2026-2027 and 2027-2028 Sustainability Speaker Series Proposal Prepared by the Sustainability Commission
March 2026
This
year’s Sustainability Speaker Series will pivot to a range of interactive, in-person events to increase community engagement.
The to
pics proposed in Table 1 below are relevant to residents and businesses in Sunnyvale and are meant to both educate and motivate action. The Sustainability Commission Subcommittee has proposed topics for ranking in the following table. The table also lists potential event titles, speakers, and a brief description of the topics to be covered.
COST
S
The first five years of the Sustainability Speaker Series were funded through a project’s budget, set up specifically for the series. From Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/22 forward, the Sustainability Speaker Series is funded through the operating budget for Environmental Sustainability Program in the Environmental Services Department. Costs for the series vary depending on whether the series is held virtually or in person. It remains to be determined if these events will be held in a virtual or in-person setting which could result in differences in how the budget is spent. Typical costs incurred for in-person events include fees for travel costs, refreshments and staff time for set up and take down of event space. Virtual events accrue costs from staff time and speaker fees. Publicity and advertising costs are incurred regardless of setting.
Attachment 2
Table 1: Proposed Events and Topics
Commission
Rank
Topic Event Type Target Audience Description
Sustainability and
Climate Messaging
Workshop Climate-interested folks
and media-interested
creators
This workshop would address the lack of positive,
motivating climate and sustainability oriented stories in media (fiction, nonfiction, comedy, drama). Attendees
should span those with sustainability stories to tell, and people who like to tell stories. Whether you're starting a community group to speak to city council about an issue you care about, or are an (aspiring) podcaster or youtuber who wants to do some meaningful influencing, this event will help participants learn which messaging works, so we can all work towards a more broad awareness of
sustainability.
Waste Reduction Fair Community-wide,
general public
This fair will highlight how adopting a circular mindset can turn discarded materials into useful resources through
reuse, repair, repurposing, and recycling. Featuring booths on upcycling, clothing and material swaps, repair cafés, composting, reusable alternatives, and more, the event
will educate residents on practical ways to reduce waste, support local zero-waste businesses, and save money.
Resilience Hubs Workshop Existing community
(neighborhood, affinity)
groups, individuals
looking to connect
Resilience hubs are community centers and sites which are specifically prepared to help after an emergency or natural disaster, and are specifically called out in Sunnyvale's CAP Move 6.F. In this workshop, community members would
come prepared to work through how to use their existing resources and infrastructure to further promote climate and community resiliency in climate-induced hardships
(heat waves, AQ events, floods) and its intersections with those working on other challenges (e.g. housing or
financial insecurity groups, mutual aid networks). It would also be an opportunity to network with others in the
community and with city staff to work through the most
effective ways to implement resilience hubs and other
resilience measures.
Attachment 2
Commission
Rank
Topic Event Type Target Audience Description
Cross-generational
Climate Roundtable
Discussion
Roundtable
Youth groups,
concerned elders, and
anyone in between
This roundtable will focus on building cross-generational climate partnerships by bringing together youth, elders, city staff, and community members to collaborate on
climate advocacy. Participants will explore shared
priorities, exchange lessons learned, and identify
opportunities for joint action, drawing on the strengths and perspectives of different age groups. By connecting organizations that mobilize both younger and older
climate leaders, the session aims to strengthen long-term collaboration and support more effective, inclusive climate action.
Food Fair Fair Community-wide,
general public
This community fair will focus on how our food choices
impact the climate and how residents and businesses can adopt more sustainable practices. Through interactive
stations, cooking demonstrations, and activities for all ages, attendees will learn about sustainable cooking, food waste reduction, composting, community gardening, and
reusable foodware programs. The event could also
highlight local chefs, cooking demonstrations, and
resources for restaurants and residents to help build a more sustainable food system in Sunnyvale.
All About Plastic Fair Community-wide,
general public
This fair will focus on raising awareness about the
environmental and health impacts of plastic and exploring practical ways to reduce plastic use. Through interactive booths, youth-led demonstrations, and a keynote on
current and emerging plastic reduction policies in
California, attendees will learn about alternatives to
single-use plastics. The event could also feature a fashion show highlighting clothing made from natural fibers while educating participants about the impacts of synthetic
fabrics and microplastics.
Attachment 2
SCHEDULING
Up to three events over a two-year period, coordinated by staff in consideration of speaker availability, staff time, budget, venue, and other City events.
VENUE
Since January 2020, events have been held in a virtual online format. While this approach was initially successful, attendance has recently declined. As a result, reintroducing in-person events, which were the primary format prior to 2020, is the proposed venue format of the FY 2026/27 and 27/28 series. Staff will prioritize hosting events in person events when presentations include hands- on components or demonstrations. The in-person events can be held in the Bay Conference Room (Room 145) at City Hall, (the first choice of venues because it allows for live broadcast on K-SUN TV as well as recording for later viewing). Other venues including the Sunnyvale Community Theater (capacity 200) and the Community Center Ballroom (capacity 300) are considered when a larger audience is expected. Refreshments will be provided at in-person events with a zero-waste goal.
PUBLICITY
The promotion and marketing of events will be similar to past series. It will include social media, email blasts, Sunnyvale Sun ads, and flyers posted at community businesses. With longer advance notice, the event notices could be printed in the Horizon. Additional avenues for outreach to local schools, colleges and universities as well as the business/tech community should also be used.
VIDEO RECORDINGS
Each event will be videotaped and made available on the Community TV channel as well as on the City’s Sustainability website. If the venue is other than online or City Hall, some funding and coordination is needed for video recording services. If a particular speaker does not allow recording/posting of their talk, or the venue or logistics of the hands-on activities do not allow for recording, a summary of the key points will be written and posted online.
COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
Evaluation surveys will be administered, as done in past series, to collect feedback from attendees on the event experience, identify improvements, and gather suggestions for future topics and speakers.
HISTORY
For context, Table 2. below summarizes the history of prior Sustainability Speaker’s Series events.
The 2018-2019 series marks the shift between calendar year and fiscal year planning to align with Sunnyvale’s budgeting fiscal year.
Attachment 2
Table 2: Sustainability Speaker Series Event History since inception
Series
Year
Title Speaker Date General Topic
2017
Electrifying! Beyond Fossil
Fuels in Homes and
Businesses
Pierre Delforge May 31, 2017 Buildings
Electrifying Our
Transportation System
Rod Diridon, Sr. Aug. 2, 2017 Transportation
Zero Waste Home Bea Johnson Aug. 30, 2017 Waste
2018
Drawdown: 100
Substantive Solutions to
Global Warming
Chad Frischmann Jan. 31, 2018 Climate
Solutions
Hidden in Plain Bite Katie Cantrell May 16, 2018 Food
The Power of Stuff Annie Leonard Sept. 26. 2018 Consumption of Resources
Home Energy: Taking
Charge! Panel Discussion
Tom Kabat,
Doug Kunz,
Dave Edwards,
Steve Schmidt,
Marianna
Grossman
Oct. 25, 2018 Home Energy
2019
(added
to
2018
series)
Climate, Energy & Food: A
Recipe for Action
Dr. Eugene
Cordero
May 22, 2019 Carbon
Footprint
FY
2019-
2020
Electric Cars Demystified Jane Rosten,
Marc Geller,
Jim Barbera
Nov. 9, 2019 EV
Transportation
California's Rise to Water
Resilience: What will it
take?
Felicia Marcus Jan. 29, 2020 Water
Less Traffic, Better Places:
How do we get there?
Patrick Siegman Mar. 11, 2020 Transportation
FY
2020-
2021
California’s Equitable
Carbon Neutral Future
Jarod Blumenfeld
Secretary of
California EPA
Dec. 3, 2020 Adaptation and
CA Climate
Policy
Sustainability goes to
School
Nik Kaestner,
Director of
Sustainability at
San Francisco
Jan. 30, 2021 Decarbonizing
Buildings
Attachment 2
Unified School
District
What Moves You - Active,
Shared and Electric
Transportation
Terra Curtis &
Meghan Weir
Principals at
Nelson/Nygaard
March 17, 2021 Decarbonizing
Transportation
Recycling – Beyond the
Triangle
Mark Bowers
Former
Sunnyvale Solid
Waste Programs
Division Manager
May 19, 2021 Managing
Resources
Sustainably
FY
2021-
2022
This Old Zero-Emission
House: Climate Retrofits
on a Limited Budget
Sean Armstrong,
Zero Net Energy
Designer and
Managing
Principal,
Redwood Energy
February 2, 2022 Decarbonizing
Buildings
The Emissions that You
Purchase: Reducing Your
Carbon Footprint
Chris Jones,
Director of
CoolClimate
Network, UC
Berkeley
March 16, 2022 Consumption-
based
emissions
A Changing Climate:
Through the Lens of Equity
and Resiliency
Violet Saena,
Founder &
Executive
Director, Climate
Resilient
Communities
June 8, 2022 Climate Change
and Health
FY
2022-
2023
Sustainable Food
Gardening in Our Own
Backyards
Trinity Tomsic December 14,
2022
Food
Farm to Table: Busting the
Myths of our Food System
Dr. Sarah Taber January 25, 2023 Food
An Electric Dinner Party:
Induction Cooking
Chef Rachelle
Boucher
May 30, 2023 Decarbonizing
Buildings
FY
2023-
2024
Drought, Atmospheric
Rivers and Floods, Oh My!
Christine Shields
Erik Porse
January 24, 2024 Water
Microplastics? Macro
Problems
Dr. Imari Walker-
Franklin
February 7, 2024 Water
Make Every Drop Count:
Grey Water Reuse
Shreya
Ramachandran
April 17, 2024 Water
Restoring Wetlands for
Climate Resilience
Christina Toms &
Judy Nam
January 29, 2025 Water
Attachment 2
FY
2024-
2025
Waves of Change: Ensuring
Equity in Coastal Access
Seraph White March 19, 2025 Water
Cleaner Stormwater,
Cleaner Bay
Joshua Quigley June 18, 2025 Water
FY
2025-
2026
United for Disability and
Climate Justice
Daphne Frias October 27, 2025 Climate Justice
and Equity
The Buzz on Multifamily
Electrification
Nick Dirr January 21, 2026 Building
Electrification
SMaRT Steps Towards Zero
Waste
Jeff Dobert March 18, 2026 Managing
Resources
Sustainably
Attachment 2