Governor Hickenlooper and the Compact of Colorado Communities Announce the Colorado Communities Symposium
/Colorado State Agencies to Join Forces with Local Government Leaders to Advance Clean Energy and Climate Preparedness Efforts
For more information, please contact:
Daniel Kreeger
Association of Climate Change Officers
dkreeger@ClimateOfficers.org
202.997.8673
Taryn Finnessey
Colorado Department of Natural Resources
taryn.finnessey@state.co.us
303.868.5302
October 11, 2017 – Denver, CO – Earlier today, Governor John Hickenlooper and the Compact of Colorado Communities announced that they will jointly co-present the Colorado Communities Symposium on January 31-February 2, 2018 in Aurora. The Symposium will serve as a forum for state agency and local government leaders to convene their peers from higher education institutions, non-profit organizations and the private sector for a series of discussions and events related to Governor Hickenlooper’s July 2017 executive order on climate preparedness and clean energy development in Colorado.
The Colorado Communities Symposium will feature a series of plenary sessions, breakout tracks with interactive scenario planning sessions, training events and roundtable discussions, tabletop exhibition, post-conference workshops and meetings, networking events and an awards dinner.
By showcasing and driving leadership action on climate and energy under a unified banner, Governor Hickenlooper and local government leaders are sending a strong signal that innovative and sustained climate leadership are a priority in Colorado. The Symposium’s program agenda will be steered by a committee consisting of current and former state agency and local government leaders, former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, and Colorado State University’s Brad Udall.
“Communities across Colorado, from Durango to Wray, are proving that the clean energy transition can benefit every Coloradan,” said Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. “Through this symposium, the State will support locally-led climate and sustainability efforts by providing a forum for local government officials to build capacity and share best practices for with each other.”
The Compact of Colorado Communities, a membership initiative comprised of Colorado cities and counties that is administered by the Association of Climate Change Officers, will serve as the State of Colorado’s partner in producing the Symposium.
“It is critical that state and local governments come together, align efforts and substantially scale up their capacity to drive successful climate change strategies if we want to ensure security and continued prosperity for our businesses and communities,” said Daniel Kreeger, executive director of the Association of Climate Change Officers. “We are honored to partner with Governor Hickenlooper’s administration and Colorado local government leaders to administer this vital forum.”
More information about the Symposium is available online at www.ColoradoCommunities.org. Additional information on the awards recognition event and program agenda will be made publicly available in the next few weeks.
About the Compact of Colorado Communities
The Compact of Colorado Communities was established in May 2017 to bring cities and counties together to stand together in taking constructive and practical climate action. The Compact’s mission is to advance capacity of Colorado cities and counties to develop and implement aggressive climate change initiatives thus ensuring security and economic prosperity. The Compact will accelerate capacity building, alignment of important resources and interests, and drive critical public engagement on climate change action. For more information about the Compact, please visit http://www.CompactofColoradoCommunities.org.
About the Association of Climate Change Officers
The Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization for executives and officials worldwide in industry, government, academia and the non-profit community. ACCO’s mission is to define, develop and support the functions, resources and communities necessary for effective organizational leadership in addressing climate-related risks and opportunities. ACCO administers the Certified Climate Change Professional® (CC-P®) and Certified Climate Change Officer® (CC-O®) credentialing programs. For more information about ACCO, please visit http://www.ACCOonline.org.
# # #