Against the backdrop of President Obama’s commitment to take action on climate change, the imminent publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s fifth assessment of the science of climate change, and the first anniversary of Hurricane Sandy’s devastating impact on the East Coast of the US, the focus of Climate Week NYC 2013 is:

OUR LOW CARBON FUTURE – LEADERSHIP. OPPORTUNITY. SECURITY.

World leaders from business and government will be joined by America’s top faith, military, agriculture and health representatives at the Opening Ceremony, which will include a special high-level panel on climate resilient communities, hosted by founding sponsor Swiss Re.

Sponsors of Climate Week NYC 2013

A little bit about founding sponsor Swiss Re and a little bit more about their globalized vision, I suppose it should come as no surprise that the UN General Assembly Debates, the Climate Week summit and the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting all converged at the same time:

Growing Clinton Global Initiative commitment to action to build resilience in 100 resilient cities announced today

24 SEPTEMBER 2013, NEW YORK

The Rockefeller Foundation, joined by Swiss Re, Palantir, American Institute of Architects, and Architecture for Humanity, advance a new vision for urban resilience globally

Today, during the opening plenary of the 2013 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting, President Bill Clinton announced a global Commitment to Action to the 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge. The Commitment to Action, led by The Rockefeller Foundation and shared by Swiss Re, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Architecture for Humanity, and Palantir, will support at least 100 cities to hire a Chief Resilience Officer (CRO), create a resilience strategy, and provide access to tools, technical support, and resources for implementation including access to innovative finance for infrastructure development. 100 Resilient Cities will also create a network for CROs to share information and best practice.

Building resilience cannot be done by a single actor or sector, no matter how innovative or passionate they may be,” explained Rockefeller Foundation President Dr. Judith Rodin. “Rather, building resilience requires a shared vision and investment among a range of partners including cities themselves. The Rockefeller Foundation has been on the front lines of urban resilience for nearly a decade, and we are thrilled to have this initial set of partners joining us to transform this vision into progress in our rapidly urbanizing world.

I’d posit the idea that a shared vision of acquiescence to pervasive private investment isn’t the route to achieve public governance of public goods and services nor public regulatory authority over the economic livelihoods of citizens nor is it the path to governable resilience. While I’m willing to concede this model has potential for producing some good, what we are looking at here is finely packaged privatization. Subsequently, what we’re looking at is the transfer of decision-making authority for economic development from the public to the private sector and with a not-so-subtle nod to prioritization of managing rather than governing. And all under the guise of addressing climate change, making it look a little like a disguised form of disaster capitalism realized through meticulous networking and potential abdication of governance.

I draw attention to this piece not to condemn it entirely; the basic gist of preparing for disaster in a coordinated manner before it happens is sound. I’m cautious, however, of unaccountable private interests plotting the course of development for addressing climate change. I question the validity of private responsiveness to public interest. I do concede that responsive public governance isn’t achievable within the current political climate of ignorance and propagandism. Nor is an uninformed “public will” the desirable agent of governance. I would suggest that somewhere between climate denial and so-called “innovation” (potentially exploitative innovation) lies a stable public authority. I also concede that the developing model here is empirically sound in terms of being scientifically grounded, and scientific governance is ultimately my preferred goal.

A little bit about the Climate Group’s North American Board of Directors:

William Moomaw, President of the Board

Mark Kenber, Board Member and CEO (though located in the UK)

Paul Dolan, Board Member

Steve Westley, Board Member

William Moomaw

William Moomaw is Professor of International Environmental Policy at The Fletcher School, Tufts University. Through June 2013 he also directed Fletcher’s Center for International Environment and Resource Policy, which he founded in 1992. He serves on the Boards of several organizations that work on climate change, conservation, and consensus building. He is a chemist turned policy scientist with a Ph.D. from MIT, whose research focuses on integrating science and technology into international agreements. His scholarly and policy research focuses on mitigation and adaptation to climate change, forestry, nitrogen pollution, and energy and water policy. He has been a lead author on five Intergovernmental Panels on Climate Change reports, most recently as a coordinating lead author of the newest report on the role of renewable energy in addressing climate change. He is also a co-author of reports on forest financing,The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and has prepared policy papers for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat. He is currently working on a book on forest diplomacy. He is the Director of Faculty of the International Programme in the Management of Sustainability held annually in The Netherlands, and served on the Integrated Nitrogen Committee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board.

A little more on Moomaw here and here. Each of these bios is worth looking at.

Mark Kenber‘s current Climate Group bio and his 2012 bio here.

Kenber’s opening remarks at Climate Week 2012:

Paul Dolan‘s current Climate Group bio below, another interesting bit on Dolan here and  Wine for the World where, I believe, Dolan still operates in an advisory capacity.

A fourth generation winemaker who has dedicated his 35-year career to green issues, Paul Dolan is known for his leadership in sustainable agriculture. A compassionate executive and winegrower holding degrees in business (Santa Clara University) and enology (California State University Fresno), Pauls influence within the wine industry is strong.

Through vehicles such as the Wine Institutes Code of Sustainable Wine Growing, speeches on climate change and citations for exemplary green practices, he has motivated other growers to adopt practices that respect the land. His book, True to Our Roots, Fermenting a Business Revolution (2003), makes the convincing case that sustainability in not only good for the earth; it is an economic advantage.

Paul has become a passionate advocate of Biodynamic® viticulture and winemaking, believing that each piece of land has a personality, a unique expression. He and his sons farm their 70-acre Dark Horse ranch biodynamically. My sons and I have embraced biodynamics so that we can expand what agriculture means for us and our families, says Paul.

Steve Westly‘s bio below and Live Twitter Q&A on Cleantech venture capitalists.

Prior to founding The Westly Group, Steve Westly served as the Controller and Chief Fiscal Officer of the state of California – the world’s eighth largest economy. As Controller, he chaired the State Lands Commission and served on 63 other boards and commissions, including CalPERS and CalSTRS, the nation’s two largest public pension funds, which together invest more than $350 billion. During his four-year term, Mr. Westly spearheaded innovative tax programs that helped close the State’s budget deficit and also led an effort to commit more than $1 billion to clean technology investments.

In the 2008 election cycle Mr. Westly served as a California co-chair and a National Finance Committee member of the Obama for America campaign. He currently serves on the Secretary of Energy’s Advisory Board as a representative for the venture capital industry.

Before running for office, Mr. Westly helped guide the online auction company eBay through its period of most rapid growth, serving as the Senior Vice President of Marketing, Business Development, M&A and International. Mr. Westly helped bring eBay to Europe and Asia and developed the marketing and acquisition strategies that paved the path for the firm’s exponential growth.

Mr. Westly began his career in Washington, D.C., where he worked first on Capitol Hill and later in the Office of Conservation and Solar at the U.S. Department of Energy. Mr. Westly returned to California to become special assistant to the President of the California Public Utilities Commission. While there, he published two books on alternative energy and the utilities.

Mr. Westly holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, where he served on the faculty for five years. Mr. Westly and his wife, Anita, run the Westly Foundation, which provides education and health care services for children and underserved communities throughout California.