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America's Zero Carbon Action Plan Launch

Project chairs will present the key recommendations and pathways from the Plan, which was developed through a consortium of over 100 experts who have developed a policy toolkit linked to a comprehensive, quantitatively-based strategy to achieve zero-carbon emissions in the United States by 2050 in line with the IPCC recommendations, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals. The plan is unlike any other in that it is based on both an energy and infrastructure model, and an economic model to project the job implications of the transition. The document aligns the technology transformation with economic levers, and provides a cadre of policy recommendations to get America to net zero emissions by 2050. The plan will be delivered to Congress and the Executive Administration in November.

  • 12:00 - Welcome and Project Background: Gordon McCord & David Victor, UC San Diego

  • 12:05 - Report Methods, Headlines and Key Recommendations: Vicki Arroyo, Georgetown Climate Center

  • 12:20 - Pathway to Decarbonization: Ryan Jones, Evolved Energy Research

  • 12:25 - Jobs and a Just Transition: Robert Pollin, University of Massachusetts-Amherst

  • 12:35 - Federal Policy Recommendations: Michael Gerrard, Columbia Law School & John Dernbach, Widener University Commonwealth Law School

  • 12:45 - State & City Policy Recommendations: Christian Braneon & Cynthia Rosenzweig, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

  • 12:55 - Implementation, Implications, and Next Steps: Jeffrey Sachs & Elena Crete, SDSN

  • 1:05 - 25 minutes of Q&A

Moderation by Dan Esty, Yale University

This launch will include an overview of the plan and will be complemented by a series of related sector specific webinars that will dive deeper into the specific recommendations in the transport, materials, and land sectors, along with others to be announced. To learn more about SDSN USA’s Zero Carbon initiatives as well as related events and projects, click here. Register for the October 27 launch via this link.

Questions? Email Caroline Fox (caroline.fox@unsdsn.org). Want to know more? Sign up for our mailing list.