Aspen view

Highlights and images for 29 September 2022

Aspen, Colorado, United States of America

Attendees at the Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership

Attendees at the closing day of the Sixth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership

The Sixth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership convened for its third day to conduct elections for its Steering Committee, which met for the first time in the afternoon. Delegates took in the Hurst Lecture, organized by the Aspen Institute, on “Building Alliances for Resilient Mountains: Changing the Way We Think About Climate Change.” They then endorsed the Aspen Declaration and welcomed two new Goodwill Ambassadors for the Mountain Partnership.

The meeting ended with closing remarks from government and international representatives. Delegates were invited to attend excursions into the mountains in the afternoon and the following day.

Rosalaura and Livio

Livio Spadavecchia, Counselor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy, and Rosalaura Romeo, Mountain Partnership Secretariat, welcome delegates to the final day of the 6th Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership

Members of the Mountain Partnership elected members of the Steering Committee, selecting one government and one major group representative and in some cases alternates per each region. The Steering Committee met for the first time in the afternoon. 

Forum on climate change

Climate change panel

Aspen Institute Forum on climate change “Building alliances for resilient mountains”

Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President, Aspen Institute, moderated the forum on climate change that was organized by his organization. Jon Creyts, Chief Program and Strategy Officer, RMI, referred to the potential of alternative energy, including increased battery capabilities and electrification for both vehicles and buildings. He noted that united global action is required to achieve climate targets.

Lynne Kiesling, Co-Director, Denver Institute for Regulatory Law and Economics, University of Colorado, talked about transactive energy’s role in transforming the electric grid and pricing energy according to supply and demand. She emphasized the need to digitize, decarbonize, democratize, and decentralize energy and technology to empower communities' energy choices. Zenia Tata, former XPRIZE Chief Impact Officer, advocated for addressing massive problems in an exponential way through convergence of exponential technologies, use of artificial intelligence and data collection.

Nikki Pitre, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Center for Native American Youth, urged bringing Indigenous voices into conversations around energy and technology. She emphasized decolonizing approaches to addressing climate change, noting that approaches informed by Indigenous ways of knowing can dismantle the systems designed to oppress marginalized groups.

Appointment of Goodwill Ambassadors

Goodwill ambassadors

Sara Manuelli, Mountain Partnership Secretariat, Luis Benitez, new Mountain Partnership Goodwill Ambassador, Nikki Pitre, new Mountain Partnership Goodwill Ambassador, and Rosalaura Romeo, Mountain Partnership Secretariat

Jake Norton, Goodwill Ambassador Mountain Partnership, welcomed two new Goodwill Ambassadors: Nikki Pitre, member of the Coeur d’Alene tribe, recognized for her work with Indigenous youth and on inclusion of traditional knowledge; and Luis Benitez, established mountaineer and Vice President for Government Affairs and Global Impact, VF Corporation.

Closing of the meeting

Closing remarks at the 6th Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership

Closing remarks at the 6th Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership

Mayor of Aspen, Torre presented and delegates endorsed the Aspen Declaration. The meeting then heard closing remarks from government and international representatives.

Klaus Obermeyer, Sport Obermeyer, aged 102, attended to close the Sixth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership and was recognized for his contributions to the sport of skiing and for his design and engineering skills.

Klaus Obermeyer and Karinjo DeVore

Klaus Obermeyer, Founder, Sport Obermeyer, and Karinjo DeVore, President, Aspen International Mountain Foundation

 

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All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For the 6th Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership, please use: Photo by IISD/ENB | Matthew TenBruggencate.

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