Climate Week 2023 at Columbia Climate School
Running from Sept. 17 to 24, Climate Week NYC convenes influential climate leaders to speed up climate action. Now in its 15th year, globally it is the biggest climate event of its kind, bringing together businesses, governments, civil society and the wider international audience to showcase leading climate solutions and discuss how to do more, faster.
As this year’s official university partner for Climate Week NYC, the Columbia Climate School is excited to host a full lineup of events on our campus throughout the week.
“By partnering with Climate Week NYC, the Columbia Climate School is helping to build global momentum toward climate action at a moment of intensifying urgency in the fight against climate change,” said Climate School Interim Dean Jeffrey Shaman.
With topics ranging from water infrastructure to sustainable fashion to global food system transformation and responsible journalism there is something for everyone at this year’s Climate Week.
Highlighted Events
- September 19: Rethinking Water: Solutions Now for America’s Water Infrastructure
- How do we solve the most persistent water challenges in the United States? This conference will engage a diverse group of stakeholders from finance, academia, government and industry to tackle this increasingly important question.
- September 19: Climate Actions in Fashion: Policy, Business, and Innovation
- A panel of fashion experts representing multiple facets of the industry will share insights into the many ways to address climate change and improve sustainability within the field, including policy solutions, innovative materials, sustainable design and responsible business practices.
- September 19: Corporate Net Zero Pledges: Are Nature-Based Offsets Legitimate?
- What are the key challenges to corporate net zero pledges? This discussion will explore how to effectively assess nature-based offsets as well as the evolving legal implications for corporations who do not meet these goals, among other questions.
- September 21: Building a Greener Planet
- Designer Jianhui Yan will share his approach and mission to craft unique and sustainable jewelry from recycled and salvaged materials; his innovative pieces are worn by style icons and showcased in museums and galleries around the world.
- September 21: INNOV-EAT Expedition
- Convening experts from wide-ranging backgrounds across food systems, this event will examine ground-breaking innovations and strategies that would transform the global food future into a collaborative, inclusive and sustainable one, while also addressing the root causes of current food system issues.
- September 21: Balancing Lithium Production, Investment and Policies for a Sustainable Energy Transition
- A deep dive into a key global energy transition question, “How should we ensure a secure, sufficient and sustainable lithium supply?” Panelists will look at production, investment and regulation from multiple perspectives.
- September 21: Amazon Economics
- This two-part event features a discussion of the role of the Amazon and how reforestation can be a cost-effective solution to capturing carbon emissions. It will be followed by a policy session on how to combat deforestation and protect the Amazon Forest.
- September 21–22: Climate Changes Everything: Creating a Blueprint for Media Transformation
- Leading journalists, editors, and news executives from publications and media around the world will engage in transformative presentations and interactive sessions on how to tell the climate story with more urgency, depth and creativity.
For more events, check out our Climate Week website.
Below, we’ve compiled some helpful resources to prepare you for the week ahead.
Informative Reads
- Columbia Climate School Named University Partner for Climate Week NYC 2023: Experts from Columbia Climate School will join events bringing together voices from business, government, and civil society for the biggest climate event on earth.
- Putting This Summer’s Record Global Heat Into Context: As we come to the end of a tumultuous summer that saw damaging floods, sprawling wildfires and the hottest month on record, we’ve collected some of our most popular articles across a range of heat and climate-related topics.
- Climate Lawsuits Are On The Rise. This Is What They’re Based On. A new report from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and the United Nations finds that climate litigation has more than doubled in the last five years, and is expected to continue to increase.
- The Energy Transition Will Need More Rare Earth Elements. Can We Secure Them Sustainably? As the global demand for rare earth elements and critical minerals grows, scientists are exploring a variety of ways to provide raw materials for the energy transition with less harm to people and the planet.
- Whole Food Systems: Jessica Fanzo Looks at How Food Connects With Everything Else: A recent faculty addition to the Columbia Climate School, Fanzo explores the interconnectedness of agriculture, health and the environment, with the goal of improving food systems to deliver healthy, equitable and environmentally sustainable diets.
- Exploring Actionable Solutions for Water Security: America’s water systems face many pressing problems, including climate change and aging infrastructure. An upcoming event will focus on ways different stakeholders can come together to solve complex problems with sustainable solutions, such as water recycling/reuse, accelerated federal funding, leveraging of private investment, and more.
- How to Adapt to Climate Change, and How Not To: While initiatives to adapt to climate change might seem to be uniformly good, some adaptations can have negative effects—known as maladaptation—that must be weighed against the positive.
