Power Players in Climate, Energy and Sustainability

Zoe is responsible for the management and optimization of CleanCapital’s fleet of clean energy assets; she also oversees corporate operations. Previously, Zoe managed the federal clean air program and assisted with UN climate conferences for the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE). Prior to BCSE, Zoe worked at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in the Office of Federal Sustainability. She is a CELI Fellow and a WRISE Committee Co-Chair.

What does sustainability mean to you?
To build sustainability in business, in our community, and in our personal lives, we need to understand our impact on the ecosystems in which we live.  Equally important is rethinking our concept of collective action – because individual action can also be a catalyst of change for an improved future. Large scale clean energy initiatives at the Federal and state level are important, but sustainability should become a part of our daily lives and habits.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
We focus on advocating for sound environmental policy, which speeds the energy transition to sustainable energy generation. Harnessing the power of private industry buy-in and innovation to bring more renewables onto the grid fuels both our work at CleanCapital and our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. By leveraging strategic investments in early-stage renewables projects, developers and emerging markets, we continue to lead the energy transition and lessen the impacts of the climate crisis.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
Promoting renewable energy policy locally is one of the most impactful actions one can take towards a greener future. For instance, understanding what laws are being considered by your city council or state government might assist in the development of clean energy infrastructure in your community. Collaborating with local businesses, schools and neighbors to let your representatives know that you value clean energy options can have a substantial impact on the decisions of these leaders.

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
As an organization, CleanCapital is committed to building a sustainable future by cultivating diversity, inclusion and community within the renewables industry. Specifically, we focus on the development and success of women in clean energy. Our leadership team is 60% female and our 50+ employee team is made up of nearly 50% women. This is record-breaking in the renewables industry, in which women hold less than a third of jobs and even fewer leadership roles.

Aaron Bertinetti is head of ESG investor relations at JPMorgan Chase, connecting the firm with investors, analysts, and other stakeholders on the firm’s leadership, growth, and strategy across its ESG efforts. Aaron was previously SVP of Glass Lewis, leading the firm’s global products for US$40 trillion in AUM and building the firm’s advisory business for thousands of public companies. He has 15+ years as a senior executive in financial services, investments, technology, ESG, and boards.

What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability is focused on how changing the actions of individuals and companies can impact the environment and society in a positive way that benefits everybody. This is very often confused with ESG, which is different, and is only focused on those environmental, social and governance factors that investors believe materially impact the value of a company over the long term because of the risks and opportunities they present. Both are important, but where ESG is about value, sustainability is about values.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
As a bank, we are really focused on supporting our clients. Climate change presents risks, but also enormous economic opportunities as the world transitions and adapts to climate. That requires simultaneously improving energy security, scaling investments in clean technology, encouraging public sector policy, and setting meaningful goals to reduce emissions. That is a complex problem, that inextricably links economic growth, energy security and climate change. We are very focused on addressing this with our expertise and capital in a commercial and scientific manner that supports each and every one of our clients.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
Perfect has been the enemy of progress for too long, as has polarization, paralysis and basic lack of analysis. We all call this blue dot home, so if we want to protect the environment we must hold ourselves accountable for challenging our own beliefs and being open to seeking common interests with those that hold diverse views. None of us learnt to walk by sitting, we made progress by moving in the right direction.

From the Lackawanna to Long Island, Julia Bovey is part of New York’s most exciting energy achievements, including wind turbines on the shores of Lake Erie and Upstate dairy farms, and, this month, the completion of the energy system for NY’s first offshore wind project. Bovey earned her policy chops at the NRDC and, after Superstorm Sandy, headed up the State’s reform of the Long Island energy system. She lives in Brooklyn and Fire Island.

What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability means you can’t take out more than you put in, or else the system collapses. In a sustainable world, there is enough of everything to go around. If a system loses balance, it’s everyone’s job to get it back on track. But forces like greed, fear, ignorance, and prejudice can stand in the way of regaining sustainability. Then, it’s our job to fight those forces too.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
We have the technology and tools we need to transition to a clean, power system, and we want to do that as quickly as possible. At the same time, we can’t miss this opportunity to create an energy system based on equity, where diverse and inclusive teams lead the charge and to create a system that reflects and serves customers and their communities.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
Vote! Polluters have money, political power, and influence, but we have the power of the people, if we use it. Yes, we should all save energy, ride public transit, recycle, and avoid plastic. I’m grateful for all the actions of personal responsibility I see everyday. But we need major, systemic change as quickly as possible, so let’s elect leaders at every level of government who prioritize saving the planet and its people.

Throughout his career, David has worked on projects varying from one million-square-foot workplace renovations to ground-up mission critical facilities. His recent work includes carbon action plans, sustainability guidelines, and projects pursuing Net Zero Carbon, Living Building Challenge, WELL, Fitwel, and LEED certifications. He leads research at Gensler on embodied carbon and is currently spearheading efforts on Gensler’s carbon reduction goals. David is a graduate from Cornell University and Pratt Institute.

What does sustainability mean to you?
For me it boils down to good long-term planning, and my role as an individual who can influence more responsible decision making in the built environment to properly weigh the long-term impacts on future generations and the ecosystems that support them.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
As grids electrify and buildings get more efficient, the largest source of carbon shifts to become the embodied carbon associated with construction materials. As architects, because we have so much influence on materials, we are developing an industry-aligned Gensler standard for selecting construction materials using a range of sustainability criteria, including Global Warming Potential limits.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
For many people, getting involved in their local communities to understand how they can make them more resilient to climate events will be critical. For the few people who have substantial influence in politics and business, they will need to work urgently to make fundamental changes to transition away from our dependency on fossil fuels and work to clean and improve our energy grids. Overall, it will require everyone to face these challenges head on.

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
Across our firm, we have made climate action a priority, from how we deliver our projects, to the numerous research grants we complete each year.  Today, we are focused on developing a Carbon Action Plan to better work with our clients and industry partners to more accurately measure and speed the reduction of carbon on our projects.

Gina Bocra, AIA, LEED Fellow, is chief sustainability officer at the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB), bringing over 26 years of experience in sustainability.  Throughout her architecture career, she has volunteered with the US Green Building Council, the American Institute of Architects, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers.  At DOB, Gina leads a team tasked with enforcing New York City’s sustainability laws regulating buildings, including NYC’s landmark carbon emissions law.

Laura Popa serves as deputy commissioner of sustainability at DOB, where she leads the Bureau of Sustainability’s efforts to help NYC achieve its climate goals through emissions reductions, energy efficiency, and the just transition to clean energy systems. Previously, she oversaw the development of legislation and policy at TLC and the NYC Council. Laura is a lecturer at Columbia University and has a B.A. from New York University and a J.D. from Fordham Law School. 

What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability means protecting our planet and its rich diversity. The reality, within our reach, is that reducing greenhouse gas emissions can lead to a more just, equitable, healthier, and prosperous society for everyone.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
DOB is heavily engaged in rule-making and implementation around Local Law 97. This groundbreaking legislation requires the city’s largest buildings to reduce their emissions, achieving carbon neutrality in 2050. Operating these buildings causes about 40% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions and LL97 is part of our broader effort to transition away from fossil fuels to a clean energy economy. DOB is also focused on developing and enforcing the city’s Energy Conservation Code.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
We can become a more sustainable society by reducing energy waste in our buildings. Everyone can do small things in their home, school, or workplace.  Start with switching to LED bulbs and programmable thermostats and sealing gaps at doors and windows.  Get help from energy experts to tackle bigger things.  These small and easy changes add up to big savings and pave the way to a better future.

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
We are focused on supporting owners to make their buildings more energy efficient and reduce carbon emissions. This means advocating for federal money for this work and connecting owners to NYC Accelerator, which provides free technical assistance and information on financing opportunities. It also means working to fully implement all the city’s sustainability laws and making sure building owners are aware of their obligations and help available to them. 

As executive director of the Sabin Center, Michael leads a dynamic team at the forefront of efforts to use the law to combat the climate crisis through pollution control, resource management, land use planning, industrial policy, and climate finance. He collaborates with institutions in the public, private and academic sectors, and is a widely published scholar, a frequent public speaker, and a regular source for media. He is also of counsel at Sher Edling LLP.

What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability is often thought of as returning to some pre-existing state of equilibrium. But the reality of human-caused climate change is that the future is unpredictable, and risks are extreme. As a society and as individuals we have to be prepared for non-linear, frequent and intense disruptions to our lives, and the systems in which we operate. For me, then, sustainability means carbon-free, resilient, adaptive and equitable modes for producing energy, transportation, food, and materials.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
The causes of and solutions to the climate crisis touch on every aspect of our lives and, as a result, involve both specialized and cross-cutting areas of the law. The Sabin Center casts a wide net and engages at every level of governance, from the local to the global. Key areas of focus right now include cities, climate risk and financial regulation, climate litigation, infrastructure and the energy transition, and carbon management.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
Vote for political representatives committed to enacting laws and policies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide for increased resilience to climate impacts.

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
The mission of the Sabin Center is to develop and promulgate legal techniques to combat the climate crisis and advance climate justice, and to train the next generation of leaders in the field. We pursue this by leveraging our expertise to produce thought leadership and independent applied scholarship, to provide critical research capacities to our partners and educational opportunities to students, and to promote accountability through providing resources and information to practitioners and the public.

Tonio Burgos is the CEO of Tonio Burgos and Associations, a top rated consulting and lobbying firm in the tristate region as well as Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. Mr. Burgos has five decades of experience in business, government, civic involvement and legislative affairs. Under his leadership, TBA has successfully worked on a wide range of projects in both the public and private sector for over 30 years. Additionally, Mr. Burgos serves as chairman of the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy.

Thomas leads strategy and operations at CleanCapital. Prior to founding CleanCapital, Thomas served as partner and general counsel at True Green Capital, a private equity firm focused on distributed solar investments. He led the financing of landmark clean energy projects including NRG’s California Valley Solar Ranch, Caithness’ Shephards Flat Wind Project, and Terra Gen’s Alta Wind Energy Center.

What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability is about proactively seeking out smart investment opportunities to address climate-related risks. Specifically, we focus on renewables investments that generate tax equity. Because we have a larger pipeline than most in the market, the volume of these tax equity opportunities is vast. With our background in project financing and development expertise, investors trust us to make climate-smart investments in clean energy assets that hit ESG metrics and deliver long-term returns.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
CleanCapital’s acquisitions and investments in middle-market solar and energy storage mitigate climate crisis impacts. While utility-scale solar plays an important role in reducing our reliance on natural gas, we believe that distributed generation is imperative to a clean, sustainable future for all. Our ethos is focused on revolutionizing the industry through sustainable partnerships, climate stewardship and promoting equitable access to clean energy.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
Beyond the initiatives that are underway in both the private sector and at the Federal level, tax equity investing can be done at an individual level as well. Your money can actually have a mission and you can measure its environmental and social impact. Tax dollars can be leveraged in much the same way that corporations, financial institutions and insurance companies have used tax credits to mitigate their federal and state tax liability. 

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
One important  accelerant in the transition away from fossil fuels is tax equity investment –  undeniably a smart pathway to enable a sustainable and resilient clean energy future. CleanCapital works with our stakeholders as a financing and investment strategist. We believe tax equity market participation demonstrates a real commitment to catalyzing the energy transition, tackling the climate crisis and providing future generations with equitable access to clean energy.

Tria Case worked with the university to launch Sustainable CUNY in 2006 to support the adoption of renewable energy, energy efficiency practices and behavioral changes on CUNY’s campuses and in NYC. She manages the implementation of the CUNY Conserves Energy  Operations and Maintenance Program and formed the NYC Solar Partnership, working collaboratively with the Mayor’s Office to develop and implement comprehensive plans for large-scale solar, and now battery storage, integration, and the associated economic development.

What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability is the actions required to preserve quality of life, not only for future generations, not only for some, but right now, for everyone. The specter of a climate crisis that is triggered by the overuse of fossil fuels is no longer in the distant future, it is the present reality. The transition to sustainable resources requires change.A key factor for mainstream acceptance to change is a seamless transition from existing practices to the new.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
Climate challenges are intertwined. Sustainable CUNY developed a platform that can be used to remove barriers and encourage the widespread adoption of sustainable measures. ‘Project based change’ enables participants in any project to take ownership of outcomes by establishing for themselves the processes and the changes needed within their own arena. Stakeholders across campuses, departments, government agencies, utilities, labor organizations or industry can find common ground, agree on implementation plans, and become agents of change.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
Start with education from a trusted and transparent resource. Visit nysolarmap.com to see what we have done, and what you can do.

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
Sustainable CUNY is a strategic program that was developed in 2006 with two areas of focus: Campus and University-based Sustainability and Energy Conservation; and support for New York City’s distributed generation (DG) framework, including the integration of solar and storage in partnership with NYC. Sustainable CUNY develops tools and resources to support sustainability plans and actions on our campuses and provides technical assistance to industry and agencies for the integration of renewable energy throughout NYC.

Kizzy Charles-Guzmán is the executive director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice. Her team delivers climate leadership and programs focused on sustainability, decarbonization, brownfields remediation, resiliency and environmental justice. She received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Quality Award and a Champion of Change Award from the U.S. White House in recognition of her work, and is a graduate of Carleton College and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability means developing policies, implementing programs, and realigning our spending to prepare our city for present and future climate impacts while also improving the health and environmental quality of New Yorkers, with a focus on historically underserved communities. I don’t think about sustainability without centering climate policy, public health, and racial equity. We are focused on reducing environmental health disparities, addressing multiple hazards, and yielding multiple benefits and more equity.

Is there one major climate issue your organization is looking to tackle?
One increasingly important issue in New York is heat, and thermal safety. Indoor temperatures can be up to 20°F higher than outdoors, leading to illness and death when people lack ACs or can’t afford to run them. In summer we see ~350 deaths—all preventable. Heat is a silent killer in our city so while we limit carbon and air pollution emissions, we also focus on greening neighborhoods and making homes safer.

What is one thing everyone can do to help protect the environment?
Always put public transit, walking and biking first. It’s good for our health, our climate and the vibrancy of our communities. Also, while most in NYC are renters, the Federal IRA includes incentives for homeowners to support electrification of home heating systems and appliances—and vehicle owners can also take advantage. Last, volunteer to care for street trees—they are some of the hardest-working New Yorkers!

What steps are your organization taking to ensure a sustainable future?
Helping owners decarbonize and make their buildings more energy efficient via NYC Accelerator; investing in renewable power and expanding solar; building flood protection and green infrastructure to manage flooding; improving emergency communications in extreme weather; educating New Yorkers about the critical need for flood insurance to increase resiliency; improving air quality by phasing out dirty heating fuels and electrifying schools; and making neighborhoods cooler by expanding greenways and planting trees in streets and parks.