Columbia World Projects (CWP) today announced the launch of the Climate Action Collective, a global network of stakeholders who will work together to identify key climate challenges that Columbia can help tackle through its teaching, research and global programming.

The collective will be led by CWP, Columbia Global Centers, the Columbia Climate School and ICAP, Columbia University’s center for global health.

“The Climate Action Collective will bring new global partners from outside the university together with Columbia’s top climate experts to inform our research and programming in ways that prioritize the needs of marginalized communities harmed by climate change,” said Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger. 

“We are greatly honored to launch this new effort to expand Columbia’s climate work by bringing to the fore the voices of people around the world, particularly those from the Global South who are often underrepresented in this conversation,” Wafaa El-Sadr, the Director of Columbia World Projects and ICAP, said. 

“As the newest school at Columbia, we are thrilled to be partnering with CWP, Columbia Global Centers and ICAP to leverage Columbia’s global presence to generate new insights about how the Climate School and the university more broadly can best support local efforts, while expanding our global network of climate action partners. Together we can have an even greater impact,” Ruth DeFries, Co-Founding Dean of the Columbia Climate School, said.

“Climate change mitigation efforts are top priories for the Global Centers, and we are thrilled to be part of this important initiative, utilizing our world-wide presence to expand the university's network of climate partners,” Safwan M. Masri, Executive Vice President for Global Centers and Global Development at Columbia University, said.

The collective will include experts, policy makers and civil society members from around the world, and in particular from low and middle-income countries, where the effects of climate change are disproportionately experienced and resources are urgently needed in order to achieve climate action priorities.  

The collective will launch with workshops and surveys to gather inputs on people’s perceptions of climate threats and their impact on their lives and communities.  The insights from these workshops and surveys will be used to inform priorities for the Climate School. The collective will also build a new platform for continued engagement with this network of stakeholders, enabling them to remain an ongoing voice in Columbia’s climate response.