Challenge
Climate change is one of the most urgent and extensive global threats confronting us today. Each year, greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb, warming the earth and exacting devastating consequences on both natural and built environments. Rising sea levels and extreme weather events are more frequently leading to crises in almost every domain, including food security, biodiversity, public health and national security. While the 2015 Paris Agreement resulted in a near universal commitment by countries to limit the increase in average global temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius and to “pursue efforts” to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, neither goal is likely to be achieved based on current trends.
The Forum
On September 17, 2019, CWP invited about 35 experts from inside and outside of Columbia University for a Forum – a meeting to better understand key aspects of this challenge and identify promising projects that CWP could implement to achieve potential solutions. Before the meeting, experts worked with CWP staff to develop more than 15 project proposals, which were discussed and evaluated at the Forum.
What is a Forum?
Working Groups and Project Proposals
Participants at the Forum were split into five working groups organized by theme: decarbonization of buildings; breakthrough technologies in storage, materials and capture; transportation and infrastructure; tracking and measuring emissions to change practice; and policy innovation.
Subject matter experts were assigned to the groups based on their various fields of knowledge, distinct backgrounds and different views on the topic. Each working group had to evaluate between two and five project proposals developed in advance by participants and CWP staff.
Read more about the project proposals and the working group discussions in our Forum report.
Decarbonization Working Groups
- Decarbonization of Buildings add
- Breakthrough Technologies in Storage, Materials and Capture add
- Transportation and Infrastructure add
- Tracking and Measuring Emissions to Change Practice add
- Policy Innovation add
Forum Participants
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Lee C. Bollinger
President, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altLee C. Bollinger became Columbia University’s nineteenth president in 2002. Under his leadership, Columbia stands again at the very top rank of great research universities, distinguished...
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Morten Bæk
Permanent Secretary of State, Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and UtilitiesRead Full Bio arrow_right_altMorten Bæk joined the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building at its creation in November 2007, serving as head of the Minister’s Private Office, the Department of National Energy...
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Scott Banta
Vice Chair and Professor of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altScott Banta is a Professor and the Vice Chair of Chemical Engineering at Columbia University. His research focuses on biochemical engineering and synthetic biology for applications in...
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Jason Bordoff
Professor, Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altJason Bordoff is a professor of professional practice at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs and serves as founding Director of Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy.
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Mark Brownstein
Senior Vice President, Energy, Environmental Defense FundRead Full Bio arrow_right_altMark Brownstein is Senior Vice President of Energy at Environmental Defense Fund, and a member of EDF’s executive team. The goal of the EDF Energy Program is to bend the curve on greenhouse...
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Cristóbal De la Maza
Head of Environmental and Climate Change Division, Ministry of Energy, Government of ChileRead Full Bio arrow_right_altCristóbal de la Maza is the Head of Division of Environmental and Climate Change of the Ministry of Energy of the Government of Chile. Currently he leads the design and implementation...
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Brian Deese
Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable Investing. BlackRockRead Full Bio arrow_right_altBrian Deese, Managing Director, is Global Head of Sustainable Investing at BlackRock. The Sustainable Investing team is focused on identifying drivers of long-term return associated with...
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Daniel Esposito
Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altDaniel Esposito received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware and studied as a postdoctoral research associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology...
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Julio Friedmann
Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altJulio Friedmann is a Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. He recently served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of...
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Michael Gerrard
Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia Law SchoolRead Full Bio arrow_right_altMichael B. Gerrard is Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia Law School, where he teaches courses on environmental and energy law and directs the Sabin Center for...
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David Goldberg
Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altDavid Goldberg is a Lamont Research Professor and his interests focus on the integration of different technologies and cross-disciplinary approaches to develop achievable climate solutions.
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Avril D. Haines
Former Deputy DirectorRead Full Bio arrow_right_altAvril Haines was the Deputy Director of Columbia World Projects from 2017-2020. She now serves as director of national intelligence in the Biden administration.
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Alex Halliday
Director, Earth Institute; Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altDr. Alex Halliday is the Director of Columbia University’s Earth Institute. He joined the Earth Institute in April 2018, after spending more than a decade at the University of Oxford...
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Geoffrey Heal
Donald C. Waite III Professor of Social Enterprise, Columbia Business SchoolRead Full Bio arrow_right_altGeoffrey Heal is noted for contributions to economic theory and resource and environmental economics. He holds bachelors and doctoral degrees from Cambridge University and an Honorary...
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Marie Johansson
Director of Product Sustainability, Colgate-Palmolive CompanyRead Full Bio arrow_right_altMarie Johansson is the Director of Product Sustainability for Colgate-Palmolive Company, a consumer products company based in New York City. She is responsible for the leadership of Colgate’s...
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Noah Kaufman
Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altNoah Kaufman joined the Center on Global Energy Policy as research scholar in January 2018. He is an economist who has worked on energy and climate change policy in both the public and private sectors.
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Richard Kauffman
Chair, New York State Energy Research & Development AuthorityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altRichard Kauffman is Chairman of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). He also serves as Chair of Generate Capital, a leading financier of clean energy projects.
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Nicholas Lemann
DirectorDirector, Columbia Global Reports; Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor of Journalism; Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of JournalismRead Full Bio arrow_right_altNicholas Lemann directs Columbia World Projects as well as Columbia Global Reports, a book publishing venture that commissions reporting around the world on a wide range of political...
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John Lochner
Vice President Innovation, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)Read Full Bio arrow_right_altJohn Lochner founded Headland Advisors, which advises on and structures investments in sustainability-focused opportunities. As an investor in and advisor to businesses in water, energy...
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Christoph Meinrenken
Associate Research Scientist, Earth Institute, Engineering School, Data Science Institute, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altChristoph Meinrenken is an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University's Earth Institute, adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering...
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Vijay Modi
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altVijay Modi is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University and a member of the Earth Institute faculty. His areas of expertise are energy resources/access...
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Bruce Nilles
Managing Director, Rocky Mountain InstituteRead Full Bio arrow_right_altBruce Nilles is a Managing Director at Rocky Mountain Institute where he is leading its work on electrifying everything with clean electricity, starting with the building sector.
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Alissa Park
Earth and Environmental Engineering & Chemical Engineering, Columbia UniversityAssociate Professor in Applied Climate Science, Lenfest Center for Sustainable EnergyRead Full Bio arrow_right_altAlissa Park is the Lenfest Chair in Applied Climate Science of Earth and Environmental Engineering & Chemical Engineering at Columbia University. She is also the Director of the Lenfest...
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John Podesta
Founder and Director, Center for American ProgressRead Full Bio arrow_right_altJohn Podesta served as Chair of Hillary for America. Prior to joining Hillary Clinton's campaign, he served as Counselor to President Barack Obama. In 2008, he served as co-chair of President...
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Kenneth Prewitt
Carnegie Professor of Public Affairs, Columbia UniversitySpecial Advisor to the PresidentRead Full Bio arrow_right_altKenneth Prewitt is the Carnegie Professor of Public Affairs at Columbia University. He taught Political Science at the University of Chicago from 1965–1982, and for shorter stints was...
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Karen Reif
Vice President, Renewables and Energy Solutions, Public Service Electric & Gas CompanyRead Full Bio arrow_right_altKaren Reif was elected vice president - renewables and energy solutions, effective July 2018. In this role she oversees PSE&G’s clean energy strategy. She is responsible for the...
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Andrew Revkin
Director, Initiative on Communication and Innovation, Earth Institute, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altAndrew Revkin is the Director of the Initiative on Communication Innovation & Impact at the Earth Institute. He is has worked as a senior reporter for climate and related...
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David Sandalow
Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia UniversityCo-Director of the Energy and Environment Concentration at the School of International and Public AffairsRead Full Bio arrow_right_altDavid Sandalow is the Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy and co-Director of the Energy and Environment Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
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Abe Silverman
General Counsel, New Jersey Board of Public UtilitiesRead Full Bio arrow_right_altAbe recently joined the BPU after working in the energy space for 20 years, including working at FERC, private practice, and for the last decade, NRG Energy, Inc.
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Dan Steingart
Associate Professor Chemical Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altDaniel Steingart is the Stanley Thompson Associate Professor of Chemical Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering and the co-director of the Columbia Electrochemical Energy Center.
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Satya Tripathi
Assistant Secretary General and Head of the New York Office, United Nations Envrionment ProgrammeRead Full Bio arrow_right_altSatya S. Tripathi is the Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Before that, Mr. Tripathi served as Senior...
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Venkat Venkataraman
EVP of Engineering and Chief Technology Officer, Bloom EnergyRead Full Bio arrow_right_altVenkat Venkataraman brings to Bloom Energy more than 35 years of experience in process design and optimization. He leads the development of highly efficient and low cost Bloom Energy Servers.
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Alan West
Professor, SEAS, CEEC, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altAlan West received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of California and his BS from Case Western Reserve University. He is the co-director of the Columbia Electrochemical...
