climate policy Archives - State of the Planet

Electric towers during golden hour

Model Environmental Justice Bills, Aimed at State Legislators, Are Released

A new framework for legislators and advocates aims to promote environmental justice with exemplary tools to accelerate proposed policy changes.

copper mine in the DRC

By Favoring Allies, Inflation Reduction Act Could Delay Decarbonization Efforts

Domestic supply requirements in the landmark climate bill could make it more difficult to obtain the critical minerals needed for energy transition, and may disqualify many leading brands of electric vehicles from tax credits.

by Julia-Grace Sanders |January 13, 2023
6 headshots of researchers attending cop27

COP27: Delegates From the Columbia Climate School Share Their Plans and Hopes

A number of representatives from the Columbia Climate School will be attending the global climate summit in Egypt. Here’s what they’ll be up to, and what they hope to achieve.

by |October 31, 2022
chart showing u.s. emissions falling

What the Inflation Reduction Act Does — and Doesn’t Do — for Climate

It’s the U.S.’s first bill that focuses on climate change, but it’s not perfect.

by |August 12, 2022

Dealing With the U.S. Federal Government’s Failure of Climate Leadership

Joe Manchin, like Donald Trump before him, presents a challenge to all of us to figure out how to achieve greenhouse gas reductions in the absence of U.S. national leadership.

by |July 18, 2022
a cyclone and storm clouds

What Can We Do About Extreme Weather?

Perhaps climate change policy will be a response to our growing experience with extreme weather events.

by |April 11, 2022

The Impact of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine on Climate Change Policy

While we scramble for energy supplies to replace Russia’s fossil fuels, the long-term impact of this war could and should be increased demand for renewable energy. For now, the people of Ukraine deserve our help and prayers.

by |March 7, 2022

Energy Modernization as Climate Policy

Energy modernization is the goal, greenhouse gas reduction is a much-needed byproduct.

by |January 24, 2022

A Dozen Things That Helped and Hurt Climate Progress in 2021

2021 may turn out to be the most critical year in our efforts to combat climate change. What things helped and what things hurt climate progress this year?

by |December 28, 2021

Net Zero Pledges: Can They Get Us Where We Need to Go?

The latest U.N. climate summit resulted in a spate of new net zero pledges. But net zero doesn’t necessarily mean cutting emissions.

by |December 16, 2021