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It’s been a head-spinning day in the Iran war. Earlier today, following a temporary truce between Lebanon and Israel, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be...
The Columbia Global Energy Summit 2026 is an annual event dedicated to thought-provoking discussions around the critical energy and climate challenges facing the global community.
Summit Event
• Lerner Hall
Columbia University
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We are the premier hub and policy institution for global energy thought leadership. Energy impacts every element of our lives, and our trusted fact-based research informs the decisions that affect all of us.
Renewing Fashion: Clean Energy and the Circular Economy
Past Event
September 27, 2024
10:00 am - 12:00 pm edt
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The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA hosted a series of energy and climate-focused events during Climate Week NYC from September 22-29, 2024. These events brought together policymakers, industry leaders, scholars, and students to discuss innovative solutions, share research, and promote policies for a sustainable and equitable energy future. Topics included global renewable energy, geopolitical dynamics, critical minerals supply chains, financing, trade, and energy access. Be sure to see all our activities during the week.
The fashion industry is a major energy consumer and contributor to climate change. To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the industry must transition into a circular economy from its current fossil fuel-based production and linear produce-use-dispose model. However, significant challenges remain, and we need to speed up and scale up actions. Our panel, featuring industry leaders spearheading fashion’s clean and circular transition, addressed the most pressing challenges, including phasing out fossil fuels, curbing oversupply, scaling up fabric recycling, aligning policy with industry goals, and financing the transition. We also explored best practices and strategies aimed at creating a sustainable and net-positive future for fashion.
Key Questions:
How can the fashion industry remove fossil fuels from its value chain, and what role does clean energy play in enabling the circular transition?
What are the most effective strategies to scale up textile-to-textile recycling?
How can global goals for a clean energy and circular economy transition in fashion be aligned with country-specific policies?
How can we address the persistent issue of oversupply through design innovation, consumer behavior change, and new business models?
How can businesses balance their sustainability responsibilities with financial ambitions?
What financing mechanism and strategies can support the fashion industry’s transition?
Sandra Goldmark (Keynote), Senior Assistant Dean, Columbia Climate School
Amy Jaffe, Co-chair, Women in Energy Program, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University; Director of the Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab at New York University
This roundtable is open only to currently enrolled Columbia University students. To register, you must sign in with your UNI. Join the Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women...
Event
• Center on Global Energy Policy
1255 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027
This roundtable is open only to currently enrolled Columbia University students. To register, you must sign in with your UNI. The Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at...
Event
• Center on Global Energy Policy
1255 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027
This roundtable is open only to currently enrolled Columbia University students. To register, you must sign in with your UNI. The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia...
Event
• Center on Global Energy Policy
1255 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027
In March 2012, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington to press a US president on slowing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Inside the White House, the dilemma was stark.
