State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

policymaking

  • Regulating Technological Complexity

    Regulating Technological Complexity

    It is in the public interest to regulate new and emerging technologies to reduce the harm they create. Broad policies can be set by law, but the detailed rules must be left to experts in administrative agencies.

  • Climate Change and the American Political Agenda

    Climate Change and the American Political Agenda

    We’ve managed to avoid the topic for decades, but the force of public opinion is finally ending the era of American national climate nondecision-making.

  • The Clean Power Plan Overcomes Another Attack

    The politics of climate change remains contentious, with Democrats more concerned about the issue than Republicans. What is most interesting about the polling data is that young people are far more concerned about climate change than older people.

  • Bottom Up or Top Down? Another Way to Look at an Air Quality Problem

    Bottom Up or Top Down? Another Way to Look at an Air Quality Problem

    While not all countries have the financial wherewithal and capacity to deploy ground-based instruments for air-quality monitoring, and for some countries monitoring information is not available to the public, for example, through health advisories, another way exists to assess air pollution levels: through satellites.

Collage of Turkiye beach scene and Columbia University Campus with text: UN Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Turkiye, Nov 9-20, 2026

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

  • Regulating Technological Complexity

    Regulating Technological Complexity

    It is in the public interest to regulate new and emerging technologies to reduce the harm they create. Broad policies can be set by law, but the detailed rules must be left to experts in administrative agencies.

  • Climate Change and the American Political Agenda

    Climate Change and the American Political Agenda

    We’ve managed to avoid the topic for decades, but the force of public opinion is finally ending the era of American national climate nondecision-making.

  • The Clean Power Plan Overcomes Another Attack

    The politics of climate change remains contentious, with Democrats more concerned about the issue than Republicans. What is most interesting about the polling data is that young people are far more concerned about climate change than older people.

  • Bottom Up or Top Down? Another Way to Look at an Air Quality Problem

    Bottom Up or Top Down? Another Way to Look at an Air Quality Problem

    While not all countries have the financial wherewithal and capacity to deploy ground-based instruments for air-quality monitoring, and for some countries monitoring information is not available to the public, for example, through health advisories, another way exists to assess air pollution levels: through satellites.