While San Diego Climate Week events may be taking place within San Diego county lines, building regional resilience to the impacts of a shifting climate is inherently cross-border. Learn more about how neighbors in San Diego and Baja collaborate at the intersections of climate science, public health, and justice.
What is Binational Climate Action?
For decades, residents of our San Diego/Tijuana border region have been working together to protect the ecosystems, biodiversity, and health of our binational community. This includes partnerships between governments, scientists, artists, and nonprofit organizations.
Across the 80+ events taking place during October’s inaugural SD Climate Week, many will be showcasing our unique model of cross-border climate action. Take a closer look at what’s coming up:
Four Binational SDCW Events You Won’t Want to Miss
San Diego Climate Week Anchor Event | Exploring Ecosystems and Water Pollution
Tijuana River National Estuarine Reserve
The 2,500 acre Tijuana Estuary is the largest remaining natural coastal wetland in Southern California, a place that holds deep cultural significance for Indigenous communities, and is home to over 370 bird species. Despite its importance, the watershed and adjacent coastline are also experiencing enormous impacts of water pollution– endangering the health of communities on both sides of the border and threatening loss of biodiversity.
This event will bring together leaders across three nations– Kumeyaay Nation, Mexico, and the U.S. – to address the challenges and opportunities for a healthy, thriving coastal region. Speakers include: Daniela Coronado Medrano, Director of Environmental Policy & Climate Change for the state government of Baja California; Paloma Aguirre, District 1 Supervisor for the County of San Diego; Yamilett Carrillo Guerrero, Associate Director of the Binational Resilience Initiative at San Diego Foundation; Michael Conolly-Misquish, Campo, Kumeyaay Nation; Mark West, Chapter Director at the Sierra Club; Patrick McDonough, SD Coastkeeper. Moderator: Serge Dedina, Founder and Executive Director, WILDCOAST/COSTASALVAJE.
The Blue Carbon Collaborative | Symposium“Blue Carbon in Action: From Policy to Practice”/Simposio de la Red Colaborativa de Carbono Azul
La Jolla
A collaborative co-led by WILDCOAST and Coastal Quest, the Blue Carbon Collaborative is a network of organizations and individuals representing science, technology, and policy with a common goal to identify gaps and standardize practices surrounding blue carbon conservation, research, policy and resources.
The Oct. 8th Symposium, “Blue Carbon in Action: From Policy to Practice”, will provide an opportunity to engage with diverse participants including policymakers, scientists, restoration practitioners, and community leaders from the San Diego/Baja region and across Latin America to discuss blue carbon markets, coastal ecosystems sequestration, and more.
Climate Collective San Diego | Climate Startup Ecosystem & Founder Q&A
Downtown San Diego
Climate Collective SD (CCSD) is a local community organization that hosts monthly networking and educational events to foster dialogue between all sides of the climate sector– from climate tech founders to grassroots advocacy organizations. Their Climate Week event, “Climate Startup Ecosystem & Founder Q+A” will shine a spotlight on innovative founders transforming their ideas into real-world solutions to climate challenges. Tijuana-based Bertram Peterson, founder of Libra Energía, looks forward to elaborating on the ties between these startup ecosystems,
“Baja and Southern California share the same watersheds, the same atmosphere, and even the same transmission lines, leading to a multitude of areas for collaboration. Thinking about climate resilience through this framework allows us to build systems-level solutions that build upon the strength of our unique border region.” – Bertram Peterson, Founder, Libra Energía
Un Mar De Colores | Joy As Resistance
Barrio Logan
A nonprofit building a more equitable coastal community and nurturing the next generation of environmental leaders, Un Mar De Colores delivers the Generación SEA Binational Climate Academy in partnership with Baja-based Kilometro Uno. The program engages youth 15-18 in the San Diego/Tijuana region in climate science education, builds environmental leadership skills, and fosters cross-border learning.
During SD Climate Week, Un Mar De Colores will partner with Future is Color to host “Joy As Resistance: An Interactive Poetry Experience”, an event celebrating community resilience in the face of ecological harm. The night will weave together culture, live music, and poetry readings to reflect on the ways art, personal expression, and joy are powerful forms of resistance and activism.
Discover 80+ San Diego Week Events
Explore the full line-up of events– from green finance workshops to community hikes– on the Official San Diego Climate Week Calendar.