Rhode Island's 2024 Climate Stocktake Sets New Standard for United State Sustainability
FountainHead RI successfully launched the inaugural Rhode Island Climate Stocktake, showcasing the state's bold leadership in climate action. In a packed hall at the WaterFire Providence Art Center, Co-Founder Jason Dodier delivered an opening keynote, highlighting the profound interconnection of our actions and the planet's future. He emphasized unity for change, continuity for progress, and collaboration as cornerstones of success, exemplifying Rhode Island's courage in the fight against climate change.
One of the other keynotes came from Rhode Island House Speaker and climate advocate Joseph Shekarchi who stated, “Rhode Island is leading the way when it comes to environmental initiatives: we’ve just had what advocates are calling the best years for environmental policymaking in Rhode Island’s history. As FountainHead RI’s Climate Stocktake event showed, being an environmentalist doesn’t mean you have to be anti-business. Quite the opposite – as we transition to a greener economy, it is imperative that the business community is actively involved and engaged. Collaborative events like the Climate Stocktake are a great way for environmental advocates and business leaders to work together on building a more sustainable future”.
Jeannie Salo, Chief Public Policy Officer at Schneider Electric and a leading figure in climate legislation, remarked, “We've recently enacted the largest package of climate innovation investments and incentives in history. However, the real transformative action to combat the climate crisis will occur at the state and local levels. Rhode Island sets a commendable example by establishing ambitious targets and taking decisive action. The Ocean State recognizes the stakes involved and understands the urgency to move swiftly and boldly. It's not a matter of possibility but of how rapidly and resolutely we choose to act, considering the costs along the way.”
A notable highlight of the event was the diverse representation of attendees and panelists from beyond Rhode Island, all keen to engage with the state's climate ecosystem. Among them, Kerry Constabile, recognized for her leadership in sustainability at Google and her role in establishing the Frontier fund to propel carbon removal projects, currently serving as Vice Chair of Gold Standard, expressed, “The battle against climate change depends on actions at the state, city, and town levels. Rhode Island has demonstrated this abundantly this week! It was an honor to collaborate with climate and energy leaders in one of my favorite states, learning from their substantial investments and leadership in renewable energy, transportation, electrification, waste management, and coastal resilience.
FountainHead Rhode Island’s Climate Stocktake vividly captured the urgency and innovation of local climate solutions, demonstrating how initiatives like the inflation reduction act are empowering entrepreneurs and policymakers to accelerate their decarbonization efforts. My heartfelt gratitude to the organizers, the exceptional leaders of Rhode Island, and fellow speakers for sharing invaluable insights. I eagerly anticipate witnessing the next steps taken by Rhode Island and the FountainHead RI team.”
More event photos and recap can be found here: https://www.fountainheadri.org/2024/05/05/RIClimateStocktake/
This year's event, themed "Empowering Sustainability, Inspiring Action: Rhode Island's Gateway to the Global Energy Transition," ultimately showcased Rhode Island as a microcosm of how targeted local initiatives can influence worldwide environmental strategies. It featured an array of keynote speakers, expert panels, and fireside chats designed to spark dialogue and inspire action among attendees.
Distinguished Speakers Included:
- K. Joseph Shekarchi, Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
- Representative Gabe Amo, Rhode Island’s First Congressional District
-Patrick Crowley, Secretary-Treasurer, Rhode Island AFL-CIO
- Jason Dodier, Co-Founder of Grain Ecosystem & FountainHead Rhode Island
- Jeannie Salo, Chief Public Policy Officer at Schneider Electric
- Scott Donachie, CEO of Companies For Net Zero
- Paul Ellis, Founder of The Sustainable Finance Podcast
- Lauren Carson, Deputy Majority Leader of the Rhode Island General Assembly
- Pete Schork, Principal at Broadscale Group
- Terrence Gray, Director of RI Department of Environmental Management
- Kerry Constabile, Vice Chair and Senior Climate Expert at Gold Standard
- Steven Rothstein, Managing Director at Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets
- Chris Kearns, Acting Energy Commissioner of Rhode Island Department of Energy
A heartfelt thank you extends to our esteemed 2024 community partners: Partridge Snow & Hahn, The Washington Trust Company, and BankNewport, whose invaluable support has made events like these possible.
We're equally grateful to our special event sponsors: Grain Ecosystem, Colossal, Constellation, HyperStrong, EV Connect, Powermers, Schneider Electric, Merrill Lynch, Ariel Green, and Magnitude. Your contribution has been instrumental in shaping the success of this event.
To everyone involved in orchestrating this remarkable gathering, your dedication and efforts have truly made it a resounding success! We eagerly anticipate reconnecting with you at a future FountainHead RI event. https://1businessworld.com/fountainhead-rhode-island-climate-stocktake/
About FountainHead RI
Rooted in the ethos of giving back and fostering growth for Rhode Island, FountainHead RI offers leadership opportunities spanning generations. Evolving into a robust community, it gathers industry and business leaders nationwide. Its core concept is straightforward: to unite talented, motivated, and diverse individuals, fostering creativity and driving positive change. The outcomes of initial dialogues and gatherings proved inspiring, setting the cornerstone for FountainHead's journey. FountainHead RI
About 1BusinessWorld
1BusinessWorld is a global business ecosystem, network and marketplace that provides entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals with the information, tools, resources and connectivity needed to succeed throughout their company’s growth journey, toward a better business world. Our vision is based on the reality that we live, work and do business in one global interconnected business environment, and hence our motto: “One World, One Business World”. Our mission is to encourage and support global communication and collaboration among entrepreneurs, professionals, and businesses. 1BusinessWorld
