State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Millennium Cities Initiative7

  • Tides Foundation Awards $1.9 million Matching Challenge Gift to the Earth Institute to Promote Sustainable Urban Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

    In a landmark contribution to the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the Tides Foundation has awarded MCI with a challenge gift of up to $1.9 million. The gift will support the project’s work to assist selected mid-sized cities across sub-Saharan Africa to promote sustainable development and achieve the Millennium…

  • Movement to End Poverty Goes Urban in Africa

    Sustainable development demands that two disparate systems — urban and rural — equally meet the needs of their inhabitants without overburdening natural resources. The sustainability of agriculturally based villages, for example, depends on the health and well being of cities for access to large markets and services. Put simply, the sustainable development of one requires…

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

  • Tides Foundation Awards $1.9 million Matching Challenge Gift to the Earth Institute to Promote Sustainable Urban Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

    In a landmark contribution to the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the Tides Foundation has awarded MCI with a challenge gift of up to $1.9 million. The gift will support the project’s work to assist selected mid-sized cities across sub-Saharan Africa to promote sustainable development and achieve the Millennium…

  • Movement to End Poverty Goes Urban in Africa

    Sustainable development demands that two disparate systems — urban and rural — equally meet the needs of their inhabitants without overburdening natural resources. The sustainability of agriculturally based villages, for example, depends on the health and well being of cities for access to large markets and services. Put simply, the sustainable development of one requires…