On Tuesday, Oct. 27^th the first Climatini Chicago event was held in The Library at 190 S. LaSalle.  Special thanks go to Chicago Climate Exchange for providing access to such a luxurious space and providing refreshments for the event. The intention of the event’s hosts was to bring people from across the climate business and policy spectrum together for a high-quality networking event.  By this measure it was a success, with nearly 100 people from the private and public sectors in attendance.  Executives from companies which produce alternative energy mingled with local government officials, several academic experts on climate issues were in attendance and it was clear that the growing business of climate finance has created new opportunities in traditional areas like legal services and marketing.

The mood was generally optimistic with regards to Congressional action on the pending climate legislation.  It was great to see so many business professionals taking a progressive attitude towards the climate and energy issues we face today.  One of the attendees commented on the importance of getting involved in the legislative process and hopefully organizations like the National Chamber of Commerce start to take notice that plenty of professionals do not support business-as-usual attitudes when it comes to energy security and the environment.

We hope that Climatini can be a regular forum that will promote greater cooperation and understanding between private business, government, academia and activists.  The initial event exceeded the expectations of the hosts; it could not have happened without the generosity of Chicago Climate Exchange and participation of the attendees.  We look forward to growing Climatini in the future and appreciate the participation of all those who attended this inaugural event.  The next Climatini event will be held in January 2010 so please stay tuned for more details.

We appreciate any feedback and comments on the event, if you were there please feel free to let us know what you thought!