Morgan Caplan
Senior Communications Manager
Greg Gershuny, co-lead for Aspen Ideas: Climate, is focused on redefining the climate conference into a tool for implementation. By bringing together a wide range of industry voices—from global CEOs to inventors—Gershuny is helping build a blueprint that moves beyond talk to the actual work of modernizing the electric grid and securing our water future.
1. What conversations are you most excited about at Aspen Ideas: Climate?
As we’ve done over the first four years, and will continue this summer, we are focused on solutions to the climate and energy challenges and how we can move toward progress. Our four core pillars are infrastructure, adaptation, health, and trust, and how they intersect with innovation, economic opportunity, and technology.
A few of the areas that are most exciting are finding solutions to dig into the future of the electric grid, especially with so much demand growth and the urgent need for new clean energy sources.
I’m also really looking forward to discussions about water policy, in particular the issues facing the Great Lakes states as well as the Colorado River. Lastly, every year our most engaging and impactful sessions are about messaging and communications, which shows just how critical it is not only to have solutions, but how to connect people to them in meaningful ways.
2. How did you decide on Chicago? Why is the Midwest important to the climate conversation?
After three years successfully hosting this event in Miami, we were looking for a region and a city where we could build on the good work already happening and constructively add value to the community. What ultimately drew us to Chicago, and the Midwest more broadly, was that they are actively building, investing, and thinking deeply about their future and the climate solutions needed to adjust to that future. And more than that, it’s a region not just talking about the energy transition but forging it.
3. The climate movement has plenty of conferences, summits, panels and plenary sessions. What sets Aspen apart?
The last thing I want to spend my time on is one more conference on a heap of conferences. What we believe sets Aspen Ideas: Climate apart stems from our mission: to help people, organizations, and governments take greater action on the climate and energy challenges of our time. To do that, we bring together people from a wide range of sectors, corporate, government, non-profit, and also from a variety of roles and levels, including everyone from elected officials and CEO’s to inventors who work in their garage to students.
The thing all of these folks have in common is that they show up with open minds and ready to listen and learn, and we hope to equip them with new ideas and a newfound sense of energy. AIC’s success depends fundamentally on the strong regional backbone we develop in preparation for the convening. Building from our partner, the Chicago Climate Corps, and our academic thought partner University of Chicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth, to the regional leaders on the steering committee. Their work ensures that the conversations at AIC don’t happen within the context of what’s already happening across the Midwest and help to bring in key players who will help implement these solutions.
But what ultimately sets AIC apart is our belief that there is no single answer to solving climate change. We want to lay out a wide mix of ideas, technologies, policies, and perspectives, because real progress comes from how those pieces connect.
4. What is something about you that would surprise people?
When I’m not working on energy and climate change, I play guitar in my band Unexpected Wave. It’s a really nice creative outlet and I have a lot of fun doing it!
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