Reflections from Aspen Ideas: Climate 2024
Four members of the Redwood team had the pleasure and privilege of attending Aspen Ideas: Climate in Miami back in March. Keely McNeme, Account Executive, was selected as a 2024 Aspen Future Leader, while Emily Prettyman, Account Manager, and Jessica Harrington, Senior Account Executive, attended the conference as returning Future Leaders and Josh Garrett, CEO, attended as a speaker. In partnership with the Aspen Insitiute Future Climate Leaders Initiate we organized a successful panel at the Future Leaders Summit, “Hacking the Media: Elevating your Climate Organization with Earned Coverage” with journalists Alex Harris (Miami Herald), Yessinia Funes (Atmos Magazine), and Josh, moderated by Max Sano (The Greenzine).
Takeaways from the Redwood team from the event are below. These, along with the insights from our Toolkit “Making the Most of Industry Events” on the Aspen website, paint a positive picture of the climate space now and where it’s going, as well as offering actionable steps to take to make your next industry event a success!
1. Climate communication is top of mind for everyone; not enough people are doing it
A-list climate communicators Katharine Hayhoe and Bill Nye, along with top climate journalists like Justin Worland, put how we talk about and advocate for climate action front-and-center in engaging speeches and panel discussions. But Redwood would have liked to see more examination of what climate pros and activists should be saying about their climate work to dismantle disinformation, convince businesses to invest more in climate tech, get voters to vote on climate, counter doomscrolling...and so many other things that can speed up progress. It's time to get tactical! As Katherine Hayhoe often emphases (and did so at Aspen), 64% of Americans, regardless of political party, are worried about climate change. Still, only 8% of Americans are activated and doing something about it. To reach those who are disengaged from climate action, she highlighted the importance of understanding people's values and interests to build meaningful connections and demonstrate how climate action aligns with their identity.
2. Climate is an all-encompassing issue
While Redwood lives and breathes this mantra every day, hearing about everyone's unique projects, activism, and businesses all working to address small but important parts of the climate crisis exemplified how true it is. The wide range of issues and solutions emphasized how important coalition building and allies across issues are to facing this problem head-on.
3. It's past time to elevate and learn from indigenous communities
One of the most-heard facts at the conference was "Indigenous communities safeguard 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity." It was exciting to learn about indigenous-led climate movements around the world and efforts to direct climate benefits toward historically oppressed and ignored indigenous groups.
4. Dialogues concerning the Colorado River watershed shed light on sustainable management practices amidst dwindling water levels and equity concerns
One crucial piece of insight that came from these discussions is the importance of effectively involving the right stakeholders, including indigenous leaders who have historically managed these water resources, in decision-making processes. Discussions surrounding water management also emphasized the variability of river flow rates and the implications of water policies. Strategies such as water taxes disproportionately affect less affluent communities, while wealthier individuals may go as far as bypassing restrictions by importing water. Agriculture accounts for 80% of U.S. water consumption, significantly influencing product costs. This leads to contemplations about priorities and sacrifices. A central realization is our intrinsic connection to water; it is not separate from us. However, a sense of disconnection is prevalent, especially among those distant from major water bodies. The high-level conclusion that the room came to in these discussions largely hinged on a collective reevaluation of values, fostering a deeper connection to our natural resources.
5. The Biden administration is ready to double down on its climate progress
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, and former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy were featured speakers, and attendees represented several other federal agencies and the White House. Their message was consistent: this administration has made historic progress on cutting emissions, stimulating climate tech industries, and accelerating a just transition toward clean energy...and we're just getting started. We have yet to see game-changing legislation (thanks uncle BIL and aunt IRA!) fully pay off, and when we do, Americans will take notice. It was heartening to see so many current government officials proudly share climate progress and talk about it as a top priority.
6. Gen Z knows what's up
Hearing from and speaking with the impressive under-30 climate activists and professionals that made up this year's Future Leaders Climate Initiative at The Aspen Institute cohort gave everyone a sense of optimism and reassurance. This generation is more aware of and pissed off about the climate crisis than any other, and rightly so. But they're also determined to tackle it head-on with a focus on equity and climate justice, and without compromise. Their energy and sophistication can't fail, and Redwood is ready to follow their lead and support them in the next few decades of climate action.
7. Just do it!
Approaching people at events can be intimidating and can cause nervousness or self doubt. Aspen Ideas: Climate was full of friendly people not only willing to share their experiences but genuinely interested in yours. Going to similar events with like minded people can be a great stepping stone to build confidence for the more general, bigger conferences.
8. What if we get this right?
Much like the highly anticipated book from Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, the conference focused on what if we get this right and imagining a positive climate future. As Ari Wallach from A Brief History of the Future mentioned, "We don't know what the back of the net looks like for climate." This means we can't picture what it would look like to solve the climate crisis in an equitable way. That's why his series on PBS focuses on showcasing climate solutions.
