The inaugural Future Leaders Climate Summit 2020 will gather ~100 young leaders (ages 18-30) from around the U.S. for three days to discuss climate policy, communications, advocacy, and individual action with climate and energy experts. By bringing together future leaders from diverse backgrounds with a variety of perspectives, this Summit aims to generate new ideas and solutions to today’s climate crisis. The Summit aims to empower these leaders that will be shaping and driving our response to the climate crisis by:

1. giving them the tools to create even greater change in their communities and beyond and
2. creating a robust network of climate leaders who will be able to work together in facing the greatest crisis of our time – the climate crisis.

Through interactive workshops, plenary panel discussions, and site visits, the Future Leaders will work to develop innovative ideas and recommendations to solve challenges: from mitigating the causes of climate change to preparing for and adapting to climate impacts and a rapidly changing world that will include more political unrest, migration, and conflict starting in their own backyards.

Workshops during the summit will give participants the tools to effectively push for change in their communities and the communication skills to connect climate change with the lives of everyday Americans. At the end of the Summit Future Leaders will make pledges during the Summit to complete an advocacy, education, direct action, or policy project in their community.

We hope that you will consider applying to join us for this monumental inaugural gathering.

Dr. Walter Kovalick addressed the EPA’s latest “path forward” to encourage commercialization of innovative environmental technologies, and the most recent policy document that draws on previous strategies and recommendations as well as responds to new realities and developments in the policy and market landscape.

Dr. McDonald addressed EPA permitting, geologic sequestration, the basics of the Underground Injection Control program, natural gas fracking and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The GREET (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation) model is a life-cycle analysis (LCA) model for examining the energy and environmental impacts of advanced vehicle technologies and new transportation fuels. The model includes advanced vehicle technologies such as hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, battery-powered electric vehicles, and fuel-cell vehicles. Fuel production pathways include those from petroleum, biofuels (first, second, and third generation), hydrogen production pathways, and various electricity generation systems.

In this one-day workshop, the Argonne GREET team presented an overview of the GREET model development and structure of the model, and will conduct case simulations with GREET. The workshop was designed to help participants:

• Learn the basics of life-cycle analysis of energy systems
• Understand logics of the GREET model development
• Use the GREET model to generate LCA results for vehicle/fuel systems
• Pursue sustainability evaluation of new energy technologies

This conference, hosted by EPIC, gathered industry leaders and innovators from all sectors to share their expertise in biofuel development and to engage in policy discussion. The goal for the conference was to address major technology and policy issues and determine how to overcome these challenges for market success. Topics included feedstocks, logistics, technology and sustainable development, and, of significant importance, what policies are needed to grow this industry in the future. Panel participants provided rich expertise and a platform for successful discussion for all in attendance. Presentations can be viewed below.

The Energy Policy Workshop Series is a component of the Energy Policy Institute at Chicago’s commitment to research and training. It is a forum for faculty, post-docs and graduate students across disciplines whose work focuses on energy, energy policy and energy economics. The workshop hosts faculty speakers from inside and outside of the University of Chicago, and provides a forum for the University of Chicago energy research community to present work in progress.

Topics:

Consumer Behavior
Transportation Fuels

Mark Finley, General Manager for Global Energy Markets and US Economics, BP, shared his perspective on the global energy outlook for the next two decades.

Dr. Elin Suleymanov, Azeri Ambassador to the United States, spoke about regional energy-related issues.

The Energy Policy Workshop Series is a component of the Energy Policy Institute at Chicago’s commitment to research and training. It is a forum for faculty, post-docs and graduate students across disciplines whose work focuses on energy, energy policy and energy economics. The workshop hosts faculty speakers from inside and outside of the University of Chicago, and provides a forum for the University of Chicago energy research community to present work in progress.