cs highlights28
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What Is COP27?
In a recent event, John Furlow, director of Columbia Climate School’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society, provided a brief overview of this year’s global climate change conference in Egypt.
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Loss and Damage: What Is It, and Will There Be Progress at COP27?
This seemingly simple term carries a lot of baggage. Scholars at the Columbia Climate School are helping to envision what forward movement could look like.
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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.
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She Led Scientists Advising New York on Climate Change. Did the City Listen?
Cynthia Rosenzweig co-chaired the New York City Panel on Climate Change, an expert body advising the mayor, from its inception four years before Hurricane Sandy, and well after. Here, she assesses what was learned, and done, before and after.
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The ‘Cassandra of the Subways’ on Hurricane Sandy, Ten Years Later
Klaus Jacob predicted for years how the New York City subways would flood in a superstorm. Finally, authorities began to listen, but long-term preventive action came too little, too late.
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What City Planners Can Learn From Hurricane Sandy
Based on a decade of data from Hurricane Sandy, two New York City planners explore the inequities of disaster mitigation and recovery — and what needs to change to prevent climate gentrification.
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Flooding Significantly Impacts African Food Security, Says Study
At a time when flooding is overtaking many parts of the world, millions of people in Africa are going hungry when croplands, livestock and infrastructure are inundated. But the results are complicated.
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Permafrost Emissions Must Be Factored Into Global Climate Targets, Says Study
As the Arctic melts, permafrost there has the potential to send huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, but exactly how much is up for grabs, depending on what we do to stem climate change in coming years.
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Study Upsets Models of How Lake Drainage Within Glaciers May Influence Sea Level
Sudden plunges of lake waters from glacial surfaces to ice-sheet beds may not speed up the movement of Greenland’s tidewater glaciers, as previously thought.

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
