1t.org US Secretariat Welcome

The 1t.org US Secretariat will provide opening remarks to kick off of the inaugural 1t.org US Summit. Jad Daley, CEO and President of American Forests, will share how we are scaling up the trillion trees movement from ambition to action. From the beginning, the 1t.org platform was designed to be radically inclusive with a commitment to climate hope. This is a multi-sectoral, multi-generational effort with key stakeholders from government to Girl Scouts. We will feature special guests, including Zoe Bredesen, local Gold Award Girl Scout from Reston, VA. Zoe will speak about how she has made a mark in her local community by organizing tree plantings in Fairfax County.

• Jad Daley, President and CEO, American Forests
• Dan Lambe, President and CEO, Arbor Day Foundation
• Mayor Regina Romero, Tucson, Arizona (Pre-recorded)
• Zoe Bredesen, Gold Award Girl Scout, Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital

This session will bring together leaders on climate policy to discuss how the 1t.org US Community can contribute to future legislative and administrative policy developments. It will inspire attendees and build excitement around how the movement to conserve, restore, and grow is thriving both at home and abroad. We will discuss how the trillion trees community can impact state, national, and international levels.

Special Remarks (Pre-recorded) – David Hayes, Special Assistant to the President for Climate Policy at The White House

Conserve, Restore, and Grow Abroad (Live) – Gillian Caldwell, Chief Climate Officer, USAID

Climate Leadership Keynote (Pre-recorded) – Secretary Tom Vilsack, United States Department of Agriculture

Special Remarks (Live) – Chief Randy Moore, US Forest Service

Conserve, Restore, and Grow at Home (Live panel)

• Mary Mitsos, President & CEO, National Forest Foundation (Moderator)
• Secretary Preston Cole, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
• Chris Swanston, Director (acting), Office of Sustainability and Climate, Climate, Fire, and Carbon Cycle Sciences, US Forest Service

Investing in Nature to Accelerate Net Zero

Over one fifth of the world’s largest corporates have set net-zero targets, and many are investing in nature-based solutions to neutralize emissions that cannot be avoided or reduced. Join this panel to learn how to deliver credible, results-oriented investments in natural landscapes. As corporates commit to and scale net-zero targets, they are increasingly exploring nature-based solutions as a channel for offsetting unavoidable emissions. This is a nascent and fast evolving field with much potential to improve the credibility and permanence of corporate strategies. In this session, corporate leaders will tell how their companies are navigating net-zero targets to invest in high-quality, natural climate solutions of all types and how 1t.org can offer support throughout the process.

Speakers:

• Lindsey Prowse, Specialist, 1t.org North America, World Economic Forum (Moderator)
• Taldi Harrison, Head of Government Affairs, REI Co-op
• Bambi Semroc, Senior VP of the Center for Sustainable Lands & Waters, Conservation International
• Brian Komar, Vice President, Global Impact Innovation, Salesforce

Carbon Finance Challenges and Promises

Nature-based carbon markets have become increasingly fundamental to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating investment in conservation and restoration efforts that would otherwise not happen. Despite the tremendous potential, carbon markets continue to be confusing and often controversial. A diverse set of voices from financial institutions, landowners, and standard setting bodies will discuss the challenges and opportunities of forest carbon projects in voluntary carbon markets.

Speakers:

• Lauren Cooper, Program Director, Forest Carbon & Climate Program, MSU (Moderator)
• Zack Parisa, CEO, NCX
• Jim Hourdequin, CEO, Lyme Timber Company
• Rita Hite, President and CEO, American Forest Foundation
• Steve Zwick, Senior Manager of Media Relations, Verra

Retaining and Scaling Urban and Community Forestry

Arbor Day Foundation will convene a diverse group of experts and community voices on the critical and intersectional needs to preserve and scale urban forests.

Speakers:

• Dan Lambe, CEO & President, Arbor Day Foundation
• Beattra Wilson, MPA, Assistant Director for Urban & Community Forestry, Forest Service
• Matt Spitsen, Program Manager, Alliance for Community Trees, Arbor Day Foundation
• Scott Maco, Director of Research and Development, The Davey Institute

Raising the Bar on Credible Commitments for Nature: Next-Generation Perspective

Many activists and youth leaders think the benefits of nature-based solutions are oversold and perhaps not appropriately contextualized.  This session will allow attendees to hear from a leader on the front lines of the climate movement on how the 1t.org US Chapter can better provide data, accountable and transparent reporting, and narratives/storytelling that can demonstrate our strengths while acknowledging our shortcomings.  We will learn how leading edge communicators and influencers work to advance successful climate narratives and help to co-develop strategies and tools to build a more effective 1t.org US movement.

• Lindsey Prowse, Specialist, 1t.org North America, World Economic Forum (Moderator)
• Kevin Patel, Founder and Executive Director, OneUpAction

Preview: The Ecopreneurs –Acción Andina

The Ecopreneurs is a docu-style series hosted by FORTUNE Brand Studio and Salesforce. Florent Kaiser, CEO of Global Forest Generation, will introduce an episode high in the Andes of Peru about Acción Andina.

1t.org Regional Workshop – Scaling Investment in Conservation and Restoration Abroad

1t.org supports the world’s boldest initiatives for forest conservation, restoration and reforestation, and catalyzes action in priority regions. Since the 1t.org US Chapter launched in 2020 as the first regional Trillion Trees platform and pledged over 50 billion trees – the community has expanded to the Amazon, Sahel, India, and China (soon to be Mexico) where 1t.org aims to unlock private sector partnerships and targeted investment flows. At the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Annual Meeting, China announced its aim to plant and conserve 70 billion trees by 2030 and will be working with 1t.org to support the fulfilment of this contribution.

• Jad Daley, President and CEO, American Forests (Moderator)
• Nicole Schwab, Co-Director of the Platform to Accelerate Nature Based Solutions, World Economic Forum (Joining Virtually)

Speakers:

• Alicia Grimes, Natural Resource Offier, USAID
• Kathleen Buckingham, Director of Sustainability, tentree & veritree
• Rekia Foudel, Managing Partner and Founder, Barka Fund
• Javier Warman, Forests Director, World Resources Institute Mexico

Discussion Leaders:

• Samar Sikka, Co-Founder, Arteree
• Florent Kaiser, CEO of Global Forest Generation

Achievements and Ambition – Closing remarks, reflections, and wrap up of the Day 1.

• Jad Daley, President and CEO, American Forests
• Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan (Pre-recorded)
• Andrei Cherny, CEO, Aspiration

Forest + Climate Visualization Partnership

The Forest + Climate Visualization Partnership (FCVP) is a collaboration between the Climate and Applied Forest Research Institute at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (CAFRI at SUNY ESF) and Michigan State University Forest Carbon and Climate Program (MSU FCCP). FCVP serves a unique and critical role in forest climate education, producing innovative and accessible visual media that communicate the complex relationships between forests, carbon, and climate.

Put on a VR headset and step into an immersive forest experience! With this cutting-edge technology, you’ll be able to walk around an ultra-real forest, exploring and learning as you go. Learn more at forestclimatevisualization.com.

• Aidan Ackerman, Assistant Professor, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Building on some of the key themes and topics from Day 1, we invite you to bring your most daring ideas and critical questions to an interactive and engaging workshop. Throughout Day 2, we will discuss how to scale solutions and grow the trillion trees community. This workshop will be facilitated by Lauren Cooper, Program Director of the Forest Carbon and Climate Program for the Forestry Department at Michigan State University. We will discuss knowledge transfer and movement building to scale the trillion trees movement.

After special remarks from guests, closing remarks will be provided by Suzanne DiBianca, Chief Impact Officer & EVP of Corporate Relations at Salesforce.

Speakers:

• Lauren Cooper, Program Director, Forest Carbon & Climate Program, Department of Forestry at MSU
• Kevin O’Hara, Lead, 1t.org US Chapter, American Forests
• Suzanne DiBianca, Chief Impact Officer & EVP of Corporate Relations, Salesforce