GEE-21 Events
For key discussions on climate, energy, and sustainability. GEE-21 hosts and participates in events that bring together experts, policymakers, and scholars to explore meaningful action on global environmental challenges.
April 2026: Third Annual Toufiq Siddiqi Memorial Lecture
“Climate Reflections” featured Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, a climate change activist, poet, and performer of Marshallese ancestry. Her creative practice explores her culture’s rich storytelling and how they intersect and dialogue with evolving issues threatening our islands and community. Her focus has been on the impacts of climate change and the legacy of U.S. nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands. She shares these explorations through the mediums of poetry, poem videos, art installations, and performance. In partnership with the UH Better Tomorrow Speaker Series.
October 2025: Public Lecture by Debbie Ngarewa Packer
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is a member of parliament representing Te Tai Hauāuru on Arterra’s North Island, and she is co-leader of Te Pāti Māori, or the Māori Party. As an activist, executive, and elected official, Ms. Ngarewa-Packer has devoted her career to advancing public health, protecting the environment, and upholding Māori rights under the Te Tiriti o Waitangi, or the Treaty of Waitangi.
To prepare for COP30, and to discuss the indigenous delegates’ climate issues, this lecture was presented in partnership with the UH Better Tomorrow Speaker Series.
April 2025: Second Annual Toufiq Siddiqi Memorial Lecture
Professor Wallgrave announced the recent release of Dr. Siddiqi’s final book: The Bumpy Path to Climate Change. Published posthumously in March 2025. Ulrike Siddiqi spoke of her husband’s environmental world vision, pointing to the important aspects of the book and his lifelong dedication to environmental education.
Professor Maxine Burkett participated in question-and-answer session with Dr Wallgrave. She recalled her experiences working in the State Department and White House, where she worked on shaping climate law and policy for several years.
Haunani Kane
April 2024: First Memorial Lecture in Honor of Dr. Toufiq Siddiqi
The inaugural Toufiq Siddiqi memorial event was hosted by the Environmental Law Program at the Richardson School of Law. It featured a keynote address by Dr. Haunani Kane, assistant professor at SOEST, University of Hawaii. She was followed by presentations from three COP28 student participants with their individual observations on the importance of attending global Climate discussions, which are stimulating and influencing their professional interests.
Imin Center
2019 Other Climate Change Conferences
Papers from the first statewide Climate Change Conference, held at the Imin Center in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Organized by the State’s Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission and co-organized by GEE-21 board member Anu Hittle in collaboration with the East-West Center’s Pacific RISA program and partners, the conference focused on key climate challenges in Hawaiʻi, including transportation emissions, sea-level rise, and climate adaptation.
Hawaiʻi Convention Center
2017 60th Hawaiʻi State Science & Engineering Fair
Held annually at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, this statewide event brought together over 570 student exhibits across a range of scientific disciplines. GEE-21, represented by president Richard Figliuzzi selected three award recipients, recognizing outstanding work in Microbiology, Environmental Engineering, and Earth & Environmental Sciences.
GEE-21 has regularly been invited to participate in the annual events as judges and donors since 2006.
2010 Second International Conference
“The Dynamics in the Green Energy Industry: A New Engine of Growth,” co-sponsored by GEE-21 and held at the EWC, in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. The full report and conference papers were to be published by the Korea Energy Economics Institute.
- An Overview of Low-Carbon Policy Frameworks of Major Economies — Reviews low-carbon policy strategies across major economies, highlighting how government incentives, regulation, and investment drive the development and deployment of clean energy technologies. (Goldberger & Pumphrey, 2010)
- EU’s Policies for Developing and Deploying Six Green Energy Technologies — Analyzes European Union policy frameworks for advancing key clean technologies, including renewable targets, regulatory tools, and challenges in coordinating across member states. (Georg Erdmann, 2010)
- Nuclear Energy Technology — Examines the role of nuclear power in a low-carbon energy mix, focusing on economics, policy support, and challenges related to financing, regulation, and public acceptance. (David J. Hill, 2010)
2009 First International Conference: “From Fossil Fuels to Green Energy”
This major conference was organized by the East-West Center and the Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI) and co- sponsored by GEE-21, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.
Selected international papers presented:
- Germany’s Policy Schemes to Foster Renewable Energy Technology Deployment (Hans-Joachim Ziesing, Environmental Policy Research Centre, Free University of Berlin, Germany)
- Norway’s Policies to Reduce Emissions of Greenhouse Gases through Carbon Capture and Storage ( Tone Skogen, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Norway)
- A Road to the Low-Carbon Energy Future: A Korean Perspective (Yonghun Jung, Executive Director, Energy Policy Research Center, Korea Energy Economics Institute)
- Global Economic Crisis and the Energy Sector: Challenges and Opportunities for Japan (Naoko Doi, Institute of Energy Economics, Japan)
- Germany’s Policy Schemes to Reduce Emissions of Greenhouse Gases through Improvements in Energy Efficiency (Hans-Joachim Ziesing, Environmental Policy Research Centre, Free University of Berlin, Germany)