Agenda
Agenda
Thursday, December 7, 2017
| 8:00am-9:30am | Registration |
| 9:30am-10:10am | Welcome and introductory remarks Maria T. Zuber, MIT Ernest J. Moniz, MIT |
| 10:10am-11:15am | Challenges, opportunities, and priorities in the transition to a low-carbon economy David Cash (moderator), UMass Boston Jackie Janes, Newfoundland and Labrador Jared Snyder, New York Katie Theoharides, Massachusetts Éric Théroux, Québec |
| 11:15am-11:30am | Break/networking |
| 11:30am-11:40am | Power Presentation Adam Schlosser, MIT |
| 11:40am-12:45pm | Balancing act: The role of regional coordination in delivering electricity Frank O'Sullivan (moderator), MIT Laney Brown, Concentric Energy Advisors Lisa Frantzis, Advanced Energy Economy Pierre-Olivier Pineau, HEC Montréal Lonnie Reed, Connecticut House of Representatives |
| 12:45pm-1:45pm | Lunch and facilitated discussions |
| 1:45pm-1:55pm | Power Presentations Zeyneb Magavi, Mothers Out Front Carlos Cerezo, MIT |
| 1:55pm-3:10pm | From EVs to VMTs: The ABCs of decarbonizing the transportation sector Vicki Arroyo (moderator), Georgetown Climate Center Dan Gatti, Union of Concerned Scientists Stephanie Pollack, Massachusetts Mike Tamor, Ford Motor Company Jessika Trancik, MIT |
| 3:10pm-3:25pm | Break/networking |
| 3:25pm-3:35pm | Power Presentation Donnel Baird, BlocPower |
| 3:35pm-4:45pm | Carbon pricing: Design and integration of national and subnational programs Deb Markowitz (moderator), University of Vermont Marie Claude Francoeur, Québec Jason Hollett, Nova Scotia Chris Knittel, MIT Paul Miller, NESCAUM |
| 4:45pm-6:00pm | Break |
| 6:00pm-7:00pm |
Keynote: Michael R. Bloomberg |
Friday, December 8, 2017
| 8:30am-8:45am | Welcome Maria T. Zuber, MIT |
| 8:45am-8:55am | Power Presentations Susanne Rasmussen, City of Cambridge Sandhya Murali, Solstice |
| 8:55am-10:10am | The past, present, and future of regional collaboration and subnational diplomacy Janelle Knox-Hayes (moderator), MIT Chris Skoglund, New Hampshire Angel Hsu, Yale University Rodrigo Tavares, Granito Group Stacy VanDeveer, UMass Boston |
| 10:10am-10:25am | Break/networking |
| 10:25am-10:35am | Power Presentation Dorn Cox, Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment |
| 10:35am-11:50am | Nature-based solutions to climate mitigation and resilience John Fernández (moderator), MIT Tonna-Marie Surgeon Rogers, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Derek Lynch, Dalhousie University Michael Snyder, Vermont Nicholas Reo, Dartmouth College |
| 11:50am-1:00pm | Lunch and group discussion: where do we go from here? |
Speakers and Moderators
Michael R. Bloomberg
Founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies; three-term Mayor of New York City; United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change
Ernest J. Moniz
Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems Emeritus, Special Advisor to the President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO, Nuclear Threat Initiative; 13th U.S. Secretary of Energy
Robert B. Millard
Chair, MIT Corporation
Maria T. Zuber
Vice President for Research, E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Tenley Albright
Director, MIT Collaborative Initiatives
Vicki Arroyo
Executive Director, Georgetown Climate Center
Donnel Baird
Founder and CEO, BlocPower
Matthew A. Beaton
Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Laney Brown
Vice President, Concentric Energy Advisors
David W. Cash
Dean and Associate Professor, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston
Carlos Cerezo
Research Scientist, MIT Sustainable Design Lab
Dorn Cox
Research Coordinator, Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment
John E. Fernández
Professor, Department of Architecture and Director, Environmental Solutions Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Marie-Claude Francoeur
Québec Delegate in Boston
Lisa Frantzis
Senior Vice President, Advanced Energy Economy
Daniel Gatti
Policy Analyst, Clean Vehicles Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
Jason Hollett
Executive Director of Climate Change, Nova Scotia Department of Environment
Angel Hsu
Director of the Yale Data-Driven Environmental Solutions Group; Assistant Professor, Yale-NUS College; Adjunct, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Jackie Janes
Assistant Deputy Minister, Government of Newfoundland & Labrador Office of Climate Change
Christopher R. Knittel
George P. Shultz Professor of Applied Economics and Director, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Janelle Knox-Hayes
Lister Brothers Associate Professor of Economic Geography and Planning and Co-Head, Environmental Policy and Planning Group, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Derek Lynch
Professor of Agronomy and Agroecology, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University
Zeyneb Magavi
Coordinator, Mothers Out Front; Research Lead, Large Volume Leak (LVL) Study
Deborah Markowitz
Visiting Professor, Environmental Policy and Leadership, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont
Paul Miller
Deputy Director and Chief Scientist, NESCAUM
Sandhya Murali
Co-Founder and CFO, Solstice
Frank O'Sullivan
Director of Research, MIT Energy Initiative
Pierre-Olivier Pineau
Professor, Department of Decision Sciences, and Holder, Chair in Energy Sector Management, HEC Montréal
Stephanie Pollack
Secretary and CEO, Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Susanne Rasmussen
Director of Environmental and Transportation Planning, Cambridge Community Development Department
Lonnie Reed
Representative, Connecticut House of Representatives; Co-Chair of the Energy and Technology Committee
Nicholas J. Reo
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Native American Studies, Dartmouth College
Tonna-Marie Rogers
Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
C. Adam Schlosser
Senior Research Scientist, Center for Global Change Science and Senior Research Scientist and Deputy Director, Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Chris Skoglund
Climate and Energy Program Manager, Air Resources Division, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Jared Snyder
Deputy Commissioner, Air Resources, Climate Change and Energy
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Michael Snyder
Commissioner, Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation
Mike Tamor
Henry Ford Technical Fellow, Ford Motor Company
Rodrigo Tavares
Founder and President, Granito Group
Katie Theoharides
Assistant Secretary of Climate Change, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Éric Théroux
Assistant Deputy Minister, Québec Ministry of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change
Jessika Trancik
Associate Professor, Energy Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stacy D. VanDeveer
Professor and PhD Program Director, Global Governance and Human Security, McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies
Sessions
Challenges, opportunities, and priorities in the transition to a low-carbon economy
The states and provinces of Atlantic Canada, New England, New York, and Québec have set climate goals – whether enacted into law or declared through frameworks like the Under2MOU and the NEG/ECP – of reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 75% to 85% by 2050 (from either a 1990 or 2001 baseline). The region’s jurisdictions – which combined form the world’s 5th largest economy – have long understood that the transition to a low-carbon future, while a complex and difficult challenge, presents opportunities for economic development and job creation.
This session will provide the context for the sessions that follow. What choices do policymakers confront today that will determine whether the region achieves its goals in 2050? What are – or should be – the region’s top priorities for advancing the transition to a low-carbon economy? How can jurisdictions translate goals and priorities into detailed plans of implementation? Where would enhanced regional collaboration be most useful? Which climate policy efforts so far have met or exceeded expectations, and which ones have fallen short? In a region where most jurisdictions must import most or all of the fossil energy they use, what’s the right way to think about the net economic benefits of the transition to clean energy? Where are there opportunities to address both mitigation and resilience through integrated strategies? How can we make sure that the benefits of a clean energy transition reach all of our communities, and that the costs of climate change are not borne by our most vulnerable communities? Does the region see itself as a North American model of climate leadership – and if not, how can it become one?
Balancing act: The role of regional coordination in delivering electricity
Across the northeast U.S. and eastern Canada, jurisdictions share the goal of providing electricity in a way that is safe, reliable, affordable, and smart, while also decarbonizing the electric power sector.
This session will explore how regional coordination, integration, and optimization could help to achieve these goals as efficiently as possible. What is needed to accommodate and balance significant additions of distributed energy and onshore and offshore wind, solar, hydro, and storage? How can the region optimize the grid to make the most efficient use of resources and reduce costs? What must be done to ensure the security and resilience of the grid, and how do distributed resources help or hinder security? What challenges do jurisdictions encounter with cross-border infrastructure planning and siting, and how can these challenges be addressed? Are renewable portfolio standards adequate to meet jurisdictions’ climate goals? What is the potential of various grid-scale energy storage technologies, and what will they cost? As the region moves to electrify transportation and building heating and cooling, how can the supply of electricity keep pace with increased demand?
From EVs to VMTs: The ABCs of decarbonizing the transportation sector
Transportation accounts for a growing share of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions – and in most jurisdictions in the region, it already is the largest source of emissions. Yet reducing emissions from transportation remains a multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary, complex challenge, touching on technology, consumer behavior, infrastructure, and more.
This panel will explore recent developments in the effort to decarbonize transportation, with special attention to issues of regional significance. Can long-term regional planning assist in the transition to electrification of the transportation sector? How can the region develop a charging network for electric vehicles that begins to relieve consumers’ “range anxiety”? What should policymakers expect about the future of EVs’ costs and capabilities, and what role will tax incentives continue to play in stimulating the market for EVs? What strategies have proven effective in encouraging people to use modes of transportation other than personal vehicles? How will autonomous cars, ride-sharing, carpooling, and other innovations affect emissions from the transportation sector? What is the status and future of clean fuel standards in the region? How can land use planning help reduce the number of trips people take in personal vehicles? How can we decarbonize the transportation sector while also improving access to transportation for underserved populations? How can jurisdictions make use of funding they receive through the Volkswagen settlement?
Carbon pricing: Design and integration of national and subnational programs
Under the Canadian government’s plan for pan-Canadian carbon pricing, provinces have until 2018 to adopt a carbon price, either directly or through a cap-and-trade system. Québec already has a cap-and-trade system covering large emitters, linked to California’s system in what has become North America’s largest carbon market. Meanwhile, the six New England states and New York are all part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-trade system covering the electric power sector. Legislators in several states have also introduced legislation to put a direct price on carbon emissions.
This panel will explore the future of market-based measures for addressing greenhouse gas emissions. How can carbon pricing policies – whether carbon taxes or cap-and-trade – fit with existing climate policies? How will recent changes in California’s cap-and-trade system affect the carbon market in which Québec participates? If Northeast states look to price carbon on an economy-wide basis, what becomes of RGGI? Can RGGI be expanded to other sectors? How do sponsors of carbon pricing legislation approach the issue of regional collaboration? As Canada moves toward pan-Canadian carbon pricing, how can U.S. states integrate their carbon pricing programs with Canada’s – without the participation of the U.S. federal government? How will purchases of carbon allowances be accounted for under the Paris agreement? How should carbon pricing be considered in the context of existing policies and regulations, from renewable portfolio standards to siting and permitting requirements?
The past, present, and future of regional collaboration and subnational diplomacy
Following President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris agreement, subnational climate action has received renewed attention. Yet regional and subnational cooperation on environmental and climate policy issues is not new for the northeast U.S. and eastern Canada; for example, the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers adopted their first regional climate action plan in 2001.
This panel will explore the past, present, and future of efforts by states and provinces to work together to develop policy frameworks for climate action. Do efforts like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and NEG/ECP offer models for regional collaboration and subnational diplomacy for other parts of North America? How do agreements like the MOU between the Massachusetts General Court and the Québec National Assembly support climate planning and action in both places? What is the Nonstate Actor Zone for Climate Action, and is it an effective tool for demonstrating subnational and private sector commitment to climate action? How can states and provinces participate in the U.S. Climate Alliance, Under 2 Coalition, America’s Pledge, and other subnational climate commitments?
Nature-based solutions to climate mitigation and resilience
The protection and enhancement of natural systems can contribute to climate mitigation and make communities more resilient to climate impacts – and they can often do both more cost effectively than human-engineered systems can. For example, the northeast U.S. and eastern Canada are heavily forested; healthy forests can both act as carbon sinks and provide essential services, such as clean water. Natural systems also support diverse economic activities in the region, from tourism and recreation to fisheries and agriculture; jobs and livelihoods depend upon their protection and enhancement. Yet from warming waters to loss of forests, natural systems face difficult pressures.
This panel will explore the opportunities for taking greater advantage of natural resources and systems to address climate change. What land use strategies can help prevent conversion of forests to other uses? How can responsible forest stewardship improve forests’ ability to sequester carbon while providing economic benefits? How can improved agricultural practices make soil a more effective carbon sink? How can coastal ecosystems be protected and strengthened to enhance their ability both to sequester carbon and defend against sea level rise? When is green (or “soft”) infrastructure more appropriate and effective than “hard” infrastructure? What is the role of nature-based solutions in addressing urban climate risks, like more extreme heat island effects, that threaten vulnerable communities? With rapid warming observed in the Gulf of Maine, what can be done for its ecosystems and for the fishing communities that depend upon them for their livelihood