For 15 years, the Dallas-based EarthX conference has brought together fossil fuel executives, environmental activists, Republicans, and Democrats to find common ground on climate issues. CEO Peter Simek emphasizes reframing climate action around shared values like stewardship and economic opportunity to build broader support. He highlights bottom-up initiatives in states and cities as key to progress.
The EarthX conference, held in Dallas, has operated for 15 years as a platform where diverse groups—including fossil fuel executives and environmental activists, as well as Republican appropriations chairs and Democratic climate advocates—discuss climate solutions. The organization focuses on three main stakeholders: the corporate sector, policymakers, and investors interested in startups that integrate environmental benefits into their business models.
Peter Simek, CEO of EarthX, argues that traditional crisis messaging fails to engage people effectively. “We’re not motivated as a species by doomsday language. It puts people in fight-or-flight mode,” he said in a recent podcast. Instead, Simek advocates shifting the narrative to shared values such as stewardship, economic opportunity, and affection for natural landscapes. He notes that climate issues have become entangled in cultural debates, like those over hamburgers and gas-powered trucks, diverting attention from essentials like clean air, clean water, and habitat protection. Simek points to historical precedent: the EPA and the Clean Air and Clean Water Act were enacted under President Nixon, demonstrating bipartisan potential.
Simek stresses the importance of grassroots efforts, observing that states, cities, and private investments often advance faster than federal policies and are more resilient to changes in administration. Texas, for instance, leads the U.S. in renewable energy adoption because wind and solar align with economic realities. “Even as there’s a policy turn against it, there’s still the driving reality that solar and wind are viable energy sources,” he explained.
Looking ahead, EarthX plans the EarthX Institute in 2026, targeting nuclear energy—where bipartisan support is increasing—and urban biodiversity. The main conference is scheduled for April 2026. Simek measures success through tangible outcomes like funded investments, formed coalitions, and locally developed policies. “It’s about finding those ways in which there’s common sense, common ground, common values,” he said. “Elements to talking about nature and the environment that no one can really disagree with.”
