The Climate Registry at COP27: Supporting Subnational Leadership on a Global Stage

In November 2022, The Climate Registry, in collaboration with Climate Action Reserve, co-hosted a bipartisan delegation to the UNFCCC 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The delegation–highlighting sub-national climate policy, innovation, and action–featured North American leaders, including governors, state officials, NGO representatives, and corporate climate leaders. 

TCR also created and hosted the Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion to provide a space to connect and collaborate with climate leaders from around the world, focusing on the partnerships and best practices needed to reach our net-zero goals. Pavilion panels and discussions covered topics such as climate finance, decarbonization, clean energy, just transition, innovative technology, and net-zero pathways. For more information and recordings for many of these events go to: https://copdelegation.org/cop/27/.

We also had the privilege of co-hosting an official side event, “Achieving Measurable Climate Benefits Through Innovative Infrastructure Investments in the United States,” with U.S. Green Building Council, and Georgetown Climate Center. This event focused on how subnational leaders in the United States are implementing infrastructure projects for water, transportation, buildings, and clean energy that measurably and transparently contribute to the goals of greenhouse gas mitigation, climate resilience, and equity for a net-zero future. In this session, the Governor of Indiana, state legislators, and executive branch officials, mayors and local government leaders shared action they are implementing to green their infrastructure. 

Speakers for this event included: Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb; David Fraser Hidalgo, State Delegate, Maryland; Leah Laramee, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Coordinator, Hawaii; Bradley Chambers, Secretary of Commerce, State of Indiana; Mayor Sam Liccardo, San Jose, California; Mayor Errick Simmons, Greenville, Mississippi; Pam O’Connor, Regional Planning Commissioner, Los Angeles County, CA and Past Mayor, City of Santa Monica, CA. You can find the recording of this thought-provoking event here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t39se862AlU
(Please note this UNFCCC video is partially audio-only due to technical difficulties.)

Another highlight was co-hosting, with Climate Action Reserve, a reception for our delegation. Sponsored by Edison International, this event included remarks from the Honorable Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor of New Mexico, the Honorable Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington, the Honorable George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Government of British Columbia, and Caroline Choi, Edison International Senior Vice President, and others.

Event guests include subnational leaders, business executives, and environmental nonprofit observers participating in The Climate Registry and Climate Action Reserve’s COP delegation, and representing U.S. states including California, Hawaii, Indiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Washington, Canadian provinces including British Columbia and Quebec, and organizations such as Boston Consulting Group, General Motors, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University, Abt Associates, Arup, Edison International, Research Triangle Institute International, and Uber.

Lastly, we would like to thank our sponsors again for their support of our delegation and TCR’s Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion.