In cooperation with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of New Mexico

The Program: “Report on the Global Climate Action Summit”. As business and government leaders from around the world prepare to meet for the Global Climate Action Summit, Ecologic Institute and the Transatlantic Climate Bridge, with support from the Federal Government of Germany, bring the global conversation to the local level in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The Global Climate Action-Local Leadership addresses local concerns about climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies with insights and experiences from Germany, a recognized world leader in ambitious yet considered climate policies.

Germany’s efforts to fight climate change without sacrificing economic growth and energy security are founded on an integrative policy approach that includes ideas and input from industry, as well as scientific research and engaged citizens. Although the path has not always been smooth, the multi-sector process has grounded the commitments to the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals in society. Lessons from Germany’s experience can help communities develop their own climate goals.

Event speakers sharing Germany’s story include Wolfgang Saam, cofounder and Managing Director of Klimaschutz-Unternehmen, an association of corporations committed to climate protection; Dr. Christof Stefes, Associate Professor at the University of Colorado at Denver and an expert in renewable energy policy; and Anton Hufnagl, First Secretary at the German Embassy in DC.

“The Global CALL will not only stimulate the local and regional discussion about climate mitigation policies, but will also support German-American transatlantic cooperation at the personal, citizen level,” says Max Gruenig, President of Ecologic Institute.

Panel: Wolfgang Saam, Director, Climate Protection and Energy Efficiency Group of the German Economy Wolfgang Saam is co-founder and director of the Climate Protection and Energy Efficiency Group of the German Economy, where he works on facilitating green business solutions in German companies and enhancing sustainable policy frameworks. As an expert, Wolfgang presents sustainable business development in government consultations, business committees and amongst non-governmental organizations. His recent project covered the interplay of employees’ preferences and employer’s programs to implement climate and energy savings activities in companies.

Before co-founding the Climate Protection Group, Wolfgang worked as a project manager at the Association of German Chambers of Business and Commerce in Berlin where he focused on energy efficiency and green-tech solutions.

Wolfgang studied political science and public policy at the University of Freiburg, the University of Michigan und the University of Potsdam. His expertise on international energy security issues was published by the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation. In 2015, he was a fellow at the german-turkish junior energy experts initiative of the Robert-Bosch-Foundation.

“To push sustainable business solutions forward, we have to take the creativity of employees into our focus. In contrast to capital and a given level of technology, creative ideas of staff are an almost inexhaustible source.

Panel: Christoph H. Stefes, Ph.D., a native German, is a Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of Colorado Denver. In his teaching and research, he focuses on European and Post-Soviet Politics. For the past twelve years, he has studied the politics surrounding transitions towards sustainable energy systems on both sides of the Atlantic. He is the author and editor of several books and articles on this topic, notably Germany’s Energy Transitions. A Comparative Perspective (with Carol Hager, 2006): . In his most recent project, he analyzes the various forms of resistance against sustainable energy.

Panel: Anton Hufnagl serves as First Secretary for Climate, Environment and Urban Affairs at the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. Previously, he helped defend the German government against compensation claims by the operators of nuclear power plants in national and international proceedings. Until 2010, Anton was an analyst with J.P. Morgan’s Exotics and Hybrids desk in London, U.K. Anton has studied economics and statistics in Paris, Mannheim and Moscow. More recently, has graduated with a Master in European Philosophy from the Universities of Vienna and Hagen. In 2017, he finished his studies at the Hertie School of Governance, where he was on a full scholarship from the Federal Ministry for the Environment.

Panel: Max Gruenig is the President of Ecologic Institute US and has been with Ecologic Institute since 2007.

His work focuses on sustainable development in the energy and transport sector, as well as urban sustainability and resilient cities.

In 2004, Max Gruenig received his degree in economics from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin, Germany). The main focus of his studies was natural resource economics and auction theory.

Max Gruenig has lived and worked in Germany, the United States, Iceland, and Japan. He is a native speaker of German and is fluent in English and French. He is a founding member of the European Institute for Sustainable Transport (EURIST), a member of the sustainability advisory board for NaturEnergiePlus and a member of the Consumer Research Network run by the German Federal Ministry for Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV). Lombardi, P., Gruenig, M. (Ed.) 2016: Low-Carbon Energy Security from a European Perspective, Elsevier Academic Press.