| Award-winning activist and author Leah Thomas, founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, will provide the keynote address April 1, 2024 INDIANAPOLIS — The 2024 Midwest Climate Summit is a two-and-a-half day, cross-sector gathering of climate leaders, researchers, students, and professionals focused on expanding knowledge as well as accelerating climate action and catalyzing new partnerships for an equitable Midwestern response to the climate crisis. This year’s event builds upon progress made at last year’s inaugural summit in St. Louis and will welcome more than 250 attendees to Indianapolis to strengthen relationships, share knowledge, and advance climate action. The theme, “Finding Regional Alignment,” refers to the unique opportunities communities in the Midwest have to work together to reduce emissions and build resilience in a changing climate. Leah Thomas, founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, will be the opening keynote speaker. Leah Thomas is a celebrated environmentalist, founder of the non-profit Intersectional Environmentalist, and author of The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet. She has been recognized for her work in outlets like Harper’s Bazaar, W Magazine, CNN, ABC News, and NBC, among others, and has been honored on lists including Forbes 30 Under 30, EBONY Power 100, TIME100 Next, and INSIDER’s Climate Action 30. “If our 12 states were a country, we’d be the fifth largest greenhouse gas emitting nation on the planet. Our work to address climate change not only improves the lives of people in our hometowns but impacts the health and livelihoods of people around the globe, said Heather Navarro, director of the Midwest Climate Collaborative. “We are thrilled to bring the Summit to Indianapolis this year and highlight how Indy is working for a cleaner, healthier, more equitable future.” This year’s summit will take place Wednesday, April 3 through Friday, April 5, 2024 at IUPUI’s Campus Center. The Summit is hosted by the Midwest Climate Collaborative, a cross-sector collaboration of more than 80 organizations working towards a carbon neutral, climate resilient, interconnected Midwest region. The goals of the summit are to seed new relationships and cross-sector collaborative efforts by expanding collective knowledge and amplifying what’s working in our region. The summit will feature 20 in-person workshops with virtual options, giving participants a chance to dive deeper into topics such as public policy to support climate mitigation, educating for environmental change, funding for green projects, climate adaptation with indigenous communities, and data-driven climate communication. There will also be six mobile workshops highlighting sustainability efforts in the Central Indiana and Midwest regions, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis International Airport, RecycleForce, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick, Eagle Creek Park, and IUPUI’s campus. The Midwest Climate Summit is open to members of the press. Background The Midwest Climate Collaborative grew out of the first virtual Midwest Climate Summit and was launched officially in January 2022. The Collaborative is hosted by Washington University and supported by its member organizations. Learn more about the MCC at https://midwestclimatecollaborative.wustl.edu/. Sponsors The 2024 Midwest Climate Summit is made possible by the generous financial support of KERAMIDA, Inc. as well as Atmos Financial, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Cummins Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, the Indiana Energy Independence Fund, Jefferson Electric LLC, and Knozone. Key Details Wednesday, April 3 through Friday, April 5, 2024 IU Indianapolis Campus Center 420 University Blvd. Indianapolis, IN 46202 |
| MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Navarro Director Midwest Climate Collaborative hnavarro@wustl.edu Lindsay Trameri Community Engagement Manager Indianapolis Office of Sustainability lindsay.trameri@indy.gov |
Indianapolis to Host 2024 Midwest Climate Summit at IUPUI
