The Politics Of Progress On Climate And Energy – U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)
Release Date: 05/20/2025
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Your job isn’t to know the answer. Your job is to ask all the right questions of where the business is going and…Don’t be afraid…(Align) with people who could see the possibility of (your) experience…Take that stretch job and just remember you’re in the room to ask different questions, and that’s perfectly fine. So, take the stretch and then lean into your experience that allows you to have a different lens and a different perspective.” , Chief Sustainability Officer at Workiva on Electric Ladies Podcast When the economy feels tough or you feel like things are...
info_outlineElectric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“(Climate modelling)…it's being used in things like insurance companies. It's being used by companies for their ESG assessments. So, when you get your insurance premium at the end of the year, there is some kind of climate model that has said something about the risk of your house to flood. It has said something about your risk to fire. And so that might be driving up your insurance premium…And so it's being involved in your lives in many different ways. The food you consume, those grocery bills, there's prices behind it that are being driven by people using climate models saying...
info_outlineElectric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Regardless of what's happening with kind of the ESG backlash conversation here, especially in the US, our other jurisdictions are coming hard and fast on regulatory…It doesn't matter what's happening in the broader ESG backlash …The other piece is, our corporate customers that have their own set of goals and expectations have absolutely not led up on us on wanting to see us continue to progress and move forward and drive change and help them drive change, because that is their expectation of us as a large scale supplier.” Page Motes on Electric Ladies Podcast If you're thinking...
info_outlineElectric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“An estimated is expected to change hands (globally) under the so-called ‘great wealth transfer’, with women set to inherit nearly 70% of that amount. Combined with rising educational attainment, stronger diversity and inclusion efforts, and ongoing progress in closing the gender pay gap, this moment signals a transformative rise in global female affluence… What does it mean to be wealthy in this world? What are the type of behaviors? How do we put into practice the values that we have?” Silvia Bastante de Unverhau on Electric Ladies Podcast You might not have heard about...
info_outlineElectric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“We were the first to lightweight our bottles. So, if you think about a typical bottle of soda, it's about 27 grams of plastic. Our bottles, this year, I think they're coming in at 6.6 grams. So it's incredibly lightweight. I always say, you know, it's a Niagara bottle if it crinkles…We've created label-less bottles so they're easier to recycle. …And, we're now running lines that are in entirely recycled content. So we are very committed to creating bottles that that do not harm the planet, and also that allow for the most circular of products while we also think about what the bottle of...
info_outlineElectric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“What we're seeing is, as the new carbon economy moves forward – and this is critical to businesses to operate in the future, in the next five, 10 years – it’s colliding with the digital transformation and financial transformation. And so, I think one of the essential things our customers are asking is. ‘how do we bring together the Chief Sustainability Officer, the CIO and the CFO and the new market, digital and carbon economy as we go forward?’ Because you need all three lenses to make a holistic decision for both the growth and resiliency of your company.” Mandi McReynolds on...
info_outlineElectric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Essentially what carbon accounting is doing is it's using a mathematical equation to come up with a standardized unit of measure that we call a carbon dioxide equivalent of how you can, um, measure and track all of the different greenhouse gases that your business emits through various activities. There's actually seven distinct greenhouse gases that are included…So what carbon accounting is doing is it's using it's using math to take those different greenhouse gases and normalize them into a standard unit of measure, which is carbon dioxide equivalent… (to measure) its warming ability...
info_outlineElectric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“We did do a study where we shared the story of the careful thought that went into products that were better for people and the planet … Then we administered the standard guest satisfaction survey, and what we found, Joan, was 150% increase in satisfaction, loyalty numbers… Why?...They equated it to service. They said, a hotel that goes out of its way to choose products that are better for me and the planet is a hotel that I have confidence is going to take better care of me while I'm there.” JoAnna Abrams on Electric Ladies Podcast As conference season begins and then the holidays, a...
info_outlineElectric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“I like to think about ESG not only as a risk management tool, but also as an opportunity. I think the, the flip side of risk is opportunity. So if we think that a diverse team is what will bring more innovation, more ideas, more, let's say different ways of looking at needs and products, then this is an opportunity….What about if we think about the way that people consume, what is the carbon footprint that we have?.... And how do you reduce it? Or maybe build technology that helps reduce your impact on the planet, or helps you reduce the amount of AI or cloud usage that you use? So I, I...
info_outlineElectric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“The theme of the expo is ‘designing society for future lives.’ And it is just that from the foundations, from the buildings to the exhibits, each country showcasing what they're doing for our future, in technology, healthcare, sustainable, living energy…The Japan pavilion's exhibit…is about the circular economy and…the theme is between life and life. So the pavilion, and its circular structure, is about life and how everything is connected and flows, again, the circular economy.” Yvonne Burton on Electric Ladies Podcast Japan is one of the countries most vulnerable to the...
info_outline“While the word ‘climate’ may be politically charged for some, the need for affordable, reliable, and secure energy is something we can all agree on. Americans are calling for action, and as Members of Congress it’s our responsibility to deliver. If we want long-term solutions that address both our constituents' concerns and growing climate risks, we must work together to strengthen our energy and climate security with urgency.”
Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan to Electric Ladies Podcast
This week, Congress is set to debate legislation that could reshape the United States’ energy landscape. At stake is more than $700 million in climate action and clean energy investments from the Inflation Reduction Act that was intended to benefit the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. What will the impact be if that funding is withdrawn.
Listen to Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and co-chair of the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, a rare example of cooperation on Capitol Hill. She’s also co-chair of the Women in STEM Caucus, which is also bipartisan. She shares insights into how to build bipartisanship, address the climate crisis and energy needs – as well as the threat that political polarization poses to keeping communities and critical infrastructure safe from extreme weather events.
You’ll hear about:
- How Pennsylvania’s political landscape shapes the path of climate legislation
- What the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus is doing to advance the clean energy transition
- How extreme weather events can open the door to bipartisan climate action
- Why Congresswoman Houlahan's leadership with the Women in STEM Caucus matters
- Plus, insightful career advice
“Recognize that whatever you choose to do right now is not the end decision for the rest of your life. When you look backwards it's going to make sense, but when you look forward, it's going to be a crooked line. It's not going to be a straight line to somewhere, so do not to be too hard on yourself, do not try to seek perfection.”
Chrissy Houlahan on Electric Ladies Podcast
You’ll also like:
- Most Americans Want Climate Action, Study Says. How To Bridge The Political Divide, ELP Host Joan Michelson’s article that includes Congresswoman Houlahan.
- Women Rewriting The Climate Conversation, a panel from The Earth Day Women’s Summit moderated by Joan Michelson
- Hilary Doe, Michigan’s Chief Growth Office on how the state is turning IRA Credits into Growth
- Doreen Harris, President and CEO of NYSERDA, on how New York is leading the way to the clean energy future.
- Sherri Goodman, former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, on why climate change is an issue of national security.
- Joan Michelson’s Forbes article on Fossil Fuels, War And Climate: Women On The Frontlines Call For A New Security Mindset
Read more of Joan’s Forbes articles here.
More from Electric Ladies Podcast!
JUST LAUNCHED: Join our global community at electric-ladies.mykajabi.com! For a limited time, be a member of the Electric Ladies Founders’ Circle at an exclusive special rate.
Elevate your career with expert coaching and ESG advisory with Electric Ladies Podcast. Unlock new opportunities, gain confidence, and achieve your career goals with the right guidance.
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our podcasts, articles, events and career advice – and special coaching offers.
Thanks for subscribing on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio and Spotify and leaving us a review!
Don’t forget to follow us on our socials
Twitter: @joanmichelson
LinkedIn: Electric Ladies Podcast with Joan Michelson
Twitter: @joanmichelson
Facebook: Green Connections Radio