Climate collaborators, innovators, and activists gathered in Seattle, Washington, at the first-ever Bloomberg Green Festival presented by Amazon. More than 4,500 people attended the event hosted by Bloomberg Live, which showcased several Climate Pledge signatories and other climate leaders across industries from around the world.

Discussions focused on the need for a collaborative approach to reduce global emissions; the urgency policymakers, governments, and corporations must have; and the optimism required to continue learning, innovating, and achieving key climate targets.

The overwhelming sentiment at the event was positive with a clear message that we must work together to come up with radical solutions to help combat global warming—and that innovation does not happen in a vacuum. Timely conversations at the festival ranged from the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on greens jobs to the decreasing cost of solar panels and wind turbines and a call for climate investment in the global south.

In attendance were artists, athletes, filmmakers, chefs, and entertainers using their platforms to support the climate movement. They brought an unwavering energy to the event, helping to connect the dots between corporate responsibility, government policy, and the 8 billion people who are affected by climate change across the globe.

Amazon presented a session from its Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst (with WNBA Legend Sue Bird!) as well as opening remarks by The Climate Pledge Director Sally Fouts. Other event participants included Alaska Airlines and Weyerhaeuser, both of which are signatories of The Climate Pledge. Here are some of the key highlights from their conversations, and other notable moments from the event:

Bloomberg Green Festival News and Insights

• Amazon announced it met its 100% renewable energy goal 7 years early. The company has also released proprietary decarbonization resources for all: the Amazon Sustainability Exchange. (Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer, Amazon)
• The Climate Pledge now has over 500 companies that have committed to measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, implementing decarbonization strategies, and neutralizing any remaining emissions with high-quality offsets. (Sally Fouts, Global Director, The Climate Pledge)
• The Inflation Reduction Act has injected $370 billion into the private sector, funded over 600 climate projects, and created nearly 300,000 jobs. (Gina McCarthy, First White House National Climate Advisor; Former U.S. EPA Administrator; Managing Co-Chair, America Is All In Coalition) Though it is the most consequential piece of legislation passed in this country, it is not resonating with people.
• As the U.S. healthcare system sees the effects of climate change on public health it is also trying to tackle its carbon footprint, which currently accounts for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. (Ali Santore, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, Providence)
• In 2023, Seattle adopted a Building Emissions Performance Standard to help reach carbon emissions goals. (Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, WA)
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a new market that needs to see better adoption and policy that incentivizes performance on carbon mitigation. (John Plaza, President & CEO of SkyNRG Americas)
• For every job lost in fossil fuels in China four and a half new jobs were created in the green sector. (Jim Coulter, Executive Chairman, TPG)
• Eighty percent of the world’s biodiversity is protected by indigenous people who only make up 5% of the world’s population. (Quannah ChasingHorse, Land Protector and Fashion Model)

Bloomberg Green Festival Highlights and Programming