It’s an astonishing story: in less than five years, a small South American country shifted their energy production to run on renewable energy – and it was all driven by a little-known scientist with a crazy vision. At the 2025 Mountain Towns 2030 Summit in Breckenridge, Colorado, Dr. Ramón Méndez Galain—Uruguay’s former Secretary of Energy […]
Watch the Full Keynote At the 2025 Mountain Towns 2030 Summit in Breckenridge, CO, renowned environmentalist, author, and 350.org founder Bill McKibben delivered a powerful and sobering keynote address, urging mountain communities to act decisively in the fight against climate change. He also shared his hope and optimism about the future, grounded in the rapid […]
At the 2025 Mountain Towns 2030 Summit in Breckenridge, Colorado, Park City, Utah, received the Collaboration of the Year award for its innovative Zero Food Waste Restaurant Cohort — a partnership between the Park City Community Foundation (PCCF), the Park City Chamber Park City Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCCVB)), and national nonprofit […]
At the recent Climate Summit in Breckenridge, CO, Mountain Towns 2030 honored the City of Hailey, Idaho, with its 2025 Community of the Year Climate Action award—recognizing the city’s outsized impact in climate leadership, innovation, and community resilience. Photo Credit: Carol Waller Small Town, Big Climate Wins Hailey was nominated by Eve Preucil, Sustainability Coordinator […]
Breckenridge, CO – More than 600 leaders from 61 mountain communities and 37 ski resorts came together last week at the Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) Climate Summit, the leading climate convening for mountain and rural communities across North America. Over two days of powerful discussion and collaboration, local officials, resort executives, nonprofits, and industry partners […]
On October 8th, 2025, at the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit in Breckenridge, CO, 37 elected leaders from mountain communities met and pledged to work together to reduce emissions, transition to clean energy, and protect the natural environments that define their communities. Statement from Mountain Community Elected Officials on Climate Action “Our mountain communities are […]
Nominated Communities Will Receive an All-Expenses-Paid Trip to the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) today announced the recipients of the 2025 Elevate Scholarship, a program created to ensure that every mountain community—regardless of financial barriers—can participate in the annual MT2030 Climate Solutions Summit. The inaugural scholarship, generously supported by Alaska Airlines […]
“Success in advocacy isn’t measured only by outcomes; it’s about showing up, building trust, and consistently pushing for what matters,” said Bonnie Hickey Director of Sustainability at Bridger Bowl, Montana, at the Mountain Towns 2030 Summit in Jackson, WY, where a distinguished panel of ski industry leaders convened to explore the critical role ski resorts […]
Last week, 31 mountain community leaders sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to protect the IRA tax incentives in the current budget negotiations. It is a powerful message from communities that are feeling the impacts of climate change every day. The tax incentives, introduced as part of the historic Inflation Reduction Act, provide valuable […]
This week, we sent a letter to the House Ways & Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and key Congressional staff, signed by 31 mountain community leaders, urging them to protect the IRA tax incentives that have been so valuable to our communities. “We, the 31 undersigned local leaders from mountain and rural communities, write to […]
The goal was simple, but the challenge was significant: cut energy use by 10%, reducing pollution and costs for the town and its residents. But when leaders in Jackson, Wyoming set out to tackle this ambitious goal, it wasn’t just about hitting a number – it was about changing the culture and creating a foundation […]
At the Mountain Towns 2030 Summit in Jackson, WY, a dynamic panel convened to discuss how local organizations are advancing sustainable business practices and fostering a culture of environmental stewardship. The session explored the successes of the Sustainable Business Leaders program, a collaboration between the Teton County Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling Department and the […]
When it comes to climate impact, sometimes it takes a village – or ten. EcoAction Partners began with a simple but ambitious idea: create a centralized resource to help rural communities tackle sustainability challenges together. What started as a small nonprofit in Telluride has grown into a regional leader, coordinating efforts across three counties and […]
Over 75 million Americans live in communities managed by Homeowners Associations, or HOAs – so what if those communities could be activated to take positive climate action? That’s exactly what has happened in one community, creating a model that could benefit neighborhoods, individuals, and the planet. In a presentation at the Mountain Towns 2030 conference […]
One of the biggest – and most overlooked – climate solutions is right in front of us: what we do with our money. “The greatest innovation needed to fight climate change isn’t a new electric vehicle or advanced carbon capture—it’s restructuring the way we move and manage money.” That’s Paul Moinester , the founder and […]
Making the transition to clean energy isn’t just a survival strategy for mountain towns facing the impacts of a warming climate – but it also offers a significant economic opportunity. In a discussion at the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Solutions Summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, leaders from two mountain towns – Park City, Utah and […]
A cutting-edge modeling tool from MIT offers the opportunity to predict the potential impact of specific climate actions, empowering leaders to better prioritize – and communicate – their plans to address a warming climate. At the Mountain Town 2030 Climate Solutions Summit in Jackson, WY, Bethany Patten, Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management […]
Breckenridge, Colorado (January 22, 2025) – The Town of Breckenridge, Colorado and Mountain Towns 2030 are excited to announce their partnership to host the 2025 Climate Solutions Summit in Breckenridge Colorado on October 7-8, 2025. Since launching in 2019, the Climate Solutions Summit has evolved into the preeminent networking and knowledge-building event for key stakeholders […]
When it comes to making climate issues less polarizing, finding common ground based around shared values and approachable language can help move the conversation forward. In a conversation at the Mountain Towns 2030 conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Benjamin (Benji) Backer , chairman and co-founder of the largest right-of-center environmental organization, the American Conservation Coalition […]
Speaking to dozens of leaders from mountain towns across America, co-founder and CEO of the non-profit Rewiring America Ari Matusiak and Volts podcast host david roberts emphasized that the journey to net-zero emissions starts at home – and they urged leaders not to underestimate the power of demand from their communities. In a discussion at […]
At the Mountain Towns 2030 Conference in Jackson, WY, James Rattling Leaf, Principal at Wolakota Labs LLC and a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, delivered a deeply impactful session about Indigenous and western collaboration to shape a better future. Drawing on his rich heritage and expertise, Rattling Leaf emphasized the critical role of Indigenous […]
What a week we had! Thank you for joining us at the MT2030 Climate Solutions Summit, we’re still buzzing from the energy that you all brought to Breckenridge last week. We truly appreciate you taking the time to be there and hope that you found the Summit inspirational, informative, and most importantly, helpful. Thank you to all […]
Registration is now open for the MT2030 Climate Solutions Summit – Breckenridge PARK CITY, Utah (Aug. 30, 2022) – Mountain Towns 2030 is proud to announce the return of the MT2030 Climate Solutions Summit, the annual gathering of key stakeholders from mountain and outdoor communities working together to implement bold ideas to meet the zero-carbon […]
This month, we hosted a conversation with Erin Beddingfield of the New Buildings Institute about Codes For Climate and what decarbonization means for the built environment. Watch the session via the button below.
With communities impacted by climate change in ways that we never would have imagined just a decade ago, many local governments have made climate planning a priority.” Read Frisco mayor pro-tem Jessie Burley’s letter to the editor calling for mountain community leaders to lead on climate.
Please watch this recorded conversation with a few of our Solutions Project community leaders, sharing their expertise about their approach to climate action: setting goals and meeting challenges, their highlighted projects, and key insights on how you can accelerate your climate action planning. Guests: Kristen Bertuglia, Town of Vail, CO Geoffrey Grimmer, Town of Eagle, […]
We were honored to host White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy at the Colorado Association of Ski Towns annual meeting in Park City. Here is a brief rundown of the event.
