Inside Climate Week NYC: Wildfire suppression debate led by Coulson Aviation

Coulson Aviation to host wildfire suppression panel in New York

Coulson Aviation has announced it will host a panel discussion on wildfire suppression at Climate Week NYC 2025.

The session will take place on Wednesday 24 September from 14:30 to 15:30 ET at The Nest Climate Campus, located at the Javits Center in New York.

The company confirmed that the discussion is titled “Power On, Not Burn Out: Wildfires and the Fight for Climate Progress,” and will be open to the public with registration required.

Emissions from wildfires exceed climate gains

According to Coulson Aviation, climate strategies often focus on electric vehicle adoption, renewable energy and industrial decarbonisation, while wildfire emissions are frequently excluded.

The company said Canadian wildfires in 2023 released 2.4 billion tonnes of CO₂, cancelling out up to 60 years of emissions reductions.

It added that the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires emitted 4 million metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in one month, a figure it compared to the annual emissions of 800,000 cars.

Calls for wildfire suppression as a climate solution

Wayne Coulson, Chief Executive Officer of Coulson Aviation, said: “If we don’t integrate wildfire control into climate strategy, no amount of green investment will be enough.”

“Rapid suppression is immediate, scalable, and cost-effective, and it keeps communities safe while protecting climate gains.”

Coulson added: “Wildfire isn’t just a byproduct of climate change. It is accelerating it.”

“Until suppression is recognised as a core climate solution, we risk fighting with one hand tied behind our back.”

The company confirmed that the panel will also address public health concerns, including hazardous fine particulate matter and its impact on respiratory health during wildfire events.

Relevance for fire and safety professionals

This development highlights the growing role of wildfire suppression within climate and health policy discussions.

Fire and rescue chiefs and senior officers may find direct operational relevance in the emphasis on rapid suppression as an effective response strategy.

Emergency and disaster response managers are likely to be affected by the recognition that uncontrolled wildfires can release emissions equivalent to decades of progress in other sectors.

Air quality risks, including hazardous fine particulate matter, connect the issue to public health emergencies, which facility managers and government departments must also address during fire events.

For fire engineers and equipment specifiers, the discussion may influence future procurement and integration of suppression systems designed to reduce wildfire intensity and limit emissions.

Coulson Aviation to host wildfire suppression panel in New York: Summary

Coulson Aviation announced it will host a panel discussion on wildfire suppression at Climate Week NYC 2025.

The session is scheduled for Wednesday 24 September from 14:30 to 15:30 ET at The Nest Climate Campus, Javits Center, New York.

The company confirmed the discussion, titled “Power On, Not Burn Out: Wildfires and the Fight for Climate Progress,” will be open to the public with registration required.

Coulson Aviation stated that Canadian wildfires in 2023 released 2.4 billion tonnes of CO₂, cancelling out decades of emissions reductions.

The company added that the Los Angeles fires in January 2025 released 4 million metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in one month.

Chief Executive Officer Wayne Coulson said rapid suppression is scalable, cost-effective and essential to protect climate gains and public health.

The panel will address why wildfire emissions are often excluded from climate reporting, the climate and health impacts of megafires, and pathways to policy integration.

This article contains information from the following source: Coulson Aviation