It’s been said before, but it bears repeating: The first round of Democratic presidential debates failed the planet. In a combined 240 minutes of discussion—at an event held in a city poised to sink into the ocean—the moderators devoted a combined 15 minutes of airtime to the biggest existential threat humanity faces.

We were hardly surprised. In fact, we’ve been anticipating this outcome for months—which is why back in April, we had a thought: What if we just planned a candidates’ exchange on climate issues ourselves?

As two climate journalists with a combined decade of experience covering the issue, we knew we could convey the immense stakes of the unfolding crisis. We could ask the indispensable questions about how to end our dependence on fossil fuels and what that means for society. We could put the communities most damaged by the climate crisis at the center of the discussion, where they belong. And we could compel the candidates to talk about climate change with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.

We’ve accomplished a lot since April—and on September 23, 2019, The New Republic and Gizmodo will host a presidential climate summit in New York City. We’ll be joined by the League of Conservation Voters, giving us a leg up on the candidates’ environmental voting records and 2020 climate plans. We’ve also brought on Columbia University’s Earth Institute, ensuring our questions will be in line with current climate science.

Other organizations are supporting our effort, too. The Climate Group has made our presidential climate summit an official part of Climate Week NYC, and Earthjustice Action, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the NRDC Action Fund, and the Center for American Progress Action Fund have agreed to be sponsors. We’re hoping to work with the Climate Justice Alliance, to ensure frontline communities and youth are well-represented. And legendary New York political anchor Errol Louis will be the main moderator for our event, which will take place the same day world leaders will be in town for a United Nations climate summit.