State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

South Africa

  • Where Conservation Meets Community: Lessons From South Africa

    Where Conservation Meets Community: Lessons From South Africa

    Columbia Climate School students tackled real-world conservation challenges in one of the planet’s most biodiverse regions.

  • A Road Map for Minibus Electrification

    A Road Map for Minibus Electrification

    A report co-authored by the Center for Sustainable Urban Development offers recommendations for electrifying a popular mode of transportation in three African cities.

  • Rhino Number 100 and World Rhino Day

    Rhino Number 100 and World Rhino Day

    The sound of a chainsaw rises discordantly above all natural sounds, disrupting the quiet of a warm African winters’ day, a destructive sound at odds with the African wilderness. But it is not a tree that is being felled. It is the horn of a rhino.

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

  • Where Conservation Meets Community: Lessons From South Africa

    Where Conservation Meets Community: Lessons From South Africa

    Columbia Climate School students tackled real-world conservation challenges in one of the planet’s most biodiverse regions.

  • A Road Map for Minibus Electrification

    A Road Map for Minibus Electrification

    A report co-authored by the Center for Sustainable Urban Development offers recommendations for electrifying a popular mode of transportation in three African cities.

  • Rhino Number 100 and World Rhino Day

    Rhino Number 100 and World Rhino Day

    The sound of a chainsaw rises discordantly above all natural sounds, disrupting the quiet of a warm African winters’ day, a destructive sound at odds with the African wilderness. But it is not a tree that is being felled. It is the horn of a rhino.