Making Progress on Global Climate Change in the Age of Trump
This lecture will highlight where and how we have made progress on climate change to date; the short-term and long-term challenges to further progress; and strategies for overcoming those challenges.
David M. Turk, Former Deputy Secretary, US Department of Energy
David M. Turk was sworn in as Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Energy on March 25, 2021. As Deputy Secretary, Turk served as the number two official and Chief Operating Officer of a $50 billion per year organization focused on all things energy, basic science, and nuclear security. Turk took a leading role in implementing President Biden’s historic clean energy legislation, including coordinating with the White House, interagency partners, and the private sector. With Secretary Granholm, he orchestrated a major reorganization of the Department to create and staff new offices to demonstrate and deploy clean energy technologies. Turk also focused on early-stage innovation, including the launch of a series of Energy Earthshots.
Prior to his nomination as Deputy Secretary, Turk was the Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, where he focused on helping countries around the world to make progress on their clean energy transitions. In the Obama-Biden Administration, he served for a first time in the Department of Energy, including spearheading the launch of Mission Innovation – a global effort to enhance clean energy innovation. Turk has also been a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at the US National Security Council, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change at the State Department, and a Staff Director of the National Security Subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee.