This is an overview of the programs that will be featured in the U.S. Center in Copenhagen. This listing is subject to change at any time. All of the events in the U.S. Center will be streamed live, so please check back here at the appropriate time to watch the live stream from Copenhagen. Please note that the times given are in Copenhagen local time, which is UTC/GMT+1.
Monday, December 7
Event: The Arctic: One of the Earth’s Most Rapidly Warming Regions
Primary Sponsors: National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Monday, December 7
9:00-10:00 AM
Event Summary: As climate models have predicted, the Arctic has been one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth over the last several decades. Sea ice is thinning and shrinking in extent, Greenland’s ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate, glaciers are melting, permafrost is thawing, and snow cover is dwindling. Will these trends continue? What will be the impacts on Arctic ecosystems? A panel of arctic science experts will take the audience on a fascinating virtual tour of the Arctic and the changes ongoing there. Video footage and slide presentations will convey scientists’ long-term perspective on the Arctic region’s climate and ecosystems, from a historical perspective to the Arctic today. The event will feature brand new footage and information from the Arctic Report Card, produced in partnership by NOAA, NSF and others.
Panel Presentation Materials Part I PDF| Part II PDF
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Event: State of the Science: Earth’s Changing Polar Ice Cover
Primary Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Monday, December 7
10:15-11:15 AM
Event Summary: What is the future of the Earth’s threatened polar ice caps and sea ice? How fast will sea levels rise as the result of global warming? The answer lies in understanding the dynamics of these icy regions and how they interact with the rest of the Earth system. Many of these new insights are only possible through ongoing monitoring of the poles from space and the introduction of new satellite observation tools by space agencies around the world. Cryospheric scientist Dr. Waleed Abdalati will present a concise review of the very latest observations and research findings on shrinking Arctic sea ice, and the rapidly-changing Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, incorporating a collection of high-definition videos of satellite data. Key questions remain in scientists’ ability to predict the future behavior of sea ice and ice sheets, and determine the future implications for life on Earth. U.S. science agencies, including NASA, the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey, are also working to understand the nature of these changes and the associated impacts on physical and biological environments, and they are working to develop predictive capabilities to support policy decisions.
Event: Ocean Acidification: Impacts of Carbon Dioxide on Marine Ecosystems
Primary Sponsor: Oceana
Monday, December 7
11:30-12:30 PM
Event Summary: Carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere has acidified the world’s oceans by reacting with seawater to form carbonic acid. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from humankind’s industrial and agricultural activities has resulted in an oceanic uptake of about 530 billion tons of CO2. Unless curtailed, acidification may drastically alter marine food webs by destroying tropical coral reefs and threatening species that play critical ecological roles. A panel of ocean science experts and advocates will discuss how acidification affects the ocean, from increasing sound transmission to altering the potency of marine toxins. Because the only demonstrated practical method for reducing acidification is reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, ocean acidification provides one more reason for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
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Event: Protecting the Arctic by Mitigating Short-Lived Climate Forcers
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Clean Air Task Force
Monday, December 7
12:45-2:00 PM
Event Summary: The Arctic region is experiencing some of the fastest rates of climate change. There is increasing concern that soot emissions called black carbon, in addition to greenhouse gases, are contributing to climate change in the Arctic. Black carbon causes global warming by absorbing incoming sunlight but also by darkening ice and snow surfaces. Because black carbon and other powerful short-lived climate forcers, such as tropospheric ozone and methane remain airborne for only days to weeks, reducing emissions can have an immediate climate benefit. A new Arctic Council Task Force has been established to examine mitigation strategies for short-lived climate forcers, and numerous scientific reviews are underway to assess the chief emissions sources and climate impacts of these pollutants. This international panel of experts will discuss the state of the science on short-lived forcers and present the latest information on key contributing sectors such as diesel engines and fires.
Event: Extreme Ice Survey
Primary Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Monday, December 7
2:15-3:15 PM
Event Summary: Through the arresting visual evidence of the Extreme Ice Survey, Director James Balog will unveil rapidly changing landscapes in Alaska, Greenland, and Iceland that only a handful of intrepid adventurers have ever seen in person. His presentations are colored by his experiences shooting for some of the world's most recognized publications, as well as his personal work on pioneering wildlife and nature photography projects. The time-lapse photography work of James and his team was featured in a NOVA/PBS documentary on March, 24, 2009. The result is a gripping program that stimulates the artistic sensibilities, spurs the exploratory yearnings and touches our sense of humanity.
Event: The History and Science of Monitoring Carbon Dioxide and Other Greenhouse Gases: Why Keeling Put An Atmospheric Observatory on the Flank of an Active Volcano and How it Changed the Course of Climate Science
Primary Sponsor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Monday, December 7
3:30-4:30 PM
Event Summary: November 2008 marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of one of Earth system scientists’ most important datasets: the atmospheric carbon dioxide record begun at a volcano in Mauna Loa, Hawai’i in 1958. Fifty years ago, scientists were debating whether human-emitted carbon dioxide would end up in the atmosphere or be fully absorbed by the ocean. The carbon dioxide data record Charles David Keeling started at Mauna Loa proved conclusively that atmospheric CO2 is increasing and has been increasing at a slightly accelerating rate over the five decades since. This event will present a narrative of the history and science behind one of the most important science investigations of our time: the Earth science community’s collective efforts to solve the mysteries of where atmospheric carbon dioxide comes from, where the carbon goes once it’s released into the air, and what are the implications for the climate system. Understanding modern trends in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and other key greenhouse gases is critical to our overall understanding of how Earth’s climate system works.
Event: Climate Change Impacts on Civilization: Lessons from Space Archaeology
Primary Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Monday, December 7
4:45-5:45 PM
Event Summary: Human civilizations have undergone significant shifts in the past due to changes in Earth’s climate on local and regional scales. Now, as the world faces similar challenges on a global scale, scientists are reading the evidence from the past to learn more about these pivotal events in human history. NASA is pioneering the use of satellite observations to read the clues of how ancient civilizations reacted to changes in climate. Current projects in Egypt employ space-based sensors to find the tracks of ancient rivers along which civilization flourished tens of thousands of years ago. In Central America, scientists are searching for the cause of the collapse of the Mayan civilization with satellite surveys of surface topography, vegetation and the ruins of water-control structures. Scientific experts participating via digital video conference will present a short film on current research, then lead a discussion on ongoing research efforts and what they reveal about how humans adapted to and may have contributed to ancient climate changes.
Panel Presentation Materials PDF
Event: Including Nitrogen Management in Climate Policy Development
Primary Sponsor: International Nitrogen Initiative (INI)
Monday, December 7
6:00-7:00 PM
Event Summary: Nitrogen is essential to all life on Earth. Society depends on nitrogen as fertilizer for agricultural production of food. Nitrogen is also associated with energy security, and is a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion. However, inadvertent additions of reactive nitrogen into the environment have detrimental consequences for climate change. Management solutions are available for minimizing negative impacts.
Research shows that nitrogen directly and indirectly impacts the climate system and climate change. However, the impact of nitrogen on climate is not sufficiently represented in science and policy discussions. The International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), with many regional and international partners and sponsors work to optimize the use of nitrogen in food production, while minimizing the negative effects of nitrogen on human health and the environment. INI has brought together a panel of international scientists and policy makers that will engage in a comprehensive analysis of the current and future nitrogen impacts on climate change and discuss innovative policy options for climate change mitigation.
Tuesday, December 8
Event: Greening U.S. Aviation: The Roadmap to Reducing Greenhouse Gases
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
Tuesday, December 8
10:15-11:15 AM
Event Summary: The U.S. is taking a proactive approach and is leading global efforts to mitigate the climate impacts of aviation. A panel of aeronautics experts will outline research and development efforts focused on aviation greenhouse gases and lead a discussion on scientific research to better understand the climate impacts of aviation emissions, new aircraft and engine technologies, alternative fuels and more efficient operations.
Panel Presentation Materials PDF 2
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Event: Efficiency: Large Scale Deployment for High Impact Mitigation
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Tuesday, December 8
11:30-12:30 PM
Event Summary: On November 15th, the U.S. announced an ambitious action plan for energy efficiency deployment in buildings and industry. Cathy Zoi, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, will highlight U.S. initiatives to seize untapped potential through innovations in both technology and policy. Special attention will also be given to the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC), of which the U.S. is a founding member. Assistant Secretary Zoi will also discuss Recovery Through Retrofit, a priority program of the Obama Administration to create jobs by helping low- and middle-income households gain the benefit of energy efficiency investments to existing homes.
Event: Stronger Global Partnerships
Tuesday, December 8
12:45-2:00 PM
Event Summary: U.S. efforts to combat climate change are essential, but alone are insufficient. Climate change is a global problem that demands a global solution, and President Obama is committed to building stronger global partnerships. At this side event, a senior Obama Administration official will profile the many international initiatives in which the U.S. is playing a leading role to address global climate change. These include: the 17-member Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate; President Obama’s leadership in securing agreement through the G20 to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, a measure that would reduce global green house gas emissions by at least 10% by 2050; and elevating climate and clean energy to a top tier issue in key bilateral relationships. At this event, attendees will learn how the U.S. is working with developing country partners to build a sustainable, clean energy global economy that can drive investment and job creation around the world while reducing pollution and facilitating adaptation.
Presentation Materials by David Sandalow, U.S. Department of Energy PDF
Event: How Improving Air Pollution Control Can Help Address Climate Change
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, and the Clean Air Task Force
Tuesday, December 8
2:15-3:15 PM
Event Summary: Climate and air quality are inextricably linked: they share common atmospheric processes and emissions sources, and are associated with related health and environmental impacts. Many mitigation strategies—such as increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy use—address climate and air pollution simultaneously, resulting in benefits for both climate and public health. Such strategies may be especially important in developing countries, where the public health burden from air pollution is high and achieving co-benefits for air quality and the climate can help stretch scarce economic resources. An international panel of air experts will highlight the potential climate benefits of air quality programs and emphasize how greenhouse gas mitigation strategies can reduce emissions of conventional air pollutants—including ozone and particulate matter, which also affect climate. Panelists will discuss the most recent thinking about how to integrate air quality and climate planning, and highlight how climate change, if not addressed, is likely to adversely impact air quality in the future.
Panel Presentation Materials PDF
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Event: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
Primary Sponsor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Tuesday, December 8
3:30-4:30 PM
Event Summary: In June 2009, the U.S. Global Change Research Program issued a science assessment report titled “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States.” U.S. government experts will present findings from this interagency report, which incorporates the most up-to-date science to provide a valuable, objective scientific consensus on how climate change is affecting—and may further affect—the United States. Adding greatly to its practical value in the realm of policy and planning, it is the first such report in almost a decade to break out those impacts by U.S. region and economic sector, and the first to do so in such great detail.
Presentation Materials by Thomas Karl, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PDF
Event: Buses, Trains, and Commuter Vans: Reducing Carbon through U.S. Public Transit
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
Tuesday, December 8
4:45-5:45 PM
Event Summary: Public transportation offers a low-emissions alternative to driving, and investments in transit and compact land use have important synergies that enhance greenhouse gas reductions when pursued as a comprehensive strategy. Transit agencies across the U.S. are not only providing low-emission transportation alternatives to their customers, but are also reducing greenhouse gas emissions within their own footprint. A panel of experts from federal government, local government and academia will discuss exciting efforts in the U.S. to build livable and sustainable communities with high quality public transportation. This panel will showcase the role of public transportation in reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, which is responsible for 29 percent of all U.S. emissions.
Presentation by Fred Hanson,TriMet PDF
Presentation by Robert Cervero, University of California, Berkeley PDF
Presentation by John Inglish, Utah Transit Authority PDF
Event: Extreme Weather and Climate Events in a Changing Climate
Primary Sponsor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Tuesday, December 8
6:00-7:00 PM
Event Summary: The impact of weather and climate extremes can be severe and wide-ranging. Weather and climate extremes affect all sectors of the economy and the environment, including human health and well-being. During the period 1980-2006, the U.S. experienced 70 weather-related disasters for which overall damages exceeded $1 billion at the time of the event. U.S. government experts will discuss the findings of a U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) Report that analyzes scientific evidence that a warming world will be accompanied by changes in the intensity, duration, frequency, and spatial extent of weather and climate extremes. While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report evaluates extreme weather and climate events on a global basis in the context of observed and projected changes in climate, the USGCRP report is derived from an assessment of observed and projected changes in weather and climate extremes across North America, including the U.S. territories in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Presentation Materials PDF
Wednesday, December 9
Event: Methane to Markets Partnership: Engaging Major Economies
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Wednesday, December 9
9:00-10:00 AM
Event Summary: Successfully combating climate change requires institutional mechanisms that deliver emissions reductions and encourage sustainable development around the world. Since 2004, the Methane to Markets Partnership (M2M) has reduced methane emissions, stimulated economic development, and improved local environmental quality in developing partner countries such as China, India, Brazil and Mexico. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with large near-term cost-effective mitigation potential, and M2M provides the technology transfer opportunities and capacity building necessary to accelerate the development of emissions reduction projects. An international panel will feature speakers from major emitting economies, the M2M Secretariat and the U.S. government who will discuss successes to date, the future of the Partnership, and the relationship between M2M and other international climate change processes.
Presentation Materials PDF
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Event: Training Coastal Communities to Adapt to Climate Change
Primary Sponsors: National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Wednesday, December 9
10:15-11:15 AM
Event Summary: The U.S. is reaching out at home and around the world with a new training course on climate change adaptation designed specifically for coastal communities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Agency for International Development, and partners developed the course entitled “Planning for Climate Change in the Coastal and Marine Environment to offer opportunities for policy makers and practitioners to enhance their understanding of unique vulnerabilities within coastal environments as well as consider what adaptation strategies would most benefit their local communities. Most recently delivered in Indonesia as part of the Coral Island Initiative, the course also has been given in the Philippines, the Marshall Islands and Vietnam. Course trainers will discuss the course’s approach, highlights, impacts and opportunities for future collaboration, while representatives from the Marshall Islands will comment on lessons learned. Following the presentation, trainers will move to the Reception Room to provide an opportunity for audience members to participate in an interactive and engaging role playing exercise employed in the full version of the course.
Presentation Materials by Albon Ishoda PDF
Presentation Materials by Russell Jackson PDF
Panel Presentation Materials PDF
Event: Measurement and Reporting: Benefits Beyond Greenhouse Gas Reductions
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Wednesday, December 9
11:30-12:30 PM
Event Summary: Measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) has a number of benefits that go beyond confirmation of greenhouse gas reductions. Data collected for measurement and reporting of emissions at the facility or national level not only help define emissions reductions, but provide information on the use of natural resources and are useful to economic development assessment and planning. A panel of international experts and practitioners will explore three case studies of programs that require enhanced measurement and reporting to achieve environmental benefits. The first case study will focus on a project created under the International GasSTAR program, the efforts taken by India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation to reduce methane emissions from their operations. The second study will outline the benefits of improved greenhouse gas inventories through EPA’s inventory capacity building efforts in Latin America. The final study will examine collaboration by EPA and the International Aluminum Institute on making plant-specific perfluorocarbon measurements – this effort has facilitated sector-wide emission reductions and improved the quality of data reported from aluminum facilities around the world.
Presentation Materials PDF
Event: Taking Action at Home
Primary Sponsor: United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Wednesday, December 9
12:45-2:00 PM
Event Summary: The United States has renewed its commitment to combating climate change, taking the lead in the development of a clean energy economy and reducing dangerous global warming pollution. At this side event, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson will highlight the Administration's domestic efforts, including: a proposed determination that greenhouse-gas pollution poses a threat to public health and welfare; historic vehicle efficiency and emissions standards that will reduce global warming pollution and cut oil use; an EPA rule requiring greenhouse-gas emissions reporting by facilities with the highest annual emissions; an aggressive Executive Order on Federal Sustainability that demonstrates our commitment to leading by example by requiring federal agencies to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to achieve water and waste reduction targets; and the President's focus on working with Congress to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation that would establish legally binding economy-wide targets to lower emissions more than 80 percent below current levels by 2050.
-Remarks by Adminstrator Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
Event: Cleaner Cook Stoves for Developing Countries: Improving Health, Reducing Climate Change
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Wednesday, December 9
2:15-3:15 PM
Event Summary: The Partnership for Clean Indoor Air, with 320 Partner organizations working in 115 countries, is increasing the use of affordable, clean, efficient, and safe cooking technologies that reduce indoor air pollution, fuel use, and carbon emissions. Three billion people burn solid fuels in open fires and rudimentary stoves for their cooking and heating, resulting in an estimated 1.5 million premature deaths each year and significant harm to the local and global environment. Learn about the connection between household solid fuel use and health and climate change. A panel of environment and health experts will present research showing how cooking is contributing to global warming through CO2 and black carbon emissions, and how improved cook stoves, with limited assistance from the carbon offset markets, are helping to mitigate emissions. Panelists will highlight efforts to commercialize the dissemination of efficient stoves (more than 800,000 in 2008), measure the impact on emissions, and provide guidance to certify carbon offsets for global markets.
Presentation Materials by V. Ramanathan PDF
Presentation Materials by Geres PDF
Presentation Materials by Evan Haigler PDF
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Event: Coral Reefs and Climate Change: the Link between Reef Resilience and Human Well-being
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of State and the International Union for Conservation of Nature
Wednesday, December 9
3:30-4:30 PM
Event Summary: The event will demonstrate the link between reef resilience and human well-being, noting the impacts of climate change on coral reef health and in turn on local communities, livelihoods, food security, and poverty reduction. A panel of international coral reef experts, representing some of the world’s foremost academic, conservation and policy institutions addressing the plight of coral reefs, will highlight recent findings on the impacts of climate change on coral reefs, and its implications for ecosystem integrity and value. The experts will identify challenges to and opportunities for policy and management action to enhance socio-ecological resilience and adaptive capacity in tropical coastal areas.
Presentation Materials by Ove Hoegh-Guldberg PDF
Panel Presentation Jerker Tamelander PDF
Event: Climate Investment Index: An Enabling Environment for Clean Tech Transfer in Developing Countries
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Bank
Wednesday, December 9
4:45-5:45 PM
Event Summary: Climate risk management is fundamental for preserving and enhancing development progress in many developing countries. While accelerating economic growth is a priority, climate action can and should provide local commercial, developmental, and environmental benefits. The bulk of financial resources needed for environmentally sound technologies and processes in developing countries must be provided through private sources, with the public sector serving as a catalyst or facilitator. To be successful, enabling environments must be in place within the host country complemented by capacity-building.
With the long-term goal of promoting and accelerating the implementation of climate mitigation technologies, this project aims to develop a framework for promoting sustainable investment climates for “climate friendly” technologies. A panel of U.S. government representatives and international experts will discuss the framework that will be used to build a climate change technology investment index (CCTII) for developing countries.
Presentation Materials PDF
Event: Mobilizing Private Sector Financing for Technology Transfer: the CTI Private Financing Advisory Network
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Wednesday, December 9
6:00-7:00 PM
Event Summary: In order to supplement public resources and achieve the resources necessary to finance technology needs in developing countries, Climate Technology Initiative’s Private Financing Advisory Network (CTI PFAN) is successfully mobilizing private sector financing sources. Through this eleven-country multilateral activity, co-funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, experienced financial professionals work with project developers and proponents to structure projects and prepare financing proposals with the aim of accessing private capital markets. CTI PFAN is currently operating in Latin America, Africa and Asia, has raised 45 million dollars of investment, and is currently working on more than 60 projects representing some 1.7 billion dollars of required investment. A panel of U.S. government representatives and project developers will showcase examples of CTI PFAN activities in a broad range of developing countries.
Presentation Materials PDF
Panel Presentation Materials PDF
Thursday, December 10
Event: Green Build U.S. Technology
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (DOC/ITA)
Thursday, December 10
9:00-10:00 AM
Event Summary: This session will highlight the importance of leading-edge U.S. programs, products, advances and solutions in reducing GHG emissions in buildings, which account for some 40% of emissions worldwide. We will discuss emerging standards, Energy Service Company contributions, and the greening of U.S. Government buildings, a vital example of “low-hanging fruit” mitigation opportunities that can be undertaken at cost savings by building owners and occupants. Panelists represent ESCOs, Green Building NGOs, and building supply and technology companies, and will address leading technologies and examples of green building, obstacles to implementation, and best ways forward in implementing energy efficiency in buildings and homes. We will also highlight U.S. government programs in this area, including the successful U.S. “Green Embassies” program.
Presentation Materials by Clay Nesler PDF
Presentation Materials by Panel PDF
Presentation Materials by Honeywell PDF
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Event: Solutions at your Doorstep: U.S. Alternative Energy and Energy Efficiency Technologies on Display
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration and Commercial Service (DOC/ITA and CS)
Thursday, December 10
10:15-11:15 AM
Event Summary: This event showcases world-class U.S. offerings in renewable energy and energy efficiency products, including biofuels, green buildings, IT, wind, solar, grid-technology and IT, previewing the real, ready-to-use solutions waiting for your review at the “Bright Green” Trade Show at the FORUM on Saturday and Sunday. This roundtable will highlight some of the technologies, services and products of U.S. companies presenting at the “Bright Green” trade show. Presentations from different sectors will explore how current U.S. technologies and products can be used to mitigate GHG emissions, and a representative from the U.S. Department of Energy will discuss research and development in their labs and how they work to bring these solutions to the market.
Event: Advancing Carbon Sequestration Technology
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Thursday, December 10
11:30-12:30 PM
Event Summary: This one-hour event will provide insight into the recommendations on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) made by the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) on 13 October in London. It will also provide a useful introduction to the role of the CSLF, the status of CCS technology and policy around the world, and the relative importance of CCS as one of the necessary technologies to combat climate change.
Presentation Materials PDF
Event: New Energy Future: the role of public lands in clean energy production and carbon capture
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Interior
Thursday, December 10
12:45-2:00 PM
Event Summary: To fulfill President Obama’s vision of making the United States a leader in the clean energy economy, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar is transforming the way we manage our public lands to harness their massive potential for renewable energy production and for capturing carbon. Under his leadership, the Department of the Interior has prioritized the rapid and responsible development of large-scale renewable energy projects on public lands and oceans. Secretary Salazar will discuss the U.S.'s first-ever framework for offshore wind development; the progress of solar, wind, and other renewable energy projects on public lands; Interior's strategy for responding to the impacts of climate change on land, water, and wildlife; the role of public lands in capturing and storing carbon; and other initiatives that the Obama Administration has undertaken.
-Remarks by Interior Secretary Salazar Outlining the Vision for New Energy Future (Dec. 10)
Event: U.S.-India Energy Partnership: India’s Demand-Side Management Programs
Primary Sponsor: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
Thursday, December 10
2:15-3:15 PM
Event Summary: This event will describe a U.S.-India partnership on India’s demand-side management (DSM) efficiency programs, its successes to date, and plans for the future to establish programs to reduce electricity shortages in India. These efforts will reduce carbon emissions (up to an estimated 400 million tons CO2 by 2020) and lead to faster economic growth (up to $500 billion increased GDP) and job opportunities in the country. An LBNL-arranged partnership between California energy commissions and Indian regulatory commissions at the state and national levels has led to the approval of financing and formulation of DSM programs in Maharashtra and Delhi, India. The programs are backed by technical support from LBNL and other partner institutions in the U.S. and India. A panel of experts from the U.S. and India will share information about California programs and their relevance to India, new and ongoing India DSM programs, and planned future activities.
Event: The Development Agenda for Clean Energy and Transfer of Technologies
Primary Sponsor: Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE)
Thursday, December 10
3:30-4:30 PM
Event Summary: A panel of representatives from business, government, and international organizations will lead a discussion on how U.S. clean energy companies, in tandem with government policy and program initiatives, are working with developing countries to help achieve their economic, environmental and energy objectives. The discussion will include the perspectives of the private sector, civil society and developing countries as to what incentives and policies are needed in an international agreement to enhance technology transfer and accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies.
Existing clean energy technologies are the critical bridge to meeting global mid-term targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The deployment of these technologies, including renewable energy, supply-side and demand-side energy efficiency and low-carbon fuels such as natural gas, will not only put countries on a long-term, low-carbon pathway, but also offer a new source of shared economic growth and job creation.
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Event: Mitigating Climate Change: Capturing Carbon Underground, In Soil, and In Plants
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Interior (DOI)
Thursday, December 10
4:45-5:45 PM
Event Summary: Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have substantially increased and ultimately advanced climate change. Under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) through the U.S. Geological Survey is charged with assessing the status of carbon stores in the U.S. This includes the potential for global, active, long-term containment of carbon in subsurface geologic areas and the natural capacity of ecosystems, including forests, soils, wetlands, and coastal areas, to store carbon. DOI, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and others, conducts national assessments of biologic carbon sequestration, ecosystem greenhouse gas fluxes, and potential effects of management practices and policies on ecosystem carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. This work is essential to developing science-based best management practices for greenhouse gas mitigation within the U.S. and globally. A panel of U.S. government experts will lead a discussion on the status of carbon stores in the U.S. and assessments of sequestration potential.
Event: USAID Forest Carbon Calculator
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Thursday, December 10
6:00-7:00 PM
Event Summary: The U.S. Government is committed to reducing emissions and increasing sequestration through its forest sector assistance to developing countries. To better quantify these benefits, and provide information useful for managing carbon benefits, the U.S. Agency for International Development has supported the development of the Forest Carbon Calculator. The easy-to-use tool includes a set of cutting-edge carbon estimation calculators for forest sector activities including forest protection, reforestation and afforestation, agroforestry, and forest management. It is based on the latest global datasets and internationally accepted formulas. Developers plan to expand the tool to incorporate agricultural practices for soil carbon sequestration, as well as easy ways to compare project design scenarios. Speakers will present the Forest Carbon Calculator tool, discuss why it was created and how it is used, and explore the implications of carbon estimation for data collection practices related to project monitoring.
Friday, December 11
Event: The World’s Forests as Carbon Sinks and Sources
Primary Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Friday, December 11
9:00-10:00 AM
Event Summary: The forests of the world play a big part in how much carbon dioxide is in our atmosphere. To understand this role, NASA has maintained a detailed, global 37-year satellite record of changes to forests by both natural and human factors and funded ongoing research to understand this critical part of Earth’s global carbon cycle. A U.S. government expert will describe the latest scientific knowledge about how forests act as both a source and sink of carbon and look at regional examples of how human activities have changed that balance, from deforestation in the Amazon to the recovery of forests in North America. The talk will also examine how remote-sensing technology could be used in the future to create a land carbon monitoring system in an era when management of forests could be part of international carbon reduction agreements. High-definition movies and images based on satellite data will be shown to illustrate such concepts as how the Earth “breathes” carbon.
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Event: Maximizing Public Investment: Disaster Risk Reduction Meets Climate Change Adaptation
Primary Sponsor: National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction
Friday, December 11
10:15-11:15 AM
Event Summary: The President’s National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction focuses on coordinating the efforts of U.S. scientists and policy experts to recognize and reduce America’s vulnerability to disaster risks. These mitigation efforts are essential to developing disaster-resilient communities and comprise a core element in any successful climate change adaptation strategy. In turn, the ability to adapt wisely to our changing climate requires that scientists have access to comprehensive, pertinent, and timely observations of the Earth’s weather, climate, and other natural processes from which they can more accurately forecast hazards, issue warnings to local communities, and recommend long-term climate change adaptation measures. An expert from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences will speak on the link between climate change adaptation and disaster mitigation.
Presentation Materials by Kateri Callahan PDF
Presentation Materials by Panel PDF
Event: C-ROADS Common Platform: Calculating the Climate Impacts of Proposed National Emissions Targets
Primary Sponsor: The Climate Action Initiative
Friday, December 11
11:30-12:30 PM
Event Summary: C-ROADS “Common Platform” is a scientifically-reviewed simulation tool that can quickly calculate the climate impacts from mitigation proposals to the UNFCCC. A panel government representatives and C-ROADS experts will demonstrate this user-friendly international climate simulation tool used by the U.S. State Department and other UNFCCC parties. By introducing the “Common Platform” version, a customized simulation to be shared for free with all Parties to the UNFCCC, one will see how the U.S. is using C-ROADS-CP as part of its suite of analytical tools and encouraging other Parties to do the same. The presentation will cover the basic functions of the simulation, the scientific testing, terms of use, and how Parties can get a copy.
Event: Clean Energy Jobs in a Global Marketplace
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Commerce
Friday, December 11
12:45-2:00 PM
Event Summary: Meeting the climate challenge requires the development and deployment of clean energy technology around the world. The United States is determined to be a leader in bringing these new technologies to the global marketplace. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke will highlight how President Obama’s historic $80 billion investment in clean energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is already stimulating clean energy development, deployment, and markets. These investments demonstrate to U.S. companies that sustainable growth is not just necessary to prevent the worst consequences of climate change, but is good for their bottom line. As the Obama Administration continues to make investments for a new, prosperous and sustainable future, the U.S. Department of Commerce is working to support entrepreneurs all across America who are installing wind turbines and solar panels, developing improved batteries for hybrid cars, and putting the pieces of a next-generation electricity grid together. In this side event, Secretary Locke will highlight how comprehensive energy reform is not just an important challenge we must face for our environment, but an opportunity to reinvigorate economies around the globe.
-Remarks by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke on "Clean Energy in the Global Marketplace"
Event: The U.S. Leadership Role on International Global Climate Change Observation from Space
Primary Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Friday, December 11
2:15-3:15 PM
Event Summary: NASA plays an essential role in international global climate change observations from space. NASA is currently flying 15 Earth Science missions, including many that involve international cooperation. NASA is responsible for building 14 of the 17 U.S. space-based missions recommended by the National Research Council to be flown before 2020, and is cooperating on numerous foreign Earth orbiting observatories. It is engaged in ground-based and airborne activities that serve as a foundation for climate change observations from space. The NASA open science data policy ensures that all measurements are available to the world community.
CEOS is a group of space agencies that coordinates civil space-borne observations of the Earth. A NASA representative will describe the role that U.S. agencies play in leading CEOS activities and specific contributions being made by the 28 international CEOS member agencies and 20 participating national and international organizations to climate change observation missions. The speaker will highlight some of the missions focused on climate change, including Orbiting Carbon Observatory/Greenhouse Gasses Observing Satellite (Japanese), Global Precipitation Measurement Mission, and A-Train Constellation of Satellites.
Event: Alternative Energy Programs for the Least Developed and Developing World
Primary Sponsors: U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Friday, December 11
3:30-4:30 PM
Event Summary: One of the keys to the success of climate mitigation will be what low-cost, appropriate technologies are brought to bear to assist the developing world in tackling the linked challenges of sustainable development and controlling GHG emissions. Helping to create the right infrastructure and environment so that these programs have the best chance of success is critical. U.S. industry and U.S. Government programs can help provide solutions to these challenges. This panel discussion highlights how U.S. industry and U.S. Government programs can provide existing technologies and support an “enabling environment” to bridge the gap for the least developed and developing world to provide renewable energy and energy efficiency for their populations without interrupting development. Government and industry speakers will discuss some of the best existing and near-term technologies and programs for implementing GHG reduction in developing countries. Panelists will address small scale solar, wind and energy efficiency programs that are appropriate for developing and least-developed countries, and will present actual programs, products and technologies in use in Africa and elsewhere through USAID development projects.
Presentation Materials by GE PDF
Event: Tapping U.S. Technical Capabilities to Enhance Climate Programs
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Friday, December 11
4:45-5:45 PM
Event Summary: This event represents the roll-out of a coordinated USAID and Department of Energy initiative to facilitate U.S. National Laboratory technical expertise and engagement in support of country driven clean energy and climate efforts in the developing world. U.S. government representatives will present a pilot effort that will establish a framework for U.S. government technical assistance efforts starting with energy-focused needs to assist partner countries in establishing low carbon growth strategies and initiatives. The effort is likely to broaden into other technical areas such as adaptation, land-use, and greenhouse gas inventories.
Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13
Event: Bright Green Showcase Event, FORUM, Central Copenhagen (separate venue)
Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13
Event Summary: “Bright Green” is an important trade fair in parallel with COP15. “Bright Green” will be the place for official COP15 visitors and international press to witness first-hand what the cleantech industry can do as it showcases real solutions to real problems. The U.S. Pavilion at Bright Green will vividly demonstrate cutting-edge U.S. technologies that are among the world’s most innovative and climate-friendly enterprises, from energy efficiency to renewable energy, including wind, solar, bio mass, and grid technology.
Bright Green is organized by the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) – www.di.dk. DI is Denmark's leading private sector business organization covering manufacturing, trade and services, and includes the Danish Energy Industry Federation.
Monday, December 14
Event: Designing Climate Resilience into Development Projects: Tools and Methods for Adaptation
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Monday, December 14
9:00-10:00 AM
Event Summary: USAID has produced two guides to adapting to the impacts of climate change in developing countries, as well as several tools to facilitate access to information. This event will present the USAID adaptation approach, including several case studies, and demonstrate the use of the Climate Mapper and other SERVIR tools (developed with NASA) as a means of designing climate resilience into development projects. Speakers will present guidance on developments of adapting to climate change and mainstreaming climate information into development activities. USAID is also working with a number of other organizations to develop a new online portal for climate change tools and information - this portal will be demonstrated at the event.
Presentation Materials by Tommons Roberts PDF
Presentation Materials by Mike Wiggins PDF
Presentation Materials by Mercy Corps PDF
Presentation Materials by Lorenz Petersen PDF
Presentation Materials by John Furlow PDF
Presentation Materials by Emilio L. Sempris PDF
vent: Climate Services: Providing the Information that People Need for a Changing World
Primary Sponsor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Monday, December 14
10:15-11:15 AM
Event Summary: The science is clear, climate change is real and it’s happening now, in our backyards and around the globe. As a result, user demands for climate information are increasing rapidly. Decision-makers at all levels of government, business leaders, civil society and individual citizens are asking how they can best prepare their communities, businesses or lives for the impacts of climate change. There is a clear need at the national and international levels for a range of climate services that provide objective, authoritative, and consistent sources of reliable and timely climate information to support decision-making. This challenge requires an unprecedented level of coordination among federal agencies within the U.S. Government and among governments and non-governmental partners around the world. Lives, prosperity and social stability are at stake. Improving the development and delivery of climate services is crucial to economic prosperity, human and environmental health, and national and international security.
To join go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/monday
Event: Adapting to a World without Glaciers: Lessons from Peru
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Monday, December 14
11:30-12:30 PM
Event Summary: In July 2009, USAID, the National Science Foundation, and the Peru Ministry of Environment organized a seminar on climate change, glacier melt, and the impacts on socio-economic sectors that rely on glaciers for water supply. USAID is supporting a grants program to implement recommendations from the workshop. One aspect of the workshop was bringing several Nepali researchers to Peru to learn from Peruvians how they have successfully managed the risk of glacier lake outburst floods, a growing problem in the Himalayas. In addition, Alton Byers, a photographer with The Mountain Institute, has prepared repeat-photography exhibits comparing photos of Andean and Himalayan glaciers taken in the mid-20th century with new photos taken in the past two years. This event will feature a presentation of the outcomes of the workshop and present samples of Byers’s stunning photography.
Event: Leading in Energy Efficiency and Renewables
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Monday, December 14
12:45-2:00 PM
Event Summary: The United States is making historic investments to simultaneously combat the threat of climate change and position the U.S. as the global leader in clean energy technology. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu will share how – from production, to transmission, to efficiency – President Obama’s Administration is paving the way for a new American energy future while taking the steps now to prevent the worst consequences of climate change. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act invested $4.5 billion in funding to develop and deploy a smart grid, which will lower peak demand by 20% and save Americans billions of dollars on their energy bills. The Recovery Act also provided the funding needed to put America on a path to double renewable energy generation in the next three years. Billions of dollars have been spent to help millions of American families cut their utility bills by making their homes and appliances more energy efficient while increasing comfort. This side event will illustrate how these efforts have already created or saved thousands of non-exportable jobs.
Secretary Chu's Presentation Materials PDF
Event: Clean Energy RD&D Through Technology Action Plans
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Monday, December 14
2:15-3:15 PM
Event Summary: Kristina Johnson, U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary for Energy, will present an overview of U.S technology research development and deployment (RD&D) strategy. In addition to outlining U.S. and international technology action plans for clean energy RD&D, she will discuss opportunities and methods for multi-lateral technology development. Johnson will also address some of the challenges to multi-lateral RD&D, including intellectual property, and discuss ways to move past them. She will focus on the active role the U.S. Department of Energy and its 17 national labs are playing as key drivers for innovation. Finally, Johnson will discuss strategies for training and educating an Energy Workforce to meet 21st century climate and energy challenges.
To join go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/monday
Event: Impacts of Climate Change on U.S. Coastal Communities
Primary Sponsors: U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Monday, December 14
3:30-4:30 PM
Event Summary: Accelerated sea-level rise is one of the most certain and most costly consequences of coastal climate change. Increased community vulnerability in response to sea-level rise, particularly in low-lying coastal areas like estuaries, is of growing concern. Coastal communities require improved tools to understand and anticipate the magnitude and likelihood of future sea-level rise; forecast associated impacts; and develop locally effective adaptation policies and actions. The Department of the Interior is working to manage for climate impacts across ecosystems in all 50 states, including restoring degraded coastal wetlands; protecting coastal communities; and assisting American Indians and Alaska Natives, many of whom are already experiencing the severe human consequences of climate change. A related effort, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Ready Estuaries program is helping the National Estuary Programs and other coastal managers develop the technical capacity to assess climate change vulnerabilities, engage and educate local stakeholders, and develop and implement adaptation strategies. A panel of government experts will discuss these efforts and comment on how lessons learned can inform international efforts.
Event: Climate Services for Adaptation: Knowledge Transfer and South-South Collaboration
Primary Sponsor: International Research Institute for Climate and Society – Columbia University (IRI)
Monday, December 14
4:45-5:45 PM
Event Summary: The IRI helps societies better manage climate risks by helping them to take advantage of innovations in science. Its efforts have required collaboration across national borders and across several disciplines, such as climate modeling, remote sensing, disaster risk management, public health, agriculture and fire prevention. Climate Services such as these - that support decision and policy making across climate sensitive sectors - are necessary to design effective, “stress tested” adaptation measures. A panel of experts will discuss efforts that are contributing to establishing the criteria necessary for the design, evaluation, communication, and up scaling of adaptation strategies. The lessons learned to-date in real south-south and developing country contexts by IRI and its partners is helping shape future efforts for the implementation of technology transfer and capacity building for adaptation.
To join go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/monday
Event: Workshop on Tools for Improved National Emissions Inventories: Applications in Southeast Asia
Primary Sponsors: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Monday, December 14
6:00 PM-7:00 PM
Event Summary: This event will highlight how the U.S. EPA, USAID, and the UNFCCC are helping countries to develop the technical capacity for preparing national greenhouse gas inventories. An international panel of experts will provide an overview and highlight tools from the project to support regional capacity building for sustainable and robust National Inventory Management Systems in Southeast Asia. Panelists will describe and demonstrate the software tool that EPA has developed to support national inventory teams in compiling, archiving, updating and managing greenhouse gas inventories in the Agriculture and Forestry sectors. Panelists will also describe how EPA is working in Central America to develop ground-truthed land cover maps that are essential to provide data input to the software.
Tuesday, December 15
Event: EPA Domestic Climate Change Activities
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Tuesday, December 15
9:00-10:00 AM
Event Summary: This event will highlight domestic regulatory, programmatic, and voluntary activities (in-place and planned) that are occurring at the federal level. This presentation will showcase a set of key activities such as the renewable fuel standard, endangerment finding, light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas rule, and mandatory reporting rule. EPA officials will discuss policies or programs, describe emission reductions anticipated from these actions, and present how these efforts and outcomes (greenhouse gas reductions) would be verified.
Presentation Materials PDF
Event: Oceans and Ecosystems in a Changing Climate
Primary Sponsor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Tuesday, December 15
10:15-11:15 AM
Event Summary: Various factors associated with global climate change are adversely affecting the oceans and ocean ecosystems, as well as coastal communities in the United States and internationally. Warming ocean temperatures combined with melting ice sheets and glaciers are contributing to sea level rise. The absorption of human-produced carbon dioxide is lowering the pH of seawater. Marine biologists warn that this increased “ocean acidification” is approaching a threshold that will lead to mass extinctions of marine species, particularly those that form shells and calcite exoskeletons. And the combination of warming temperatures, sea level rise, nutrient runoff from the land, and acidification is particularly threatening to coral reefs and other marine and coast habitats. How will these trends affect ocean ecosystems in the coming decades as well as coastal populations who depend upon them? What can coastal communities do to live more sustainably and in harmony with their environments while reducing their vulnerability to the various impacts resulting from climate change? NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco will lead a panel of experts to discuss these issues.
Presentation Materials by Dr. Jane Lubchenco PDF
Presentation Materials byScott Doney PDF
Event: Driving Down Emissions, Driving Up Fuel Efficiency: Coordinating a Groundbreaking National Vehicle Policy
Primary Sponsors: U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Tuesday, December 15
11:30-12:30 PM
Event Summary: In May 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama announced a new National Fuel Efficiency Policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks sold in the United States. This policy responds to the country’s critical need to address global climate change and to reduce oil consumption. In September, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation signed a joint rulemaking that proposed the first-ever greenhouse gas emissions standards and increased fuel economy standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles for model years 2012-2016. These proposed standards would achieve approximately 950 million metric tons of total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reductions and approximately 1.8 billion barrels of oil savings over the lifetimes of vehicles sold in model years 2012-2016. Not only is this new national policy revolutionary in its content, but it also reflects the cooperative and collaborative nature of effective government, utilizing responsibilities of and contributions by both agencies. The new national policy was also supported by key stakeholders such as automotive manufacturers and the United Auto Workers, the State of California and 13 other states, and major environmental NGOs. A panel of U.S. government representatives will discuss this new policy and its implications.
Presentation Materials PDF
To join go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/tuesday
Event: Clean Energy Investments: creating opportunities for rural economies
Tuesday, December 15
12:45-2:00 PM
Event Summary: Climate change is one of the great challenges facing the United States and the world. But for our farmers, ranchers, and those who make a living off the land, the challenge presents unprecedented opportunities. President Obama believes it is crucial that we engage rural communities in the work of preventing the worst impacts of climate change, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will share how the Administration is actively partnering with them to create the solutions. Rural economies will benefit from incentives in comprehensive energy legislation that reward production of renewable energy and sequestration of global warming pollution. This side event will reveal how a viable carbon offsets market – one that rewards farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners for stewardship activities – will play a very important role in helping America reduce its dependence on oil.
-Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack as prepared remarks
Presentation Materials PDF
Event: Sustainable Communities
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Tuesday, December 15
2:15-3:15 PM
Event Summary: Sustainable communities – in the form of efficient, compact development where walking, biking, transit, and car or ride-sharing are easy to access – can contribute significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving environmental conditions. This session will highlight development strategies that can help create and enhance sustainable communities, including green building, building on already developed sites, reusing existing infrastructure and buildings, developing more compactly, making walking and biking safe and easy, mixing uses so that homes are closer to jobs and amenities, and providing a range of housing types. The presentation will describe a new Partnership for Sustainable Communities between the U.S. EPA, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help coordinate federal funding in support of sustainable communities.
Presentation Materials PDF
Event: Climate Change and Biodiversity: Advancing Positive Solutions
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Tuesday, December 15
4:45-5:45 PM
Event Summary: When it comes to conserving the natural world, the scale of the solution must match the scale of the problem. Pioneering efforts are underway to expand and link core wilderness areas with climate adaptation corridors that give plants and animals the room to respond to changing climates. The design and implementation of these dynamic conservation landscapes is driving advances in forecasting how species and ecosystems will respond to future climates. Understanding climate impacts on the species and landscapes to which we are attached can bring a diffuse issue into sharper focus, engage new audiences and forge novel partnerships in the quest for positive solutions. This panel of government experts will offer the latest advances in climate model downscaling and ecological forecasting, and describe how these advances are influencing the development of novel and inspirational conservation strategies.
To join go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/tuesday
Event: Climate Change in the Arctic: Working Together to Keep Communities and Indigenous Culture Intact
Primary Sponsor: Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Tuesday, December 15
6:00-7:00 PM
Event Summary: Alaska is home to about 90,000 indigenous people, many of whom live in small communities, unconnected to any road system and widely spread along the Arctic coast of this vast state. The way of life these native Alaskans have followed for centuries is now being threatened by a warming environment. Loss of seasonal sea ice makes coastal communities more vulnerable to storms and sea surges. Thawing permafrost and increased erosion is undermining the foundation of homes. Larry Hartig, Commissioner of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and Chair of Governor’s Climate Change Sub-Cabinet will discuss how collaboration with federal partners and strong participation by local leaders, is helping the state of Alaska address the needs of these communities.
Presentation Materials PDF
Event: Climate Federalism: U.S. States in Partnership with U.S. EPA
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Wednesday, December 16
9:00-10:00 AM
Event Summary: U.S. states are pursuing a wide range of greenhouse gas reduction policies that work in tandem with current and future federal government action, driving emission reductions and reducing the costs of meeting climate goals. This event will feature state and federal leaders sharing information about effective policies and highlighting the state/federal climate partnership. U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy will discuss EPA's nationwide partnerships with states to address climate change, including the development of new vehicle emission standards and a national emissions reporting program. Speakers from U.S. states will highlight mandatory and voluntary programs, key state-level approaches to working with the federal government and local governments, and effective partnerships within a broad array of sectors, such as transportation and natural resource protection. Speakers will report on achievements, lessons learned, issues of measurement and verification, planning for economy-wide measures, and next steps.
To join go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/wednesday
Event: The U.S. Transportation Sector: A Part of the Climate Solution
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
Wednesday, December 16
10:15-11:15 AM
Event Summary: The Obama Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) consider climate change a major priority, and are committed to generating green jobs, decreasing our reliance on foreign oil, reducing pollution, and creating more livable communities. DOT is working to dramatically improving the fuel efficiency of automobiles, intensify energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts, and work through interagency partnerships to build livable communities where people can move without burning oil. As transportation both contributes to and is affected by climate change, DOT is focused on mitigating transportation’s contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to potential impacts on transportation infrastructure. This work includes improving vehicle fuel economy, developing alternative fuels, improving system efficiency and fostering more transportation choices. A panel of DOT decision-makers will explore a number of actions the Department is taking as well as outline future goals and priorities.
Event: The Science of Climate Change
Primary Sponsor: Office of Science and Technology Policy, The White House
Wednesday, December 16
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Event Summary: What is the evidence that the climate of the Earth is now changing in a way that is unusual when compared to expected natural variations? What is the evidence that human activities are the primary cause of these changes? What have been the main manifestations and impacts of the changes in global climate occurring over the past few decades? What further changes and impacts are likely in the decades ahead in the absence of significant deflection from "business as usual" in patterns of energy supply and land use? What is the science telling us about the size of the reduction in global emissions that we should be aiming for? This lecture by Dr. John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy will provide answers to these questions in a manner intended to be accessible to nonspecialists while still doing justice to the most recent scientific findings.
Event: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Bioenergy: a New Tool for Reporting and Comparing Lifecycle Analyses
Primary Sponsor: Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP)
Wednesday, December 16
4:45-5:45 PM
Event Summary: Participate in a workshop with international experts as they demonstrate and discuss a practical tool for reporting and comparing lifecycle assessments of greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy. This informal workshop will be held by the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) Task Force on Greenhouse Gas Methodologies, which recently published the “GBEP Common Methodological Framework for GHG Lifecycle Analysis of Bioenergy – Version Zero,” a tool designed to facilitate transparent comparison of existing methodologies for assessing greenhouse gas emissions of bioenergy systems. In particular, the expert panel will provide an opportunity for policy makers and stakeholders to learn about the GBEP Methodological Framework and to discuss its merits and possible improvements. Several test applications of the Framework will be presented, along with commentary based on these tests. The event will also include a presentation of the Report “The Biofuels Market: Current Situation and Alternative Scenarios” prepared by the UN Conference on Trade and Development in cooperation with Italy as a contribution to the GBEP program of work.
Event: National Security Implications of Climate Change
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Department of Defense
Wednesday, December 16
6:00-7:00 PM
Event Summary: The United States recognizes that one of the impacts of climate change is the potential for increased instability in regions subject to the effects of changing precipitation patterns, sea level rise, and extreme weather events, to name just a few. In this side event, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Forces, Kathleen Hicks, and other senior defense leaders will conduct a panel discussion on how climate change may act as an accelerant of instability in regions already under stress from demographic pressure, food insecurity, water scarcity, or poor governance. They will share how they are incorporating these factors into strategic planning efforts, including looking for opportunities for constructive engagement with other militaries, agencies, and with nongovernmental partners, to build adaptive capacity and to improve humanitarian relief efforts for those impacted by severe weather events. They will also discuss how the military is using its significant technological and research and development resources to contribute to developing mitigation efforts and reduce the military's carbon footprint.
To join go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/wednesday
Thursday, December 17
Additional programming for Thursday, December 17 to be confirmed. Updated schedules will be posted as available.
Event: Leadership and Innovation by States and Tribes in the U.S.
Thursday, December 17
10:15-11:15 AM
Event Summary: State and tribal officials will describe the leadership and innovations by U.S. states and tribes in reducing GHG emissions. The Panel will be introduced by Nancy Sutley, Chair U.S. Council on Environmental Quality.
Moderator: Brian Turner, Governor Schwarzenegger’s DC Office
Panelists:
The Honorable Jim Doyle, Governor of Wisconsin
The Honorable James Steele, Chairman of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of Montana
The Honorable Kate Knuth, Minnesota House of Representatives
Alice Madden, Climate Change Advisor to Colorado Governor Bill Ritter
To join go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/thursday
Event: Backing Up International Agreement with Domestic Action
Thursday, December 17
12:45-2:00 PM
Event Summary: President Obama is committed to passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation that will put America back in control of our energy future and make us more energy independent. The President is calling for a bill that will jumpstart the American clean energy sector, create millions of new jobs, and secure clean energy sources that are made in America and work for America. At this side event, a senior Obama Administration official will discuss the status of legislative efforts as well as provide a recap of the key outcomes from COP-15.
Event: Leadership and Innovation by U.S. Cities and Local Government
Thursday, December 17
4:45-5:45 PM
Event Summary: Local government leaders will describe the leadership and innovations by U.S. cities and county governments in reducing GHG emissions. The Panel will be introduced by Nancy Sutley, Chair U.S. Council on Environmental Quality. Mayor Nickels will moderate the panel.
Moderator: Mayor Nickels
Panelists:
The Honorable Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle, Washington
The Honorable Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa
The Honorable Pegeen Hanrahan, Mayor of Gainesville, Florida
The Honorable Martin Chavez, Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico
The Honorable Valerie Brown, Supervisor, Sonoma County, California Board of Supervisors
To join go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/thursday
Friday, December 18
Additional programming for Friday, December 18 to be confirmed. Updated schedules will be posted as available.