Santa Fe, N.M. – This morning, New Mexico Speaker of the House Brian Egolf welcomed a sold-out crowd to the 2021 New Mexico Climate Summit. More than 200 attendees registered to attend in person at the Capitol, with more than 600 signed up to tune in online. The free, two-day event seeks to develop bold new policies for addressing the climate crisis while ensuring a just transition for New Mexico’s workers and families. The Summit has garnered widespread interest from state leaders, advocacy organizations, and concerned citizens across the state.
“We have convened here today because we must write our next chapter. We cannot turn the clock backward, but what we can do is utilize our collective knowledge, tools, and resources, to do our part to slow down, adapt, and mitigate the impacts of climate change,” said Speaker Egolf. “We must transition to a clean energy economy quickly and feasibly so that no New Mexican is left behind. We must act in a way that preserves and protects our outdoor and natural spaces, along with our way of life that’s long been connected to them.” He continued: “Together, we can and will become an example to the rest of the nation and world for what it takes to go from a state dependent on one industry to a clean energy economy whose values ensure that all are supported no matter their background, race, or creed.”
Elected officials who will speak over the next two days either in-person or virtually include: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Lujan, Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, The Honorable Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Washington State Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, New Mexico Senate Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, House Majority Floor Leader Representative Javier Martinez, Rep. and Chair of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee Patty Lundstrom (Gallup), Representative Nathan Small (Las Cruces), Representative Kristina Ortez (Taos), Representative Christine Chandler (Los Alamos), Representative Joanne Ferrary (Las Cruces), and Senator Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez (Albuquerque).
Attending tribal leadership includes: Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, Mescalero Apache Tribe President Gabe Aguilar, Jicarilla Apache Nation President Edward Velarde, The All Pueblo Council of Governors Chairman Wilfred Herrera Jr., Fort Sill Apache Tribe Secretary-Treasurer James Dempsey, and Governor Mark Mitchell of Tesuque Pueblo.
On the agenda for today’s program are keynote speeches from Maite Arce of the Hispanic Access Foundation on “Equity and Climate Change” and from Andrew Baumann of Global Strategy Group about “Public Opinion on Addressing Climate Change.” Attendees will also hear from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Cabinet Secretary of the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department Sarah Cottrell Propst, panel discussions addressing Federal Policy on Climate Change, Climate Change in New Mexico and the Southwest, Essential Household Services and Affordability, New Mexico as a National Leader, and participate in breakout sessions where they can give direct input on proposed policy solutions.
Tomorrow’s agenda features keynote speaker Dr. Elena Krieger with Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy on “Equity and Climate Change Mitigation Strategies.” Tuesday’s plenaries also include discussions of Energy Solutions being implemented in other states and discussions before Congress, Tribal Perspectives and Initiatives, Deep Investment for Equity and Innovation: Hearing from Workers and Impacted Communities, Conservation: A Uniquely New Mexican 30x30, State and Federal Funding, and a breakout session where participants can give their input on where land funding should be focused to build a resilient New Mexico.
The summit is presented by Speaker Egolf, in partnership with supporters and organizations including Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, OLÉ, Center for Civic Policy, Western Resource Advocates, Environmental Defense Fund, Conservation Voters New Mexico, NM Wild, Power4NewMexico, the Angelica Foundation,Climate Advocates Voces Unidas (CAVU), Pattern Energy, and Voices for Children.
Registration for the event has closed, but events will be broadcast on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BrianForNewMexico (English) and https://www.facebook.com/OLENewMexico/ (Spanish).