Columbia Climate School

Across the US and globally, interest in clean energy is accelerating faster than at any point in history, and not necessarily because of anything the clean energy movement achieved on its own. Alexis Abramson, Columbia Climate School Dean and sustainable energy technology expert, examines why. Via TIME.

Energy Independence is Becoming Solar's Strongest Selling Point Global uncertainty is making a stronger case for clean energy in the U.S. than moral or economic arguments have.

"Every El Niño is different in terms of timing, magnitude, and geographic extent, and such differences lead to variability in the impacts—on temperatures and rainfall, for example—on a global scale," says climate scientist Andrew Kruczkiewicz of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University. Via ABC News.

El Nino returns, likely will intensify into a strong event this year, NOAA says El Nino conditions are expected to strengthen in the coming months, bringing potentially significant impacts, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

"The AI race is already generating forces that are transforming the global economy. That makes it surprisingly similar to the green transition, given the potential of both to upend traditional industries, labor markets, and geopolitical balances," write climate economist Gernot Wagner of Columbia Business School and postdoc Adam Michael Bauer of University of Chicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth.

"But while the long-run gains in each case are clear, the shorter-term effects of a mis- or unmanaged transition could be wildly disruptive," they continue.

Learn more via State of the Planet: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2026/06/16/the-ai-revolution-mirrors-the-green-transition/

📷 serts/iStock

MA Climate & Society student Talita André reflects on “The End of Poverty” by Center for Sustainable Development director Jeffrey Sachs, the U.N., and the need to redesign global institutions for a world shaped by climate change, poverty, and geopolitical strain. Via State of the Planet: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2026/06/11/what-ive-learned-from-the-end-of-poverty-20-years-later/

📷 Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed (center) and students from Columbia University during a visit to U.N. headquarters with professor Jeffrey Sachs. Credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

As the FIFA World Cup 2026 games get underway in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, disaster preparedness experts Karl Kim of University of Hawaiʻi, Tom Chandler of National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University, and Daniele Spirandelli of Haley & Aldrich discuss preparing for weather risks such as heat, thunderstorms, and tornadoes.

Each host city has unique weather-related conditions and different capabilities to manage severe weather events. “The Meadowlands, as a region of New Jersey, is prone to flooding, intense thunderstorms, and heat waves in the summer months. So, there's an enormous amount to prepare for,” says Chandler, bringing an East Coast perspective on hazards.

Chandler, Kim, and Spirandelli have also been working to bring in field experts in meteorology, urban planning, and behavioral psychology to better understand fan behavior during large-scale sporting events in extreme weather.

Via Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Heat, thunderstorms, tornadoes: Preparing for World Cup weather risks Karl Kim, Tom Chandler and Daniele Spirandelli planning for weather-related risks to the World Cup events that kick off on Thursday.

💡 Today I Learned (TIL): Fabricio Correa Lara

At the Alliance Graduate Summer School 2026 in Paris, I was surrounded by PhD researchers and professors working at the intersection of economics and sustainability. What stayed with me is how each person's methodology reflects what they are continuously encountering and learning from, like explorers and detectives following traces of knowledge that already exist but haven't been named yet. That's why it matters so much for researchers, especially those working outside their own territories, to stay in conversation with people on the ground.

From my own work in Latin America, I know this is not simple: when trying to build knowledge from the territories, on our own terms, is a process full of dispute, the diversity of cosmovisions in our region means embracing tension is part of the work.

Being in a room with people from across Europe and Columbia PhD students reminded me how many valid entry points exist into the same urgent questions, and that looking at problems from different perspectives and contexts reveals angles that even someone inside the territory might not see.

Everything adds up when it's done for the right reasons.

Program: MS in Climate (climate.columbia.edu/ms-climate)

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💡 Today I Learned (TIL) features our students' lightbulb moments as they go about their day expanding their knowledge, ideas, and creativity while in classes, talking with other students, working on projects, or just living in this complex world of ours.

🤔 You Asked: What Exactly Is a ‘Super’ El Niño?

💡 Columbia Climate School experts Muhammad Azhar Ehsan, Mingfang Ting, Andrew Kruczkiewicz, and climate reporter Tracy Wholf explain what a strong El Niño could mean for the planet this year.

➡️ Via State of the Planet:
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2026/06/09/you-asked-what-exactly-is-a-super-el-nino/

🔥 Have a burning climate, science, or sustainability question? Post in the comments or via news.climate.columbia.edu/ask-a-question-suggest-a-story.

🌏 We are building a global community of climate leaders!

In partnership with Columbia Global Center Beijing, we welcomed admitted students to a special event where they could connect with current students, faculty, and the broader Columbia Climate School community before arriving on campus this fall.

Hosted by Mingfang Ting, vice dean for student affairs and professor of climate, the event featured:
* Remarks from Dean Alexis Abramson
* Faculty panel with MA in Climate & Society program director Lisa Dale, MS in Climate Finance and Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment director Lisa Sachs, vice dean of academic planning Jason Smerdon, and professor of climate Radley Horton
* Conversations on climate leadership, interdisciplinary learning, and career opportunities across the climate sector
* Perspectives from MA Climate & Society student Jasmin Zheng

Our incoming class is a global community of 50+ countries, and we look forward to welcoming our newest students to Columbia Climate School this fall!

➡️ Learn more about our graduate programs:
https://www.climate.columbia.edu/masters-programs

📷 MA Climate & Society student Jasmin Zheng (front left) and vice dean for student affairs Mingfang Ting (front center, 4th from right) with admitted students at June 8 Beijing Admitted Students Welcome Day.

3 Insights on the Future of Our Planet 🤔

1️⃣ Glacial retreat is increasing the risk of tsunamis. 🌊
2️⃣ AI presents a paradox of environmental benefits and downsides. 🤖
3️⃣ Carbon dioxide is cooling the stratosphere while trapping heat below. 🌡️

This issue of our newsletter celebrates our 2026 graduates, the next generation of climate leaders, and also explores how retreating ice alters coastal hazards, the environmental tradeoffs of the AI boom, a newly mapped mechanism driving global temperatures, and more.

📩 Subscribe: climate.columbia.edu/join

👉 Get the details: https://mailchi.mp/climate/june-5-337?e=3b13600315

✅ Stay connected with leaders in the field:
🔹 Follow Columbia Climate School
🔹 Follow Dean Alexis Abramson on LinkedIn