With Glenn Hurowitz, Tony Dutzik and Anna Mueller-Debus. Moderated by Johanna Neumann. Introduction by Bill McKibben, environmentalist, author, founder of 350.org
Carbon neutrality, energy efficiency, as well as tropical forest protection and reforestation: these are just some of the many available tools for the preservation of the environment and climate. Myriad strategies to combat climate change – smart cities, green transportation systems, sustainable agriculture - are on the table. And innovation continues. But are we ready to leap into action? Are we prepared to take advantage of the current global economic recovery efforts to push for a green deal and skip years of transition? Can investment flows be redirected quickly and sufficiently for capital markets to shape prices and outcome? The clock is ticking, the “make or break” decade has started. Decisive action is needed – and fast.
Glenn Hurowitz is the CEO of Mighty Earth, a global conservation organization that works to protect forests, make agriculture more sustainable, and drive action on climate change. He previously was Chair of the Forest Heroes campaign, where he and his colleagues were awarded a Benny Award from the Business Ethics Network for their successes in transforming global agriculture. He co-founded Chain Reaction Research, which provides major financial institutions with in-depth risk analysis of companies’ sustainability risk. He is also a Managing Director at Waxman Strategies, and a Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy.
Tony Dutzik is an Associate Director and Senior Policy Analyst with Frontier Group, a nonprofit public policy organization. His research and ideas on climate, energy and transportation policy have helped shape public policy debates across the United States. He is the lead author of numerous reports and white papers on these and other subjects, and his work has been featured in outlets ranging from the New York Times to the Financial Times.
Anna Müller-Debus, PhD, heads the Corporate Social Responsibility & Climate Strategy department at Ernst & Young, GSA. She has been working at the interface of business, politics and civil society for many years. Most recently, she supported the development of the European sustainable finance agenda. Prior to that, she was responsible for strategy at the European Climate Foundation and the Mercator Foundation. Research work at academic institutions, such as the European University Institute, form the basis of her activities.
Johanna Neumann directs strategy and staff for Environment America's energy campaigns at the local, state and national level. She also currently serves on the board of Community Action Works.
Introduction:
Bill McKibben is a contributing writer to The New Yorker, a founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org and the Schumann Distinguished Professor in Residence at Middlebury College in Vermont. He was a 2014 recipient of the Right Livelihood Prize, sometimes called the ‘alternative Nobel,’ and the Gandhi Peace Award. He has written over a dozen books about the environment, including his first, The End of Nature, published 30 years ago, and his most recent, Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?