The Global Climate Action Summit will bring leaders and people together from around the world to “Take Ambition to the Next Level.” It will be a moment to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of states, regions, cities, companies, investors, and citizens with respect to climate action. For Americans, it's an opportunity to reiterate our commitment to climate action, and present a unified front of increased ambition and collaboration.
We Are Still In will carry this message throughout the week of the summit - starting with our Forum for US Subnational Actions on September 12th. See below for more details of that day-long event.
We Are Still In Forum Draft Final Agenda (Subject to Change)
September 12, 2018 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences
We Are Still In was launched in June, 2017 to signal to the world that American leaders from all walks of life are committed to addressing climate change. The movement’s strength comes from the united force of over 3,500 cities, states and tribes, businesses, faith groups, universities, and cultural institutions committed to facing the climate challenge.
The We Are Still In Forum on September 12, 2018 will provide We Are Still In signatories with the first ever opportunity to strategize with and learn from leaders across all sectors who are your prospective partners to scale up the climate solutions needed to meet your goals, whether those goals are around building efficiency, renewables, EVs, HFCs, reducing methane and more. In the course of this day-long, staff-level, workshop you will
- focus on the solutions most important to you
- share accomplishments
- hear about successful models, examples and techniques to scale solutions, (including convening key leaders, mobilizing and expanding support, and ways of overcoming policy barriers and creating new solutions)
- discuss these issues with other signatories and experts across all sectors, and
- develop personal action plans to carry your work forward.
Registration for WASI Day is now closed, we look forward to seeing many of you in attendance!
9:00 AM – 9:03 AM Welcome to San Francisco
Elizabeth Bagley, California Academy of Science
9:03 AM- 9:10 AM Overview and Introduction
Carter Roberts, President and CEO, World Wildlife Fund
9:10 AM – 10:10 AM Welcome to the We Are Still In Forum
Panel: We Are Still In Leaders Circle
• Dana Villeneuve, Envi Sustainability & Policy Specialist, New Belgium Brewing
• Dianne Harrison, President, California State University Northridge
• Elysa Hammond, Vice President of Environmental Stewardship, Clif Bar & Co.
• Fawn Sharp, President, Quinault Indian Nation
• Jeri Muoio, Mayor of West Palm Beach, Florida
• Jennifer McColloch, Senior Director of Global Sustainability, McDonald’s
• Kevin Rabinovitch, Global VP Sustainability, Mars
• Laura Phillips, Senior Vice President for Global Sustainability, Walmart
• Lionel Johnson, Mayor of St. Gabriel, Louisiana
• Marc Andrus, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California
• Michelle Patron, Director of Sustainability Policy, Microsoft
Moderator: Jane Spencer, Deputy Editor, The Guardian US
10:10 AM – 10:15 AM We Are Still In and We Are Taking Action
Mindy Lubber, President and CEO, Ceres
10:15 AM – 10:55 AM We Are Taking Action Campaign with New Announcements
American businesses, cities, cultural institutions, faith groups, and others celebrate
their accomplishments and share new commitments to act on climate
10:55 AM – 11:05 AM Freedom to Breathe Debrief
On the frontlines of climate change, communities are mounting pressure for
increased ambition and connecting climate change to other issues that impact our
day to day lives. The Freedom to Breathe bus tour has amplified those efforts.
11:05 AM – 11:15 AM COFFEE BREAK
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM Topic 1: Identifying Priorities
America’s Pledge Opportunity Agenda has identified high impact opportunities for
near-term, nonfederal emissions reduction. We will learn why these strategies are
critical to hitting the US target under Paris and what is needed to act
Koben Calhoun, Manager of Buildings and Electricity Practice, Rocky Mountain Inst
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM BREAKOUT DISCUSSIONS BY TOPIC
Attendees will self-select into 6 breakout groups based on the America’s Pledge
Opportunity Agenda. Discussions will be led by an NGO facilitator and a private
sector or local leader partner who has direct experience in the subject matter
• Land - Ashely Allen, Mars & Martha Stevenson, WWF
• Renewables - Marsden Hanna, Google & Tim Juliani, WWF
• Efficient Buildings - Christina Nicholson, Gap & Koben Calhoun, RMI
• Electric Vehicles - Stephanie Greene, PG&E & Sara Forni, Ceres
• Phasing out HFCs - Jeff Moe, Ingersoll Rand & Christina Deconcini, WRI
• Methane Leaks - Nancy Meyer, C2ES
12:20 PM – 12:30 PM Topic 2: Convening Leaders
Universities play an important role in convening leaders, and the University
Climate Change Coalition has developed a model for bringing communities
together, across sectors, to collaboratively act on climate
Janet Napolitano, President, University of California
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM LUNCH & POSTER WALK THROUGH
Participants will have the opportunity to explore the museum and look at posters created by UC3 universities - lunch will be served towards the end of the hour
Upon returning to the Forum, participants will be seated at tables in small groups.
Please build a table that is cross-sectoral – seek out new partners!
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Topic 3: Building a Coalition
Representatives from Minnesota, Vermont, and Chicago will share their
experiences in localizing climate action and building broad coalitions of actors.
Filmmaker Jamie Redford will screen a short film about climate action in
Minnesota.
Jamie Redford, The Redford Center
Carter O’Brien, Sustainability Office, The Field Museum
Nicole Rom, Executive Director, Climate Generation
Peter Walke, Deputy Secretary, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Moderator: Kevin Taylor, Senior Program Officer, WWF
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM TABLE DISCUSSION
Participants will be seated at tables of ten comprised of people from each sector. They will have the opportunity to discuss in small groups the topics at hand and develop strategies to make the information relevant and replicable.
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Topic 4: Advocating for Policy Solutions
Along with increased action, it is essential for policy to change. Learn about the
major barriers to policy change and how you can be part of the solution.
Anne Kelly, Senior Director, Policy and BICEP Network, Ceres
Bob Perciasepe, President, C2ES
Anna Pavlova, VP of Government Relations, Schneider Electric
Jeremy Tarr, Policy Advisor to North Carolina Governor Cooper
Moderator: Emily Holden, Climate and Clean Energy Reporter, The Guardian US
3:30 PM – 4:00PM TABLE DISCUSSION and Q&A
4:00 PM – 4:20 PM Report Out
Volunteer participants will speak to their climate action plan moving forward,
including who they will work with, their future goals, and priorities.
4:20 PM – 4:30 PM Focus on the Future
Representatives from Heirs to the Oceans give a presentation on the impact of
climate change on the oceans.
4:30 PM – 4:40 PM Reflections on We Are Still In
Stephen Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina
4:40 PM – 4:45 PM Next Steps
Elan Strait, Director, U.S. Climate Campaigns, World Wildlife Fund