On June 5, Columbia University joined 11 other leading research universities across the United States in affirming their commitment to the standards set by the Paris Agreement. In a joint statement, the presidents of these universities wrote that “the scientific consensus is clear that the climate is changing largely due to human activity, that the consequences of climate change are accelerating, and that the imperative of a low carbon future is increasingly urgent. As institutions of higher education, we remain committed to a broad-based global agreement on climate change and will do our part to ensure the United States can meet its contribution.”
Columbia also joined leaders from higher education, the private sector and state and local governments in signing the “We Are Still In” letter from the Second Nature coalition. The letter recognizes the need for cross-sector collaboration in order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and ensure that the United States remains a global leader in climate action. In his statement, President Lee C. Bollinger cited the University’s role as a leader in climate science and climate response in announcing that “we are therefore compelled to join in supporting ongoing efforts under the Paris accord to hold warming to under 2°C and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy that will benefit our collective future.”
