The Climate Registry at COP31
The Climate Registry Hosts Subnational Climate Leaders at the Conference of Parties (COP)
The Climate Registry (TCR) is a non-profit organization that empowers North American organizations to act on climate change by providing services and tools to help them reduce emissions. For nearly two decades, TCR has been playing a pivotal role in climate action throughout North America and has hosted joint delegations of diverse leaders from U.S. states, local jurisdictions, the private sector, and sovereign tribal nations to COP. Our goal is to support and highlight the importance of subnational climate policy, ambition, and the innovative power of public-power partnerships and throughout North America to advance climate action.
This year, COP31 will take place from November 9-20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye. For specific information about COP31, please refer to the UNFCCC website and/or the COP31 FAQ page.
Pavilion Schedule and Reservations
To showcase U.S. actions supporting these objectives, TCR is hosting the USA Climate Pavilion, in the COP31 Blue Zone throughout the two weeks of this annual UN Climate Conference. The TCR: USA Climate Pavilion offers space for side events and panels with professional audio-visual support for livestreaming and recording, small private meetings, informal consultations, and coworking. To apply to reserve space in TCR’s pavilion, please complete this form.
COP31 USA Climate Pavilion Schedule
Monday, November 9
3:00-4:00pm TRT From Ashes to Action: What Wildfire Recovery Teaches a Warming World
Hosted by: Bay Area Air District
Fire damage does not stop when the fire is out. It continues in lungs, mental health, insurance claims, and tax bills, which makes the shift from response to prevention and preparedness essential. California’s experience offers a practical record of what worked, what did not work as planned, and what failed. The panel follows a survivor’s timeline, from the night of the fire to the years that follow.
The discussion speaks directly to the host region. Türkiye, Greece, and Cyprus faced wildfires in 2025, and Australia, which shares the incoming COP31 Presidency with Türkiye, has a similar fire-prone climate. The Bay Area Air District brings California and Bay Area experience as a global example of local leadership on air quality, equity, and climate resilience.
Speakers:
- Michael Becker, The Nature Conservancy (moderator)
- Hon. Lynda Hopkins, Air District Board Chair and Sonoma County Supervisor
- Dr. Philip Fine, Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer, Bay Area Air District
- Ben Allen, Senator, California State Senate
- Senator Joshua Becker, California State Senate
Tuesday, November 10
10:00-11:00am TRT Powering the Future: Success in California’s Path to Energy Affordability and a Clean Grid: Renewables, Data Centers, Storage, and Regional Cooperation
Hosted by: The Climate Center
Moderated by Allison Hilliard, Government Affairs Director at The Climate Center, this panel features Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris and Senator Becker. They will discuss key outcomes from the recent legislative session, the state of play for clean energy and affordability, data centers, and regional cooperation.
Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris has also played a central role in shaping California’s energy policy, particularly through her leadership as Chair of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee. She has championed legislation to expand transmission capacity, strengthen grid reliability, improve energy affordability, and advance regional energy cooperation Senator Josh Becker has been a champion for advancing California’s clean energy transition, authoring legislation to accelerate renewable energy development, streamline transmission infrastructure, improve grid interconnection, and support next-generation battery technologies.
Speakers:
- Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, California State Assembly and Chair, Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee.
- Senator Josh Becker, California Senate District 13
- Allison Hilliard, Government Affairs Director, The Climate Center (Moderator)
11:00am-12:00pm TRT Feeding a Warming World: Climate-Smart Agriculture from California to the Globe
Hosted by: The Climate Registry
Agriculture is both highly exposed to climate change and an important part of the solution. California’s Healthy Soils, dairy methane and agricultural resilience programs offer tested models for cutting emissions while protecting farm livelihoods and food security. The panel connects California’s experience with philanthropy, methane experts and the bioeconomy to explore how to scale climate-smart agriculture worldwide and how to measure its benefits credibly.
Speakers:
- Una May Gordon, Senior Climate Resilience Advisor (Moderator)
- Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture
- Carolina Urmeneta, Waste & Circular Economy Director, The Global Methane Hub
- Kelly Sheridan, Vice President, Stewardship & Multilateral Affairs, US Dairy Export Council
12:00-1:00pm TRT Powering Affordability in a Changing Climate
Hosted by: The Climate Registry
As climate change fuels extreme weather, the electric sector faces a difficult question: how do we cut ignition risk, keep the grid reliable, and keep financing the clean energy transition without pricing customers out? Spending on wildfire mitigation, liability, insurance, and higher borrowing costs is pushing up utility bills, which makes electrification harder to sell. This one-hour panel brings together policymakers and regulators who are testing new answers: cost-effective risk reduction, reformed liability and cost-sharing frameworks, smarter capital planning, and protections for the most vulnerable customers. Panelists will discuss what’s working and how to pay for climate risk, to achieve safety, affordability, and climate goals.
Speakers:
- John Reynolds, President, California Public Utilities Commission
- Joshua Becker, Senator, California State Senate
- Doreen Harris, President & CEO, NYSERDA
- Amanda Lefton, Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
2:00-3:00pm TRT Cleaner Cities, Cleaner Data Centers
Hosted by: Bay Area Air District
In a growing number of cities, data centers have become one of the fastest-rising sources of electricity demand, and the communities that host them feel it first: strained grids, rising bills and, in some places, rows of diesel backup generators beside homes, schools and communities already breathing the worst air. This panel asks a practical question: what can a data center put on-site — batteries, clean generation, flexible load — that meets its own power needs, supports the grid, and reduces how much diesel backup it needs and how often it runs? Moderated by Palo Alto Mayor and Bay Area Air District Board Vice Chair Vicki Veenker, our panelists Air District Executive Officer Dr. Philip Fine, California State Senator Josh Becker, RMI Manager Director Mark Dyson, and Policy Advisor to the Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne Annie Mack will share what works, what stands in the way, and how data centers can become grid assets that, in some cases, can even help keep power affordable.
Speakers:
- Hon. Vicki Veenker, Mayor of Palo Alto and Air District Board Vice Chair (moderator)
- Dr. Philip Fine, Executive Officer/APCO
- Hon. Josh Becker, California State Senator, 13th District
- Mark Dyson, Managing Director, carbon-free electricity, RMI
- Annie Mack, Policy Advisor to Lord Mayor, City of Melbourne
5:00-6:00pm TRT Corporate Resilience and Transparency: Case Studies in Climate Risk Management and Adaptation Measures
Hosted by: Alianza Unidos por la Acción Climática (Acción Empresas / WBCSD Chile, CLG Chile, UN Global Compact Network Chile, B Corp Chile and Santiago Chamber of Commerce).
Driven by Alianza Unidos por la Acción Climática, an initiative of five leading sustainability organizations in Chile, this session highlights the report Corporate Resilience: Climate Risk Management and Adaptation Actions. Corporate leaders present concrete case studies on climate adaptation and IFRS S1/S2 alignment, bridging Latin American execution with California’s pioneering climate disclosure and investment perspective.
Speakers:
- María Julia Arana Sema, Strategic Coordinator, Alianza Unidos por la Acción Climática (Host and Report Presentation)
- María Teresa Ruiz-Tagle, Executive Director, CLG Chile (Co-host & Moderator)
- Constanza Gillmore, Sustainability Chief at COPEC S.. (Corporate Case Study)
Wednesday, November 11
9:00-10:00am TRTInvesting in the Future City: Leadership, Resilience, and Climate Action at Scale
Hosted by: U.S. Green Building Council
The future of climate action will be won or lost in cities. In this high-level discussion, we will share how public sector innovation and private sector investment can unlock transformative progress in decarbonization, electrification, resilience, workforce development, and sustainable economic growth. Together, they will explore the leadership and partnerships required to build thriving, future-ready communities in a changing climate.
Speakers:
- Hilari Varnadore, Vice President, State and Local Government, USGBC (moderator)
- Doreen Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA
- Alexandra Liftman, Global Environmental Executive, Bank of America
10:00-11:00am TRTPort Powerhouse
Hosted by: Port of Seattle and High Ambition Climate Collective
Ports are essential to powering a climate-positive economy; Port Powerhouse by High Ambition Climate Collective (HACC) and the Port of Seattle spotlights ports as drivers of climate action, energy deployment, resilient infrastructure, economic competitiveness, and community prosperity. Port Powerhouse at COP31 will focus on U.S. ports translating climate ambition into investable projects, durable jobs, regional competitiveness, and community value.
Speakers:
- Ryan Calkins, Commission President, Port of Seattle
- Titli Thind, Program Manager, High Ambition Climate Collective
1:00-2:00pm TRTClimate Resilient Communities
Hosted by: The Climate Registry
From wildfire and flood recovery to clean energy, heat protection, and good local jobs, much of the most effective climate action is happening at the community level. This event brings together loca, regional and state policymakers from diverse communities to share how they are turning climate goals into results that residents can see and feel: lower energy bills, healthier neighborhoods, stronger infrastructure, and economic opportunity.
Speakers:
- Senator Ben Allen, California State Senate
- Martha Guerrero, Mayor, City of West Sacramento, California
- Lynda Hopkins, Supervisor, Sonoma County, California, and Board Member, California Air Resources Board
- Amy Holm, Managing Director of Engagement, The Climate Registry (moderator)
5:00-6:00pm TRTDecarbonizing Transportation Sectors and Greening Supply Chain
Hosted by: Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET) and the Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality (ICCN), The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
Co-hosted by HKU ICCN and iCET, this session showcases innovations in low-carbon transport and green supply chains. Featuring a high-level panel on scaling sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), green shipping fuels, carbon markets, and transition finance, the event concludes with a joint Blue Book launch on circular automotive aluminum by Automotive OEM and aluminum supplier.
Speakers:
- Feng An, President, Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET)
- Phil Fine, Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer, Bay Area AQMD
- Ryan Calkins, Commission Chairman, Port of Seattle
- Simon Ng, Chief Executive Officer, Business Environment Council (BEC, Hong Kong)
Thursday, November 12
9:00-10:00am TRT Built for Resilience: Scaling Cooling, Efficient Infrastructure and Local Prosperity
Hosted by: Business Council for Sustainable Energy
Join BCSE for a discussion of how place-based solutions can bring technology, finance, and the built environment together to strengthen resilience and expand access to efficient, affordable cooling. Business and government leaders will share practical approaches to protecting communities and critical supply chains while lowering energy demand and modernizing infrastructure.
Drawing on examples from cooling, building design, finance, and policy, the conversation will examine which solutions can scale across markets, which must reflect local conditions and regional strengths, and how public-private collaboration can turn climate ambition into durable economic growth.
Speakers:
- Roxana Dela Fiamor, Global Policy Lead, U.S. Green Building Council
- Daniel Daggett, Vice President, Sustainability, Johnson Controls
- Bob Hinkle, President & Chief Executive Officer, Metrus Energy
11:00am-12:00pm TRT How to Better Measure the Experience of Extreme Heat
Hosted by: American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
Extreme heat is impacting more communities in the U.S. and globally. Most heat analysis has relied on satellite data. But drone-based thermal imaging captures heat at a 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) resolution, and AI trained on drone data infers heat patterns from satellite data. Learn how communities can use technology-enabled, nature-based approaches to reduce extreme heat impacts.
Speakers:
- Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. ASLA, CEO, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
- Keenan Gibbons, ASLA, ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Fellow; Principal and Director of Landscape Architecture, SmithGroup; and Lecturer, University of Michigan
1:00 pm-2:00pm TRT Insuring a More Resilient Future
Hosted by: World Wildlife Fund – US
Featuring US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, this panel conversation will focus on the widening insurability gap, climate risk, and nature loss in the US —and on the levers available to fix them. The discussion will examine how policy, regulation, and NbS disaster risk reduction techniques can value nature, reduce risk, and make the built environment more resilient
Speakers:
- Tim Juliani, Director, US Corporate Climate Engagement, WWF-US (moderator)
- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Senator (D-RI), US Senate
- Ricardo Lara, Insurance Commissioner of California
3:00 pm-4:00pm TRT Engendering Sustainability
Hosted by: The Climate Registry
Around the world, women entrepreneurs are building innovative businesses—from regenerative agriculture and clean energy to circular economy ventures and climate-resilient livelihoods. Yet they still face persistent barriers to capital, networks, markets, and policy influence. Leaders are working to close those gaps by mentoring, financing, and advocating for women-led sustainability enterprises in their regions. Join panelists to hear practical insights on what works on the ground, how local context shapes both challenges and opportunities, and why investing in women is essential to a just and effective transition to a sustainable economy. You will leave with your own ideas for building ecosystems where women and the planet can thrive together.
Speakers:
- Dr. Carol Franco-Billini, Vice Chair, UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) (moderator)
- Racquel Moses, CEO, Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator
- Milagros de Camps, former Co-Chair, Green Climate Fund
- Vivian Nerea Atakos, CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion Accelerator
Friday, November 13
9:00-10:00am TRTPricing Climate Risk: Insurance, Financial Disclosure and Resilience
Hosted by: The Climate Registry
Wildfires, floods, and extreme heat are reshaping insurance markets and putting climate risk on every balance sheet. California’s SB 261, as written, will require large companies to report climate-related financial risks, and insurance regulators are rethinking how they price and disclose risk. Regulators, investors, and insurance companies discuss how better climate risk disclosure and resilience investment can keep communities insurable and markets stable.
Speakers:
- Ricardo Lara, Insurance Commissioner, California Department of Insurance
- Rachel Lamb, Senior Climate Advisor, Maryland Department of the Environment
- Paddy Arber, Policy Programme Director, IIGCC
- Tom Corringham, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Ignacio Fernandez, Policy Director, The Climate Registry (moderator)
1:00-2:00pm TRTCalifornia’s Landmark Climate Disclosure Laws: SB 253 and SB 261 from Rulemaking to First Reports
Hosted by: The Climate Registry
California’s Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) and Climate-Related Financial Risk Act (SB 261) are the first and most far-reaching corporate climate disclosure laws in the United States. They cover thousands of companies that do business in the world’s fourth-largest economy. The panel brings together a member of the Legislature and executives from reporting companies to discuss implementation: CARB’s regulations, the first round of Scope 1 and 2 reports, assurance, and the laws’ impacts on other states.
Speakers:
- Senator Henry Stern, California State Senate
- Charles Hernick, Head of Energy and Environmental Policy, Amazon (reporting entity)
- Caroline Choi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Edison International
- Robyn Camp, The Climate Registry (moderator)
2:00-3:00pm TRTClimate Tech Deployment in Action: How State and Local Policies Are Making an Impact
Hosted by: Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)
Description and Speakers TBA
3:00-4:00pm TRTCalifornia’s Economy-Wide Climate Action: Clean Air, Clean Energy and Climate Innovation
Hosted by: The Climate Registry
California is showing that the world’s fourth-largest economy can keep growing while cutting emissions. State and regional leaders explain how California combines clean air regulation, a clean, affordable grid, land-use and climate-innovation policy, and local air district programs into one economy-wide strategy. They also cover how these policies are holding up under federal headwinds.
Speakers:
- Vicky Veenker, Mayor, City of Palo Alto
- Phil Fine, Bay Area Air Quality Management District
- Chris Wheat, Executive Director, America is All In
- Robert Parkhurst, Executive Director, The Climate Registry (moderator)
5:00-6:00pm TRTCarbon Markets That Deliver: Lessons from the Western Climate Initiative for New and Linked Markets
Hosted by: The Climate Registry
For more than a decade, the California-Québec carbon market under the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) has shown that a linked, subnational emissions trading system can cut emissions while funding climate investments. California has extended its program as Cap-and-Invest, Washington is pursuing linkage, and New York is designing its own program. The panel examines what makes carbon markets credible and durable, and how robust monitoring, reporting and verification underpin them.
Speakers:
- Jocelyn Savoie, Assistant Deputy Minister, Québec’s Climate and Energy Transition Office within the Ministry of the Environment
- Amanda Lefton, Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- Dirk Forrister, President & CEO, IETA
- Rick Saines, Arden Capital and Chair, TCR Board of Directors (moderator)
Saturday, November 14
9:00-10:00am TRT Gaps in Climate Change Education Across Disciplines
Hosted by: Virginia Tech
Universities are experiencing a wide range in climate change education with significant gaps across different sectors. This event highlights the importance of climate change education and the intersections for comprehensive multidisciplinary education, with cases from Virginia Tech.
Speakers:
- Izzy Miranda, Student, Virginia Tech
- Isabel Lee, Student, Virginia Tech
- Jackie Turner, Student, Virginia Tech
11:00am-12:15pm TRT Advancing the Bioeconomy for Climate Resilience and Economic Growth
Hosted by: Plant Based Products Council (Partnering with Farm Journal Foundation)
The bioeconomy is creating new opportunities to advance climate goals, support rural communities, and drive innovation. This panel will explore connections across the value chain, from sustainable agricultural production to biobased manufacturing and end-use applications, highlighting opportunities to enhance resilience, livelihoods, and economic growth.
Speakers TBA
2:00-3:00pm TRT Building Resilience Through Regional Innovation
Hosted by: Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Plant Based Products Council
Description and speakers TBA
3:00-4:00pm TRT Global Action on Coral: Reefs With a Future
Hosted by: SEEC Institute and Wildlife Conservation Society
Coral reefs cover less than one per cent of the ocean floor, yet they support around a quarter of all marine species and underpin food security, livelihoods and coastal protection for close to a billion people. Twenty-four have joined the Climate-Resilient Coral Reefs Commitment, alongside more than 45 supporting organisations, and are working this science into their national plans, NDCs, NBSAPs and marine protection targets. This session brings together governments, scientists and finance partners to look at where reef protection stands as the world moves from commitment to delivery. It will be built with the Commitment’s signatories and supporters, amplifying the work they are already leading: what the science now allows governments to do, what implementation looks like in practice, and where the financing gap lies.
Speakers TBA
4:00-5:00pm TRT Mobilizing $1B in Capital for City Climate Innovation
Hosted by: Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)
Description and speakers TBA
5:30-6:15pm TRT Policy to Support a Thriving Building Sector to Deliver Efficiency and Resilience in Housing, Commercial, and Public Buildings
Hosted by: U.S. Green Building Council and SEEC Institute
This panel featuring Members of the U.S. Congress will discuss how policy can enable the buildings and construction sector to deliver efficiency and resilience. The discussion will look at the role of building efficiency in supporting U.S. goals for reducing costs and expanding housing opportunity, as well as optimizing use of our existing grid infrastructure. Participants will share perspectives on the role of the Federal government in increasing efficiency.
Speakers TBA
Monday, November 16
11:00am-12:00pm TRT Meeting Mexico and California’s Climate Goals Through Collaboration
Hosted by: Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE) at UC Berkeley Law and partner organizations Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Iniciativa Climática de México (ICM)
Mexico and California share a border as well as aggressive climate goals. Both entities stand to gain from enhanced coordination, joint research and investment, peer-to-peer learning, and expanded markets for clean technology. This panel will discuss the priority opportunities for engagement, cooperation, and ultimately climate progress between California and Mexico.
Speakers:
- Ethan Elkind, Director of the Climate Program, UC Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE)
- Senator Henry Stern, California State Senate’s 27th District
- Senior representative (TBD), Secretaría de Energía (SENER), Government of Mexico
- Dr. Adrián Fernández Bremauntz, Executive Director and Founder, Iniciativa Climática de México (ICM)
3:00-4:00pm TRT Powering Growth in a Changing Climate
Hosted by: Business Council for Sustainable Energy
How can countries meet surging energy demand while cutting emissions and preparing for a changing climate? This panel of public and private sector leaders will explore how countries and localities are planning for growth, ensuring new energy access and upkeep of aging infrastructure—and making investment decisions amid market volatility and policy uncertainty.
With additional pressures from AI and data center growth and electrification reshape demand and extreme weather tests infrastructure, where should investment go today to meet tomorrow’s needs? The discussion will examine how long-term planning can support affordable, secure energy within tight budgets and constrained supply chains, and where international collaboration can accelerate progress.
Speakers:
- Lisa Jacobson, President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy (Welcome Remarks)
- JC Sandberg, Chief Policy Officer, American Clean Power Association
- Mathilde Mignot, Director Nature & Tech Based Solutions, Schneider Electric
- Sam Assefa, Director, California Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation
Tuesday, November 17
2:00-3:00pm TRT Designing Resilient Cities: How Architects Are Working with Cities to Build Stronger Communities
Hosted by: The American Institute of Architects with Partner Organizations International Code Council, Built Buildings Lab, Architecture 2030, U.S. Green Building Council, ASTM International, Climate Heritage Network
As cities face growing risks from disasters, climate change, aging infrastructure, and economic uncertainty, collaboration has become more critical than ever. This panel will explore how partnerships between municipal leaders and resilience experts are advancing innovative strategies to strengthen community resilience and accelerate climate adaptation. Panelists will examine how communities can better prepare for and recover from disruption while improving quality.
Speakers:
- Illya Azaroff, FAIA | 2026 President, The American Institute of Architects
- Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA | 2026 President Elect/2027 President, The American Institute of Architects
- Loris Ferriss, AIA | Senior Fellow, Architecture 2030 | Co-Founder & Executive Director, Built Buildings Lab
- Judy Zakreski | Senior Vice President, Global Operations and Solutions, International Code Council
- Liz Beardsley | Senior Policy Counsel, U.S. Green Building Council
- Emmanuel Escoto | Senior Manager, International Engagement, ASTM International
Wednesday, November 18
1:00-2:00pm TRT Planetary Healing Through Our Food System
Hosted by: Climate Healers and Partnering with Loving Hut and Plant Based Treaty
A panel discussion that will address how our food system can be transformed to reverse planetary boundary transgressions, while addressing some of society’s most pressing concerns including poverty, food insecurity, and chronic disease epidemics and meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Speakers TBA