Shaping Alaska’s Climate Policy: A Conversation with Alaska’s Lt. Governor Byron Mallott

Alaska is warming at twice the rate as the rest of the United States and is already experiencing adverse impacts from climate change. Across the state, Alaskans are observing unprecedented environmental changes that threaten their health, safety, culture, and economic security. A 2009 federal report identified 31 coastal villages as imminently threatened by climate change, and agencies suspect that number has increased in recent years. Alaska is an energy supplier whose economy, as well as its ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change, depends on the revenue from natural resources to support economic growth and essential services. How can Alaska address climate change impacts now while also plan for the future and transition to a cleaner energy economy?

Lt. Governor Mallott will speak to the State of Alaska's response to climate change through the work of the Climate Action for Alaska Leadership Team, established last October and charged with developing a recommended climate action plan and policy by September 2018. Follow the work of the CALT and preview the draft policy here.

An Alaska Native and clan leader of the Tlingit Raven Kwaash Kee Kwaan of Yakutat, Lt. Governor Mallott will also highlight work building partnerships with Pacific Island nations to create an indigenous, ocean-focused approach to climate solutions.

Speakers

The Honorable Byron Mallott
Lieutenant Governor, State of Alaska

Moderator

Michael Sfraga
Director, Polar Initiative, Wilson Center

When: Tuesday, May 15, 2018 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Where: 6th Floor Auditorium, Wilson Center Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania, Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

RSVP here.