Story 1 of 10 - Jul 24, 2024 - Seattle, WA

Bloomberg Green Festival 2024: thousands gather in Seattle to drive climate action

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Just Back From: Bloomberg Green Festival 2024
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Brynn Regan cover photo alt.

Brynn Regan

Community Manager at The Climate Pledge

Climate activists, scientists, corporate leaders, policymakers, and artists convened at the inaugural Bloomberg Green Festival to signal the need for radical solutions and investment in our climate reality.

Climate collaborators, innovators, and activists gathered in Seattle, Washington, at the first-ever Bloomberg Green Festival presented by Amazon. More than 4,500 people attended the event hosted by Bloomberg Live, which showcased several Climate Pledge signatories and other climate leaders across industries from around the world.

Discussions focused on the need for a collaborative approach to reduce global emissions; the urgency policymakers, governments, and corporations must have; and the optimism required to continue learning, innovating, and achieving key climate targets.

Voting rights activist and author Stacey Abrams packs the house at the Main Stage for her “Electrify Your Life” session.
Voting rights activist and author Stacey Abrams packs the house at the Main Stage for her “Electrify Your Life” session.

The overwhelming sentiment at the event was positive with a clear message that we must work together to come up with radical solutions to help combat global warming—and that innovation does not happen in a vacuum. Timely conversations at the festival ranged from the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on greens jobs to the decreasing cost of solar panels and wind turbines and a call for climate investment in the global south.

In attendance were artists, athletes, filmmakers, chefs, and entertainers using their platforms to support the climate movement. They brought an unwavering energy to the event, helping to connect the dots between corporate responsibility, government policy, and the 8 billion people who are affected by climate change across the globe.

Amazon presented a session from its Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst (with WNBA Legend Sue Bird!) as well as opening remarks by The Climate Pledge Director Sally Fouts. Other event participants included Alaska Airlines and Weyerhaeuser, both of which are signatories of The Climate Pledge. Here are some of the key highlights from their conversations, and other notable moments from the event:

Drag queen environmentalist Pattie Gonia dances their way through a speed-networking event at the Climate Creatives Stage.
Drag queen environmentalist Pattie Gonia dances their way through a speed-networking event at the Climate Creatives Stage.

Bloomberg Green Festival News and Insights

  • Amazon announced it met its 100% renewable energy goal 7 years early. The company has also released proprietary decarbonization resources for all: the Amazon Sustainability Exchange. (Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer, Amazon)
  • The Climate Pledge now has over 500 companies that have committed to measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, implementing decarbonization strategies, and neutralizing any remaining emissions with high-quality offsets. (Sally Fouts, Global Director, The Climate Pledge)
  • The Inflation Reduction Act has injected $370 billion into the private sector, funded over 600 climate projects, and created nearly 300,000 jobs. (Gina McCarthy, First White House National Climate Advisor; Former U.S. EPA Administrator; Managing Co-Chair, America Is All In Coalition) Though it is the most consequential piece of legislation passed in this country, it is not resonating with people.
  • As the U.S. healthcare system sees the effects of climate change on public health it is also trying to tackle its carbon footprint, which currently accounts for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. (Ali Santore, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, Providence)
  • In 2023, Seattle adopted a Building Emissions Performance Standard to help reach carbon emissions goals. (Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, WA)
  • Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a new market that needs to see better adoption and policy that incentivizes performance on carbon mitigation. (John Plaza, President & CEO of SkyNRG Americas)
  • For every job lost in fossil fuels in China four and a half new jobs were created in the green sector. (Jim Coulter, Executive Chairman, TPG)
  • Eighty percent of the world’s biodiversity is protected by indigenous people who only make up 5% of the world’s population. (Quannah ChasingHorse, Land Protector and Fashion Model)

 

Bloomberg Green Festival Highlights and Programming

Amazon CSO Kara Hurst sits down with Sue Bird, WNBA Legend & Co-Founder, TOGETHXR and A Touch More for “Forward Together: Unique Pathways to Climate Action.”
Amazon’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst sits down with Sue Bird, WNBA Legend and Co-Founder TOGETHXR and A Touch More, for “Forward Together: Unique Pathways to Climate Action.”
Kara Hurst addressed the urgency of corporate climate action and encouraged organizations to start somewhere regardless of their industry or size. Read Bloomberg’s session recap, or watch the session recording on YouTube.
The Climate Pledge Director, Sally Fouts, introduces “Better Together: Unlocking the Power of Climate Partnerships” featuring Becky Ferguson, CEO, Salesforce Foundation; Senior Vice President of Philanthropy, Salesforce and Gina McCarthy, First White House National Climate Advisor; Former US EPA Administrator; Managing Co-Chair, America Is All In Coalition.
The Climate Pledge Director Sally Fouts introduces “Better Together: Unlocking the Power of Climate Partnerships,” featuring Becky Ferguson, CEO, Salesforce Foundation; Senior Vice President of Philanthropy, Salesforce, and Gina McCarthy, First White House National Climate Advisor; Former U.S. EPA Administrator; Managing Co-Chair, America Is All In Coalition.

Introducing the session, Sally Fouts presented to an intimate group of climate leaders about the power of private and public collaborations and their ability to help accelerate organizations toward ambitious climate targets. Watch the session recording on YouTube.
Stacey Abrams, American politician, voting rights activist & author spoke alongside Ari Matusiak, founder and CEO of Rewiring America in their “Electrify Your Life” session.
Stacey Abrams, American politician, voting rights activist and author, speaks alongside Ari Matusiak, founder and CEO of Rewiring America, in the “Electrify Your Life” session.
Stacey Abrams demonstrated the disparities low- to moderate-income families experience when it comes to climate action. Things like EVs and solar panels aren’t accessible to everyone, so communicating other benefits—specifically cost-savings—is critical to the movement. Watch the session recording on YouTube.
The Climate Pledge signatories Alaska Airlines and Microsoft lead “Fueling Airlines’ Decarbonization.” Featured speakers include Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer, Microsoft, and Ryan Spies, Managing Director, Sustainability, Alaska Airlines.
The Climate Pledge signatories Alaska Airlines and Microsoft lead “Fueling Airlines’ Decarbonization.” Featured speakers include Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer, Microsoft, and Ryan Spies, Managing Director, Sustainability, Alaska Airlines.
Ryan Spies examined why the innovation and production of greener fuels for aviation has been challenging to achieve at scale. He commented on the need for more sustainable aviation fuel at a far lower cost. Watch the session recording on YouTube.
Sally Jewell, Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Interior and former CEO, REI Co-op, speaks at their “Changemaker Conversation” about the business value of climate.
Sally Jewell, Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Interior, and former CEO, REI Co-op, speaks at the “Changemaker Conversation” about the business value of climate.
Sally Jewell expressed her concern around climate change with calls for action to vote for the planet in the upcoming election. Watch the session recording on YouTube.
Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington state speaks at their "Changemaker Conversation" on climate policy.
Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington state, speaks at the "Changemaker Conversation" on climate policy.
Jay Inslee discussed the ebbs and flows of the Washington Climate Commitment Act, citing the $300 million that was reinvested in climate-related programs. Watch the session recording on YouTube.
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