This week we are looking back at September so far. Climate Week NYC is underway and sees the launch of The Independent’s Climate 100 List 2026, as well as the associated event. We recap The Independent’s latest documentary screening and inaugural Travel Awards whilst shining a light on The Standard’s A Sporting Chance campaign.
On Sunday 20 September, The Independent published its Climate 100 List 2026, highlighting the world’s leading environmentalists. Back for its third year, the list marks the campaigners, change makers and innovators who are making a positive and significant difference to turn the tide on the climate crisis.Â
Published on Sunday to coincide with the start of Climate Week NYC, The Independent is today hosting its own Climate 100 event. Held at The Independent offices, guests will hear from Editor-in-Chief Geordie Greig and keynote speaker David Miliband, addressing our planet’s most urgent climate issue whilst honouring the 100 individuals selected by The Independent who are at the forefront of that fight.
Listees this year included New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, environmental campaigner Erin Brockovich and actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Read the full list here.
In an on-going series of documentaries, last week saw the screening of ‘Hard Labour‘ by The Independent’s Chief International Correspondent, Bel Trew. Held at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, the documentary highlights the unprecedented international aid cuts, combined with the highest levels of conflict seen in a generation, reversing years of hard-won gains in global maternal health. Directed and produced by The Independent’s Chief International Correspondent, Bel Trew and follows on from her previous documentaries including ‘Hunted‘ and ‘Death Sentence‘.
The screening was followed by a panel discussion chaired by Bel herself and included Monica Ferro, UNFPA UK, Director; Professor Andrew Shennan, Professor of Obstetrics at King’s College London and Dr Eva Khair, medical doctor, global health and humanitarian consultant.
If you were unable to attend, please see the following link to watch the documentary on The Independent now.
Every two minutes a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth. The Independent is shining a light on the lifesaving work of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to raise awareness of the urgent maternal health needs of millions of women around the world. You can help save the life of a mother and baby by donating £8 for an emergency birth kit.
Earlier this month, The Standard launched Sporting Chance, a major new campaign backed by some of Britain’s best-known sporting figures. To kick off the campaign, The Standard announced a £500,000 commitment to sports coaching and mentoring for disadvantaged young people across London to come from its Dispossessed Fund.
Greenhouse Sports will receive £250,000 from the campaign to fund programmes in five London secondary schools. This will reach up to 500 young people in some of the capital’s most deprived communities and champion the role coach-mentors can play in improving their attendance, attainment, confidence and sense of belonging. A further £250,000 will be shared between four London charities using football, boxing, martial arts and kayaking to reach young people who face barriers to accessing sport, safe community spaces and sustained adult support.
See the following links to read more about the campaign and to find out how to donate.
September saw the first ever Independent Travel Awards take place, celebrating the hotels, airlines and destinations most loved by our readers. We saw a whopping 17,000 votes across all the categories.
The awards evening was hosted by official venue partner, the Kimpton Fitzroy London and gathered together travel industry professionals from across a multitude of fields to recognise the very best of the travel industry.
Sun-drenched destinations in Spain dominated the European holiday hotspots, TUI took the gong for the best tour operator, and Hilton was recognised for offering the best hotel stays. See the full list of winners here on The Independent.
Photo credit: Joanne Davidson
