Coulson Aviation Positions Wildfire Control as Critical to Climate Progress at Climate Week NYC 2025

THERMAL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coulson Aviation, the global leader in aerial firefighting, will host a featured discussion at Climate Week NYC 2025 to elevate rapid wildfire suppression as an essential climate solution. The panel, “Power On, Not Burn Out: Wildfires and the Fight for Climate Progress,” is set for Wednesday, September 24, 2:30–3:30 p.m. ET on the Main Stage at The Nest Climate Campus (Javits Center). The public is invited to attend; registration is required.

Climate strategies often emphasize EV adoption, renewable energy, and industrial decarbonization, but wildfire emissions are largely overlooked. Yet they can erase decades of progress in a single season. In 2023 alone, Canadian wildfires emitted 2.4 billion tons of CO₂, undoing as much as 60 years of emissions reductions.

To confront this gap, Coulson Aviation will bring together fire and climate leaders for a high-profile panel discussion at Climate Week NYC, led by Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Aviation.

“If we don’t integrate wildfire control into climate strategy, no amount of green investment will be enough,” said Wayne Coulson. “Rapid suppression is immediate, scalable, and cost-effective, and it keeps communities safe while protecting climate gains.”

The session will include discussions on:

• Why wildfires remain excluded from climate accounting, and the implications for global reporting.
• The scale of climate losses from megafires, including the January 2025 Los Angeles fires, which released 4 million metric tons of CO₂e in just one month, more than the annual output of 800,000 cars.
• Pathways to integrate wildfire mitigation into climate policy and incentives.

Wildfires not only release vast amounts of carbon but also create immediate public health crises. During the Los Angeles fires, hazardous levels of fine particulate matter blanketed the city, triggering asthma spikes and ER visits. Millions far from burn zones are now affected by smoke each year, making wildfire both a climate and health emergency.

“Wildfire isn’t just a byproduct of climate change. It is accelerating it,” Coulson added. “Until suppression is recognized as a core climate solution, we risk fighting with one hand tied behind our back.”

About Coulson Aviation

Throughout the company’s 60+ years, the mission has remained the same: to protect the world from forest fires. Our organizational capabilities allow our team to provide simultaneous aerial support across numerous continents. As a leading supplier to county, state, and federal governments worldwide, Coulson has focused its next-generation multi-mission fleet on sustainable, in-production aircraft. Working in partnership with OEMs and leveraging the latest technology allows Coulson to provide superior all-hazard response aircraft. Learn more about Coulson Aviation by visiting: coulsonaviation.com.