
If you’re interested in supporting in multiple ways - for example, as a speaker, venue host, and/or a volunteer - we encourage you to fill out each relevant form so we can best connect you with opportunities across the week.
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Limited sponsorship opportunities are available at the Supporting ($2,500) and Lead ($5,000) levels. Contact info@chiclimateweek.org for more info. Interested in making a personal contribution? You can donate here.
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ChiCW is open to anyone passionate about climate action. We bring together people working across sectors and communities, including:
Nonprofit and community organizations
Businesses and corporate sustainability leaders
Climate tech startups and entrepreneurs
Academic institutions and researchers
Philanthropic organizations and impact investors
Local and state government agencies
Artists, educators, and advocates
Engaged residents and neighbors
Anyone who is climate curious!
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You can reach our team by emailing info@chiclimateweek.org. We're happy to help with any questions about events, partnerships, or general inquiries. Alternatively, join our mailing list to stay in the loop on all things ChiCW by filling out the form at the bottom of this page.
For event organizers
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Anyone can host an event during ChiCW. We welcome individuals, nonprofits, businesses, academic institutions, community organizations, and government agencies from across Chicagoland and the broader Midwest. If you have an idea for a climate-oriented event, we encourage you to submit it.
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ChiCW welcomes events of all formats, sizes, and topics, as long as they are oriented around climate action, sustainability, or related themes. Event formats can include panels, workshops, networking mixers, film screenings, community activations, tours, and more. Events can be in-person, virtual, or hybrid.
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All events are submitted through the Event Submission Form. This form is for finalized events only — please submit once your date, venue, registration page, and event details are confirmed. If you're still working things out, browse our Venue Database and Speaker Database to help get there, or reach out at info@chicagoclimateweek.org
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Absolutely - if you have a climate-related event happening July 18–25, we'd love to include it. You don't need to have planned it as part of ChiCW for it to be part of the moment. Submit it through the event form and we'll add it to the calendar and help promote it to the broader ChiCW audience.
We're also including select lead-in events starting as early as July 15. If your event falls between the 15th and the 18th, feel free to submit it for consideration.
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Not really. If your event is climate-related, falls within the week, and you can run it yourself - consider it in. We'll reach out if we think something's missing, if there's a question about fit, or if we see an opportunity to connect you with someone else who's submitted something complementary.
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This is expected and intentional. ChiCW is a distributed, layered week - events happen in parallel across different times, formats, and neighborhoods. Not everyone attends full days, and that's the point.
The one intentional exception: we've kept Tuesday and Wednesday open on the calendar out of respect for Aspen Ideas: Climate, which anchors those days. We encourage organizers to plan around that window.
If we notice significant clustering at certain times with open opportunities elsewhere in the week, we may reach out to explore whether adjustments make sense - but only with the organizer's consent.
Submitting early also helps us give you a clearer picture of how the week is shaping up around your event.
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Yes! Organizations and individuals are welcome to host multiple events during the week. Simply submit a separate form for each event you'd like to register.
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The event submission form will remain open through July 14, 2026. That said, we encourage you to submit as early as possible so your event has maximum visibility on the calendar.
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Listing your event on the ChiCW calendar is completely free. Event organizers are responsible for all aspects of planning and hosting their events, including operations, safety, and any required insurance.
Chicago Climate Week serves as a platform to promote independently organized events. By submitting an event, organizers acknowledge that ChiCW does not manage or oversee event execution and assumes no responsibility or liability for individual events.
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