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Starting a productive, practical dialogue on climate   

The Indiana Climate Summit aims to start a dialogue on climate with the idea of agriculture as the solution.

Sarah Beth Aubrey is the CEO and founder of IN-climate, a membership group based of ag and energy professionals. She says the second annual is providing an opportunity for a productive and practical dialogue with these industries that focus around the topic of climate.

“Our major hope is that people come here, make new acquaintances that they didn’t know before, where they can help them build partnerships, a productive dialogue, learn something and really just begin to figure out how to step into sustainability in a way that makes sense for their organization,” she says.

They are covering the six pillars for agriculture climate conversations: carbon markets and carbon sequestration; sustainability and conservation; renewable energy and energy transition; advanced biofuels and renewable fuels; green finance and climate smart funding sources; and consumer pressures and public perception.

She says agriculture is playing a role in addressing climate challenges.

“It’s part of agriculture today. I’m leading this group now for two years, but I didn’t come into this two years ago thinking I’m ready to lead a climate group. I knew I was an agriculture advocate and that I’ve been in the ag industry my entire life, but that’s how most of us are in this room,” she says. “This is the topic that is coming to agriculture’s door. This is a topic that’s not leaving it’s expanding. There are opportunities and challenges and so it’s important that we take our seat at the table and discuss this and figure out our play in this broad topic of climate.”

The Indiana Climate Summit took place today in Danville, Indiana. It included welcoming remarks from Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb; a sustainability keynote presentation; as well as panel discussions on advanced renewable fuels, the carbon credit lifecycle; and conservation.

Click here for more information about IN-Climate.

Audio: Sarah Beth Aubrey