Amy Christensen
Showing 1–7 of 7 transcripts.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
The New Climate Reality: Financing for Adaptation, Resilience, and Recovery | Global Conference 2024
Aimée Christensen, Gillian Caldwell, Jeff Goodell, Ekhosuehi Iyahen, Stacey Swann, Amy Christensen
Addressing the critical $3 trillion to $5 trillion annual financing gap for climate resilience, the event highlighted strategic efforts by USAID, the Insurance Development Forum, and 21 global foundations to leverage public capital in de-risking private investment. Speakers detailed innovative mechanisms such as BlackRock's new infrastructure fund, parametric insurance tools, and the IRA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to overcome pipeline challenges and the protection gap in emerging markets. The proceedings further underscored the economic viability of adaptation through evidence of a median $9 return per $1 spent while exposing contradictions in the $7 trillion in global fossil fuel subsidies and rising litigation against the sector.
- Milken Institute58 min
Aligning Endowment Investments with Philanthropic Mission
Kerry Kennedy, Kim Lew, Brian O'Neil, Mark Suzman, Darren Walker, Shawn Wischmeier, Carrie Kennedy, Frank, Nelson, Daniel, Amy Christensen
Carrie Kennedy moderated a panel of foundation leaders, including Darren Walker of the Ford Foundation and Mark Sussman of the Gates Foundation, who detailed their strategies for aligning endowment capital with social missions through mission-related investments, program-related investments, and strict ethical screens. The discussion highlighted a divergence in approaches, with the Ford Foundation committing $1 billion to double-bottom-line strategies while Carnegie Corporation maintains a "do no harm" stance, though all participants agreed that integrating mission goals is financially viable and critical for institutional relevance. By addressing systemic biases through diversity initiatives and leveraging capital to build investment infrastructure, these organizations aim to transform the traditional fiduciary model to ensure endowments actively advance their charitable objectives rather than merely preserving wealth.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Solutions to Climate Change: A 10-Year Game Plan
Andrew Revkin, Noah Diffenbaugh, Bob Inglis, Qi Ye, Diane Regas, Pete Trelenberg, Andy Revkin, Carolyn Jungermann, Paul Telles, Amy Christensen
A comprehensive panel analysis spanning thirty years of climate data identifies the urgent need to double global energy supply while decarbonizing systems to meet Paris Agreement goals and accommodate three billion new middle-class consumers. Experts from government, industry, and research institutions converged on a multi-stakeholder strategy favoring market-based carbon pricing, expanded clean energy investment, and the prioritization of adaptation alongside mitigation. The discussion highlighted critical geopolitical dynamics, noting China's aggressive clean energy deployment and the necessity of bipartisan support for basic science to address the intersection of climate change, economic development, and national security.
- Milken Institute58 min
The Climate Change Agreement: What's Next?
Aimée Christensen, Richard Friend, Hua Jingdong, Fred Krupp, Franklin Orr, Amy Christensen
Building on the Paris Agreement's global framework, 195 nations have committed to Nationally Determined Contributions while specific initiatives like Mission Innovation and the Breakthrough Energy Coalition mobilize 28 investors and 20 governments to double energy R&D funding. Despite these financial mechanisms and a 50% drop in renewable energy costs, current trajectories still project a 2.7°C temperature rise, necessitating an additional $770 billion in annual capital to bridge the gap toward carbon neutrality by 2050. Success now hinges on dismantling regulatory barriers, expanding carbon pricing markets, and addressing the social risks that could push 100 million more people into poverty without targeted climate resilience strategies.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
Saving the World From Us: Strategies for Conservation
Amy Christensen, Catherine Bigelow, Greg, David Vonderman, Tom, Philippe Cousteau
Experts warn that wild elephants face extinction within four to eleven years as poaching networks fund terrorist organizations through a $1 billion illicit ivory economy. To counter these vertically integrated criminal enterprises, conservationists are deploying military-grade tactics such as armed rangers and helicopters, while simultaneously targeting demand markets in China and New York through stricter laws and cultural shifts. Strategic divergences persist regarding the use of aggressive enforcement versus traditional NGO approaches, yet there is a consensus that immediate, security-focused interventions are essential to protect apex predators and the ecosystems they sustain.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
The Economic Implications of Climate Change
Susan Goldburg, Gérard Araud, Amy Christensen, John Cochran, Mark Tercik, John Holdren, Peter Passell, Matt Boghossian, Lawrence Bender, Mark Scotland, Michael Sterling
A diverse panel of policymakers, business leaders, and diplomats established a consensus that a uniform, revenue-neutral carbon price is the most efficient mechanism for global climate mitigation, surpassing current command-and-control regulations in promoting decentralized innovation. This framework aims to accelerate the transition to clean energy while managing security risks, with specific proposals suggesting a tax trajectory starting at $16 per ton to fund an 80% emissions reduction by 2050. The strategy leverages historical U.S.-China alignment and corporate commitments to drive the upcoming Paris Conference, emphasizing that economic incentives must be paired with nature-based adaptation and diplomatic flexibility to accommodate sovereign differences.
- Milken Institute58 min
Power Shifts in Global Energy
John Raymond, Josh Harris, Pierre Breber, Karen Harbert, Bernd Fischer, Amy Christensen
Panelists analyzed a global oil market oversupplied by 2 million barrels per day, projecting a one-to-two-year recovery to a $65–$70 price range driven by declining U.S. shale rig counts and shifting geopolitical dynamics. Investment strategies are pivoting toward cost-efficient Permian assets and midstream infrastructure while avoiding service sector risks, as the energy sector's share of high-yield debt has surged to 18%. Concurrently, the summary highlights a historic shift in global power centered on North America, where lower prices have spurred petrochemical growth and manufacturing relocation while reducing the fiscal stability of petrodollar-dependent regimes.