Opportunities to Raise Public Awareness about Climate Change and the Need for Action

When
March 31, 2016 11:00 am — 5:00 pm
Where
New York, NY

Environmental Law Committee, Michael G. Mahoney, Chair
International Environmental Law Committee, Gail Suchman, Chair
International Committee on Human Rights, Anil Kalhan, Chair
Energy Committee, Daniel Rosenblum, Chair
Special Task Force for Climate Change Adaptation Law, Stephen Kass, Chair
Corporate Law Committee, David Silk, Chair
Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, Columbia University, Michael Gerrard, Director
Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham University School of Law
Environmental Law Institute - See more at: https://services.nycbar.org/iMIS/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=ENV033116#sthash.lrZwSdXP.dpuf
Environmental Law Committee, Michael G. Mahoney, Chair
International Environmental Law Committee, Gail Suchman, Chair
International Committee on Human Rights, Anil Kalhan, Chair
Energy Committee, Daniel Rosenblum, Chair
Special Task Force for Climate Change Adaptation Law, Stephen Kass, Chair
Corporate Law Committee, David Silk, Chair
Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, Columbia University, Michael Gerrard, Director
Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham University School of Law
Environmental Law Institute - See more at: https://services.nycbar.org/iMIS/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=ENV033116#sthash.lrZwSdXP.dpuf

Cosponsored by the following New York City Bar Committees: Environmental Law, International Environmental Law, Corporate Law, Human Rights, Energy, Special Task Force for Climate Change Adaptation Law; and the Columbia University Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, Fordham University School of Law Leitner Center, and Environmental Law Institute.


This conference aimed to create a productive dialog among New York City metropolitan organizations regarding opportunities to scale up New Yorkers’ responses to climate change and to align communications on the need for urgent action. The sponsors’ intention in organizing this conference was to bring together the local organizations that are concerned about climate change in a half-day session to: (i) discuss the positive efforts underway to mitigate climate change; (ii) discuss the legal, moral and practical imperatives that have driven those efforts; and (iii) consider how to align the different efforts now underway behind unified and effective messaging about the urgent need for action. The conference identified existing and potential new opportunities for attorneys and the New York City Bar Association to support this public awareness effort.

Keynote: Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University

Panel 1: Getting the Message Across
Michael Burger, Executive Director of Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia University, Moderator-
Bessie Schwarz, Communication Strategist, Yale Project for Climate Change Communications
Miranda Massie, Executive Director and Founder, Climate Museum Launch Project
Father Samuel Fuller, OFM, Cap., St. Pius X, Middletown, Ct., Pope Francis’ Encyclical on Climate Change
Lisa Benenson, NRDC’s Chief Communications Officer, NRDC Climate Communications

Networking Lunch

Panel 2: Thoughts on Aligning Actions to Amplify Message
Jeff Gracer, Partner, Sive Paget, Moderator
Peter Boyd, Sr. Advisor & Climate Lead, The B Team; Founder & CEO, Time4Good Group
Nilda Mesa, Director, NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, NYC One Plan
Sally Fisk, NYCBA-ELC Member, Sr. Environmental Attorney, Pfizer Inc., Corporate Perspective
David Fenton, Founder and CEO, Fenton Communications

Overview of Break-out Session Objectives
Kevin Healy, Bryan Cave, LLP
Allen Zerkin, The Wagner School, New York University

Break-out Sessions

Summary of Working Sessions and Next Steps
Kevin Healy, Partner, Bryan Cave