Summit Green Drinks to Explore Finance's Role in Climate Change

Recycle Utah will bring together local experts on Jan. 13 at Park City Gardens for an evening titled "The Financial System's Role in Climate Change & What We Can Do About It." The event will focus on Green Banks, climate-focused finance, and how personal banking and investment choices affect the climate, organizers said. Registration information was provided by the event hosts.

The program aims to connect abstract financial mechanisms to concrete local consequences. Speakers will address how Green Banks and similar institutions can leverage public and private capital to accelerate renewable energy projects, fund energy efficiency upgrades, and close financing gaps for community-scale climate solutions. Panelists also will discuss how everyday banking and investment decisions can channel money toward low-carbon projects or, conversely, support continued investment in fossil fuels.

For Summit County residents, those financial flows matter for public health and equity. Investment decisions influence whether neighborhoods receive upgrades that reduce heating and cooling costs, improve air quality by displacing polluting energy sources, and strengthen infrastructure against extreme weather. Lower-income households and communities of color often face the greatest exposure to heat, wildfire smoke, and inadequate housing, making access to climate-focused financing a social equity concern as much as an economic one.

The conversation also touches on healthcare and public services. Financing that prioritizes community resilience can fund projects that reduce respiratory and heat-related illnesses, ease the strain on local emergency services, and lower long-term healthcare costs. Conversely, continued funding of carbon-intensive industries can lock in pollution and climate risks that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.

The Jan. 13 event offers an opportunity for residents to learn how individual financial choices—where they bank, how they invest, and whether they support local green lending—can be part of broader climate solutions. Organizers encourage interested Summit County residents to register in advance and attend to hear practical pathways for channeling capital toward cleaner, more equitable local outcomes.