June 11, 2021

The next Circular Economy Working Group meeting will focus on the issue of microplastics with a presentation from Beth Gingold. Beth is the founder of Recycle Leaders, where she has worked on waste reduction with hundreds of custodians, teachers, students, parents, and community partners in more than 100 public and 30 public charter schools.

She invites you and any educators or high school students you know to join the pilot "EveryWear Counts" action research course this Plastic Free July, a partnership with Audubon Naturalist Society (ANS) designed to catalyze action on microplastic pollution from laundry.

Learn more about our speaker and our Circular Economy Working Group here.

The next Climate Finance Working Group Meeting focus on the topic of 'ESG Reporting and Ratings'. Our guest speaker is Eugene Okun. He is the founder of SuscoScore, a ratings agency providing combined financial & ESG reports, ratings, and scores for global publicly traded companies and savvy business investors.

Learn more about the speaker and Climate/Finance program here.

Join us for the capstone session of the four-part Clean Energy & Career Opportunities webinar series by the Council for Women in Energy & Environmental Leadership, affiliated with the Association of Energy Engineers.

Our speakers will focus on how to take advantage of these opportunities and trends to advance your career. Similar to how you power your home or office building, there are proven strategies to positively power yourself more renewably and sustainably. Building on the foundational aspects for fueling success both professionally and personally, Nathalie Osborn will share helpful tips to efficiently manage your personal “kW” and energize action on your professional goals. Dr. Beth Offenbacker will lead attendees through a brief exercise that provides clarity for your career search using Waterford's Strategic Career Compass™.

Nine of the ten largest U.S. electric utilities have announced plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 or a similar commitment. These plans are a sizable reduction for a sector responsible for 25% of the United States' greenhouse gas emissions. This conversation will examine how utilities are working to meet these goals and overcome barriers to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future.

Leaders in Energy is pleased to announce that it will be hosting its 8th Annual Green Jobs Forum with Resilient Virginia.  We are reaching out to employers as well as educators who offer certifications in the clean energy and sustainability sectors to exhibit at our Career Fair.

The Leaders in Energy Forum will take place on Thursday, August 26th, from 1:30 – 4:00 pm EDT, followed by the Career Fair from 4:30 – 6:30 pm EDT. We will be conducting these events as part of the Resilient Virginia Conference (virtual) from August 25-27, 2021.  Exhibitors and attendees will be able to attend the entire three-day conference as part of their registration.

We will be using the virtual Whova platform which allows you to maximize your brand awareness and attract more job applicants by posting job openings, uploading your company videos and brochures, setting up live info sessions, and adding promotional materials including raffles or giveaways.  You can also see more details in the Career Fair brochure here.

This article makes a comparison between the petroleum industry and the experience of the tobacco industry. Like tobacco being dangerous to one's health, fossil fuel pollution is endangering the planet's health. Yet the industry has followed the same path as tobacco hiring the same consultants to cast doubt about the dangerous nature of their products.

On the positive side, the fossil energy landscape is beginning to change. The highly respected International Energy Agency's recent report stated in no uncertain terms that no new investments in fossil fuel development are required to hit net zero carbon emissions by 2050. On May 26, a Dutch court ordered Shell to reduce its emissions by 45 percent by 2030. That same day, activist investor Engine No. 1 partnered with large pension funds to win three seats on ExxonMobil's board for climate activist investors. Also on May 26, Chevron's shareholders voted to cut its "Scope 3" emissions, the emissions from its products.

Leader, Government Capture, EPRI

VP, Business Development Officer, Renewable Energy, National Cooperative Bank

Associate, Decarbonizing Industrial Supply Chain Energy, Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance

Principal Consultant, Climate Change, ERM

Data Analyst, Senior Consultant - Energy, Sustainability and Infrastructure, Guidehouse