Climate & Wildfire Institute and Elected Leaders Advance Climate Solutions at Annual Tahoe Summit

In August, CWI Executive Director Caroline Godkin had the privilege of representing the Climate & Wildfire Institute at the 26th annual Lake Tahoe Summit, hosted this year by U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen at Sand Harbor, Nevada. It was a spectacular backdrop to further conversations about the challenges the Tahoe Basin – and the entire Western United States – faces with climate change, drought, and wildfire fueled by a hotter and drier climate.

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla provides remarks at the Tahoe Summit on Washoe Tribe ancestral lands.

We all know our world is changing and changing fast. And we must act with the same speed and urgency. That is why the Institute was formed – to accelerate solutions for wildfire and climate to help us confront these challenges head on. At the Summit, state and federal leaders, regional groups, Indigenous tribes, and advocates from local communities discussed these issues and more to foster collaboration and continue working together on behalf of a place that is so near and dear to all of us.

After the Summit, Caroline was invited to speak at a luncheon of policymakers and officials about the Institute and our goal to counter many of the disastrous impacts of climate change through fast-action based on science. She spoke of how we will leverage the private sector’s nimbleness and the public sector’s decision-making leadership, as well as our desire to convene experts from all sectors to drive action and solutions.

Executive Director Caroline Godkin and board member Art Chapman meet with California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot.

We are grateful to Governor Newsom and the California Legislature for allocating $7 million to launch the Institute. We are already using these funds to build digital infrastructure, advance policy research, and support the Governor’s Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force.

Our work at the Institute is just beginning and we will be providing regular updates including our plans for a permanent location for education, collaboration, and communication in the Lake Tahoe region. Thank you for your support to date. We look forward to working with you and building upon these collaborative efforts for years to come.