State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

General216

  • Mayor of Accra, Ghana, Speaks to City’s Challenges During Visit to the Earth Institute

    The Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) and the Earth Institute (EI) were honored to host Accra Mayor Alfred Vanderpuije this week, for a series of lectures and meetings focused on Ghana’s capital. Mayor Vanderpuije met twice with the leadership of the MCI Accra team – Professor Patricia Culligan, Vice-Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied…

  • Climate, Fires and Birds: How is the Tundra Changing?

    Natalie Boelman is an ecologist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory who studies the effects of climate change on organisms throughout the food chain. She first visited the Alaskan Arctic in 2001, and will return to the North Slope this spring and summer to continue a wildfire-mapping project and to set up a field study that will…

  • A Video Camera on the Bottom of the Ocean

    Here is a video montage showing highlights of the seafloor deployment of the VentCam (created by Carl Robinson): You can read more about this project here, and more on the deployment of this particular instrument here.

  • Con Edison, Nestlé and Walmart Join the Earth Institute Corporate Circle

    Following the launch of the Corporate Circle in October 2009, we are thrilled to welcome Con Edison, Nestlé and Walmart as new Sustaining Members with their $25,000 gifts to the institute. At this level, all three corporations are supporting the core sustainable development work of the Earth Institute and joining a network of top companies…

  • Punjab Farmers Adapt to Shrinking Water Supply

    Punjab Farmers Adapt to Shrinking Water Supply

    Driving through Punjab in early February, the green of newly sprouted wheat is all around. Trenches in between rows of stalks are being dug and linked to larger conduits where the water is flowing. Nearby an electric generator hums as water is pumped from 100 feet below. As the season goes, so does the water…

  • Ensuring a Prosperous China by 2049 and Providing Best Practices for Ghana

    Two new gifts from donor Winnington Group of Hong Kong are helping support the Millennium Cities Initiative and the Earth Institute’s new China 2049 project, which seeks to answer the following crucial questions: What will the Chinese economy look like one hundred years after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China? How can public…

  • Climate Change Leaders Join Jeff Sachs in Discussion on Post-Copenhagen Action

    Nearly 100 people including several UN ambassadors, corporate executives, foundation leaders and key representatives from NGOs and academia gathered at Columbia University to attend a brainstorm session on a way forward after December’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Led by Earth Institute Director Jeff Sachs, the agenda covered topics including improvements to the United Nations…

  • Jaunt to Nearby Island Becomes Four-Day Epic

    Going to Antarctica involves a whole lot of paperwork. Before I left, I filled out an extensive medical history, was tested for every disease imaginable, gave my pants size, shoe size, hat size, until I had only one form remaining. That was the waiver acknowledging that working in Antarctica is inherently dangerous and that by…

  • So Much Depends on Sea Ice

    Where we work and how we get there depends on the sea ice. The Oden is a powerful icebreaker but it is often faster and more fuel-efficient to go around heavy sea ice then to chop our way through. If the sea ice is several feet thick, we often choose to detour. We actually consult…

Collage of Turkiye beach scene and Columbia University Campus with text: UN Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Turkiye, Nov 9-20, 2026

COP31, the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aims to advance dialogue, strengthen consensus, and accelerate climate action on a global scale. From November 9–20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society will gather to advance efforts in emission targets, climate finance, and adaptation and resilience. Once again, our experts, students, and global thought leaders from Columbia Climate School and across Columbia University are contributing to key events, sharing insights, and helping shape the dialogue toward ambitious, science-based solutions. Learn More

  • Mayor of Accra, Ghana, Speaks to City’s Challenges During Visit to the Earth Institute

    The Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) and the Earth Institute (EI) were honored to host Accra Mayor Alfred Vanderpuije this week, for a series of lectures and meetings focused on Ghana’s capital. Mayor Vanderpuije met twice with the leadership of the MCI Accra team – Professor Patricia Culligan, Vice-Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied…

  • Climate, Fires and Birds: How is the Tundra Changing?

    Natalie Boelman is an ecologist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory who studies the effects of climate change on organisms throughout the food chain. She first visited the Alaskan Arctic in 2001, and will return to the North Slope this spring and summer to continue a wildfire-mapping project and to set up a field study that will…

  • A Video Camera on the Bottom of the Ocean

    Here is a video montage showing highlights of the seafloor deployment of the VentCam (created by Carl Robinson): You can read more about this project here, and more on the deployment of this particular instrument here.

  • Con Edison, Nestlé and Walmart Join the Earth Institute Corporate Circle

    Following the launch of the Corporate Circle in October 2009, we are thrilled to welcome Con Edison, Nestlé and Walmart as new Sustaining Members with their $25,000 gifts to the institute. At this level, all three corporations are supporting the core sustainable development work of the Earth Institute and joining a network of top companies…

  • Punjab Farmers Adapt to Shrinking Water Supply

    Punjab Farmers Adapt to Shrinking Water Supply

    Driving through Punjab in early February, the green of newly sprouted wheat is all around. Trenches in between rows of stalks are being dug and linked to larger conduits where the water is flowing. Nearby an electric generator hums as water is pumped from 100 feet below. As the season goes, so does the water…

  • Ensuring a Prosperous China by 2049 and Providing Best Practices for Ghana

    Two new gifts from donor Winnington Group of Hong Kong are helping support the Millennium Cities Initiative and the Earth Institute’s new China 2049 project, which seeks to answer the following crucial questions: What will the Chinese economy look like one hundred years after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China? How can public…

  • Climate Change Leaders Join Jeff Sachs in Discussion on Post-Copenhagen Action

    Nearly 100 people including several UN ambassadors, corporate executives, foundation leaders and key representatives from NGOs and academia gathered at Columbia University to attend a brainstorm session on a way forward after December’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Led by Earth Institute Director Jeff Sachs, the agenda covered topics including improvements to the United Nations…

  • Jaunt to Nearby Island Becomes Four-Day Epic

    Going to Antarctica involves a whole lot of paperwork. Before I left, I filled out an extensive medical history, was tested for every disease imaginable, gave my pants size, shoe size, hat size, until I had only one form remaining. That was the waiver acknowledging that working in Antarctica is inherently dangerous and that by…

  • So Much Depends on Sea Ice

    Where we work and how we get there depends on the sea ice. The Oden is a powerful icebreaker but it is often faster and more fuel-efficient to go around heavy sea ice then to chop our way through. If the sea ice is several feet thick, we often choose to detour. We actually consult…