Fourth Annual Climate Summit
Stanford Redwood City Campus
October 9, 2025
Agenda
8 AM
Registration & Breakfast
9 AM
Highlights from a draft report on the first three years of the Climate Summit for San Mateo County, titled "Building Relationships and Knowledge for Community-Led Climate Resilience," will be presented. The report includes an analysis of participant experiences and the impact of the three summits. The presentation will be followed by facilitated discussion at tables on how we might increase and sustain the impact of the Climate Summit.
Welcome & Summits in Review
10:05 AM
Scaling & Sustaining Climate Resilience: A Cross-Sector Approach
This panel brings together a diverse array of stakeholders to examine how community power can be sustained by focusing on local climate resilience efforts. The discussion will center on why San Mateo County is well-positioned to be a leader in scalable solutions given its Bay Area location and proximity to technology and policy innovation.
11:05 AM
Break
11:20 AM
Equitable Partnerships for Community Planning
This session will highlight the groundbreaking community engagement process that guided East Palo Alto’s update of its General Plan to include a state-mandated Environmental Justice Element. Through a unique partnership between the City, Climate Resilient Communities, and local organizations, residents who are often excluded from civic processes shaped the policies and priorities that will affect their neighborhoods for the next eight years. The panel will explore how trust, time, and resources invested directly into community-based organizations created an equitable model for local planning. Participants will then engage in facilitating small-group discussions to reflect on the engagement challenges and opportunities within their own jurisdictions. Together, this workshop will demonstrate how government, nonprofits, and residents can collaborate to build lasting resilience rooted in environmental justice.
12:20 PM
Lunch & Sponsor Remarks
1:20 PM
Academic-CBO research partnerships are a powerful model for highlighting community concerns and advancing community-driven solutions. Rise South City will open the session with a brief presentation on our air quality research with Stanford and UC Davis, highlighting our partnership strategy and how community priorities shaped our work. Attendees will share live input through an interactive survey tool to highlight challenges and themes in sustaining academic-CBOs collaborations. Panelists will respond to audience input in a moderated discussion focused on aligning research goals with community needs and building long-term partnerships. Participants will leave with actionable insights and strategies to strengthen their own partnership efforts.
Partnering for Change: Building Long-Term Research Partnerships between CBOs and Academia
2:20 PM
Break
2:30 PM
From Data to Change: Community-Driven Approach to Water Equity
This interactive session explores how data can drive meaningful change in drinking water equity. Through a detailed case study of Nuestra Casa's work in East Palo Alto, participants will learn how to move beyond data collection to create tangible impact in their communities. The session features a diverse panel including community members, researchers, and government staff who will share insights on building effective partnerships between grassroots organizations and academic institutions. Attendees will discover practical strategies for using data to inform communities, advocate for policy changes, and sustain long-term organizing efforts. The second half focuses on scaling these approaches, with breakout discussions on adapting this model to other climate justice issues. This case study demonstrates the essential elements needed to transform community concerns into actionable solutions, making it valuable for organizers, researchers, and policymakers working at the intersection of environmental justice and community empowerment.