Description

SF Climate Week is California’s premier climate solutions summit—a weeklong showcase that brings over 25,000 people to participate in over 450 events across the city. This year the Bay Area Council is hosting or co-hosting two leading events for S.F. Climate Week, each loaded with top experts in climate mitigation, climate adaptation, clean energy, infrastructure, policy, and more.

On April 21, the Council hosts Climate on the Klamath with a full day of expert panels and presentations, and on April 24 we’re partnering with DLA Piper to host another round of engaging and informative conversations and presentations from top climate leaders. See below for full agendas and links to register. To register for Climate on the Klamath on April 21,  you must RSVP to each panel individually using the links in the agenda below. To register for the April 24 event with DLA Piper, click here or use the link in the description of the event below.

A big thanks to our Climate on the Klamath Platinum Sponsor San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and our Gold Sponsors Arcadis, Gensler, Oliver Wyman, University of San Francisco and Waymo!

CLIMATE ON THE KLAMATH

Monday, April 21

8:30am – 5:00pm (Main program)

5:00pm-6:30pm (Beer & Wine Reception)

The Historic Klamath at Pier 9, The Embarcadero

AGENDA

8:30am – Doors Open/Networking/Refreshments

9:00am – Welcome Remarks

9:10am-10:10am – Decarbonizing & Integrating Transportation: A Path Toward a Resilient Bay Area (RSVP)

Transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in California, accounting for about 40% of the total emissions statewide. Join Gensler and the Bay Area Council for a discussion with industry leaders in rail, autonomous vehicles, and water transit about how the Bay Area can lead in decarbonizing and integrating its transportation systems. After the discussion, stick around for other panels on aviation, tech growth and energy demand, drought resilience, wildfire resilience, and state and federal actions. Speakers include:

• Momoko Tamaoki, Deputy Director of Planning, ACE
• Seamus Murphy, Executive Director, Water Emergency Transportation Authority
• Adam Lenz, Head of Sustainability & Environment, Waymo
• Kirsten Ritchie, Global Director, Climate Action and Sustainability, Principal, Gensler – Moderator

10:15am – 11:15am – Decarbonizing Aviation (RSVP)

Aviation currently accounts for about 2% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally. Here in California, the California Air Resources Board says airlines must use sustainable aviation fuels, or SAF, (jet fuels refined from recycled biomass) to meet 80% of all fuel demands by 2045 for California to meet its net zero goals. How can airports, airlines, and refineries meet surging demand for SAF? What role will hydrogen play in future of air travel? Join San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and the Bay Area Council for a discussion with industry experts to learn how aviation is decarbonizing. Speakers include:

• Erin Cooke, Sustainability + Environmental Policy Director, SFO
• Tyson Eckerle, ARCHES Chief Governmental Relations and Strategy Officer
• Additional panelists pending confirmation

11:20am -12:20pm – Navigating Nature: The Tech Sector’s Path to Sustainable Growth (RSVP)

As the tech sector expands, how is the industry working to reduce its impact on water, energy, and land? Join Oliver Wyman and the Bay Area Council for a discussion with industry leaders in data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, and water and energy utilities about how the tech sector manages  nature impacts, how water and energy utilities are responding to changing industry demands, and how these stakeholders are collaborating to enable sustainable growth.

• Saji Sam, Senior Partner, Oliver Wyman Energy & Natural Resources
• Aaron Baker, Chief Operating Officer, Water Utility, Valley Water
• Fawn Bergen, Global Sustainability Director, Intel
• PG&E (TBD)

LUNCH BREAK – Note: Lunch will not be provided. Nearby options are available at the Ferry Building and along the Embarcadero.

1:45pm-2:45pm – Water Resilience: Integrating Complex Systems for a Changing Climate (RSVP)

California has experienced two millennium-scale droughts over the past decade and scientists are expecting warming temperatures to lead to long-term reductions in snowpack and overall precipitation. What policies and technologies must cities, utilities, and companies implement to strengthen California’s economic and environmental resilience to drought? Speakers include:

• Rob McCarthy, Vice President and Program Manager, Parsons
• Iris Huang, Principal Project Manager, Parsons
• Cora Snyder, California Water Resilience Initiative Lead and Project Manager, Pacific Institute
• Gordon Feller, Smithsonian Institute (Moderator)

2:50pm-3:50pm –  How Forestry Innovation is Reducing Wildfire Risk (RSVP)

California witnessed an explosive increase in wildfire activity over the past decade, with hundreds of lives lost and billions of dollars in damages sustained. In response, a growing consensus of scientists and policy makers are calling for the state to change land use patterns, building standards, and forestry management practices to reduce wildfire risk and prevent fuel buildup. Join us for a discussion with forestry and insurance industry leaders about how forestry innovations arereducing wildfire risk across California. Speakers include:

• Kyra Peyton, CSAA Insurance
• Zach Knight, CEO of Blue Forest
• Anukool Lakhina, co-founder and CEO of BurnBot
• Temra Costa, Executive Director, Regenerative Forest Solutions
• David Weiss, Partner, Reed Smith LLP (Moderator)

3:55-4:55 – All Hands on Deck: Data, Dollars, and Local Action for Climate Resilience (RSVP)

Dynamic conversation exploring how climate resilience is driven by the intersection of data, funding, policy, and community leadership. As extreme weather intensifies and environmental impacts grow more complex, governments, researchers, and communities alike must navigate vast datasets, shifting policies, and resource constraints. Panelists will examine how environmental data can inform equitable decision-making, the challenges and opportunities in accessing and aligning funding and policy, and the essential role of local knowledge and community-driven action in shaping adaptive strategies. Together, these elements form the foundation for inclusive, effective climate resilience. Speakers include:

• Arnauld Billard, Director of Climate Engineering, Arcadis
• Laura Tam, CEO, Bay Planning Coalition
• Violet Wulf-Saena, Founder & Executive Director of Climate Resilient Communities (tentative)
• Additional panelists pending confirmation
• Clare Keating, Climate Resilience Lead – Bay Area, Arcadis (Moderator)

5:00pm – 6:30pm – BEER/WINE RECEPTION

CLIMATE ACTION IN 2025 AND BEYOND – Register here

Hosted by DLA Piper in partnership with the Bay Area Council

Thursday, April 24

8:30am – 12:00pm

The Battery SF

AGENDA

8:30 am – Registration and refreshments

9:00 am – Welcome remarks and introductions

• Kristy Balsanek, Partner Global Co-Chair, Environmental, Social and Governance, DLA Piper

9:05 am – Scaling Climate Tech in an Uncertain Regulatory Landscape: A Fireside Chat

• Arch Rao, Founder & CEO, SPAN
• Steve Westly, Managing Partner, The Westly Group

10:00 am – Networking activity and refreshments

• Gwendolyn Keyes, Co-Chair and Partner, Environmental Practice Group, DLA Piper

10:45 am – Climate Resilience and Adaptation in 2025 and Beyond

• Joshua Dimon, Chief Scientist, Disaster Lab, University of California, Berkeley
• Nathan Bengtsson, Interim Director, Climate Resilience Adaptation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
• Tyrone Jue, Director, San Francisco Department of Energy
• Jenn Phillips, Assistant Secretary for Climate Change, California Natural Resources Agency
  Otgontsetseg “Otgo” Erhemjamts, Dean, School of Management, University of San Francisco (Moderator)
• Julian Lake, Policy Director, Bay Area Council (Panel Introductions)

12:00 pm – Closing remarks