No More Waiting: It’s Time for Bold Leaps and Action on Climate Resilience

Polls show that Americans and people worldwide support climate action. But the pace of progress can feel slow and frustrating.

We understand. While there is no shortage of interest in the subject and it’s routine to hear of climate conferences, there rarely seems to be a result that puts plans into action. The much anticipated 27th session of the Conference of the Parties, known as COP27, at Sharm EL Sheikh in Egypt earlier this year did not produce an appreciable raft of action items and new approaches to stop the changes in the world’s various climates.

At the second annual Innovations in Climate Resilience Conference (#ICR23, #Climate23), we recognize that the time to act is now. Our goal is to collaboratively propel ideas, innovations and action forward. The ICR23 is a platform for people who are producing change and action to join others working to do the same. The event has sessions that will empower all in the community to move forward with the people, partnerships, and connections that lead to ‘Bold Leaps and Action’.  

If you really want something to happen, join us in Columbus, Ohio on March 28-30, 2023. You can register for the conference and its technical program here. We have an all-star cast of confirmed keynote speakers you can view here.

Government, private industry and academic leaders, along with scientists, researchers and others, are coming together to deliver a more nimble, decisive approach to getting things done. Battelle has been helping the world with science for the betterment of humanity since 1929, and we’ve perfected the practice of forecasting problems of tomorrow with answers today. We are committed to championing and accelerating the solutions to problems we see coming into the world and changing the broader climate narrative.

We see sustainability, adaptation and mitigation as means to achieve resilience. We are still accepting submittals for abstracts, lightning talks and live demonstrations and encourage you to bring your best ideas forward to show share with some of the world’s leading experts on climate resilience.

There is reason to believe our path is on the right track. Earlier this year, the United States government passed a bill called the Inflation Reduction Act that will help to clean up our existing electric transmission facilities and provide for new renewable energy sources like wind, solar, geothermal and more, scrub energy-intensive industrial processes, fund carbon capture and storage, propel energy efficient commercial buildings and restore the polluted sections of our country.

But the government alone can do only so much. It is up to us as experts and citizens to bring forward the right mix of ideas and action. Action driven by milestones is the foolproof route to resilience. By taking purposeful, forward-looking steps toward shared goals, we can move the needle to point at a safer planet for us all to inhabit and combat the negative circumstances that our climate reality is generating.

The ICR23 conference focuses on five theme areas:

• Climate Risk Analysis and National Security
• Resilient Built Infrastructure
• Ecosystem Restoration, Sustainability and Other Innovative Climate Solutions
• Convergence with Health: Tools and Innovations to Prevent or Combat Climate Effects on Health
• Net-Zero Economy: Energy Technology, Decision-Making, and Capacity Expansion

At the inaugural conference in March of 2022, participants engaged with speakers and panels from nearly every dimension of climate science and technology to discuss the current state of research and action on climate resilience. Speakers from across the government interagency expressed the desire for help and collaboration with academia and private industry.

It was a good start, but now action is needed. “We’re on Spaceship Earth together,” said former NASA astronaut and founder and President of Endless Frontier Associates Dr. John Grunsfeld at the inaugural conference.

We need the participation of many motivated, brilliant, strong-willed people who are working to ensure the future of our planet. Battelle has been working to deliver solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges for nearly a century, and we’ve made it a priority to advance innovations in climate resilience. Join us next March and let’s solve this problem that affects us all.