To mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Professor Gabrielle Wong-Parodi shared her reflections on April 17, 2020.

She discussed the successful implementation of resource-saving default settings on appliances, emphasizing their positive environmental impact.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg challenged world leaders at the Youth4Climate summit, criticizing their unfulfilled promises regarding the climate emergency. She dismissed their rhetoric as "blah, blah, blah," highlighting a lack of genuine action.

Thunberg called for constructive dialogue and urged media to prioritize reporting on politicians' deeds rather than their words. Her speech underscored the urgent need for tangible progress over mere platitudes.

The climate crisis has crucial cultural aspects. Rebecca Solnit, co-editor of *Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility*, highlights new narratives emerging from science, Indigenous leadership, and organizing. These stories offer grounds for hope, envisioning an age of abundance rather than austerity.

Solnit, a renowned author of over 20 books including *Hope in the Dark*, is an influential writer and activist. She regularly contributes to The Guardian and launched the Not Too Late project.

Learn more at Bioneers.org.

Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac outline two distinct futures for 2050: one if we fail to meet Paris Agreement climate targets, and another if we achieve a carbon-neutral, regenerative world. They emphasize that immediate action is crucial to address our climate emergency, presenting this as our final, defining choice.

Figueres, a Costa Rican diplomat with 35 years of experience, served as Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change from July 2010. Her extensive background highlights the urgency of this pivotal moment.

Source: The RSA, March 4, 2020.

Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL) is a climate change organization. Interim Executive Director Ricky Bradley has outlined CCL’s new strategic approach, designed to drive advocacy efforts. This strategy aims to create conditions necessary for lawmakers of both parties to support effective climate legislation.

Find out more about CCL's Strategic Plan: https://cclusa.org/2026-strategic-plan

Carbon pricing is rapidly advancing worldwide, with significant developments like the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and new initiatives in Canada and Mexico. CCL Policy Fellow Dr. Danny Richter will provide a global overview, highlighting how America’s trading partners are using carbon pricing to cut pollution, level the playing field, and drive clean innovation.

Understanding these international trends is crucial for U.S. policy, especially as border adjustments and carbon efficiency become central. This session equips policy advocates with the global context and talking points needed to champion smart, fair carbon policy at home.

An event titled "Women in Action for Climate Justice and a Just Transition: Path to COP30 and Beyond" brought together diverse global women leaders. They highlighted the importance of a Just Transition and presented comprehensive, intersectional strategies to advance community-led climate solutions, phase out fossil fuels, protect democracy, and strengthen the climate justice movement.

Discussions focused on critical topics such as forest protection, reforestation, gender-responsive climate policies, fossil fuel resistance, food sovereignty, Indigenous and human rights, Rights of Nature, and strategic campaigns for COP30 and future climate action.

Prominent speakers included Thilmeeza Hussain (UN), Eriel Tchekwie Deranger (2024 Climate Breakthrough Award Winner), Bridget Burns (WEDO), Tzeporah Berman (Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty), Colette Pichon-Battle (Taproot Earth), Jozileia Kaingang (ANMIGA), Taily Terena (2025 Global Citizen Prize Winner), and Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation Environmental Ambassador). The event was moderated by Osprey Orielle Lake, Founder and Executive Director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN).

A Pew Research Center survey indicates that while highly religious Americans generally express less concern about climate change, young religious adults—including evangelicals under 30—are significantly more likely to acknowledge human-caused global warming and its severity. Across U.S. college campuses, various religious groups (Christian, Jewish, Muslim) are now advocating for collective action to reduce carbon emissions.

On April 26, 2023, a panel featured young Americans from diverse religious backgrounds. They discussed how their faith informs campus activism, shared their evolving perspectives, and explored their impact – or hoped-for impact – on older generations within and beyond their traditions.