The Stanford Energy Seminar has been a mainstay of energy engagement at Stanford for nearly 20 years and is one of the flagship programs of the Precourt Institute for Energy. We aim to bring a wide variety of perspectives to the Stanford community – academics, entrepreneurs, utilities, non-profits, and more. 

About the talk

Cities generate most of the world’s emissions—but they are also where many of the most innovative climate solutions are emerging. Drawing on her experience as Mayor of Oakland and her work with global networks of climate mayors, Libby Schaaf will discuss how cities shape energy demand through land use, buildings, and transportation, and why urban leadership is essential to a just energy transition and global sustainability. The talk will explore both the opportunities and the challenges cities face as they translate climate goals into real infrastructure and community change.
 

Libby Schaaf served as the 50th Mayor of Oakland, California from 2015 to 2022, where she led major initiatives to expand housing, reduce gun violence, and advance climate and sustainability policies. Under her leadership, Oakland became a national leader in clean energy, electric vehicle adoption, and port decarbonization while growing its green economy. Schaaf represented U.S. cities in global climate efforts, serving on U.S. delegations to United Nations convenings on climate and sustainable development and collaborating with international networks of city leaders. She currently teaches public policy, climate politics, and public-private partnerships at UC Berkeley and Northeastern University and serves as HUD’s appointee to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Bay Area Housing Finance Authority.

Anyone with an interest in energy is welcome to join! You can enjoy seminars in the following ways:

• Attend live. The auditorium may change quarter by quarter, so check each seminar event to confirm the location. Explore the current quarter's schedule.
• Watch live in a browser livestream if available. Check each seminar event for its unique livestream URL.
• Watch recordings of past seminars 
  • Available on the Past Energy Seminars page and the Energy Seminars playlist of the Stanford Energy YouTube channel
• (For students) Take the seminar as a 1-unit class (CEE 301/ENERGY 301/MS&E 494)

If you'd like to join the Stanford Energy Seminar mailing list to hear about upcoming talks, sign up here.