Program areas at C2ES
DOMESTIC POLICY: BUILDING BACK BETTER FOR THE LOW-CARBON FUTURE BRINGING TOGETHER MORE THAN FOUR DOZEN COMPANIES THROUGH OUR CLIMATE INNOVATION 2050 PROJECT, C2ES WORKED TO PURSUE PATHWAYS TO DECARBONIZE THE U.S. ECONOMY BY MIDCENTURY. WITH INPUT AND ENGAGEMENT FROM C2ES BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (BELC) MEMBERS AND OTHER LEADING COMPANIES, C2ES SHAPED THE DEBATE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CLIMATE PROVISIONS IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT AND THE BUILD BACK BETTER FRAMEWORK: o BUILDING ON A SERIES OF DISCUSSIONS WITH COMPANIES THAT BEGAN IN FALL 2020, IN JULY 2021 C2ES ORGANIZED 41 COMPANIES URGING CONGRESS TO ACT IN SUPPORT OF NET-ZERO INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. o IN FEBRUARY 2022, C2ES ORGANIZED A BUSINESS LETTER SIGNED BY MANY BELC MEMBERS TO CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP CALLING FOR CONGRESS TO "PASS HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY." o C2ES HOSTED A SERIES OF REGIONAL ROUNDTABLES WITH LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL STAKEHOLDERS IN WEST VIRGINIA, PHOENIX, SALT LAKE CITY, AND DETROIT TO ELEVATE THE PERSPECTIVES OF A DIVERSE SET OF STAKEHOLDERS DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, WITH A FOCUS ON ALIGNING CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES. o WE ALSO DEVELOPED A SERIES OF "CLOSER LOOK" BRIEFS, FOCUSED ON KEY TECHNOLOGIES, POLICY INSTRUMENTS, AND KEY CROSS-SECTORAL CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH REACHING NET-ZERO, INCLUDING POWER SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE, CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL, GREEN BANKS, DIGITALIZATION AND CLEAN THERMAL HEAT. C2ES ALSO HOSTED A SERIES OF SUCCESSFUL, WELL-ATTENDED WEBINARS, INCLUDING AN EVENT HIGHLIGHTING BUSINESS ACTION FOR THE U.S.-LED LEADERS SUMMIT ON CLIMATE, A CLIMATE WEEK NYC VIRTUAL PRESENTATION ON CARBON REMOVAL'S ROLE IN REACHING NET- ZERO, A DEEP DIVE INTO THE POSSIBILITIES OF A NATIONAL CLIMATE BANK, AND ADDITIONAL WEBINARS FOCUSED ON TIMELY CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS. DRIVING THE CONVERSATION ON CARBON PRICING: C2ES IS SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON ESTABLISHING AN ECONOMYWIDE PRICE ON CARBON POLLUTION, CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE WITH THE CEO CLIMATE DIALOGUE AND THE SEVERAL BELC MEMBERS PARTICIPATING. C2ES HAS ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE PRICING CARBON INITIATIVE FOR A SERIES OF "FIRESIDE CHATS," WHICH FEATURED SENATOR SHELDON WHITEHOUSE OF RHODE ISLAND AND CONGRESSMAN SCOTT PETERS OF CALIFORNIA. BUILDING RESILIENCE: C2ES IS ENGAGING THE INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES OF BUSINESS LEADERS TO STRENGTHEN THE ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY OPERATE AND NATIONALLY. o WE PUBLISHED RESEARCH AND CONDUCTED WORKSHOPS ON SOUND RESILIENCE POLICY, RESULTING IN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A FEDERAL POLICY ACTION PLAN TO ACCELERATE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. o THE C2ES FORESIGHT IS 20/20 PROJECT CONDUCTED A STUDY OF CURRENT PRACTICES PERTAINING TO CLIMATE-RELATED SCENARIO ANALYSIS, WORKING WITH COMPANIES ON ASSESSING THE RISKS THAT CLIMATE CHANGE POSES TO THEIR OPERATIONS AND BUSINESS MODELS. PUBLISHED EARLY IN 2022, OUR ONLINE PHYSICAL RISK TOOLKIT, DESIGNED TO HELP COMPANIES UNDERSTAND THE DATA AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ASSESS THEIR PHYSICAL CLIMATE RISK, WAS FEATURED ON THE EPA'S ONLINE RESOURCE ON REPORTING CORPORATE CLIMATE RISK.
ELEVATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESS LEADERS TO ENGAGE: PEER-TO-PEER SHARING IS A CRITICAL BELC FUNCTION, AND C2ES CONTINUED TO HOST WORKSHOPS AND WEBINARS ON TOPICS ON EMERGING AND KEY ISSUES BELC MEMBERS AND OTHER COMPANIES ARE FACING. o C2ES CO-HOSTED A VIRTUAL CLIMATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTING COMMITMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES TO DECARBONIZE ACROSS ALL SECTORS OF THE US ECONOMY, IN ADDITION TO TOPICS SUCH AS TRANSPARENCY IN REPORTING CLIMATE RISK AND BUILDING RESILIENCE, IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSFORMING TRANSPORTATION AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. o WE HOSTED WEBINARS ON FEDERAL DEMAND FOR LOW-CARBON PRODUCTS, HIGHLIGHTING HOW COMPANIES USE THESE STRATEGIES AND OTHERS TO MEET THEIR NET ZERO EMISSIONS GOALS. o C2ES HELD TWO INTERNAL DIALOGUES WITH POWER SECTOR MEMBERS AND CONTINUED TO DEVELOP INSIGHTS FOR COMPANIES ON CLIMATE JUSTICE AND EFFORTS TO ENSURE GREATER DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.
INTERNATIONAL POLICY: DELIVERING ON GLOBAL AMBITION AT COP26: C2ES CONTINUED TO CONVENE CLIMATE NEGOTIATORS IN 2021 AS THE UNITED STATES AIMED TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME ON GLOBAL AMBITION. o AFTER THE PANDEMIC POSTPONED A 2020 CONVENING, NEGOTIATORS WERE FACED WITH THE TASKS OF COMPLETING THE PARIS "RULEBOOKX AND ARTICLE 6, ENCOURAGING GREATER AMBITION, REDIRECTING EMPHASIS TO IMPLEMENTATION AND DELIVERY ON PLEDGES. C2ES PRECEDED COP26 IN GLASGOW WITH A NEGOTIATOR WORKSHOP IN MILAN TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESS. o C2ES HOSTED CONVERSATIONS ON THE GROUND IN GLASGOW AIMED AT AMBITION BEYOND COP26 AND THE GLOBAL STOCKTAKE AND ON BUSINESS LEADERSHIP TO TRANSFORM OUR BUSINESS COUNCIL MEMBERS' VOLUNTARY PLEDGES INTO CLIMATE PROGRESS. o C2ES BECAME A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT AND A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND OF THE INTEGRITY COUNCIL FOR THE VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKET, WHICH IS ESTABLISHING A THRESHOLD STANDARD OF QUALITY FOR CARBON CREDITS TO PROVIDE BUYERS WITH ASSURANCE OF HIGH-QUALITY CREDITS.