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2026 California Climate Leadership Forum

Catalyzing Policy, Innovation, and Global Impact

Save the date for The Climate Registry’s third annual California Climate Leadership Forum at Climate Week NYC.

Yosemite Valley

Kick off Climate Week NYC with the California Climate Leadership Forum on Monday, September 21. Bringing together leaders from across California’s public and private sectors, the forum will spotlight key issues including corporate climate accountability, clean energy and transportation, data centers, adaptation and resiliency initiatives, international climate partnerships, and more!

Hosted by The Climate Registry (TCR), this dynamic afternoon will feature engaging conversations, interviews, and keynote speakers addressing the opportunities and challenges of advancing California’s ambitious climate and affordability goals. Building on the momentum of previous forums, this year’s event continues to advance a forward-looking vision for climate action—one that integrates decarbonization with economic growth, equity, and community resilience. 

Stay tuned for more information.

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Monday, September 21, 2026

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10 am – 6 pm ET

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New York City

Speakers

We are thrilled to host a diverse array of climate leaders including:

  • Ted Bardacke, Board Chair, California Community Choice Financing Authority
  • Lara Cottingham, Chief of Staff, Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI)
  • Nolwenn Godard, Founder, Carbon2C
  • Kate Gordon, CEO, California Forward (CA FWD)
  • Arnab Pal, Executive Director, Deploy Action
  • Matt Petersen, President and CEO, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)
  • Steven Rothstein, Chief Program Officer, Ceres
  • Mason Williams, Senior Director, Global Sustainability and Social Impact, Mattel
  • Kate Wright, Executive Director, US Climate Mayors
  • Kathryn Zyla, Executive Director, Georgetown Climate Center

We are continuing to build an exciting program with additional speakers that will be announced as they are confirmed.

join us as we explore
Four Main themes

This year’s Forum will spotlight the policies, innovations, and partnerships driving climate action in California and beyond through four timely and thought-provoking discussions. Full agenda will be released closer to the event.

As California’s landmark climate disclosure law evolves from policy to practice, companies are tasked with reporting greenhouse gas emissions data from across their operations. During this panel, speakers will discuss the upcoming implementation of the California Air Resources Board’s program and consider how the anticipated updates to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol may affect reporting requirements. The discussion will then turn to explore how corporations navigate the management of emissions data to meet national and international mandates while advancing meaningful decarbonization.

Data centers are among the most resource-intensive facilities on the grid, driving surging demand for electricity and water that strains infrastructure and complicates decarbonization timelines. California, with its leading technology sector and ambitious climate targets, sits at the center of this tension. This panel examines how the state, local communities, and their utilities are navigating this challenge; how policymakers are weighing economic development against environmental, workforce, and affordability concerns; and how data companies and consumers balance their bottom line with sustainability goals.

California serves as a policy laboratory and proving ground for innovative technology that can accelerate the deployment of solutions needed to meet climate targets. This session will explore emerging policy and financing mechanisms, the challenges of scaling from pilot to mainstream adoption, and how public and private sectors can prioritize solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase affordability, and provide community-wide benefits.

Amid the retreat of federal support for climate action and clean energy, states must play an increasingly important role in building a strategy to advance climate solutions. What does this current geopolitical moment mean for states and regions committed to driving global climate ambition? How can California leverage its position as a subnational leader in alliance with other jurisdictions and as a state that has forged its own bilateral agreements? Panelists will explore the opportunities for California, other states, and coalition partners to strengthen collaboration, build momentum, and drive climate action at international gatherings.

This event is hosted by The Climate Registry

September 21, 2026 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm