The Critical Path Towards A Zero-Carbon Economy

The 2023 LABC Sustainability Summit

Friday, September 22, 2023

Town and Gown, University of Southern California

A high-level convening of leaders in one of the most environmentally forward-thinking cities of the world.

Watch the FULL Summit:

Day-of Agenda

7:00 a.m.

Doors Open

8:00 a.m.

LABC Welcome David Nahai, Chair, LABC & President, David Nahai Companies

8:05 a.m.

Spotlight Jonathan Port, Founder, PermaCity Foundation

8:15 a.m.

Spotlight Phil Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Cold Electric

8:20 a.m.

Panel: Los Angeles Renewable Energy Pathway to 2030

Moderator:
Michael Northrop, Program Director, Sustainable Development, Rockefeller Bros. Foundation

Panelists:
Ted Bardacke, Chief Executive Officer, Clean Power Alliance
Jason Barrett, Senior Vice President, Sales, GAF Energy
Nicole Neeman Brady, Vice President, Board of Water & Power Commissioners (LADWP)
Cary Kottler, Chief Development Officer, Pattern Energy

9:30 a.m.

Special Message California Governor Gavin Newsom

9:35 a.m.

Introduction Mary Leslie, President, Los Angeles Business Council

9:40 a.m.

USC Welcome Dr. Carol Folt, President, University of Southern California

9:50 a.m.

Introduction John Duong, CEO, GreenQuest Energy Development

9:55 a.m.

Business Keynote Mary Powell, CEO & Director, Sunrun Inc.

10:10 a.m.

Conversation: Coordinating Regional Transmission Needs & Clean Energy Deployment

Moderator:
Sammy Roth, Energy Reporter, LA Times

Panelists:
Karen Douglas, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Neil Millar, Vice President, Infrastructure & Operations Planning, CAISO
Ryan Pfaff, Executive Vice-President, Grid & Distribution Scale Power, EDF Renewables

10:55 a.m.

LABC Institute Special Presentation: Dr. Marlon Boarnet, Director, METRANS Transportation Consortium

11:05 a.m.

Panel: Driving Toward a Carbon Free Transportation Sector

Moderator:
Mary Nichols, Distinguished Counsel for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment, UCLA School of Law

Panelists:
Carlo Bertani, Renewable Energy Procurement and Development, Maersk
Hector De La Torre, Assembly Appointed Board Member, CA Air Resources Board
Veronica Padilla, Executive Director, Pacoima Beautiful/ Board Member, South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD)
Chanel Parson, Director, Building and Transportation Electrification, Southern California Edison
Gene Seroka, Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles

12:20 p.m.

Lunch

12:50 p.m.

Business Update Greg McWilliams, Chief Policy Officer, FivePoint

12:55 p.m.

Spotlight Chelle Izzi, Vice President, Energy Transformation, Walmart

1:05 p.m.

Introduction Robert Shen, Senior Global Manager for California, United Airlines

1:10 p.m.

Conversation: Accelerating the Clean Energy Transition

Moderator:
Senator Fran Pavley (ret.), Environmental Policy Director, USC Schwarzenegger Institute

Panelists:
The Honorable Henry Stern, Senator, State of California, Chair, Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies
Jake Levine, Chief Climate Officer, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
Jonathan Silver, Chair of the Global Climate Council, Apollo Global Management

1:55 p.m.

Introduction Jacob Lipa, Founder & Principal, Lipa Consulting

2:00 p.m.

Keynote Karla Nemeth, Secretary, California Department of Water Resources

2:15 p.m.

Panel: Creating a Regional Water System

Moderator:
David Nahai, LABC, Chair/ President, David Nahai Companies

Panelists:
Anselmo Collins, Senior Assistant General Manager – Water System, LADWP
Liz Crosson, Chief Sustainability, Resiliency & Innovation Officer, Metropolitan Water District of So. Cal.
Julie L. Labonte, SVP, Global Director Program Management Director, HDR Inc
Stephan Tucker, General Manager, Water Replenishment District
Randall Winston, Deputy Mayor of Infrastructure, Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

3:20 p.m.

Summit Close

Featured Speakers

Learn from California thought leaders working to address demands and opportunities of a clean energy future

Ted Bardacke

Jason Barrett

Carlo Bertani

Marlon Boarnet

Nicole Neeman Brady

Phil Chen

Anselmo Collins

Liz Crosson

Hector De La Torre

Karen Douglas

John Duong

Carol Folt

Chelle Izzi

Cary Kottler

Jake Levine

Julie Labonte

David Libatique

Jacob Lipa

Greg McWilliams

Neil Millar

David Nahai

Karla Nemeth

Mary Nichols

Michael Northrop

Veronica Padilla

Chanel Parson

Ryan Pfaff

Jonathan Port

Mary Powell

Sammy Roth

Gene Seroka

Robert Shen

Jonathan Silver

Henry Stern

Stephan Tucker

Randall Winston

2023 Sustainability Summit Sponsors

The 2023 LABC Sustainability Summit wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our Sustainability Summit sponsors.

Platinum

Co-Chair

Gold

Silver

To become a sponsor, please contact Rachel Levy at rlevy@labusinesscouncil.org.

Watch Last Year’s Sustainability Summit

Share This