In fall 2020, Washington University in St. Louis led the charge in planning and convening the Midwest Climate Summit. The summit and accompanying think tank were cross-sectoral, high-level discussions involving a core group of organizations with a shared commitment to advancing climate ambitions in the Midwest.
In the year and a half since, several similar think tank sessions have followed, with many members networking with each other between meetings to pursue further climate work. It became clear that there was strong interest in long-term cooperation to advance climate action.
These efforts culminated on January 28 with the launch of the newly formed Midwest Climate Collaborative (MCC) during a virtual summit. The University of Washington is among the 30 founding members of the partnership, which has four main goals:
- Harnessing science and research to address climate issues
- Shaping common understanding and policy
- Accelerated climate solutions
- Developing future leaders
“We are both proud and delighted to officially launch the Midwest Climate Collaborative,” said David Fike, director of the International Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability and professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Arts & Sciences at the University of Washington. “Managing MCC's evolution from a series of virtual think tanks to a formal entity ready to do the hard work of accelerating Midwest climate action has been extremely rewarding and is a remarkable achievement.
“We look forward to seeing the measurable steps this team will take, together, to make the Midwest a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous place to live, work and play for all,” added Fike.
The launch event explored the partnership's mission and initial projects and included remarks from White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and Amy Whitman, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs with the US Department of Energy. A panel discussion followed, in which nonprofit, government and corporate representatives from across the Midwest shared ideas and best practices on climate action. Participants included Quinton Lucas, mayor of Kansas City, Mo.; Lucas earned a bachelor's degree in political science from WashU in 2006.
Also during the summit, former St. Louis Alderwoman Heather Navarro was inducted as the club's inaugural director.
During her four years on the Board, Navarro actively supported climate initiatives, which included working with WashU to help meet the city's ambitious clean energy and energy efficiency goals achieved through Climate Challenge in America's Cities by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Navarro has sponsored successful ordinances implementing solar and EV-ready requirements for new construction and building energy efficiency standards.
A graduate of the University of Washington, Navarro earned a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from Arts & Sciences in 2001 and a law degree from the School of Law in 2008. She previously served as executive director of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.
“Climate change issues are not defined by city or state boundaries,” Navarro said. “I can't think of a better way to tackle the climate crisis from a regional perspective, with different partners working together from the idea stage to design and implementation. The only way we will protect our communities long-term from climate change is through interdisciplinary collaboration, and I am excited to lead the effort at MCC.”
Washington University in St. Louis and MilliporeSigma were the presenting sponsors of the commencement event. To learn more about the partnership and track its progress, visit the MCC website.
