The CCL Fall Virtual Conference
Grassroots Rising: Leveling Up in the Climate Fight
CCL's Fall Virtual Conference
November 4-5, 2023
Online

Conference Overview
Don’t miss visionary social entrepreneur, CNN commentator, and author, Van Jones at this virtual conference focused on growing our grassroots movement. Whether you’ve been a climate advocate for four days or 40 years, you’ll learn fresh ideas and tips for how to make change happen in your community and with your members of Congress.
Virtual Action Team Fair & Reception
Join us Friday, Nov. 3rd for our CCL Action Team Fair and reception. Meet with Action Team members to learn more about their projects, and ask questions. Attend our reception to socialize and party with fellow conference goers before we officially kick off the conference Saturday, Nov. 4th.
Attend a Sunday Seminar
Sunday Seminars take our attendees deeper into material than the main conference breakouts. Seminars range from 1.5 – 2.5 hours starting at 1 p.m. ET /10 a.m. PT on Sunday, Nov. 5th. See the FAQ below for more details and Seminar choices
Featured Speakers

Van Jones
CNN Commentator, Author and Social Entrepreneur

Dr. Danny Richter
Founder, Richter Capitol Hill Strategies
Program
Friday, November 3, 2023
Visit participating CCL Action Teams to chat with Team members, learn about their mission and projects. Find the list of CCL Action Teams on CCL Community: cclusa.org/action-teams.
Let’s get excited and have a chance to connect with fellow attendees before we kick off the conference, and we’ll review some helpful logistics to get you ready for the conference on Saturday!
Saturday, November 4, 2023
Be part of CCL’s biggest Informational Session! Great for folks who are just getting started or want to learn more, join this session to hear about CCL’s methods and mission, and how you can make a difference in creating the political will for legislation that will put us on the path to reduce the emissions that are changing our climate. Then stick around for the conference kickoff at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT!

Drew Eyerly
Conservative Outreach Director, CCL/CCE

Elli Sparks
Senior Director of Programs, CCL/CCE

Mark Reynolds
Executive Director, CCL/CCE

Van Jones
CNN Commentator, Author and Social Entrepreneur

Dana Nuccitelli
Research Coordinator, CCL/CCE

Ben Pendergrass
VP of Government Affairs, CCL/CCE

Jennifer Tyler
Sr. Director of Government Affairs, CCL/CCE

Dr. Danny Richter
Founder, Richter Capitol Hill Strategies
Sunday, November 5, 2023
Sunday Seminars take attendees deeper into material than the main conference breakouts. Seminars range in length from 1.5-2.5 hours.
This workshop will help newer volunteers (and seasoned volunteers who want a refresher) understand CCL's method and vision and inspire you to find your role so you can hit the ground running. You’ll even have a chance to participate in a mock lobby meeting so you are well prepared for Lobby Week (if you are participating). In this interactive workshop you will: Learn the basics of becoming an effective climate advocate through review of the CCL’s structure, mission, purpose and methodology of creating political will Practice how to appeal to the best in others and build common ground Review CCL's legislative strategy and an initial overview of the climate solutions we support Learn how to build constructive relationships with elected representatives and practice our lobbying methods
Led by Dana Nuccitelli, CCL Research Coordinator and Kristin Eberhard, Director of State and Local Policy for Rewiring America. (details coming soon)
Led by John Sabin, CCL Great Lakes Regional Coordinator (details coming soon)
More details coming soon
Frequently Asked Questions
Registration
Who is invited to attend the Fall virtual conference?
Everyone is invited to participate. There are many ways to contribute to the success of CCL’s mission, and we encourage those who are able to join us for this year’s Fall virtual conference.
How do I register?
You can register above, or go to our Eventbrite registration page.
Is there a registration fee?
No, this is a free event. If you would like to support our work, including the virtual conference in December, you can make a donation to either Citizens’ Climate Lobby our 501(c)(4) [not tax-deductible] or Citizens’ Climate Education our 501(c)(3) [tax deductible] on our website or make an additional donation to Citizens’ Climate Education our 501(c)(3) [tax deductible] when you complete your registration.
What should I do if I need to cancel?
Although this is a free virtual event and we plan to have space for all, we would like to have an accurate count of attendees. If you need to cancel, contact us as soon as possible by email.
Am I required to attend the conference if I plan to lobby during the fall?
You are not required to attend the conference on November 4-5 in order to lobby, but participating in the conference may help you with your lobbying and outreach efforts. You can find out more about training for the Lobby Days (which are separate from this conference) on the Preparing For Fall Conference & Lobby Week CCL Community training page.
Does my registration for the conference include the virtual lobby days?
No, it doesn’t include our lobby days. The process for forming lobby teams varies from district to district. Contact your local chapter leader, congressional liaison, or regional or state coordinator to find out the local process and availability of slots on the team, and let them know your interest in participating. All meeting team assignments, meeting plans and practice meetings for this Fall will be handled locally, similar to in-district meetings. Schedules will not be sent out by CCL Headquarters. We encourage lobby meetings to be scheduled the week of November 6-10.
Program & Agenda
Where can I find the conference schedule?
We’ll be making updates to the program as we get closer to the virtual conference, so be sure to check back for the most up-to-date agenda. The program will include session titles, descriptions, and speakers. You do not have to sign up for specific sessions (**with one exception: Climate Advocate Training on Sunday, Nov. 5th requires separate registration. See more details in the Sunday Seminars FAQ**), you can log in to whichever session you choose the day of the conference. Video conferencing information will be made available the day of the conference. You can check back on the program page to find the access information closer to the event date.
What are the Sunday Seminars?
Our Sunday Seminars vary in length from 1.5 – 2.5 hours, taking our volunteers deeper into material than a standard conference breakout. All Seminars begin at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on Nov. 5th. Attendees can choose one of four topics. Three of the four seminars you can choose the day of/no pre-registration required, although you will be asked during registration so we can gauge the interest in each. The exception is the Climate Advocate Training Workshop which requires a separate registration.
1. Climate Advocate Training Workshop (2.5 hours)
Important note: Climate Advocate Training Requires an extra registration step: please register for this workshop here, and choose the Nov. 5th, 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT option in the dropdown.
This workshop will help newer volunteers (and seasoned volunteers who want a refresher) understand CCL’s method and vision and inspire you to find your role so you can hit the ground running. You’ll even have a chance to participate in a mock lobby meeting so you are well prepared for virtual lobby week (if you are participating). In this interactive workshop you will:
- Learn the basics of becoming an effective climate advocate through review of the CCL’s structure, mission, purpose and methodology of creating political will
- Practice how to appeal to the best in others and build common ground
- Review CCL’s legislative strategy and an initial overview of the climate solutions we support
- Learn how to build constructive relationships with elected representatives and practice our lobbying methods
To join on Nov. 5th click the personalized link that Zoom sent to your email when you register. If you don’t register before 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on Nov. 5th, you won’t be able to access the webinar but can see the recording posted afterward here.
2. Putting the Inflation Reduction Act into Action (1.5 hours). Led by Dana Nuccitelli, CCL Research Coordinator and Kristin Eberhard, Director of State and Local Policy for Rewiring America (more details coming soon).
3. Motivational Interviewing for Climate Advocacy: a Deeper Dive (2 hours). Led by John Sabin, CCL Great Lakes Regional Coordinator (more details coming soon).
4. Improving Lives through Innovative Climate Cooperation (more details coming soon)
Technology
How do I connect to the virtual conference?
We’ll be using Zoom for this conference. For the best experience on Zoom, be sure to update your Zoom app to the latest version. We’ll be sending reminder emails in the week leading up to the conference with more details on how to access each session.
Getting Help in Zoom
If you have any issues connecting to Zoom or experience audio or video problems, visit the Zoom Support Help Center.
Video conference etiquette & tips:
- We suggest you use earbuds or headphones rather than your computer speakers & mic for better sound quality and reduced feedback.
- Please mute your mic when you are not speaking. All conference sessions will mute participants upon entry.
- If you have unstable internet, try to turn your video off and close all internet browsers and windows on your computer.
- Plan to restart your computer before the event begins.
Conference sessions descriptions can be viewed on the conference website (in the program section higher on this page). You can see the session titles, times, descriptions, and speaker names. On the day of the conference, Zoom connection information will be available. We recommend you keep the Program page open in your web browser so you can refer back to it, and easily switch sessions through the conference.
Click the “Join via Zoom” button next to the session you’d like to join. Zoom will open in your web browser, and give you the option to open the meeting in your Zoom Application if you have it downloaded.
Once you are in a meeting, to join a different session, you will have to leave the Zoom meeting you are currently in, and then click another “Join via Zoom” button from the program for the session you want to switch to.
If you are joining by phone, find your local number to dial: https://citizensclimate.zoom.us/u/adtOOuWWAo, or, U.S. Toll-free 1-877-369-0926 or 1-855-880-1246. Each session’s Zoom Meeting ID will be available in the program section above which you can enter when prompted on the phone.
What if I have technical issues participating virtually?
To improve audio/video quality, close all applications and other browser windows. You can read this support topic to learn how to turn on closed captions. If you have problems connecting, please contact our video and audio conference provider’s support site.
How do I find the video conference login information for each session?
You can check back on this conference website (scroll up on this page) the day of the conference to find the video conference access for each session.
All conference sessions can be viewed on the conference webpage. You can see the session titles, times, descriptions, and speaker names. On the day of the conference, Zoom connection information will be available. We recommend you keep the conference webpage open in your web browser so you can refer back to it, and easily switch sessions through the conference.
Click the Join via Zoom button next to the session you’d like to join. Zoom will open in your web browser, and give you the option to open the meeting in your Zoom Application if you have it downloaded.
During the breakout session time, there will be up to five breakout sessions happening concurrently on separate conference lines. You will have to Leave the Meeting you are currently in to exit one session, and then rejoin the meeting you desire by clicking the Join via Zoom button from the program section for the session you want to switch to.