Webinar recording coming soon!
As part of the jointly-led Great Lakes Carbon Collaborative, the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) and the US Business Council for Sustainable Development (USBCSD), both partners of the WBCSD’s Global Network, hosted the next Great Lakes Carbon Collaborative Webinar on June 6, 2024 at 11:00 am ET (10:00 am CT). The Michigan Chamber of Commerce presented on the Michigan CCUS Coalition and the progress that is being made which could serve as a model for others.
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) involves methods and technologies to remove CO2, typically from large point sources, so it doesn’t enter the atmosphere. During this webinar, we heard about the CCUS landscape and some of the economic and environmental opportunities associated with it.
Mike Alaimo, Director, Environmental & Energy Affairs at the Michigan Chamber, says, “We have continued to make progress in pursuing legislation that would make Michigan a competitive regulatory environment for carbon capture and utilization projects”.
Companies committed to carbon reduction in their operations and strategizing how to reach net zero are encouraged to participate in the Carbon Collaborative. They can reach out through the Collaborative’s website or directly to CGLR or USBCSD for more information on how to engage in the initiative.
Speakers:
Mike Alaimo, Director of Environmental and Energy Affairs, Michigan Chamber of Commerce
As director of environmental and energy affairs, Mike leads all lobbying responsibilities regarding energy, environment, sustainability, along with infrastructure and transportation, issues. He also runs the Michigan Chamber’s Energy and Environment Policy Committee, along with several sub-committee groups including the Utility and Manufacturing Roundtables as well as task forces focused on mobility, sustainability and emerging technologies.
Prior to joining the Michigan Chamber, Mike worked in trade association advocacy, successfully growing a small clean energy trade group as their first executive director. In that time, he honed a strong skill set in the energy, environment and emerging technology spaces. Additionally, he spent 10 years working in various staff roles for lawmakers serving in the Michigan House of Representatives.
Troy Cumings, Partner, Warner Norcross & Judd
Gracefully navigating the intersection of law, policy and politics, Troy Cumings specializes in achieving solutions to complex and contentious government affairs issues. He has served as a primary advocate for some of the most polarizing and high-profile issues in Michigan over the past 10 years.
Troy is regarded as one of the lead proponents in the state on environmental policy, but has extensive experience with a myriad of other policy areas, including health care, child welfare, tax, economic incentives, labor, energy, mining, licensing, religious issues and banking. One of the top campaign-finance and election lawyers in the state, he regularly represents statewide candidates and ballot initiatives, local and state public officials, PACs, nonprofit entities and political parties.
Moderators:
Claude Griffin, Executive Director, US Business Council for Sustainable Development
Claude is the Executive Director of the US Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD), a globally recognized leader in sustainable development solutions, collaboration and innovation. Current platforms focus on decarbonization, equity, water/ecosystem synergies, and material reuse in support of a circular economy. Among his goals as executive director, Claude is expanding upon the US BCSD’s strong social equity foundation.
Claude served skillfully as a program director at the US BCSD for two years, following retirement from Shell in Houston. He has more than 40 years of program and project experience in commercial and government sectors, focused on energy, environmental restoration, conservation, and social investment. Before retiring from Shell, he served as External Relations Advisor for Social Investment Environmental Programs in the US. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina A&T State University.
Lora Shrake, Senior Program Director, Business and Sustainability, Council of the Great Lakes Region
Lora Shrake is the Senior Program Director, Business and Sustainability for the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR), where she is working with a growing network of business leaders to connect across sustainability issues and support the advancement of cross-sector solutions. Some of the programmatic areas include circular economy, water stewardship, and climate change and decarbonization. She also facilitates CGLR’s monthly business and sustainability webinar series, providing a platform for knowledge sharing and amplifying regional best practice.
Lora’s career experience spans across non-profit operations, environmental program management, stakeholder engagement, strategy, and research. Prior to joining CGLR, Lora led a national green building council in the United Arab Emirates where she oversaw all aspects of the organization’s cross-functional development, including its impact and reach.
About the Michigan Chamber of Commerce:
The Michigan Chamber of Commerce is a statewide business organization representing over 5,000 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce. The Michigan Chamber represents businesses of every size and type in all 83 counties of the state. The Michigan Chamber was established in 1959 to be an advocate for Michigan’s job providers in the legislative, political and legal processes. It is one of only six state chambers of commerce in the nation accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and one of only four state chambers accredited with distinction. The Michigan Chamber has been voted the most effective membership lobbying in Lansing for the last 16 years running.
