Climate Solutions Summit
The Climate Solutions Summit, presented by Project Drawdown.
Project Drawdown will be hosting a day of exciting events at The Melody (906 Broadway, San Francisco, CA) on Thursday, April 23. Whether you drop by for one session or spend the whole day with us, we would be thrilled to welcome you.
Climate Solutions Summit Programming
11:00–12:00 p.m. PT: Drawdown Explorer: Lessons Learned Since the Launch of the World’s Most Powerful Climate Solutions Platform
Jonathan Foley, Ph.D., Executive Director, Project Drawdown
Amanda Smith, Ph.D., Senior Scientist of Built Environment, Project Drawdown
Chad Upham, Creative Director, Covive
Launched just eight months ago, Drawdown Explorer has quickly established a reputation as the world’s leading climate solutions platform. It is what the climate movement has been missing: an all-encompassing platform using the best available data to provide decision-makers with actionable, localized intelligence on the most effective climate solutions. In this session, Amanda Smith, Ph.D., will offer insight into the scientific methodology and the people behind Drawdown Explorer, including how solutions are assessed and evaluated within the platform. Drawdown Explorer’s developer, Chad Upham, will also share behind-the-scenes insights about the design process for an open-access online platform specifically built to provide detailed, up-to-date intelligence on climate solutions. The session will conclude with an audience Q&A and reflections from Jonathan Foley, Ph.D. on how this work shapes the future of climate action.
12:00–1:00 p.m. PT: Pull the Emergency Brake: The Climate Solutions Demanding Urgent Action Today
Jonathan Foley, Ph.D., Executive Director, Project Drawdown
Stephan Nicoleau, Board Chair, Project Drawdown
In this session, Jonathan Foley, Ph.D., Executive Director, Project Drawdown, and Stephan Nicoleau, Board Chair, Project Drawdown, will explain the untapped power of Emergency Brake solutions and explore how they can help “bend the curve” on near-term warming. Recognizing that a systematic scientific review of Emergency Brake solutions does not yet exist, they will discuss how Project Drawdown is addressing this unmet need through careful scientific analysis, deep stakeholder engagement, and a robust communications campaign to help bring Emergency Brake solutions deeper into the mainstream.
1:00–2:00 p.m. PT: Closing the Funding Gap: Mobilizing Capital for Effective Climate Solutions
Amanda Bielawski, Ph.D., MBA, Director of Global Strategic Partnerships, Project Drawdown
Lauren Gifford, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, Climate Philanthropy and Investing, Project Drawdown
Jennifer Kitt, President, Climate Lead
Jennifer Caldwell, President, Caldwell Fisher Family Foundation
Ernest Chow, Private Impact Investor
This session is brought to San Francisco Climate Week by Project Drawdown and Climate Lead. Climate Lead provides philanthropists with the information and insights they need to make a bold impact on climate from day one.
There is an urgent need for greater private capital flows toward science-based climate solutions. But how do we drive that change? Philanthropy and investing can play a huge role. This all-star panel brings together Jennifer Kitt, President of Climate Lead, with Project Drawdown’s scientific expertise to drive capital toward proven climate solutions and catalyze investment at scale. Panelists will explore the critical role donors and philanthropic advisors must play in making climate a top priority in the years ahead.
2:00–3:00 p.m. PT: From Farm to Table to Planet: How Do We Feed the World Without Destroying It?
Jonathan Foley, Ph.D., Executive Director, Project Drawdown
Kelly McNamara, Climate & Nature Director, Food System Innovations
Alexandria Coari - Vice President, Capital, Innovation, & Global Initiatives, ReFED
Lauren Gifford, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, Climate Philanthropy and Investing, Project Drawdown
In this session, panelists will explore the many ways food-related climate solutions can drive progress in the broader global effort to bring climate change to heel. Project Drawdown continues to share the results of cutting-edge research in this space in order to help businesses, impact investors, funders, and other stakeholders identify and deploy the most impactful food, agriculture, and land use solutions.
3:00–4:00 p.m. PT: From Ache to Action: The Human Work of Climate Change
Elizabeth Bagley, Ph.D., Managing Director, Project Drawdown
Katharine Wilkinson, Ph.D., Co-founder, The All We Can Save Project
Climate solutions depend on people who are informed, motivated, and equipped to act. The SHIFT (Super High-Impact Initiative for Fixing Tomorrow) guide provides a research-based framework for connecting personal action to collective impact across five roles: citizen, professional, investor, consumer, and role model. Yet beyond knowing what to do, many face uncertainty and emotional strain when navigating climate action. Katharine Wilkinson, Ph.D., addresses this challenge in her new guide, Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home, an empowering resource for moving from doubt to possibility.
In this session, Wilkinson joins Project Drawdown’s Elizabeth Bagley, Ph.D., for a conversation and readings from the book. Together, they will explore how to find direction in a changing world, identify meaningful contributions, and sustain long-term engagement.
Planning to swing by any of our events during the day? Just register here! If you’ve already signed up for an individual event, you’re all set—no need to register again.