Weekly Briefing: Marc Hafstead announced as Summer Conference Speaker

Jun. 10, 2026

We’re excited to announce that Marc Hafstead will join CCL’s 2026 Summer Conference & Lobby Day lineup as a featured speaker! 

Marc Hafstead is a fellow at Resources for the Future (RFF) and Director of RFF’s Carbon Pricing Initiative. He joined RFF in 2013 from Stanford University, where he received his PhD in 2011 and then spent two years as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.

Throughout his career, Hafsted has spent considerable time researching  the environmental and economic impacts of carbon taxes, cap-and-trade programs, clean energy standards, and gasoline taxes. At this year’s conference, he will offer his viewpoint on the state of carbon pricing in America and provide a preview of the joint upcoming educational series that our two organizations will be providing starting in the fall. 

This year, CCL has started to re-engage on the topic of carbon pricing. From the newly formed Carbon Pricing Action Team to the volunteer survey on carbon pricing released this spring, we’ve started to determine how we can advocate for this key policy in the current political landscape. We’re looking forward to hearing from Marc Hafstead, who brings a fresh perspective from our allies at Resources for the Future.

We previously announced Jigar Shah as our conference keynote. Shah will tee up a packed day of breakout sessions, Lobby Day preparation, and speakers you won’t want to miss — including Hafstead. 

Register now before the July 9 deadline. We’ll see you in D.C.! 🇺🇸

Register for the Conference

In other news this week:

• Sen. Boozman confirms commitment to FOFA: In a recent Senate Agricultural Committee hearing, Chairman Boozman (R-AR) confirmed his commitment to the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA) in his opening remarks. In his speech, he thanked the lead co-sponsors from each party as well as the members of Congress who have voted in favor of FOFA. He also pledged, in his role as chairman, to getting the bill across the finish line in the Senate and to the President’s desk to be signed into law. We’re excited to see this good news and commitment  to supporting FOFA on its journey. 
   
• CCL gains new governing board member: Tech company founder and longtime CCL volunteer Alison Holtzschue officially joined Citizens’ Climate Lobby governing board this month, bringing experience and energy that will support CCL’s success in the coming years.  Alison founded computers dot mom in 1998. She brings decades of experience in nonprofit volunteer fundraising and board service. Welcome Alison!
   
• June Monthly Meeting: Tune in this Saturday, June 13 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT for June’s Monthly Meeting, featuring guest speaker Tyson Bertone-Riggs of the Alliance for Wildfire Resilience. Bertone-Riggs has a diverse background in forest policy and conservation work and brings experience working for state and federal forestry agencies. Tune in to hear more about Tyson's background and CCL's forestry work.

Take action this week

If you have a little time: Share CCLers’ “first conference” memories. To celebrate the feeling of attending your first conference, we asked a few veteran CCLers to tell us about their first experience at a Summer Conference & Lobby Day. Their answers were heartwarming, funny, and relatable to anyone who has walked the halls of Congress for the very first time. Watch the video yourself, then share the link from CCL’s Facebook, X, or Bluesky pages to help us inspire someone new to join us in D.C. this year!

If you have more time: Conduct ‘Advocacy Detective’ work for summer lobbying. When we can talk to a Member of Congress in a way that connects with their worldview and resonates with their moral foundations, we get that much closer to the climate policy progress we want to see. That’s what the Advocacy Detective (BRIDGE Unit 2, Training 2) teaches. By exploring online resources, public polling and much more, you’ll create a “blueprint” of your Member of Congress, which will inform and support your lobby meetings in D.C. in July. Head to the Advocacy Detective training page for a deep dive into all of the resources and steps. 

Featured: CCL St. Joseph / Benton Harbor

Even though CCL’s focus is advancing federal climate action, there’s nothing like a local stewardship event to remind us what we’re working to protect.

This Earth Month, CCL’s St. Joseph / Benton Harbor chapter in Michigan helped clean up litter and did some tabling at the Sustain Ox Creek Clean Up and Earth Day event. 

“Ox Creek is a critical watershed that flows into Lake Michigan and is currently in phases to be cleaned and restored to maintain clean water for the environment and community,” explained Group Leader Angela Valha. “Along with volunteers from the community, we were able to clear litter and trash along the corridor of Ox Creek and several blocks surrounding Benton Harbor.”

Angela added, “Our chapter members are proud of the work we do on the federal level to support climate policy in Congress, but it’s so gratifying to be involved in local ‘boots on the ground’ community events like this that are a puzzle piece in the bigger picture of fighting climate change.”

Way to keep Michigan beautiful! 

Find photos of this chapter and other stories of CCL's 2026 Earth Month outreach in this blog post.

Upcoming trainings & events

To see other events and CCL trainings, visit the Live Events Calendar on CCL Community.