Climate Summit returned with discussions on energy usage, day of service

Earlier this month, participants attended workshops across multiple venues for four themed workshops, taking on big questions to resiliency and sustainability in the region.

Discussions leading to new ideas

One group dug into one of the region's most impactful climate factors, building performance, and explored why implementation at scale remains difficult. The discussion focused on misaligned incentives, gaps between design and construction, and outdated financing models — and what it would take to launch a pilot project.

Another cohort gathered to tackle the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centers across the metro. Though there was lively discussion about the side effects of this energy scale up, as well as the longevity of its associated AI-related functions, the workshop focused on forming shared regional principles to frame these decisions around, which helped participants leave with alignment strategies for communicating to local leaders.

Residents and community leaders met at another workshop to imagine a resilient future for the Kansas City region that they could build together. Author Bill McKibben also gave a presentation on the fast-moving clean energy landscape.

The final group, largely composed of local government staff and public sector partners, met to explore how cities can build durable systems that allow them to respond to emerging climate challenges without reinventing the wheel each time. De-risking climate impacts to city budgets and preparing leadership for an unpredictable future were frequent topics of discussion. Another topic was coalition building at the municipal level. Karen Clawson, MARC's air and mobility programs manager, shared MARC's role as a council of governments to coordinate climate planning to give each local government a foundation to overcome financial and political barriers.

After the workshops, all four groups met up for an evening of networking and reflection on the day's conversations, setting the tone for Saturday's region-wide volunteer effort.

Turning ideas into action

The next day, volunteers rolled up their sleeves for a Day of Action that stretched across the region. 

• At Scraps KC, teams sorted, packaged and prepared donated materials for the Teacher Resource Center and Creative Reuse Center store, helping keep usable supplies in circulation.
• Volunteers with Heartland Conservation Alliance spent the morning outdoors removing invasive species, taking on physically demanding restoration work that protects local ecosystems.
• At the Go Green 2026 Environmental Fair in Mission, Kansas, helpers supported exhibitors by moving booth materials and assisting with setup and teardown. The annual event shows area families how to reduce their carbon footprint at home.
• Volunteers helping the Platte Land Trust worked across uneven terrain to remove invasive plants and improve wildlife habitat, enjoying fall bird and monarch migration as they restored natural areas.
• Heartland Tree Alliance, an initiative of Bridging The Gap, planted trees throughout Kansas City, improving the tree canopy and shading urban heat islands.
• Handy assistants at the Re.Use.Full repair cafe and clothing swap assisted community members with repairing bikes, clothing, electronics, jewelry, lamps and small appliances. The clothing swap helped promote reuse and keep unwanted clothes out of landfills.
• The Overland Park Recycling Extravaganza had volunteers directing traffic, unloading electronics and assisting visitors throughout a full day of recycling and donation drop-offs.