Highlights

Energy Abundance: LDES is critical to maintaining U.S. energy abundance as the nation faces a period of significant growth in electricity demand, projected to rise by 15 to 20 percent over the next decade.

Domestic Manufacturing & Jobs: LDES encompasses a wide range of technologies, many of which leverage existing domestic supply chains from adjacent industries—reducing U.S. dependence on imported batteries. If the United States can scale LDES manufacturing and deployment to 3 GW annually by 2030, the sector could generate up to 2.1 million direct job-years.

Energy Reliability: LDES can provide sustained backup power during prolonged periods of high electricity demand or grid stress events, helping to prevent blackouts, safeguard lives, and reduce economic disruption.

Innovation Unlocks Value: Continued federal investment in innovation is essential to unlocking the full potential of LDES and other emerging technologies. Sustained funding for research, development, and demonstration not only accelerates the creation of new LDES approaches with added value but also enhances existing approaches by making them more cost-effective and scalable.

The post Reliability in Reserve: Long-Duration Energy Storage for an Abundant American Energy Future appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

That question guided the Arizona Sustainable Economic Development Learning Lab, a first-of-its-kind pilot convened by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) in partnership with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and Prosperity Strategies.  

This innovative Learning Lab defines sustainable economic development practices as those that build future social, economic, and environmental needs into solutions for present challenges and opportunities. 

The Lab equipped economic development professionals –defined broadly as community, business, and non-profit leaders and other stakeholders involved in local and regional economic development- with practical tools, case studies, and networks to build resilience into local economies—advancing projects that strengthen prosperity while addressing Arizona’s heat, drought, and flooding challenges. 

Over several months, 35 participants representing cities, towns, Tribal nations, nonprofits, small businesses, utilities, and academic institutions completed a hands-on curriculum organized around four key elements: knowledge, resources, networks, and practice. Many participants then developed a capstone project to field-test lessons learned and model locally-driven approaches to sustainable economic development. 

The Solutions Showcase, hosted at the Flinn Foundation in Phoenix on Tuesday, Oct. 14th , marked the culmination of this pilot. Thirteen innovative projects highlighted the creativity and determination of Arizona’s local leaders, from community gardens in Yuma that double as heat refuges and workforce pipelines for the agricultural sector, to a sustainability navigator designed to help small businesses overcome barriers to adopting greener practices. Other projects explored how communities can build economic diversity in rural areas historically dependent on single industries, such as mining or tourism. See the full list of capstone projects below.

Across these efforts, common themes emerged: the need for economic diversification, expanded workforce pathways, stronger community branding, and increased capacity for small businesses. Many participants emphasized the potential of Arizona’s natural areas—not just as ecological assets, but as engines for heat and flood resilience, food access, education, and local tourism. Participants also underscored the importance of youth leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and community-driven design to ensure solutions are both inclusive and durable. 

The energy in the room at the Showcase reflected a genuine sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. Participants exchanged lessons learned, offered new partnerships, and even began coordinating to advocate jointly for policy and funding solutions. 

As C2ES and partners look ahead, the goal is to scale this model nationally, helping regions across the country define and implement what sustainable economic development means amidst growing climate and energy challenges. In Arizona, one thing is clear: communities are not waiting for perfect conditions. They’re turning insight into action, working together to build economies that can thrive in the face of increasing climate risks and uncertainties. 

The pilot Learning Lab is generously supported by the Flinn Foundation and 18 additional partners across Arizona. 

Local Innovation in Action: Arizona’s Sustainable Economic Development Projects

The Solutions Showcase featured 13 capstone projects that embody what sustainable, climate-smart economic development looks like across Arizona’s diverse communities:

1. Defining Sustainability in the Verde Valley – Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization
   Advancing small business loans and regional branding to diversify beyond tourism and create local jobs while protecting natural assets like the Verde River.
2. Ecotourism and Hospitality in Superior – Rebuild Superior and Superior Enterprise Center
   Building a sustainable tourism strategy to complement mining heritage, leveraging local youth engagement and natural assets such as the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
3. Growing Forward Garden Project – Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation
   Launching Yuma’s first community garden to improve food access, provide educational opportunities, and connect youth to agriculture careers.
4. Arizona Sustainability Navigator – Collaboration for Good, City of Surprise, and City of Phoenix
   Creating a one-stop digital hub to help small businesses and nonprofits access sustainability tools, grants, and technical assistance.
5. From Roots to Renewables – 7SkyLine
   Linking food and energy resilience by developing renewable energy career pathways and community garden programs for Tribal youth.
6. Sustainability Demonstration Garden – Flinn Foundation
   Transforming campus space into a living laboratory for urban heat mitigation through tree planting, design innovation, and public education.
7. Coal Transition Strategies for Rural Communities – Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service
   Developing a framework to repurpose decommissioned coal plant assets and retrain the workforce for clean energy and data center jobs.
8. Workforce Housing Revitalization in Historic Miami – PinDrop Trailers
   Piloting adaptive reuse of vacant properties to create affordable workforce housing in a flood-impacted rural community.
9. Retention Low-Impact Exchange (LID) Plan – City of Mesa
   Testing green infrastructure incentives to make small infill development more feasible while improving stormwater management and urban cooling.
10. Heritage Resources Management Degree Program – Arizona State Parks & Trails and State Historic Preservation Office
    Designing a new degree program to build workforce capacity in heritage conservation as a form of sustainable development.
11. Solar Energy for Economic Development – Solar United Neighbors
    Exploring community solar models to expand access, strengthen energy reliability, and support economic diversification in Phoenix and beyond.
12. Public Opinion Research Insights Tool – Center for the Future of Arizona
    Developing a tool to help developers and local governments anticipate public sentiment toward renewable energy and sustainability projects.
13. Resiliency Planning for Casa Grande Businesses – City of Casa Grande
    Creating a guide to help small businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate-related disruptions.

The post Turning Insight into Action: Advancing Sustainable Economic Development Across Arizona appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

October 09, 2025

C2ES Paper Aims to Strengthen Corporate Supply Chain’s Climate Resilience

Primer Identifies Critical Areas That Require Collaboration Between Corporate Supply Chain Managers and Climate Risk Assessors

WASHINGTON—Driven by climate change, the escalating frequency and severity of extreme weather events have become a growing threat to global commodity supply chains and trade infrastructure, ranging from the Los Angeles wildfires to recent droughts at the Panama Canal to extreme rain and flooding at the Port of Vancouver. Yet, many leading businesses still separate their logistics and supply chain managers from their climate risk assessors, exposing them to greater risks and damages. To bridge that gap, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) published a paper outlining how supply chain and climate risk teams can collaborate to improve a company’s climate risk management.

“Climate risk is still a new concept in supply chain management, as evidenced by the lack of resilience tools that incorporate long-term climate assessments,” said Sadie Frank, author of Assessing the Landscape of Climate Risk and Supply Chain Resilience: A Primer for Corporate Leaders and Climate Risk Professionals.  “Similarly, many corporate climate risk disclosures focus only on asset-level risks, overlooking the critical logistics and trade networks that support global supply chains. This primer is designed to close that gap, helping climate risk and supply chain practitioners learn from each other’s experiences and deep knowledge.”

In the paper, C2ES identifies several critical areas where supply chain risk and climate risk professionals can collaborate and learn from each other:

• Cross-disciplinary learning: Supply-chain teams can leverage climate science’s forward-looking hazard models, while climate risk professionals can adopt supply-chain disciplines like visibility, flexibility, and control to strengthen operational resilience.
• Bridging data and analysis gaps: Joint pilot projects and mixed qualitative–quantitative approaches (e.g., scenario analysis using alternative data) can help overcome fragmented supply-chain and climate datasets and improve confidence in decision-making.
• Developing decision-useful KPIs and metrics: Co-creating measurable indicators that capture both climate exposure and supply-chain performance (e.g., Time to Survive/Recover, business continuity KPIs) will give companies actionable benchmarks for climate-driven disruptions.
• Aligning governance and organizational structure: Identifying where climate and supply-chain risk functions should sit—whether in Enterprise Risk Management, finance, or compliance—can embed integrated resilience into core business processes.
• Scaling collaborative research and stakeholder dialogues: Structured exchanges among business leaders, climate scientists, and supply-chain practitioners can accelerate the creation of shared frameworks and next-generation resilience toolkits.

In the future, C2ES will continue to focus on supply chains as a critical force for business resilience.

For more information on integrating climate resilience into corporate business strategies, visit https://www.c2es.org/building-climate-resilience/advancing-business-leadership-on-climate-resilience/ .

To discuss this paper and its recommendations contact Allison Dennis at press@c2es.org 

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to secure a safe and stable climate by accelerating the global transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and a thriving, just, and resilient economy. 

The post C2ES Paper Aims to Strengthen Corporate Supply Chain’s Climate Resilience appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

While ECR is essential for mitigating the impacts of climate change, it also provides a range of economic and broader environmental co-benefits.

Highlights

Beyond Carbon Cuts: Engineered carbon removal (ECR) technologies like DAC, BiCRS, ERW, and mCDR not only mitigate climate change but also deliver co-benefits including job creation, wildfire risk reduction, soil health improvements, and ocean ecosystem resilience.

Jobs and Stability: By the time the highly durable CDR sector (including ECR) scales to storing 100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, it could create 95,000-130,000 US jobs. These jobs provide stable operations and maintenance roles that deliver significant benefits to legacy energy communities and industrial workforces nationwide.

Global Edge: ECR enhances U.S. competitiveness by producing lower-emission products, like sustainable aviation fuels, to meet international standards. This strengthens energy-intensive, trade-exposed industries and positions the U.S. to capitalize on the rapidly expanding global carbon removal credit market.

Innovation Unlocks Value: Continued federal investment in innovation is essential to unlocking the full potential of ECR and other emerging technologies. Sustained funding for research, development, and demonstration not only accelerates the creation of new ECR approaches with added value but also enhances existing approaches by making them more cost-effective, energy-efficient, and scalable.

The post More than Carbon: The Value Proposition of Engineered Carbon Removal appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

September 30, 2025

Austin–San Antonio Region Selected for the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator 

National initiative expands to Texas amid growing extreme weather events 

WASHINGTON—The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) today announced that the Austin–San Antonio region has been selected as its next hub for the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator (Accelerator). The Accelerator, already making an impact in Colorado’s North Front Range and Washington’s South-Central Puget Sound, is a two-year regionally focused initiative that brings together local and Tribal governments, businesses, nonprofits, academics, and community leaders to safeguard communities and strengthen economic stability in the face of climate threats. 

This announcement comes as Texas continues to experience an increase in extreme weather events—from winter storms to record-breaking heat waves and devastating flash flooding. The Accelerator aims to create a structured environment where regional stakeholders can share data, align existing efforts and resources, and design innovative solutions that protect residents and safeguard critical infrastructure. The program’s track record in other regions has shown that bringing all voices to the table—from city planners to business owners and neighborhood advocates— leads to solutions that are both practical and inclusive.  

“We are the fastest growing region in the United States and live in the state with one of the highest number of federally declared disasters per year,” said Laura Patiño, Chief Resilience Officer at the City of San Antonio. “Yet, there is a strong culture for collaboration that can be leveraged to ensure we are improving quality of life for residents in the region for years to come.” 

 “The most common hazards experienced in the Austin and San Antonio area include extreme heat, wildfire, drought, flooding, and severe winter storms. These interconnected hazards impact our cities while placing the greatest strain on vulnerable residents and communities,” said Zach Baumer, Director of the City of Austin’s Office of Climate Action and Resilience. “As our region continues to grow rapidly, these climate hazards affect our surrounding counties as well. A collective, holistic approach is needed to protect both our quality of life and vibrant ecosystems that make this region unique.” 

“Research demonstrates Central Texas is in desperate need of community-based resilience planning efforts,” said Thomas Ptak, Associate Professor at Texas State University. “While large urban areas are well resourced and have established robust climate policies and strategies, residents located in peri-urban areas and smaller cities such as San Marcos are increasingly vulnerable due to a lack of resources and formal plans to develop and enhance resiliency.” 

Juan Rodriguez Mora from the Del Valle Community Coalition emphasized that “the Del Valle area is one of the fastest growing regions – both population and economic activity – in Central Texas. We strive to engage major employers to identify hazards together and enact programs and initiatives that can make a significant impact.”  

“The Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute is working to develop neighborhood-based Resilience Hubs around the state, but we are not currently working with private sector partners in the Austin/San Antonio region. There is innovation in the region that could be harnessed by the opportunity to bring the private sector in through the Accelerator’s multi-stakeholder effort,” said Margo Weisz, Executive Director of the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute. 

“As fire chief in one of the fastest-growing regions in Texas, I’ve seen firsthand how extreme weather—including wildfires, flooding and winter storms—can threaten lives, damage infrastructure and disrupt the very fabric of our communities,” said Nick Perkins, fire chief of Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2. “The Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator is the kind of bold, collaborative effort we need to prepare for tomorrow while protecting today. I’m proud to support this initiative and committed to working with our partners to strengthen resilience across Central Texas.” 

“2025 is already a historic year for climate risks, beginning with the LA Fires, followed by devastating floods in Central Texas, and continuing through a summer of extreme heat, wildfires, smoke, and flooding. C2ES is grateful to support resilience building and cross-sector solutions on the ground in vulnerable regions across the United States,” said Libby Zemaitis, Senior Manager of Resilience Programs and Policy at C2ES. “Our approach empowers leaders to envision and coordinate joint action toward a resilient future as they navigate increasing climate risks and a shifting resource environment.” 

C2ES selected the Austin–San Antonio Region through a competitive process after communities and partners from across the United States applied to host the Accelerator. Applicants from Central Texas represented local governments, nonprofit organizations, private business, and universities – a diverse base of stakeholders that will grow once the Accelerator is underway. Over the next two years in Central Texas, the Accelerator will convene a series of workshops and provide flexible support to local leaders and cross-sector partners to build and advance a regional roadmap of high-impact resilience actions to locally identified climate hazards. Participants will also contribute to public policy priorities and join a growing national network of communities driving resilience forward.  

C2ES leverages its track record of effective business engagement to bring more private sector leaders to the table. For example, leaders from the electric utility, energy, engineering, finance, healthcare, technology, and telecommunication sectors participated in the Accelerator pilot in Colorado’s North Front Range, which C2ES launched in 2023. The effort built a regional roadmap of wildfire and heat resilience strategies, advanced resilience hubs and microgrids, and supported a new heat-focused public-private partnership between AT&T and the City of Longmont.  

The Accelerator is designed to be a catalyst for lasting impact, ensuring that planning efforts translate into tangible projects and measurable improvements in community safety and economic stability. 

For more information about the Accelerator and its work in other regions, including toolkits and other resources, visit https://www.c2es.org/building-climate-resilience/climate-resilient-communities-accelerator/.  

To express interest in participating in the Austin-San Antonio Accelerator, please contact Libby Zemaitis at zemaitise@c2es.org. 

To speak with a C2ES expert, contact Allison Dennis at press@c2es.org.  

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to secure a safe and stable climate by accelerating the global transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and a thriving, just, and resilient economy. 

The post Austin–San Antonio Region Selected for the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Highlights

Rising Climate Threats to Supply Chains

Global supply chains are increasingly vulnerable to climate disruptions, with floods, droughts, and extreme weather events compounding geopolitical and economic risks. Businesses must integrate climate resilience into supply chain strategies to safeguard continuity, competitiveness, and long-term financial stability.

Gaps in Existing Resilience Frameworks

Current supply chain resilience frameworks emphasize visibility, flexibility, contingency, and collaboration but often overlook climate-specific risks. Companies need decision-useful metrics and tools that connect climate science with operational supply chain planning to better anticipate and withstand disruptions.

Barriers to Integration and Transparency

Barriers to integration include limited supplier transparency, poor data quality, and mismatched planning horizons—short-term logistics versus long-term climate risks. Overcoming these challenges requires new partnerships, innovative data use, and cross-disciplinary approaches that align climate and supply chain practices.

Climate as a Threat Multiplier

Climate change acts as a “threat multiplier,” magnifying existing vulnerabilities in supply chains. Incorporating adaptation and resilience into corporate strategies is vital, especially as overshoot beyond 1.5 degrees C makes disruptions more frequent, severe, and costly for global businesses and communities.

The post Assessing the Landscape of Climate Risk and Supply Chain Resilience appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Ten Years on From Paris: Does the UN Climate Regime Need Reform?

Mon, Sept 22nd | 2 – 3:30 PM ET

Attend in Person | Join Virtually

​Join C2ES for a panel discussion that will examine how the United Nations’ broader architecture, across the UNFCCC and beyond, can be leveraged to support the evolution, particularly in the context of intensifying climate risks, shifting geopolitical dynamics, and the growing pressure of financial constraints, including ongoing UN budget cuts. As demands on the multilateral system grow, so too must its ability to deliver.

From Scopes to Systems: Reimagining Climate Action for the Built Environment

Thurs, Sept. 25th | 12 – 1:30 PM ET

Register

​Meaningful climate action is about translating ambition into tangible outcomes. Join C2ES and AECOM for an engaging session exploring cross-sector collaboration to better plan, design, construct, and account for, low-carbon buildings and transportation systems as part of broader corporate efforts to reach climate goals.

​The session will start off with a panel discussion featuring key stakeholders including building and infrastructure owners, planners and designers across building, transportation and infrastructure sectors. The panel will be followed by small group discussions on what new opportunities for carbon reduction emerge when we move beyond an organizational view—focused on Scope 1–3 emissions—to a systems-based, collaborative approach that emphasizes what we can control and influence across the built environment, and how we collectively account for it.

Emerging Best Practices for Net Zero Transition Plan Engagement Investor Feedback Session with Breakfast

Thurs, Sept. 25th | 9 – 11 AM ET

Register your interest

This “closed-door” session will provide a forum for investors to exchange insights and identify emerging best practices for investor engagement on climate transition planning, a timely and growing priority for investors. The event will feature investor perspectives on key successes, challenges, and opportunities within these engagements, including insights from Andrea Ranger, Director of Shareholder Advocacy at Trillium Asset Management. It will also highlight leading use cases for the newly updated Transition Plan Index tools to deepen engagements and drive impact.

More Opportunities to Connect with C2ES

Climate Leaders Ring the Opening Bell at the Building the Future Summit

Mon, Sept 22nd

Nasdaq will kick off New York Climate Week with an Opening Bell Ceremony convening forward-thinking leaders, including C2ES President Nat Keohane, tackling the future of the climate economy. The third annual Building the Future Summit examines systems innovation while spotlighting energy resilience, reindustrialization, nature-based innovation, and sustainability. It brings together a high density of visionary leaders, institutional investors, heads of state, and corporate executives.

AI for Real: Powering the Energy Shift

Tues, Sept 23rd

The advent of AI is revolutionizing the energy conversation, transforming power consumption and unleashing unprecedented potential for optimization and efficiency. On September 23, Widehall, in partnership with Siemens, will be at Climate Week in NYC, bringing together the brightest minds in AI and energy. C2ES President Nat Keohane will speak at this event intended to examine the delicate balancing act required to harness AI’s transformative benefits while managing energy usage. This event will be livestreamed.

Watch the Livestream

COP30: The Road from Baku to Belém

Thurs, Sept 25th

DLA Piper, which has represented developing countries in multilateral environmental negotiations for more than a decade, is hosting senior policy leaders from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, CDP, and the International Chamber of Commerce to examine the trajectory of multilateral climate action from COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to COP 30 in Belém, Brazil, and how countries and corporate actions can help keep the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals within reach.

C2ES VP for International Strategies, Kaveh Guilanpour, alongside panelists will discuss the emerging negotiating agenda, implementing the outcome of the first Global Stocktake, and the dynamics likely to shape climate diplomacy in 2025 and beyond. Participants will hear of the challenges and opportunities governments and the private sector face in driving decarbonization, strengthening resilience, and delivering a just transition.

Request to Attend

The post C2ES at NYC Climate Week 2025 appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

This “closed-door” session will provide a forum for investors to exchange insights and identify emerging best practices for investor engagement on climate transition planning, a timely and growing priority for investors. The event will feature investor perspectives on key successes, challenges, and opportunities within these engagements, including insights from Andrea Ranger, Director of Shareholder Advocacy at Trillium Asset Management. It will also highlight leading use cases for the newly updated Transition Plan Index tools to deepen engagements and drive impact. 

Discussion topics will include: 

• Emerging best practices and lessons learned from transition plan engagements 

• Common barriers and practical tools for more effective dialogue 

• Strategies for utilizing the Real Economy Transition Plan Index during engagements 

• How sector-specific considerations shape engagement expectations and withdrawal criteria 

• Opportunities for collaboration to strengthen investor asks and incentivize corporate climate action 

Additional details on the schedule and speakers will be shared in the coming weeks. Please express your interest through this link and feel free to share it with your network. Attendance will be limited to two registrants per organization. We look forward to seeing you there. 

Inquiries: Naila Karamally — karamallyn@c2es.org 

The post NY Climate Week: Emerging Best Practices for Net Zero Transition Plan Engagement Investor Feedback Session with Breakfast appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Innovate, Collaborate, Accelerate: Value-Chain Decarbonization at Scale

Tues, Sept 24th | 9 – 10 AM ET

Request Invitation

Businesses are looking for practical ways to catalyze and accelerate investment in the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries. Often, making the necessary advancements on net-zero goals requires investments up and down a company’s value chain. To make these investments, companies need to see their efforts toward economy-wide decarbonization are rewarded, creating a path toward growth.

Interdependencies Impacting the Low-Carbon Transition

Tues, Sept. 24th | 12 – 2PM ET

Request Invitation

While progress is being made in reducing emissions, companies still face significant barriers in achieving a low-carbon transition, including the need for enabling market and policy environments. Companies across sectors are also beginning to work together to overcome barriers, recognizing their own interdependencies, as they each work to reduce their own emissions and support a wider transition to a clean energy economy.

This event, co-hosted by Barclays, C2ES, and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), will discuss the interdependencies and complexities affecting companies’ transition plan pathways. We will hear from CEOs and senior leaders discussing the critical role of disclosures and how they are identifying and addressing these interdependencies as they begin to implement their transition plans, whilst balancing the calls for greater transparency on planning and performance.

Elements for Success at COP29 and Beyond

Weds, Sept. 25th | 10 – 11 AM ET

Register to attend in person or join via Zoom.

What would an ambitious and achievable outcome at COP29 look like?

In this panel event, key climate thought leaders will reflect on the elements that will need to be carefully negotiated in order to form a successful and ambitious outcome at COP29, as well as key components to be taken forward towards COP30 in Brazil.  Discussion will cover the importance of a robust decision on climate finance through the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) and its impact on the 2025 update of country nationally determined contributions (NDCs), as well as taking forward the outcome of the first global stocktake.

Opening remarks will be delivered by Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, Secretary for Climate, Energy, and Environment of Brazil and Yalchin Rafiyev, Lead Negotiator for the COP29 Presidency and Deputy Foreign Minister for the Republic of Azerbaijan.

This event will feature insights from a distinguished panel, including (alphabetical):

• H.E. Hana AlHashimi, Chief Climate Negotiator for the United Arab Emirates and Head of the Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change and COP28 President.
• H.E. Liliam Chagas de Moura, Director for Climate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil
• Dr. Sandra Guzmán Luna, founder of the Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (GFLAC)
• H.E. Hajja Naseem, former Minister of State for Environment, Climate Change, and Technology of the Republic of Maldives
• Todd Stern, former Special Envoy for Climate Change of the United States

The conversation will be moderated by Kaveh Guilanpour, Vice President of International Strategies at C2ES.

Early Warning Systems for All by 2027 (Virtual and In-Person)

Weds, Sept. 25th | 4 – 5 PM ET

Register to attend in person or join via Zoom.

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is pleased to present a hybrid public event during New York Climate Week and the UN General Assembly.

This session will provide a platform for an insightful discussion on the progress made since COP28 towards achieving universal early warning systems for all by 2027. It will delve into developments and breakthroughs, outline the essential actions required in 2024 to advance the Early warning for All Initiative, and examine the role of COP28’s global stocktake in accelerating progress.. 

This event will feature insights from a distinguished panel, including: 

• Thomas Asare, Assistant Secretary-General for the World Meteorological Organization.  
• Kamal Kishore – Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction;

• Rebecca Manzou, Director of the Zimbabwe Meteorological Services; and
• H.E. Hajja Naseem, former Minister of State for Environment, Climate Change, and Technology of the Republic of Maldives.  

Additionally, Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio, Senior Advisor, Adaptation and Resilience, at the UN Foundation, will deliver a presentation. 

Moderated by Kaveh Guilanpour, Vice President of International Strategies at C2ES.  

More Opportunities to Connect with C2ES

Xpansiv Climate Week Summit

Mon, Sept. 23rd | 2:30 – 3:15PM ET

Hosted by Xpansiv

Register Now

This summit will bring together industry leaders and experts to explore strategies for advancing carbon markets, scaling national registries, and enhancing market infrastructure. Key topics will also include renewable energy integration, climate finance, and the implementation of Article 6. Attendees can look forward to engaging high-level panel discussions, an inspiring keynote address, and extensive networking opportunities – all designed to drive actionable solutions and meaningful progress to accelerate the energy transition.

C2ES President Nat Keohane will speak on a panel, “Building a Robust VCM: Aligning Policy, Technology, and Investment,” alongside Annette Nazareth (Chair of ICVCM) and John Melby (CEO of Xpansiv).

Harnessing Transition Credits to Drive a Fossil Fuel to Clean Transition in Emerging Markets

Mon, Sept 23rd | 12 – 2:30 PM ET

Hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)

Invite Only

“Harnessing Transition Credits to Drive a Fossil Fuel to Clean Transition in Emerging Markets,” co-hosted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and The Rockefeller Foundation, will feature three moderated discussion sessions that will delve into how transition credits can serve as a crucial financial mechanism to incentivize the transition from coal and other fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, while ensuring a just transition for workers and communities.

Fireside Chat on the Future of JPMC’s Climate and Sustainability Strategy

Mon, Sept 23rd | 6 – 8 PM ET

Hosted by JPMorgan Chase

Invite Only

JPMorgan Global Head of Sustainability Heather Zichal will be in conversation with C2ES President Nat Keohane. Heather and Nat will discuss JPMC’s climate business strategy and how the Firm continues to help clients and other stakeholders realize the opportunities and navigate the challenges of the energy transition.

Accelerating Climate Action: Delivering High-Integrity Carbon Markets

Weds, Sept.25th | 11:30 – 12PM ET 

Hosted by ICVCM, VCMI, Global Carbon Market Utility

Register Now

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), the Global Carbon Market Utility (GCMU), and the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI), play unique, complementary roles in reforming the voluntary carbon market to support and accelerate ambitious climate action.

Join to hear from high-level leaders during Climate Week NYC pledging to step up, identify challenges, and forge a path to accelerate climate action.

C2ES President Nat Keohane will speak on a panel titled, “The Future of Carbon Markets in a Bifurcated World.”  Experts will discuss potential scenarios where market fragmentation could lead to innovation in regional carbon trading systems while also examining risks such as protectionism and divergent regulatory frameworks. The session aims to provide insights into how stakeholders can adapt strategies within this bifurcated world to ensure that carbon markets continue to play an effective role in mitigating climate change amidst political complexities.

North American Climate Summit

Sept. 24 – 26th 

Hosted by IETA and the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP)

Register Now

IETA’s North America Climate Summit 2024 (NACS 2024) is the premier gathering of carbon market practitioners, experts, and governments from across North America and beyond. Organized by IETA, in collaboration with the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), NACS 2024 is an in-person event with recorded plenary and breakout sessions. The program features high-level plenaries, inspirational keynotes, topic deep-dives, cross-cutting breakouts, interactive side events, exclusive roundtables and unmatched networking opportunities to foster meaningful connections.

C2ES President Nat Keohane will participate in a panel titled, “Trillions for Transition: Mobilizing Private Capital for Climate Action & Closing Addresses” on Sept 26 from 4 – 5PM ET.

The post C2ES at NYC Climate Week 2024 appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Fiduciary duty, the obligation to act in the best interest of beneficiaries, is being reshaped by the realities of climate risk. Once narrowly focused on short-term returns, it is now evolving to include long-term systemic risks, such as environmental and social factors. This shift reflects growing recognition that climate change materially threatens both portfolio performance and the broader financial system. Leading asset owners worldwide are embedding climate transition planning into investment oversight, reframing climate stewardship as essential rather than optional to prudent fiduciary practice.

Highlights

The historical evolution of fiduciary duty. Grounded in loyalty, prudence, and care, fiduciary duty is shifting from shortterm financial metrics to long-term systemic risks like climate change. U.S. interpretations still trail the EU, but momentum is building.

The limits of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT). MPT fails to account for how investments shape and are shaped by real-world systems. It treats climate risk as background volatility rather than a core risk factor, an outdated view in today’s interdependent financial landscape.

The emergence of universal ownership and systemic risk awareness. Large institutional investors are effectively “universal owners” with exposure to the entire economy. They cannot diversify away from climate risk and must manage it directly to protect long-term returns and the broader financial system.

Concrete case studies from leading asset owners. Case studies of leading practices from CalSTRS, the New York City Comptroller, WSIB, UPP, Border to Coast, and La Caisse show how robust transition strategies and targeted stewardship advance climate action as part of fiduciary duty.

Legal and regulatory shifts reinforcing climate integration. From ERISA reforms in the U.S. to SFDR and TCFD mandates in Europe and the UK, laws are increasingly requiring fiduciaries to account for climate-related risk. UN, European, and UK regulators have signaled that ignoring climate risk may violate fiduciary duty, while U.S. guidance remains less explicit.

The post Redefining Fiduciary Duty: Climate Risk, Stewardship, and the Transition Imperative appeared first on Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.