Procurement Is Power: How Subnational Actors Can Fight Deforestation
Join this invite-only discussion of efforts by state-level officials, businesses, and civil society to trace and remove illegality and unsustainability from everyday products to benefit nature, the climate, and people. US states like New York are at the forefront of these efforts. As major economic actors collectively spending over $1.8 trillion annually on goods and services, these states are considering standards to ensure their contracts don’t contribute to deforestation and abuses. This private convening, hosted by Environmental Advocates NY (EANY), National Wildlife Federation (NWF), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), will spotlight how state procurement is a strategic tool in the fight to reverse the loss of forests and support fair competition and legal trade.
We’ll use New York’s TREES Act as a case study to explore how policy, state agency action, and investor pressure can align to prevent tropical deforestation-linked products from entering public supply chains. New York leaders will discuss lessons learned, pitfalls, wins, and opportunities in the lead-up to COP30 and beyond. This gathering will drive cross-sector dialogue, mobilize public and private actors, and catalyze future steps toward state-level climate solutions rooted in natural ecosystems.
The event will start with coffee and light refreshments at 10:00 am, followed by the program at 10:30 am.
Panelists:
(Moderator) Vanessa Fajans-Turner, Executive Director, Environmental Advocates NY
Emily Moberg, Senior Director, Markets Institute, World Wildlife Fund-US
David Levine, Co-Founder & President, American Sustainable Business Network
Mary Beth Gallagher, Director of Engagement, Domini Impact Investments LLC
Alfred Lahai Gbabai Brownell Sr., President, Global Climate Legal Defense (CLiDeF)
Image Courtesy of © Kevin Schafer / WWF