State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

MS in Sustainability Management News49

  • Improving Buildings to Reduce Energy Demand

    Improving Buildings to Reduce Energy Demand

    Maya always had an interest in sustainable cities and passive building design. Because buildings make up a third of the world’s energy consumption, she believes that focusing on improving our buildings can have a significant effect on our global energy demand.

  • Student Work Helps Establish Conservation Act in Palau

    Student Work Helps Establish Conservation Act in Palau

    David Prieto, graduate of the Earth Institute Sustainability Management program, helped establish the first Manta Ray Conservation Act in the Republic of Palau, aiding the creation of the 6th largest marine sanctuary in the world.

  • Faculty Profile: Marianne Lado

    Faculty Profile: Marianne Lado

    “In today’s world, whether we think about the local, regional, national or even international settings, tackling sustainability requires consideration of the communities most affected by environmental degradation and ensuring that community members have meaningful opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their lives.”

  • Faculty Profile: Susan Blaustein

    Faculty Profile: Susan Blaustein

    With more than half of the world now living in cities, and well over half of that number living in urban poverty, Professor Blaustein believes that humanizing the city – making it livable for women and families- is a key factor in ensuring its sustainability.

  • Executive Director’s Office Internship

    Executive Director’s Office Internship

    Are you an undergraduate or graduate student at Columbia or Barnard interested in sustainability and the environment? Are you looking for a paid internship for the spring semester? Apply by Friday, January 15, 2016, to intern in the Executive Director’s office at the Earth Institute.

  • Focusing on Ecosystems to Reduce Disaster Risks

    Focusing on Ecosystems to Reduce Disaster Risks

    Current Master of Science in Sustainability Management student Alia’a Harun was drawn to the program because of the interdisciplinary approach towards a pragmatic implementation of sustainability. Alia’a has a background in Ecology and is looking for ways to apply hard value onto the natural environment and its services.

  • Teaming Technology and Clean Energy

    Teaming Technology and Clean Energy

    Alum James Kocher (MSSM ‘13) works in the photovoltaics monitoring sector where he helps clients measure and analyze photovoltaic (PV) solar production. James currently designs and implements data monitoring systems for large commercial and utility scale PV projects.

  • How Sustainable is Vertical Farming? Students Try to Answer the Question

    How Sustainable is Vertical Farming? Students Try to Answer the Question

    Vertical farming is touted as a solution to the drawbacks of traditional agriculture, but how sustainable is it really? A team of students attempts to design a certification system to assess the sustainability of vertical farms.

  • Effective Communication Helps Lower Energy Use

    Effective Communication Helps Lower Energy Use

    Current Master of Science in Sustainability Management student Jocelyn Gan is a programs associate at Building Energy Exchange. In this role, Jocelyn manages the Daylight Hour social media campaign, an annual event that encourages offices to turn off the lights for one hour in day-lit spaces.

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

  • Improving Buildings to Reduce Energy Demand

    Improving Buildings to Reduce Energy Demand

    Maya always had an interest in sustainable cities and passive building design. Because buildings make up a third of the world’s energy consumption, she believes that focusing on improving our buildings can have a significant effect on our global energy demand.

  • Student Work Helps Establish Conservation Act in Palau

    Student Work Helps Establish Conservation Act in Palau

    David Prieto, graduate of the Earth Institute Sustainability Management program, helped establish the first Manta Ray Conservation Act in the Republic of Palau, aiding the creation of the 6th largest marine sanctuary in the world.

  • Faculty Profile: Marianne Lado

    Faculty Profile: Marianne Lado

    “In today’s world, whether we think about the local, regional, national or even international settings, tackling sustainability requires consideration of the communities most affected by environmental degradation and ensuring that community members have meaningful opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their lives.”

  • Faculty Profile: Susan Blaustein

    Faculty Profile: Susan Blaustein

    With more than half of the world now living in cities, and well over half of that number living in urban poverty, Professor Blaustein believes that humanizing the city – making it livable for women and families- is a key factor in ensuring its sustainability.

  • Executive Director’s Office Internship

    Executive Director’s Office Internship

    Are you an undergraduate or graduate student at Columbia or Barnard interested in sustainability and the environment? Are you looking for a paid internship for the spring semester? Apply by Friday, January 15, 2016, to intern in the Executive Director’s office at the Earth Institute.

  • Focusing on Ecosystems to Reduce Disaster Risks

    Focusing on Ecosystems to Reduce Disaster Risks

    Current Master of Science in Sustainability Management student Alia’a Harun was drawn to the program because of the interdisciplinary approach towards a pragmatic implementation of sustainability. Alia’a has a background in Ecology and is looking for ways to apply hard value onto the natural environment and its services.

  • Teaming Technology and Clean Energy

    Teaming Technology and Clean Energy

    Alum James Kocher (MSSM ‘13) works in the photovoltaics monitoring sector where he helps clients measure and analyze photovoltaic (PV) solar production. James currently designs and implements data monitoring systems for large commercial and utility scale PV projects.

  • How Sustainable is Vertical Farming? Students Try to Answer the Question

    How Sustainable is Vertical Farming? Students Try to Answer the Question

    Vertical farming is touted as a solution to the drawbacks of traditional agriculture, but how sustainable is it really? A team of students attempts to design a certification system to assess the sustainability of vertical farms.

  • Effective Communication Helps Lower Energy Use

    Effective Communication Helps Lower Energy Use

    Current Master of Science in Sustainability Management student Jocelyn Gan is a programs associate at Building Energy Exchange. In this role, Jocelyn manages the Daylight Hour social media campaign, an annual event that encourages offices to turn off the lights for one hour in day-lit spaces.