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Speakers to include Actor and Activist Jane Fonda, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Longest-Serving EPA Administrator Carol Browner, Former Secretary Ernie Moniz, Multiplier Founder Jigar Shah, Former White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, Co-Executive Chair of Galvanize Tom Steyer, CEO of CRES Heather Reams and CEO of CEBA Rich Powell.
New York City, September 10 – Climate Group will launch the inaugural American Abundance and Innovation program at Climate Week NYC’s The Hub Live on September 23. The US is entering a new era of decarbonization, adaptation and local, national, and global cooperation on climate. This first of its kind, daylong event will serve as a focal point to elevate and explore the next generation of US leadership in innovation, investment, and resilience.
The official program features US leaders in dialogue on this pivotal moment including Jane Fonda and California AG Rob Bonta in conversation on civic action and legal leadership, a live recording of the podcast “Sirens” with host Loren DeJonge Schulman, and lively panel discussions with renowned private and public sector leaders on how the US powers on in the post-IRA renaissance of climate action.
“At this pivotal moment for US climate action, leaders are demonstrating relentless drive, bold ambition, and creative vision,” said Angela Barranco, Executive Director of Climate Group North America. “We launched the American Abundance and Innovation Program at Climate Week NYC to create a collaborative space where US leaders can work together to accelerate the next generation of policy, investment, and implementation.”
Top level speakers include:
- Angela Barranco, Executive Director, Climate Group North America
- Michael Blake, CEO, Atlas Strategy Group
- Attorney General Rob Bonta (CA)
- Carol Browner, Senior of Counsel at Covington & Burling, former EPA Administrator, and former Director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy as Advisor to President Obama
- Mario Cordero, CEO, Port of Long Beach
- Chrystel Cornelius, President & CEO of the Oweesta Corporation
- Ann Davlin, CEO, Clean Tech Leaders Roundtable
- Loren DeJonge Schulman, Senior Advisor, Government Capacity, Federation of American Scientists and host of “Sirens” podcast
- Jordan Diamond, President, Environmental Law Institute
- Jane Fonda, Actor and Activist
- Doreen Harris, President and CEO, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
- Carl Hoiland, CEO and Co-Founder, Zanskar
- Bob Keefe, Executive Director, E2
- Gina McCarthy, Former White House National Climate Advisor, 13th US EPA Administrator and Managing Co-Chair of America Is All In
- Trisha Miller, Vice President of Policy and Market Development, Aeroseal
- Ernie Moniz, 13th U.S. Secretary of Energy and CEO and Founder of the EFI Foundation
- Ricken Patel, Executive Director, Climate Hub
- Rich Powell, CEO, Clean Energy Buyers Association
- Tim Profeta, Senior Fellow, Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability at Duke University
- Heather Reams, President and CEO, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions
- Governor Bill Ritter, Chair, Board of Climate Group North America
- Steven M. Rothstein, Chief Program Officer, CERES
- Hannah Safford, Associate Director, Climate and Environment, Federation of American Scientists
- Jigar Shah, Founder, Multiplier, Former Director of DOE’s Loan Programs Office
- Miguel Sossa-Mardomingo, Vice President and Deputy Americas Sustainability Lead, Capgemini
- Tom Steyer, Co-Executive Chair, Galvanize
- Nicole Steele, Director of Climate Policy, Amalgamated Bank
- Al Subbloie, Founder and CEO, Budderfly
Session 1: Abundance in Action: How to Frame the Next Clean Energy Transition
Abundance has emerged as one of the most talked about - and least defined - ideas animating U.S. climate and economic strategy. The emerging “abundance ethos” has sparked tremendous conversation about the factors stifling research, investment, infrastructure buildout, and other components of the clean energy transition. It’s also clear that much needs to be done to translate abundance into action, and ensure that outcomes are meaningful, equitable, and scalable. This session convenes leaders at the forefront of this national dialogue to unpack what abundance means for policymakers, public trust, social cohesion, distributive justice, and climate action in the decade ahead.
Session 2: US Innovation & Investment: Scaling What Works
This hour explores the next wave of clean energy innovation, the financial and policy tools enabling deployment, and the coalitions translating vision into action. From cutting-edge technologies and contingency planning to place-based investment models and institutional redesign, this session will spotlight the diverse levers driving scalable climate progress in the US during a high-stakes decade.
Session 3: From Governance to Ground Game: Capacity, Ingenuity & Deployment
This session explores new frameworks for climate governance in the US - from institutional redesign and permitting reform to resilient finance and multipronged strategies. It will highlight how states, legal innovators, and cross-sector leaders are rebuilding national capacity for climate progress from the ground up.
Session 4: Implementing and Accelerating US Action
The final session is where local on-the-ground action takes center stage - capital, capacity, and coalitions converge to drive immediate implementation. We'll highlight bold, ready-to-scale models for infrastructure deployment, urgent climate resilience strategies through insurance, and systems change powered by local leadership.
Media can register here.
Climate Week NYC, the biggest annual climate event of its kind, brings together decision makers from politics, business and civil society, alongside grassroots organizations and community leaders through hundreds of events across the City of New York.