Former White House National Climate Advisor, 13th U.S. EPA Administrator

Current Managing Co-Chair of America Is All In

(Bio)

Actress

American Film

Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967)[1] is an American actress. Known for her leading roles in films encompassing a variety of genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. The films in which she has starred have collectively grossed over $3.9 billion globally, making her one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.[2] After an early breakthrough with appearances in Mystic Pizza (1988) and Steel Magnolias (1989), Roberts established herself as a leading actress when she headlined the top-grossing romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990).

Princess of Wales

United Kingdom

Catherine, Princess of Wales (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton;[a] 9 January 1982), is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne.

Cofounder, CFO

Ecotone Renewables

Elliott Bennett co-founded Ecotone Renewables, transforming food waste into sustainable solutions through cutting-edge anaerobic digestion technology. Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Green Technology, Elliott has been instrumental in scaling Ecotone’s impact, leading expansion efforts across the Northeast U.S. and driving innovation in on-site food waste processing and regenerative agriculture. Under his leadership, Ecotone is on track to surpass a $3M revenue run rate, positioning itself as a key player in the circular economy.

Director of Clean Energy

Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Julie Curti serves as the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Director of Clean Energy. MAPC is the regional planning agency that serves the 101 cities and town in and around the Greater Boston region. In this role, she leads a team that works with municipalities on developing and implementing clean energy and climate plans, policies, and programs. She leads projects and guides the team’s work on building an equitable clean energy supply system, supporting the electrification and accessibility of our transportation systems, and working to make buildings electrified, highly energy efficient, and affordable.

Ms. Curti also serves on the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act Implementation Advisory Committee and the Grid Modernization Advisory Council. She previously worked as a climate change and clean energy consultant with The Cadmus Group and as Associate Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Partnerships Center, focusing on increasing household food security and building local food systems. Ms. Curti holds a Master in City Planning with a certificate in Environmental Policy and Planning from MIT and is a trained facilitator and certified mediator in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Sustainability Coordinator

City of Framingham

Shawn Luz is the Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Framingham’s Department of Capital Projects and Facilities Management, a role he has held since 2018 following his tenure as Energy Manager for the Town of Dartmouth. He collaborates with municipal departments, local organizations, and neighboring communities to drive energy and environmental sustainability initiatives.

Shawn oversees the City’s participation in the state’s Green Communities Program and leads clean energy projects across municipal facilities. Beyond municipal operations, he works on community initiatives that improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance affordability, and support the growth of local renewable energy.

Co-founder

Elephant Energy

DR Richardson is the Co-Founder of Elephant Energy, where he’s working to make home electrification seamless and accessible. Before launching Elephant Energy, DR spent nearly a decade in climate tech investing, helping to scale innovative solutions for a cleaner future. Eventually, his entrepreneurial drive led him to build his own climate tech startup, and after two years of testing ideas, he and his co-founder, Josh Lake, landed on Elephant Energy.

He’s dedicated his life towards creating a future where every person has access to no-carbon, low-cost electricity for their homes, vehicles, and businesses. Today, at Elephant Energy, he’s focused on scaling that vision—building the systems, partnerships, and team needed to make home electrification the easy choice for homeowners.

Energy Transition Executive

CPower Energy

Mat has over 20 years experience working with Commercial, Industrial, Municipal & Residential customers to help them understand best practices in lowering their operating expenses associated with energy and getting to a low carbon footprint. As someone who “walks the talk” he evangelizes everyday, Mat has developed a home MicroGrid, consisting of Solar PV, Battery Energy Storage & Geothermal Heat Pump HVAC system. His most recent pet project is restoring a 1973 Volkswagen and converting it from an Internal Combustion (ICE) vehicle to an EV which he also homes to connect via V2X to the home MicroGrid.

Chief Sustainability Officer & Associate Vice President for Climate Action

Boston University

Dennis Carlberg is the Chief Sustainability Officer & Associate Vice President for Climate Action at Boston University where he focuses on building the programs necessary for mitigating BU’s impacts on climate change, preparing its campuses for climate change, and supporting the integration of sustainability into the curriculum. Prior to joining BU in 2009, Dennis was a principal at Arrowstreet, a Boston-based architectural firm where he focused on sustainable design. He began his career at the Solar Energy Research Institute (now the National Renewable Energy Lab) conducting daylighting research to reduce building energy consumption and improve the indoor environment.

Dennis co-chairs the Boston Green Ribbon Commission Higher Ed Working Group. He is the University's Liaison to the University Climate Change Coalition, a group of 23 of leading R1 research universities committed to accelerating climate action on their campuses, in their communities, and collaboratively at a global scale. He received his Master of Architecture from MIT and his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from UC Berkeley.

Photo Credits: Kazan Zabarsky

Significant cuts have been made to environmental protections, with key regulations being rolled back on critical issues including emissions, land protections, and air and water quality. Former EPA Administrator and Former National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy is joined by Globe climate reporter Sabrina Shankman to discuss the high-stakes consequences of these policy changes and the future of climate action. This headlining panel will explore the lasting impacts of these decisions, shedding light on their far-reaching effects on environmental protection and public health. They will also examine the innovative solutions, strategies, and ongoing efforts that continue to drive progress toward a sustainable, climate-resilient future.

Opening Remarks Provided by Boston University Chief Sustainability Officer & Associate Vice President for Climate Action, Dennis Carlberg.

Bold innovators are designing fully recyclable products with alternative materials that reduce environmental impact. From biodegradable materials to plant-based textiles, plastic-free innovations pave the way for a cleaner future one product at a time.

US Senator Ed Markey, a longtime advocate for protecting the environment and fighting climate change, will join the Sustainability Summit for a fireside chat. Speaking with Joshua Miller, an editor at the Boston Globe, Markey will discuss the news of the day, the Trump administration's latest moves on climate, and the future of environmental efforts in Massachusetts, the United States, and around the world.

From launching climate-tech startups to spearheading eco-initiatives, young changemakers are leading the charge on climate innovation.

From renewable energy projects, eco-friendly infrastructure and environmental stewards, towns across New England are betting on sustainability.

Join us for an insightful panel on Green Homes: How to Make Your Home More Sustainable. Experts will share practical tips and strategies for transforming your living space into an eco-friendly haven. From energy-efficient appliances to sustainable building materials, learn how small changes can make a big impact on reducing your carbon footprint and lowering utility costs.

Climate Change in Boston and Solutions to Reduce Impact.

 Primary Care Physician, Medical Director of Climate & Sustainability, and Assistant Professor of Medicine

Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Anna Goldman is a primary care physician and Medical Director of Sustainability at Boston Medical Center.  In this role, she develops and leads sustainability programs to address social determinants of health and also supports team efforts to meet operational sustainability goals at BMC Health System.

Associate Professor of Environmental Health

Boston University School of Public Health

Madeleine Scammell is an Associate Professor of Environmental Health at BUSPH where she teaches community-based participatory research, and on climate change and health. She is a founding member of GreenRoots Inc in Chelsea, MA where she lives, and served as an appointed member of the Board of Health for ten years. At BU she co-leads the Chelsea-East Boston Heat Study (C-HEAT), as well as the Local Public Health Intensive Training Program with public health partners across the state and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.   

Professor of the Practice, Journalism

Boston University

An award-winning reporter and documentary filmmaker, David Abel has covered war, coups, terrorism, natural disasters, a pandemic, poverty, climate change, and much more. He has been a writer for many years at the Boston Globe, where for the past decade he has covered climate change and other environmental issues.

In 2014, Abel and his colleagues won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings. His films have been broadcast on the Discovery Channel, PBS, BBC World News, and other major platforms, winning numerous awards. His most recent film, “In the Whale,” won the audience choice award at the New Hampshire Film Festival and other awards.

His other new film, “Inundation District,” is slated for broadcast on PBS’s World Channel in the fall of 2024. A previous film, “Entangled,” won a Jackson Wild award, known as the Oscars of nature films, and was nominated for a national Emmy.

Abel’s work has also won an Edward R. Murrow award, the Ernie Pyle award from the Scripps Howard Foundation, and Sigma Delta Chi awards for feature reporting and climate reporting.

Distinguished Professor, Chair, Earth & Environment

Boston University

Lucy R. Hutyra is a Distinguished Professor & Chair of Earth & Environment at BostonUniversity. She specializes in urban climate and biogeochemistry, remote sensing, and vegetation ecology. Trained as a physical scientist, over the years Professor Hutyra's research has become ever more focused on the climate and ecology of cities, working at the science-policy interface. She is a national leader on measuring and modeling urban greenhouse gas fluxes and advancing our understanding of carbon cycling in cities.

Professor Hutyra has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and chapters in edited volumes, including serving as a contributing author on the forthcoming Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) AR6 Report. She was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship in 2023, the American Geophysical Union Ascent Award in Atmospheric Sciences, is the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and is a National Academy of Science Kavli Fellow. Hutyra has also been a Visiting Faculty at Google Research for the like 1.5 years working on urban decision support tools to mitigate excess heat in cities.

Beyond scholarly research, Hutyra has focused extensively on graduate education, training students how to apply basic research to advance the livability of our communities. Professor Hutyra also serves as the Director of the BU Biogeosciences Program and the Associate Director for the BU URBAN interdisciplinary doctoral program. Professor Hutyra received her BS in Forest Ecology and Management from the University of Washington and a PhD in Earth & Planetary Sciences from Harvard University.

ZERO Waste Manager

Boston University

Sarah Healey (Any/All) is the Zero Waste Manager at Boston University. In this role, Sarah oversees all waste services, develops and implements zero waste programming, and advances BU’s commitment to becoming a Zero Waste institution.

Prior to their role at BU, Sarah was the Strategic Account Manager for Higher Education and Healthcare at Casella Waste Systems, working closely with institutions across the Greater Boston Area to design and execute impactful waste reduction strategies. Their background includes more than ten years of hands-on experience in the waste and recycling industry, bringing a unique blend of operational knowledge and sustainability leadership to their work.

Sarah holds an MBA in Sustainable Innovation from the University of Vermont. They are a TRUE Zero Waste Advisor, a Zero Waste USA Associate, and a passionate advocate for the circular economy. Sarah has served on the Board of Directors for MassRecycle and continues to contribute as a committee member for the MassRecycle Campus Collaborative (MRCC).

Co-Author of the Green New Deal, Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Co-Chair of the Senate Climate Task Force

Senator Ed Markey is a national leader on energy, the environment, and climate change. He is the Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee; Ranking Member of the Primary Health and Retirement Security Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee; and Co-Chair of the Senate Climate Task Force. These key positions, combined with his more than 40 years of legislative experience, make him a powerful influence on national and international energy policy. 

Senator Markey is the Senate co-author of the Green New Deal resolution with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 10-year mobilization to transform our economy and democracy, all while addressing climate change. It calls for a massive investment in 100-percent clean, renewable, zero-emitting energy; green transportation; and climate-resilient infrastructure, supporting the creation of millions of new jobs. Senator Markey also led the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act with Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, fighting in Congress to deliver support and funding for this landmark initiative. In 2023, the Biden administration launched the American Climate Corps based on this legislation. 

He has a long-standing record of energy legislative achievement and leadership. He is the principal House author of the 2007 fuel economy law, which was used by the Obama administration to increase fuel economy standards to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. He is the author of the Appliance Efficiency Act of 1987, which resulted in energy savings equivalent to stopping the construction of hundreds of coal-fired plants.   

In the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate and clean energy bill passed by any nation in history, Senator Markey championed the $20 billion funding for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a national climate bank network, based on his legislation. He secured $32.5 million for environmental justice mapping and screening tools to help deliver on the President’s Justice40 Initiative. Additionally, he passed his Offshore Wind American Manufacturing Act, legislation to create tax credits that will cultivate a robust domestic offshore wind supply chain and create good-paying American jobs.  

Senator Markey received his B.A. from Boston College and his J.D. from Boston College Law School. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve and two terms in the Massachusetts State House before being elected to Congress.