State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

General101

  • New Course to Feature Leading Sustainability Practitioners

    New Course to Feature Leading Sustainability Practitioners

    Some of the world’s leading sustainability practitioners are coming to campus next semester. They will be teaching students as part of a new course, Practicum in Innovative Sustainability Leadership, in the M.S. in Sustainability Management program. The course will cover a range of sustainability issues – from urban sustainability to green products – but it…

  • The Beginning of Peace?

    The Beginning of Peace?

    The hard truth is that we know very little about sustaining peace. This is because for decades we have studied the pathologies of war, violence, aggression and conflict – and peace in the context of those processes – but few have studied peace directly.

  • Sustainability Ethics and Metrics

    Sustainability Ethics and Metrics

    Today’s increasing emphasis on metrics in sustainability policy and management presents an interesting challenge for ethics. When ethics are discussed, probably one of the last things to come to mind is measuring them, particularly in numeric terms.

  • China’s Great Wall Station, Antarctica

    China’s Great Wall Station, Antarctica

    The most anticipated event of the Antarctic Forum was the visit to China’s oldest Antarctic Station. Named for one of China’s most incredible human achievements, the station has grown to 15 buildings from its original handful of structures.

  • West Meets East – Antarctic Forum

    West Meets East – Antarctic Forum

    Remove outside distractions. Place participants in close proximity. Provide opportunities for intellectual stimulation and open dialogue. Promote group activities that are unique and extreme in nature to build common references between the participants. These are the ingredients for structuring an environment for creative group dynamics and problem solving. This is the structure of the Antarctic…

  • The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    When Hurricane Sandy hit last October, the vulnerabilities of the New York/New Jersey region to extreme weather were made all too clear. The Rebuild by Design challenge was launched to find the most innovative ways to make the region more resilient and sustainable.

  • Kick Off the Holiday: It’s Giving Tuesday

    Kick Off the Holiday: It’s Giving Tuesday

    On Dec. 3, kick off the holiday giving season by supporting the Earth Institute on the second annual #GivingTuesday. Giving Tuesday is an initiative of the UN Foundation and the 92nd Street Y that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday and unites the global giving community in a day of giving back.

  • Certificate Program in Conservation and Sustainability Spring Courses

    Certificate Program in Conservation and Sustainability Spring Courses

    The Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) at Columbia University invites you to enroll in courses this Spring via our Certificate Program in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability.

  • ESP Students Audit Campus Waste

    ESP Students Audit Campus Waste

    On November 14, one day before America Recycles Day, members of the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) class of 2014 conducted a waste audit in SIPA’s 4th floor “fishbowl,” the most visible and heavily used area of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). The audit was hosted by the SIPA Sustainability…

Composite banner with modern building at night and portrait of Dean Alexis Abramson that reads "Science for the Planet"

By studying thousands of buildings and analyzing their electricity use, Columbia Climate School Dean Alexis Abramson has been able to uncover ways to significantly cut energy consumption and emissions. Watch the Video: “Engineering a Cooler Future Through Smarter Buildings

  • New Course to Feature Leading Sustainability Practitioners

    New Course to Feature Leading Sustainability Practitioners

    Some of the world’s leading sustainability practitioners are coming to campus next semester. They will be teaching students as part of a new course, Practicum in Innovative Sustainability Leadership, in the M.S. in Sustainability Management program. The course will cover a range of sustainability issues – from urban sustainability to green products – but it…

  • The Beginning of Peace?

    The Beginning of Peace?

    The hard truth is that we know very little about sustaining peace. This is because for decades we have studied the pathologies of war, violence, aggression and conflict – and peace in the context of those processes – but few have studied peace directly.

  • Sustainability Ethics and Metrics

    Sustainability Ethics and Metrics

    Today’s increasing emphasis on metrics in sustainability policy and management presents an interesting challenge for ethics. When ethics are discussed, probably one of the last things to come to mind is measuring them, particularly in numeric terms.

  • China’s Great Wall Station, Antarctica

    China’s Great Wall Station, Antarctica

    The most anticipated event of the Antarctic Forum was the visit to China’s oldest Antarctic Station. Named for one of China’s most incredible human achievements, the station has grown to 15 buildings from its original handful of structures.

  • West Meets East – Antarctic Forum

    West Meets East – Antarctic Forum

    Remove outside distractions. Place participants in close proximity. Provide opportunities for intellectual stimulation and open dialogue. Promote group activities that are unique and extreme in nature to build common references between the participants. These are the ingredients for structuring an environment for creative group dynamics and problem solving. This is the structure of the Antarctic…

  • The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    When Hurricane Sandy hit last October, the vulnerabilities of the New York/New Jersey region to extreme weather were made all too clear. The Rebuild by Design challenge was launched to find the most innovative ways to make the region more resilient and sustainable.

  • Kick Off the Holiday: It’s Giving Tuesday

    Kick Off the Holiday: It’s Giving Tuesday

    On Dec. 3, kick off the holiday giving season by supporting the Earth Institute on the second annual #GivingTuesday. Giving Tuesday is an initiative of the UN Foundation and the 92nd Street Y that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday and unites the global giving community in a day of giving back.

  • Certificate Program in Conservation and Sustainability Spring Courses

    Certificate Program in Conservation and Sustainability Spring Courses

    The Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) at Columbia University invites you to enroll in courses this Spring via our Certificate Program in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability.

  • ESP Students Audit Campus Waste

    ESP Students Audit Campus Waste

    On November 14, one day before America Recycles Day, members of the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) class of 2014 conducted a waste audit in SIPA’s 4th floor “fishbowl,” the most visible and heavily used area of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). The audit was hosted by the SIPA Sustainability…