State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Research Program in Sustainability Policy and Management

  • How Buying Stuff Drives Climate Change

    How Buying Stuff Drives Climate Change

    Consumerism causes a large chunk of our carbon emissions. Here are a few ideas for healthier habits during the holidays and beyond.

  • You Asked: Are My Efforts to Reduce My Carbon Emissions Too Minor to Matter?

    You Asked: Are My Efforts to Reduce My Carbon Emissions Too Minor to Matter?

    Individual efforts to reduce carbon emissions could, in fact, go a long way in making a difference.

  • Watch: a Positive Vision of Sustainability

    Watch: a Positive Vision of Sustainability

    How do we transition to sustainability in a positive and effective way? In this video, Steven Cohen, executive director of the Earth Institute, discusses a positive vision of sustainability—one that avoids the gloom and doom rhetoric so often seen in headlines—and focuses on the technology, ingenuity and innovation that can build a sustainable economy.

  • Facilitating Science and Innovation in China

    Facilitating Science and Innovation in China

    Last week, representatives from Columbia University traveled to Tianjin Binhai, China to finalize a partnership with the Government of the Tianjin Binhai New Area. Both parties signed a memorandum of understanding as a first step in the development of a series of programs for research, education and executive training in the Tianjin Binhai New Area.

  • In China, Establishing Indicators for Global Sustainable Development

    In China, Establishing Indicators for Global Sustainable Development

    Last weekend, Earth Institute executive director Steven Cohen and post-doctoral research scholar Dong Guo participated in the Fourth Global Think Tank Summit in Beijing, hosted by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE). CCIEE, the preeminent think tank in China headed by the former vice premier, hosted hundreds of politicians, scholars, business leaders, and…

  • Preserving the Origins of Environmental Law for a New Generation of Leaders

    Preserving the Origins of Environmental Law for a New Generation of Leaders

    In fall 2014, Columbia University, through the School of International and Public Affairs, the School of Continuing Education and the Earth Institute, offered a never-before-taught class on “The Origins of Environmental Law.” While many courses teach the fundamentals of environmental law, this course spoke to the people and politics behind the creation of the legislation.…

  • Hundreds of Ways to Measure Sustainability

    Hundreds of Ways to Measure Sustainability

    Private companies and organizations in the public and non-profit sectors have begun to embrace the idea of sustainability: How to operate in ways that reduce consumption of water, energy and other resources, and help keep from depleting the planet’s natural resources. But how do we measure progress? Reliable metrics are needed – to understand what…

Colorful banner image over Earth with text "Open House Discover Science, October 19, 2024, 10am to 4pm

Join us on Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House! Celebrate 75 years of science with us at our beautiful Palisades, NY campus. The event is free and open to everyone, with a suggested $5 donation. Learn More and RSVP

  • How Buying Stuff Drives Climate Change

    How Buying Stuff Drives Climate Change

    Consumerism causes a large chunk of our carbon emissions. Here are a few ideas for healthier habits during the holidays and beyond.

  • You Asked: Are My Efforts to Reduce My Carbon Emissions Too Minor to Matter?

    You Asked: Are My Efforts to Reduce My Carbon Emissions Too Minor to Matter?

    Individual efforts to reduce carbon emissions could, in fact, go a long way in making a difference.

  • Watch: a Positive Vision of Sustainability

    Watch: a Positive Vision of Sustainability

    How do we transition to sustainability in a positive and effective way? In this video, Steven Cohen, executive director of the Earth Institute, discusses a positive vision of sustainability—one that avoids the gloom and doom rhetoric so often seen in headlines—and focuses on the technology, ingenuity and innovation that can build a sustainable economy.

  • Facilitating Science and Innovation in China

    Facilitating Science and Innovation in China

    Last week, representatives from Columbia University traveled to Tianjin Binhai, China to finalize a partnership with the Government of the Tianjin Binhai New Area. Both parties signed a memorandum of understanding as a first step in the development of a series of programs for research, education and executive training in the Tianjin Binhai New Area.

  • In China, Establishing Indicators for Global Sustainable Development

    In China, Establishing Indicators for Global Sustainable Development

    Last weekend, Earth Institute executive director Steven Cohen and post-doctoral research scholar Dong Guo participated in the Fourth Global Think Tank Summit in Beijing, hosted by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE). CCIEE, the preeminent think tank in China headed by the former vice premier, hosted hundreds of politicians, scholars, business leaders, and…

  • Preserving the Origins of Environmental Law for a New Generation of Leaders

    Preserving the Origins of Environmental Law for a New Generation of Leaders

    In fall 2014, Columbia University, through the School of International and Public Affairs, the School of Continuing Education and the Earth Institute, offered a never-before-taught class on “The Origins of Environmental Law.” While many courses teach the fundamentals of environmental law, this course spoke to the people and politics behind the creation of the legislation.…

  • Hundreds of Ways to Measure Sustainability

    Hundreds of Ways to Measure Sustainability

    Private companies and organizations in the public and non-profit sectors have begun to embrace the idea of sustainability: How to operate in ways that reduce consumption of water, energy and other resources, and help keep from depleting the planet’s natural resources. But how do we measure progress? Reliable metrics are needed – to understand what…