Today heads of state, business leaders and members of civil society are all starting to gather in Glasgow for the next two weeks to deliberate on what more needs to happen to keep the goal of limiting Earth’s warming to 1.5 degrees C within reach. In all there will be 30,000 people at COP26 negotiating how their countries can get to their net-zero targets, not to mention more than 100,000 people urging them to do so and produce concrete climate action.
This year, the Center on Global Energy Policy will have a significant presence at COP26 as a key part of Columbia University’s commitment to bring its expertise and solutions to climate leaders through its new Climate School. Columbia is hosting a series of events and expert roundtables which will include many influential climate leaders including Barack Obama, Gina McCarthy, Peggy Shepard, Samantha Power, Catherine McKenna, and Mary Nichols.
CGEP and the Climate School are also sending a delegation of scholars to play an active role in the COP process by sharing insights from our research with leaders from government, business and civil society. We feel that with all that’s happening in the climate space, institutions like ours can be at the nexus of how research can inform policy and lead to action.
In addition to the many events our faculty and scholars are speaking at, below are just some highlights of the activities we are directly organizing. For more please visit our websites at CGEP and Columbia Climate School. And during the conference, be sure to follow @JasonBordoff, @columbiauenergy, and @columbiaclimate twitter accounts for an inside look at what COP is all about. We hope you will join us!
- On November 3, we will host a public discussion on Mobilizing Private Capital for Climate Action in Emerging Markets, where we’ll be joined by many climate leaders including Deputy White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. You can join in person or virtually.
- On Thursday, November 4, Columbia University and University of Strathclyde students will connect with an all-star cast of climate and energy leaders including Jason Bordoff, Gina McCarthy, Catherine McKenna, Mary Nichols, Peggy Shepard, Laurence Tubiana, and Alex Halliday in New York. You can register to attend in person or watch the livestream here.
- On November 4, we are hosting a virtual discussion on engaging state-owned power companies in climate action. You can register here.
- On Monday, November 8, we are partnering with the Obama Foundation to host former President Barack Obama for a roundtable with youth activists, students from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, and Obama Foundation Scholars Program alumni, to discuss how to accelerate climate action.
- On Monday November 8, the Climate School, the Center on Global Energy Policy, and Galvanize Climate Solutions will host a private dinner with global leaders in climate finance, featuring USAID Administrator Samantha Power. After brief remarks by Administrator Power and Galvanize Climate Solutions co-founder, Tom Steyer, there will be a dinner conversation moderated by Jason Bordoff, Co-Founding Dean of the Columbia Climate School.
- On Monday, November 8 there will be a special dinner introducing people who have been working in the adaptation field to the new Columbia Climate School. The dinner is hosted by The Earth Institute and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.
