State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Sustainability37

  • 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…

  • Map Your Food

    Map Your Food

    Where does London get its fruit? Where are the “food swamps” in Los Angeles? Where do tomatoes from Spain wind up? Where are the composters in New York City? For lovers of geography, and of the sociology of food, “Food: an atlas” offers lots of informative and curious distraction.

  • The Beginning of Peace?

    The Beginning of Peace?

    The hard truth is that we know very little about sustaining peace. This is because for decades we have studied the pathologies of war, violence, aggression and conflict – and peace in the context of those processes – but few have studied peace directly.

  • Sustainability Ethics and Metrics

    Sustainability Ethics and Metrics

    Today’s increasing emphasis on metrics in sustainability policy and management presents an interesting challenge for ethics. When ethics are discussed, probably one of the last things to come to mind is measuring them, particularly in numeric terms.

  • The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    When Hurricane Sandy hit last October, the vulnerabilities of the New York/New Jersey region to extreme weather were made all too clear. The Rebuild by Design challenge was launched to find the most innovative ways to make the region more resilient and sustainable.

  • How We Put Our Spreadsheets Where Our Stomachs Are

    How We Put Our Spreadsheets Where Our Stomachs Are

    Right off the bat, we were faced with the difficult question of what “sustainable” actually means. Students were well-versed in the triple bottom line of sustainability – economic, environmental and social. Then one of the students, a hefty young man on Columbia’s wrestling team, spoke up in defense of his right to make a decision…

  • The State and Future of Congestion Pricing in China

    The State and Future of Congestion Pricing in China

    To combat urban air pollution and traffic problems, some propose congestion pricing as a cost-effective policy to reduce pollution and improve productivity through improved travel speeds. Cities in China could implement this policy and ameliorate some of the negative effects of congestion-caused pollution. So why is congestion pricing dead on arrival in China?

  • CUriosity3: Intersection Between Arts and Sciences

    CUriosity3: Intersection Between Arts and Sciences

    Join instructors from our Executive Education Certificate Program in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability including Dr. Shahid Naeem, Dr. Matt Palmer, and Dr. Eric Sanderson. for a FREE public seminar program addressing the intersection between Arts and Science with the goal of initiating discussions and debate around the common ground of creative practice and scientific discovery.

  • Sustainability Certification in Aquaculture: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is?

    Sustainability Certification in Aquaculture: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is?

    Should we certify aquaculture? A look at mounting challenges in the push for sustainable seafood.

Colorful icons representing nature, sustainable living, and renewable energy with text "Earth Day 2026"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. Today, our scientists and experts are tackling the most pressing challenges to achieve real-world impact. This Earth Day, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet. Visit our Earth Day website for ideas, resources, and inspiration.

  • 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…

  • Map Your Food

    Map Your Food

    Where does London get its fruit? Where are the “food swamps” in Los Angeles? Where do tomatoes from Spain wind up? Where are the composters in New York City? For lovers of geography, and of the sociology of food, “Food: an atlas” offers lots of informative and curious distraction.

  • The Beginning of Peace?

    The Beginning of Peace?

    The hard truth is that we know very little about sustaining peace. This is because for decades we have studied the pathologies of war, violence, aggression and conflict – and peace in the context of those processes – but few have studied peace directly.

  • Sustainability Ethics and Metrics

    Sustainability Ethics and Metrics

    Today’s increasing emphasis on metrics in sustainability policy and management presents an interesting challenge for ethics. When ethics are discussed, probably one of the last things to come to mind is measuring them, particularly in numeric terms.

  • The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    When Hurricane Sandy hit last October, the vulnerabilities of the New York/New Jersey region to extreme weather were made all too clear. The Rebuild by Design challenge was launched to find the most innovative ways to make the region more resilient and sustainable.

  • How We Put Our Spreadsheets Where Our Stomachs Are

    How We Put Our Spreadsheets Where Our Stomachs Are

    Right off the bat, we were faced with the difficult question of what “sustainable” actually means. Students were well-versed in the triple bottom line of sustainability – economic, environmental and social. Then one of the students, a hefty young man on Columbia’s wrestling team, spoke up in defense of his right to make a decision…

  • The State and Future of Congestion Pricing in China

    The State and Future of Congestion Pricing in China

    To combat urban air pollution and traffic problems, some propose congestion pricing as a cost-effective policy to reduce pollution and improve productivity through improved travel speeds. Cities in China could implement this policy and ameliorate some of the negative effects of congestion-caused pollution. So why is congestion pricing dead on arrival in China?

  • CUriosity3: Intersection Between Arts and Sciences

    CUriosity3: Intersection Between Arts and Sciences

    Join instructors from our Executive Education Certificate Program in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability including Dr. Shahid Naeem, Dr. Matt Palmer, and Dr. Eric Sanderson. for a FREE public seminar program addressing the intersection between Arts and Science with the goal of initiating discussions and debate around the common ground of creative practice and scientific discovery.

  • Sustainability Certification in Aquaculture: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is?

    Sustainability Certification in Aquaculture: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is?

    Should we certify aquaculture? A look at mounting challenges in the push for sustainable seafood.