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Climate Innovators Academy

Decarbonization and Mitigating Risk for Hospitality, Healthcare and Service Industries


Early Registration

Aug. 1: Receive a 25% early-bird discount

What You Will Gain from Attending

  • Understand corporate social responsibility best practices
  • Navigate emerging policies and regulations
  • Assess your physical climate risk and track its progression
  • Interpret transition risk and its implications for your organization

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Who Should Attend?

Organizations looking to shape and capitalize on new pathways to decarbonizing the San Diego region and develop internal capacity to create compliance strategies for their organization.

Transform Your Organization with Our Comprehensive 4-Day Program

In this innovative consortium program, you’ll learn how to develop your internal team's confidence and capability in decarbonization and climate risk strategy.

The program, developed by the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, was developed in response to an expressed need by leading San Diego hospitality and venue ecosystem executives. You’ll learn from leading experts and practitioners in the field and like-minded program participants to gain a collaborative regional advantage.

Total Duration: 4 Days

  • 2-day on-campus workshop
  • 2-week intersession to assess organizational readiness
  • 2-day on-campus workshop

Education Fit to Your Schedule

  • Asynchronous materials delivered throughout the program
  • Four immersive on-campus sessions 

Practical Application

  • Collaborate with local industry leaders to develop a comprehensive road map tailored to your organization
  • Deliver tangible value that can't be found anywhere else

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you ready to comply with new climate requirements?

As climate change increasingly becomes a part of mainstream political conversation, there are several new laws and regulations that business leaders need to be aware of — especially since there are stiff penalties for non-compliance.

  • A new Securities and Exchange Commission rule requires publicly traded companies to disclose how climate change-related expenses affect the company’s operations in reports to shareholders.
  • California’s Climate-Related Financial Risk law mandates that businesses operating in the state with annual revenues of at least $500 million must report climate-related financial risks to a state agency and make this information publicly accessible on the company website.
  • In 2023, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) and Climate-Related Financial Risk Act (SB 261) into law.

Key Areas of Focus

Global Trends Forcing Regional Action and Collaboration
Pathways to Decarbonizing the San Diego Region
Carbon Accounting Fundamentals
Future-Proofing Hospitality by Design
Transforming Corporate Responsibility and Expectations
Sustainability and Resilience Readiness
Aligning Metrics, Compliance Strategies and Actions
Building High-Performing Teams

Schedule

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024

Time Session
8 - 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast and Welcoming Remarks
8:30 - 10 a.m. How Sustainability and Climate are Transforming Corporate Responsibility and Expectations
10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pathways to Decarbonizing the San Diego Region
12 - 1:30 p.m. Lunch
2 - 3:30 p.m. Sustainable Hospitality by Design
4 - 5:30 p.m. UC San Diego Sustainability: Campus Operations and Site Visit
6 - 7:30 p.m. Evening Reception

Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024

Time Session
8:30 - 9 a.m. Continental Breakfast and Teaming
9 - 10:30 a.m. Corporate Sustainability Strategies 101
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Future-Ready Real Estate: Decarbonization, Compliance and Market Challenges
12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Carbon Accounting Fundamentals and Impact Reporting
4 - 5:30 p.m. Measuring Transition and Physical Risk and SB Compliance

Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024

Time Session
8:30 - 9 a.m. Continental Breakfast and Welcoming Remarks
9 - 10:30 a.m. Aligning Metrics, Compliance Strategies and Actions
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Best Practice Solution Cases
12:30 - 2 p.m. Lunch “Renewable Energy Strategic Partnerships”
2 - 3:30 p.m. Frameworks and Solution Sets for Deployment
4 - 5:30 p.m. Performance Budgeting with Public Fund Overlay
6 - 7:30 p.m. Evening Reception

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024

Time Session
8:30 - 9 a.m. Continental Breakfast and Teaming
9 - 10:30 a.m. Roadmap for Mobilizing Resources
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Teamwork and Report-outs
12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Working Lunch
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Strategic Communications to Drive Change and Recognition
4 - 5:30 p.m. Teamwork and Report-outs

Note: Last updated on July 18, 2024. Subject to change.

Practitioners and Industry Experts

Ariane Burwell, Director, PwC Sustainability Consulting Solutions
Sustainability and climate change, calculating greenhouse gas inventories, establishing net zero targets, conducting scenario analysis aligned with TCFD/TNFD guidelines

Paul D. Curcio, President, Miralto
Creating technologies, infrastructure, and policy frameworks that advance sustainability, climate adaptation, renewable energy, urban resilience, and responsible environmental stewardship across urban, energy, and transportation ecosystems

Daniele Horton, Founder and CEO, Verdani Partners
Sustainability consulting, real estate operations and development, ESG management and reporting

Wairimu Mwangi, Director, PwC Climate Strategies
TCFD scenario analysis, setting climate targets and mitigation strategies, GHG inventory management, advancing opportunities for long-term business resilience

Julie Wright, President, (W)right On Communications
Strategic public relations planning, business development, communications challenges for B2B tech, clean tech and energy, healthcare, tourism and hospitality, not-for-profit and public sector organizations

School of Global Policy and Strategy Faculty Lectures

Caroline FreundDean
Climate change involves investing money, and lots of it. So who better to learn from than an expert economist who has held a leading position at the World Bank, started her career at the Federal Reserve Board and worked as a researcher at the International Monetary Fund? Those are just a few of the career accomplishments of Caroline Freund, who is now the dean of of the school. Dean Freund has studied the lessons we can learn to prevent natural disasters from disrupting global supply chains, and you’ll be able to apply the insights from her research into your own business operations.

She will lecture on “Leading the Charge: Innovating for a Sustainable Future.”

Gordon McCord, Professor
It’s not just the climate that’s changing: new laws and regulations on the local, state and federal levels are already affecting businesses. Professor McCord, who has a Ph.D. in sustainable development, directs the SDG Policy Initiative, which has worked with businesses and local government officials to establish a road map for decarbonizing the San Diego area. You’ll receive guidance on how to prepare your business for a changing future from someone who has experience working directly in the local area.

He will lecture on “Pathways to Decarbonizing the San Diego Region.”

David VictorProfessor
David Victor is a professor and co-director of the campus-wide Deep Decarbonization Initiative, which focuses on real-world strategies for bringing the world to nearly zero emissions of warming gases. Much of his research is at the intersection of climate change science and policy, which are precisely the fields that businesses need to pay attention to as they are required to adapt to warmer temperatures and more extreme weather events.

He will lecture on “How Sustainability and Climate are Transforming Corporate Responsibility and Expectations.”

Why GPS?

The search for solutions starts here.

Unlike other programs, the Climate Leadership Academy at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy is specially designed to help your organization learn and implement measures to comply with new climate legislation collaboratively and efficiently.

  • By having multiple representatives from your organization attend, different departments can work together to come up with seamless workflows across all parts of your company.
  • The two weeks between sessions allows you to experiment with new climate reporting strategies, finding out what works for you — and, just as crucially, identifying areas for improvement.
  • Because of the institute’s focus on the hospitality and healthcare sectors, you’ll have the chance to share best practices with high-performing teams at peer organizations who are grappling with the same challenges as you when it comes to adhering to new climate-related legal requirements.

Cost and Applying

Let's Talk Numbers

Program Tier After Aug. 1
Total Cost
Team of 5 $14,625  $19,500
Team of 4 $13,200  $17,600
Team of 3 $11,025  $14,700
Team of 2 $8,100  $10,800
Individual $4,425    $5,900

Early Registration Discount

If you register by Aug. 1, you will receive a 25% early-bird discount. Reserved seats must be paid in full prior to the promotion's end date, or the full price will apply. 

Application

Early Registration: Aug. 1
Registration Deadline: Oct. 1

Applications will be considered after the deadline, which is contingent on space availability.

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Who can I contact?

We’re ready to provide any help you need.

Please reach out to Greg Mallinger at (858) 822-1696 with any questions or:

Request Information

Apply Today!

Empower your team with the skills and knowledge to drive your organization forward.

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