Analyzing and empowering innovative actions and solutions, harnessing and nurturing creativity and leadership of the next generation, and leveraging the power of education to build capacity to spread climate consciousness were the main themes of a half-day workshop hosted by the Global Climate Innovation Center at the United Nations on March 2. Alongside researchers from Cornell, Fordham, and NYU, the Initiative’s Senior Director, Melissa Brown Goodall, offered remarks as a part of a panel discussion about embedding sustainability in academia.

Following remarks from the Ambassadors of Bangladesh, Mali, Sri Lanka, Gambia, Nigeria, Niger, Zambia, South Africa, Malta, and Surinam, and representatives from the United Nations Department of Political / Peacebuilding and Peace Operations and the United Nations ECOSOC, the Executive Vice President of the Global Climate Innovation Summit announced the commencement of its flagship project: the global climate innovator challenge and innovation summit. A panel on Sustainable Business and Investment featured perspectives from Cohen & Steers, the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, IAC, and Caspian Private Equity.

As the final event of the day, the Embedding Sustainability in Academia panel featured Dr. Rachel Kerr from Cornell, Dr. Frank Zambrelli from Fordham, Dr. Andé Taylor from New York University, and Dr. Melissa Brown Goodall from the Initiative. Dr. Kerr offered insights on agriculture and equity as well as implications of the IPCC report, Dr. Zembrelli shared ideas about how the current generation of learners is shifting consumption patterns, and Dr. Taylor provided a glimpse into the future of solar technology. Dr. Brown Goodall reminded the audience that everyone in the room had attended university at some point and suggested that there is an opportunity to better leverage the research capacity of universities in addressing climate change, as well as to engage and inspire the next generation of leaders – today’s college and university students.