Catalyzing Policy, Innovation, and Global Impact
Join us for The Climate Registry’s third annual California Climate Leadership Forum at Climate Week NYC.
2026 California Climate Leadership Forum
Monday, September 21, 2026
10 am – 6 pm ET
New York City
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 event 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.
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Interested in attending?
Please complete the Expression of Interest Form by Wednesday, September 16th if you would like to attend.
FORUM AGENDA
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. We are continuing to build an exciting program. Additional speakers and agenda will be announced as they are confirmed.
Rick Saines
Managing Partner, Arden Climate and Board Chair, The Climate Registry
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.
Trevor Anderson
Senior Manager, Climate Action, Mattel
Chris Benjamin
Senior Director, Corporate Sustainability, PG&E
Mardi McBrien
Senior Director, Corporate Performance & Accountability at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Steven Rothstein
Chief Program Officer, Ceres
Mary Nichols
Distinguished Counsel, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, UCLA (moderator)
Lara Cottingham
Chief of Staff, Foundation for Energy Security & Innovation
Matt Peterson
Executive Director, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Kate Gordon
CA Forward (moderator)
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.
Caroline Choi
Executive Vice President of Public Policy and Corporate Affairs at Southern California Edison and Edison International
Nolwenn Godard
Executive Director, Carbon 2C
Diane Papan
California Assemblymember
Kate Wright
Executive Director, US Climate Mayors
Kathryn Zyla
Executive Director, Georgetown Climate Center (moderator)
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.
Ted Bardacke
Board Chair, California Community Choice Financing Authority
Arnab Pal
Executive Director, Deploy Action
Karen Ross
Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture
Louise Bedsworth
Executive Director at Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at Berkeley Law (moderator)
Becky Dale
VP Sustainability, LA28
Tessa Sanchez
Head of Sustainability Policy, Uber
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.
Nina Hachigian
CEO, Alliance for Local Leaders International (ALLIES)
Chris Wheat
Executive Director, America is All In
Kate Johnson
North America Director, C40 (moderator)
This event is hosted by The Climate Registry
September 21, 2026 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm