Episodes

Thursday Dec 09, 2021
Thursday Dec 09, 2021
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast
Reduce and Reuse:
How to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Building Materials, Plastics, and Foo
Find out more about the briefings in this series below:
Dec 08
Building Materials: From Production to Reuse
Dec 09
The Climate Consequences of Plastics
Dec 10
Reducing Emissions by Reducing Food Waste
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series about the climate impacts of producing building materials, plastics, and food. Panelists will explain the upstream greenhouse gas emissions generated from the production of these materials and discuss solutions designed to reduce those emissions at scale.
Plastic production is expected to account for an increasing portion of global oil consumption and its resulting greenhouse gas emissions as plastics become more ubiquitous worldwide. Panelists will discuss findings from Beyond Plastics’ new report, The New Coal: Plastics and Climate Change; how emissions associated with plastic production affect communities across the country; and potential policy solutions.

Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast
Reduce and Reuse:
How to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Building Materials, Plastics, and Food
Find out more about the briefings in this series below:
Dec 08
Building Materials: From Production to Reuse
Dec 09
The Climate Consequences of Plastics
Dec 10
Reducing Emissions by Reducing Food Waste
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series about the climate impacts of producing building materials, plastics, and food. Panelists will explain the upstream greenhouse gas emissions generated from the production of these materials and discuss solutions designed to reduce those emissions at scale.
The built environment uses an immense amount of carbon-intensive materials such as concrete and steel. Switching building materials to lower-carbon alternatives can reduce the climate impacts of the built environment, but first, systems must be put in place to assess and reduce the carbon intensity of materials. When buildings reach the ends of their lives, there are also opportunities to reuse materials. Panelists will discuss ways to reduce emissions and material waste in the built environment from construction and deconstruction.

Thursday Nov 18, 2021
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast
What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow
Find out more about the briefings in this series below:
Oct 08
Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable Development
Oct 15
Momentum on Climate Adaptation
Oct 20
The Role of International Climate Finance
Oct 22
The Negotiations: What’s on the Table
Nov 18
Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes Next
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing to review what took place at the U.N. climate change conference in Glasgow—the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change—and why it matters for Congress.
With dozens of events and negotiating sessions happening at any one time during the two weeks of COP, it can be challenging to keep up with all the details. This briefing will review the key outcomes of COP26 and provide context and nuance to the main headlines coming out of the meeting. Panelists will then dive into takeaways from international, private sector, and local government perspectives.

Friday Oct 22, 2021
Friday Oct 22, 2021
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast
What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow
Find out more about the briefings in this series below:
Oct 08
Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable Development
Oct 15
Momentum on Climate Adaptation
Oct 20
The Role of International Climate Finance
Oct 22
The Negotiations: What’s on the Table
Nov 18
Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes Next
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series on what Congress needs to know in the lead-up to the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
COP26 is set to cover a wide range of topics, from negotiations on carbon markets to discussions on loss and damage, climate finance, and updated emission reduction goals in countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs). This briefing will bring together experts to explain the key areas of negotiation expected to be at play at COP26, review possible outcomes, and explore what it all means for Congress.

Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast
What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow
Find out more about the briefings in this series below:
Oct 08
Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable Development
Oct 15
Momentum on Climate Adaptation
Oct 20
The Role of International Climate Finance
Oct 22
The Negotiations: What’s on the Table
Nov 18
Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes Next
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series on what Congress needs to know in the lead-up to the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
International climate finance is a critical tool to increase access to climate mitigation and adaptation resources to address the growing threat of climate change. The briefing will discuss the current state of international climate finance, the role and status of the Green Climate Fund and other funding mechanisms, and Congress’s role in meeting U.S. climate finance commitments. Panelists will also describe how international climate finance dovetails with ongoing efforts of the State Department, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development to address the impacts of climate change abroad.
Introductory remarks by Kate Hughes.

Friday Oct 15, 2021
Friday Oct 15, 2021
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast
What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow
Find out more about the briefings in this series below:
Oct 08
Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable Development
Oct 15
Momentum on Climate Adaptation
Oct 20
The Role of International Climate Finance
Oct 22
The Negotiations: What’s on the Table
Nov 18
Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes Next
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series on what Congress needs to know in the lead-up to the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Climate adaptation is one of the priority work areas for COP26. This briefing will focus on the initiatives launched or scaled up in recent years that underpin the momentum on adaptation and resilience and that will inform conversations at COP26. Speakers will discuss national adaptation plans, country dialogues on adaptation, early-warning systems, and locally-led adaptation. The briefing will explore how these efforts advance work towards the global goal on adaptation ‘to enhance adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability.’ Intro remarks by Gonzalo Muñoz, a High-Level Climate Champion for Climate Action.
This briefing series is co-sponsored by the British Embassy Washington.
We are grateful for the partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation that helped make this briefing possible.

Friday Oct 08, 2021
Friday Oct 08, 2021
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast
What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow
Find out more about the briefings in this series below:
Oct 08
Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable Development
Oct 15
Momentum on Climate Adaptation
Oct 20
The Role of International Climate Finance
Oct 22
The Negotiations: What’s on the Table
Nov 18
Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes Next
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing to explore cross-cutting challenges—climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution—facing the United States and countries around the world, and how policymakers are finding and implementing solutions to these challenges.
This briefing kicks off EESI’s Congressional briefing series, What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26. To sign up for the briefings in the series, visit www.eesi.org/1021cop26.
Distinguished Speakers:
Sir Robert Watson, lead author of the U.N. Environment Programme’s report Making Peace with Nature: A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity, and pollution emergencies, will discuss the current and projected changes in climate and biodiversity and share the range of solutions that emerge when these issues are considered together in policy design and implementation. He is the former chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and former chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Former U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres will discuss the opportunity presented by the upcoming U.N. climate change conference (COP26) and will dive into ways governments and leaders can take meaningful action on climate change globally—an urgent need underscored by the findings of the Making Peace with Nature report. Ms. Figueres is a Founding Partner of Global Optimism, co-presenter of climate podcast Outrage + Optimism, and co-author of The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist's Guide to the Climate Crisis.
Co-moderated by Daniel Bresette, Executive Director, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, and Rosina Bierbaum, Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan; School of Public Policy, University of Maryland.
This briefing is part of a series made possible by our partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation.

Monday Sep 27, 2021
Monday Sep 27, 2021
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing about the current state of the climate workforce and the job creation potential of key climate policies.
Decarbonization provides an opportunity for job growth in multiple sectors, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, transmission and storage, and clean transportation. As businesses and government agencies seek to understand and mitigate their climate risks, climate adaptation and resilience are likewise rapidly emerging as attractive career options. EESI’s recent Climate Jobs fact sheet examines 2020 climate employment and provides further context for the briefing.
Climate policies currently being considered in Congress--including a clean energy standard, tax policies for renewable energy, and the Civilian Climate Corps--have potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build resilience to a changing climate, strengthen environmental justice, and contribute to job creation.
Panelists will discuss the state-of-play for climate jobs and explore the benefits that could come with well-designed and durable climate policies.
Civilian Climate Corps
Danielle Owen, Director of Government Relations, The Corps Network
Hannah Traverse, Communications Manager, The Corps Network
Rural Energy Savings Program
Kate LaTour, Director of Government Relations, National Cooperative Business Association
Clean Energy Tax Incentives
Uday Varadarajan, Principal, Carbon-Free Electricity, RMI
Clean Electricity Payment Program
Yvonne McIntyre, Director of Federal Electricity and Utility Policy, Natural Resources Defense Council

Monday Jul 26, 2021
Monday Jul 26, 2021
Monday, July 26, 2021
1:30 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
Free
The EXPO is open to the public and free.
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The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (REEE) Caucuses invite you to join us for this year’s Virtual Congressional Clean Energy Expo taking place Monday, July 26. Building on the more than 20 years of experience hosting clean energy leaders from various sectors, we will once again showcase technology and policy solutions to today’s climate and energy use challenges.
Presenting before Congress and the public, top-level speakers will share findings and innovations on the impacts they are having to mitigate climate change, improve the economy, build resilience, and protect our security interests.
This year’s half-day conference will run from 1:30pm to 5:00pm EDT and will feature three sessions, including a mid-day panel featuring the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus Co-Chairs, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.).
Senate REEE Caucus Deputy Co-Chairs Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and House REEE Co-Chair Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wisc.) will also provide remarks.

Friday Jun 25, 2021
Friday Jun 25, 2021
Modernizing the U.S. Energy System: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Path Forward
Find out more about the briefings in this series below:
June 04
Towards the Energy System of Tomorrow
June 11
Modernizing America’s Transmission Network
June 25
Leveraging Grid Edge Integration for Resilience & Decarbonization
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series about the climate benefits of modernizing the nation’s energy system.
The energy system is rapidly transforming, especially at the “grid edge” where “smart” building technologies, electric vehicles, and distributed energy generation combine and interact in new ways. These innovations provide opportunities to re-envision the nation’s energy system and how we use, store, and move energy around the country. They also create new ways to increase the resilience of people, communities, and the system itself without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Briefing panelists will discuss policy opportunities such as a federal energy efficiency resource standard, state level efforts, and the nexus between buildings, transportation, energy storage, and the grid.