Sustainability Archives - State of the Planet

partially constructed wind turbine

The Squeeze on Powering the Open Road

Transitioning to electric vehicles and renewable energy will require us to use limited, difficult-to-attain natural resources. Extracting those minerals has environmental consequences, and we don’t even know if the planetary supply can meet such a vast demand.

by Pearl Gray |March 24, 2023

Viewing Urban Geography and History Through an Environmental Justice Lens

A Q&A with John Williams, who studies the historical links between the built environment and racial injustice in U.S. cities.

by Olivia Colton |March 22, 2023

Organizations Ignoring ESG Issues Are Asleep

The attack on an ill-defined concept called “woke” public policy has now been extended to attacking managers and investors who have the “nerve” to pay attention to a company’s environmental footprint, organizational governance practices and social and community impact.

by |March 13, 2023
illustration demonstrating how circularity works

Celebrate Circularity Day With Us on March 10

Columbia Climate School and Barnard College team up to celebrate the power of smart design, reuse, and repair, to build sustainability on campus and beyond.

by |March 9, 2023
A forest in India

Using a People-Centered Approach to Design Restoration Projects

A new study proposes a more holistic approach to planning restoration projects that do not “leave people off the map.”

by |March 7, 2023
women in saris hold a certificate

A Just Transition for Women: Working Toward Digital Literacy in India

As the digital divide grows, women in India are dropping out of the workforce. Columbia Climate School’s Center for Sustainable Development and the non-profit Mahashakti Seva Kendra are working together to reverse this trend.

by Radhika Iyengar and Pooja Iyengar |March 7, 2023

The Impact of the SEC Climate Disclosure Rule on Sustainability Education and Management

Sustainability professionals must be equipped to manage in the evolving regulatory landscape that the SEC climate rule will bring.

by |February 27, 2023
kimono made with bioearth fabric, seen from multiple angles and in motion

Let Them Wear Dirt: Penmai Chongtoua Turns Soil Into Textiles

An artist and alumna of the Climate and Society program, Chongtoua is exploring a variety of ways to wear earth on our bodies. Her work seeks to shape how we view our relationship with the planet.

by |February 14, 2023

Diversity as a Value, and the Economic Value of Diversity

New York City’s resilience and great economic strength are directly derived from its diverse people and communities.

by |February 13, 2023

New York City Government Struggles to Advance Sustainability Goals

Managing New York City is enormously complicated, and reaching carbon reduction goals will be a matter of two steps forward and one step back; management innovation is necessary to bring our city government’s operations into the 21st century and hasten the transition to environmental sustainability.

by |February 6, 2023