March 22, 2023 from 9:00 am – 5:00pm Lehman Auditorium, George Washington University

Register

All times listed are in Eastern Time

8:30AM Registration Opens (coffee and light breakfast served)

9:00-9:10AM Welcome – Edward R. Saltzberg, Executive Director, Security and Sustainability Forum 

9:10-9:15AM Opening Remarks – John Lach, Dean, George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science

9:15-9:45AM Fireside Chat – David M. Turk, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy, in conversation with Daniel J. Fiorino, Director, Center for Environmental Policy, American University School of Public Affairs

9:45AM Program Overview – Daniel J. Fiorino, Director, Center for Environmental Policy, American University School of Public Affairs  

10:00-11:15AM Progress and Prospects for the IRA

Panelists will provide a brief introduction to the key climate and energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and discuss, in detail, the transformational, strategic objectives of the Act. Panelists will share their perspectives on why the Inflation Reduction Act matters, how key provisions will be realized, and where federal agencies will be crucial to implement sustained change. This panel will provide a framework for assessing progress six months post-enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act.  

Speakers:

• Joe Bonfiglio, Executive Director, U.S. Region, EDF – Moderator

• Christina DeConcini, Director of Government Affairs, World Resources Institute (presentation available here)
• Caroline Normile, Senior Policy Analyst, Energy Program, Bipartisan Policy Center (presentation available here)
• David Terry, President, National Association of State Energy Officials

 

11:15-11:30AM Coffee Break

11:30AM-12:45PM Centering Equity in Domestic Climate Policy

Panelists will provide an overview of the environmental justice components of the Inflation Reduction Act, and explain how equity concerns are built into the climate and energy provisions to ensure any future mitigation or adaptation efforts benefit all Americans. The discussion will highlight how federal agencies are involved in implementation, what progress has been made, and where they have been successful or met with challenges. 

Speakers:

• Vernice Miller-Travis, Executive Vice President and Social Justice Lead, Metropolitan Group – Moderator
• Margot Brown, Vice President, Justice and Equity, EDF (presentation available here)
• Kelly Crawford, Senior Advisor for Energy Equity and Environmental Justice, U.S. Department of Energy (presentation available here)
• Robin Morris Collin, Senior Advisor to the Administrator for Environmental Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (presentation available here)
• Candace Vahlsing, Associate Director for Climate, Energy, Environment, and Science, Office of Management and Budget

 

12:45-2:00PM Lunch  

2:00-3:15PM The IRA’s Role in Achieving Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets

Panelists will provide a synopsis of the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate and energy provisions and detail the mechanisms in place to ensure the effectiveness of IRA commitments to reduce emissions and accelerate the clean energy transition. Panelists will share their perspectives on whether these historic investments will successfully position the U.S. to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030 and meet the administration’s ambitious climate goals of reaching net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.  

Speakers:

• Jason Ye, Director for US Policy and Outreach, C2ES – Moderator
• Doug O’Brien, President and CEO, National Cooperative Business Association (CLUSA) International
• Janani Shankaran, Special Assistant, DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
• Scott Sklar, President, The Stella Group, Ltd (presentation available here)

 

3:15-3:30PM Coffee Break 

3:30-4:45PM The IRA and the U.S.’s Participation in International Climate Negotiations 

Panelists will explore how the Inflation Reduction Act advances the U.S.’s role in international climate negotiations and the administration’s commitment to make ambitious, but achievable, climate progress and to assist other nations, both developed and developing, in doing the same. Panelists will share their perspectives on how the IRA serves the U.S.'s standing in global climate negotiations, why climate legislation remains contentious in the American political landscape, and where the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act can serve as a blueprint for navigating intergovernmental climate negotiations in the future. 

Speakers:

• Todd Eisenstadt, Professor, Department of Government, and Research Director, Center for Environmental Policy, American University – Moderator 
• Mercedes García Pérez, Head of Global Issues and Innovation, Delegation of the European Union to the US
• András Simonyi, former Hungarian Ambassador to the U.S. and NATO, and current Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
• Daniela Stevens, Director, Energy, Climate Change & Extractive Industries Program, Inter-American Dialogue

 

4:45-5:00PM Closing Remarks – Daniel J. Fiorino, Director, Center for Environmental Policy, American University School of Public Affairs

5:00PM Adjourn