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Discover climate course materials and resources.
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- Course
Most recently taught Fall 2024
With climate change visibly affecting communities around the world, it is essential to society to transition to renewable energy sources to minimize further climate warming. As for any generation source, installation of renewables is very capital intensive. This course will examine key “ingredients” necessary to finance a renewable project / make it economic, including but not limited to:
• Ability to finance at the project level
• Different forms of capital available / requirements to successfully finance
• Revenue models for renewables investors and required returns
• Role of government incentives in financing renewable energy / latest US legislation
• Key technical issues that arise with increased renewables penetration
• Equity an inclusion in the approach to building a renewable landscape
- Topics on: Energy, Finance
- Course
Most recently taught Fall 2025
We eat food every day. The food system, from agricultural production to processing and distribution to consumption and waste, shapes our lives. The food system also profoundly affects our environment, climate, and public health. This course explores the environmental impact of modern agriculture and the U.S. laws that attempt to address it.
Today’s industrial food system bears little relation to the bucolic family farms that were in Congress’s mind when it passed most modern environmental laws. Since the 1970’s, U.S. agriculture has grown increasingly concentrated and industrial. Arguably, the system is a success: we now produces more food on less land, food is about one-third less expensive today than in 1980; and less than 2% of U.S. employment is in agriculture.
On the other hand, the increased industrialization, without the environmental safeguards applicable to other industries, has led to agriculture being a major source of environmental and health harm. Agriculture occupies approximately 60% of the country’s contiguous land and is the main driver of biodiversity loss. Fertilizers and pesticides running off monoculture fields pollute waters and endanger workers, surrounding communities, and downstream consumers. Almost all our meat is produced in industrial-scale “concentrated animal feeding operations” that house tens of thousands of animals and produce more waste than many cities, yet lack sewage treatment systems and cause significant water and air pollution. Through greenhouse gas emissions and land use, agriculture drives about one-third of climate change. And agriculture is one of the most highly concentrated and unequal sectors of the economy, one in seven in the U.S. are food insecure, and we face a pandemic of food-related chronic diseases.
U.S. environmental and farm laws seek to address (some of) these harms; this course studies the strengths and weaknesses of current law, and explores alternative approaches to environmental and public health protections. How to regulate highly variable biological systems? How to manage the diffuse and unreported nature of most agricultural pollution? How to address the fact that the “machines” of meat production are sentient beings? How should the disparate impacts of food and its production affect policy choices? We consider these questions and more as we confront the need to transform our current food system if we hope to achieve environmental (and social) goals.
- Topics on: Food, Law
- Course
Most recently taught Spring 2026
Although women and children constitute an increasing majority of urban populations worldwide, 20thh- and 21stcentury cities do not appear to have been designed with their needs or interests in mind. A lack of public and green spaces and of safe public toilets, anonymous, colorless high-rise structures, dark underpasses, and, ubiquitously, paltry accommodations for women with young children and the elderly are but a few examples of planning and design seemingly oblivious to the rights of women of all ages to have adequate access to critical goods and services. Even as more aspects of city life and governance become “smart” and more efficient, the un- and underpaid work carried out largely by women that actually makes most cities “tick” and enables city-based businesses to be profitable still goes unrecognized as an essential investment in urban life. Yet without addressing the social aspects of sustainability by considering the contributions, needs, and aspirations of women and families, even the most innovative technical solutions to urban infrastructure challenges — whether in energy, mass transit, resilience-building, sensitive law enforcement, or Geographic Information System-based monitoring of any of the above – cannot be assured of success or durability. The opportunity is there, for corporations, local governments, community organizations, and individuals to take the lead in humanizing the city, in sustainable, cost-effective, timesaving, and lifesaving ways.
- Topics on: Gender, Infrastructure, Planning, Resilence
- Course
Transportation accounts for about 25% of global GHG emissions. Significantly reducing emissions in this sector is fundamental for addressing climate change. Historically, the technical and commercial tools for tackling emissions in this sector have lagged other sectors (for example, electricity production where renewables have been “in the money” for many years). But over the last several years, this dynamic has changed and there is now significant capital and brainpower focused on transportation decarbonization. And despite transportation decarbonization being deemphasized in the current U.S. political environment, the ongoing trend is still highly positive globally.
The course focuses on capturing the key elements that will speed the scale-up to low- and no- carbon transportation (“sustainable transportation”) across the breadth of transportation sectors. In doing so, this scale-up will create new industries and business models – and has the potential to benefit a wide group of people, including those who in the past have been disproportionally affected by poor air quality caused by existing transportation sources. The course is designed for any student who wishes to understand these elements in a deeper way.
The course will explore the decarbonization opportunities and challenges across the various transportation sectors, including light duty, commercial fleets, public transportation, aviation, and marine sectors – as well as areas that cut across all sectors, such as battery adoption, the supply chain for materials, fueling/charging. and the impact of hydrogen. Because the carbon content of propulsion fuels is dependent on other sectors (for example, the transition to renewable electricity), the course will examine the energy transition in transportation in the context of broader decarbonization trends. In exploring each transportation sub-sector, the course will focus mainly from the commercial perspective, but will incorporate the external factors (e.g., innovation, policy, macro-factors) that affect commercial success.
- Topics on: Economics, Infrastructure, Transportation
- Course
Most recently taught Spring 2026
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology to assess the environmental impact of products, services, and industrial processes used across a variety of industries. As a tool it is used to not only to measure environmental impact, but also measure impact reduction and to communicate to a variety of stakeholders including policymakers and consumers. This course is for future LCA practitioners, those working with LCA data, and those wanting to learn the principles of life cycle thinking
The goal of this course is to teach students the principles of LCA and life cycle thinking. You’ll also learn how to complete an LCA from start to finish. In this course you will learn the theory of LCA, including: goal and scope, building a life cycle inventory and assessment, and interpreting the results. More importantly, you will learn the practical application of LCA, including its use in decision-making and the limitations and challenges of using LCA in the real world. This is an elective course and open to cross-registrants outside of SUMA, space permitting. No prior LCA knowledge is required. We will meet in-person Wednesday nights for the full semester. Zoom is available in extenuating circumstances.
- Topics on: Impact
- Course
Most recently taught Spring 2025
Climate change and biodiversity loss are existential threats to the planet, our own health and well-being, and the global economy. The course will identify several key players and leverage points in the capital market and elaborate on whether and how a “systems change” could be achieved to tackle these urgent challenges. In addition to governments and NGOs, the mobilization of capital markets plays a pivotal role. To mobilize capital markets, a thorough understanding of capital markets as well as the mechanisms and obstacles at work is required, as well as innovative solutions that overcome these obstacles. This course will provide a deep dive into several financial innovations that aim to overcome these obstacles and help mobilize capital markets to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss at the system level. In this course, students will learn to think at the system-level, to understand the opportunities and challenges faced in mobilizing capital markets, and to assess concrete obstacles and whether and how financial innovations can bring scalable solutions for the benefit of society.
- Topics on: Biodiversity, Finance
- Course
Most recently taught Spring 2026
This course begins with an overview of the causes and effects of global climate change and the methods available to control and adapt to it. We will then examine the negotiation, implementation and current status of the Montreal Protocol, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, the Copenhagen Accord, the Paris Agreement, and the subsequent agreements through that reached at COP30 in Belem, Brazil in November 2025. The focus will then turn to the past and proposed actions of the U.S. Congress, the executive branch (including successive presidential administrations) and the courts, as well as regional, state and municipal efforts. The Clean Air Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act will receive special attention, as will the authority of an administration to reverse prior policy. We will examine efforts in the U.S. and other countries to use the courts to force action on climate change. We will evaluate the various legal tools that are available to address climate change, including cap-and-trade schemes; carbon taxation; command-and-control regulation; litigation; and securities disclosures. The roles of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, carbon capture and sequestration, and forestry and agriculture will each receive close attention. Implications for international human rights, international trade, environmental justice, and international and intergenerational equity will be discussed. The course will conclude with examination of proposals for adaptation and geoengineering.
- Topics on: Law, Policy
- Course
Most recently taught Fall 2025
Project finance is a capital-raising technique frequently employed to build or purchase energy assets that produce reliable cashflows. The investment’s risks are mitigated through contracts with project counterparties; project capital is sourced among various investors: corporate sponsors, project developers, investment funds, commercial lenders, development banks, export credit agencies. Projects related to the energy transition to lower-carbon or no-carbon power generation and the parallel expansion of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets are the most prominent examples ofinternational energy project finance today.
The objective of the course is to provide participants with a practical grasp of which types of projects will attract capital from the range of equity and debt sources for energy investment. Relating a project’s risk profile to equity-return targets and credit availability is a prevailing theme of the course. The course gives particular attention to the economics and government incentives behind the energy transition underway globally to greater use of natural gas and renewables in power generation.
- Topics on: Energy, Finance
- Course
Most recently taught Spring 2026
This course surveys the legal and policy mechanisms, and political and social forces, that can be utilized to mitigate the emission of greenhouse gases and adapt to a warming planet. The course will examine the international, federal, state, and local legal regimes applicable to climate change. The course begins by covering the negotiation, implementation, and current status of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and recent developments from COP proceedings. We will examine how climate change intersects with other international law regimes, including international trade law and human rightsobligations.
The focus will then turn to U.S. climate policy and its current state of flux. We will examine the evolution of federal climate policy and the significant shifts occurring under the current administration. The Clean Air Act and regulatory authority will receive special attention, as will the legal authority of an administration to reverse prior policy. We will then evaluate various international and domestic legal tools available to address climate change, including cap-andtrade and carbon offsets, litigation strategies, information disclosure laws, energy transition policies, and adaptation challenges. Special attention will be given to issues of climate justice throughout the course as they intersect with various legal and policy regimes.
- Topics on: Law, Policy
- Course
Most recently taught Fall 2025
Climate change is a threat multiplier. To eliminate inequities in climate risk, it is essential to understand the social, economic, and political factors and processes that contribute to uneven vulnerability and shape adaptive capacity in historically marginalized communities. This course explores these issues, framed by the concept of climate justice, to better explain how and why the situation is as it is presently. In this course, we will bring together interdisciplinary scholarship, social science data, commentary, case studies, policy innovations, advocacy, and practice to examine how climate change shapes society, how social systems influence our efforts to address climate change impacts, and how effectively proposed solutions respond to these impacts.
- Topics on: Justice, Policy
- Course
Most recently taught Fall 2025
This course critically examines the growing opposition to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks in the United States and globally. Students will explore the historical evolution of sustainability, the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of ESG backlash, and how this impacts ESG integration in business, policy, and investment. The objective is to prepare students to engage productively with critiques of ESG in their professional careers, whether in academia, government, or the private sector.
Through an open-discussion format, case studies, and engagement with perspectives from both ESG proponents and skeptics, students will refine their ability to articulate ESG related arguments, navigate controversy, and develop pragmatic strategies for sustainability leadership in an increasingly polarized landscape.
- Topics on: ESG, Resilence
- Resource
This open access book presents peer-reviewed chapters that introduce the subject of climate change within formal and informal sectors of education in Africa, as key to building the capacity of current and future generations to address the most pressing global issue.
An insight into existing practices, perceptions, and prospects for climate change education in Africa can bring to light relevant frameworks that can support a climate-resilient future in the continent.
Among others, the book contends that there is a need to rethink current practices of climate change education in the continent by optimizing Indigenous knowledge systems and context-relevant pedagogies as important strategies.
Governments, civil society, and other stakeholders in Africa can draw on the rich insights captured in this book as they consider feasible approaches to resolve the current climate crisis.
- Topics on: Decarbonization, Energy, Food, Impact, Infrastructure, Policy, Resilence, Science, Supply Chain, Water
- Course
It is widely accepted that climate factors can and do affect human mobility, though the degree of their influence varies depending on local contexts. In the case of population displacement, rapid onset climate extremes have a relatively direct impact on mobility, and for longer-term migration climate factors also have been shown to play a role, generally mediated by more direct drivers. There is a growing recognition that underlying institutional and structural factors (i.e., root causes) shape the way the climate stressors impact local migration decision-making, and that cultural proclivities and inequitable access to resources, markets, and political power structures often set the stage for ensuing migration flows (domestic and international). In many low income settings the donor and development assistance community are grappling with these complex nexus issues as they seek to develop policies and programs that reduce the potential for distress or mass migration. Responses to date generally fall into four categories; 1) those that address the livelihood aspects of climate migration — e.g., by improving the prospects for local adaptation; 2) those that seek to facilitate mobility as an adaptation mechanism; 3) those that resettle people in new locations and offer migrant protections; and 4) those that seek to mitigate the impacts of those movements, including environmental impacts, on receiving communities. In high income settings, responses to current and potentially increased immigration from developing countries tends to fall into two camps: a resurgent nationalism with measures to prevent or deter migration versus more migrant-friendly policies that seek to protect migrant rights while acknowledging responsibility for historic greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, high income countries are facing climate impacts of their own such as sea level rise, riparian flooding and massive fires that have displaced thousands and prompted managed retreat from at-risk areas. All this has brought to the fore questions of equity and climate justice as marginalized populations everywhere are often disproportionately affected and least compensated.
This interdisciplinary course focuses on the social, demographic, economic, political, environmental and climatic factors that shape human mobility, while addressing the legal categories of international mobility (e.g., migrant versus refugee). We explore underlying drivers of the various types of migration – from forced to voluntary and those forms in between – in order to better understand current and future trends. The course brings to the fore equity, climate justice, and human rights considerations, as well as the mental health dimensions of climate displacement and migration.
- Topics on: Adaptation, Impact, Science
- Course
Most recently taught Spring 2026
This advanced course teaches the real-world skills required to finance infrastructure assets, taught from the perspective of industry practitioners. Each week, students will learn how to apply project finance principles to invest in a different infrastructure asset, including utility-scale solar, wind, battery storage, natural gas, and nuclear projects. Classes will feature a mix of lectures, case studies, hands-on modeling, and discussions with industry experts.
Trillions of dollars in investment are needed to build the infrastructure to address climate change and the growing demand for electricity. This course is designed for the students wanting to learn how to make those investments. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to navigate the complexities of infrastructure finance, including the frameworks, tools, and skills to invest in projects driving the global energy transition.
- Topics on: Business, Energy, Finance
- Course
Most recently taught in taught Fall 2024
We need to transition toward a more environmentally-sustainable society given both pollution and its health effects, and the impacts of extreme weather and climate change. The production and consumption of energy is the largest contributor to these concerns, and so the transition to a clean energy economy is essential. The increasing energy needs of the world’s growing population make this an ongoing challenge. At the same time, energy security and affordability, and social and economic inequities, must also be considered. New technologies and effective policies are needed to help drive increased deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Finance is also a key lever to drive the implementation of clean energy. The availability and cost of capital is a key determinant in scaling renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
This course focuses on the finance and market aspects of the clean energy economy, and integrates technology, policy, and finance to evaluate both the opportunities and challenges. There is a focus on renewable energy generation, as mass electrification using cleaner generation sources is necessary to sustain our energy-dependent lives and economies. The course also looks at energy efficiency, including specific end-uses of energy that are responsible for the majority of emissions (e.g., buildings, electric vehicles). Throughout the course, finance will be analyzed as a barrier to, or enabler of, greater adoption of clean energy.
This is a full semester course. Interactive lectures, and guest speakers where appropriate, will cover these topics in the first twelve classes (the final two remaining classes will be reserved for group presentations). The course can be divided into three sections (class numbers shown in parentheses):
- ● Acquiring a basic understanding of the U.S. electricity market: (1) history of the energy industry and the importance of finance, (2) energy fundamentals and electricity markets today, and (3) clean energy and grid integration.
- ● Applying the tools of finance to clean energy: (4) overview of key financing concepts, (5) financial modeling for energy projects, (6) review of key financing concepts.
- ● Integrating knowledge of the electricity market and finance to explore: (7) opportunities and challenges of clean energy, (8) rate design and the financing of distributed energy resources, (9) financing mechanisms for clean energy, (10) electric vehicles, (11) building energy efficiency, and (12) future of clean energy finance; conclusion.
Course assignments will include financial models, problem sets, case studies, and a final group presentation. The financial modeling will be designed to consider the varying levels of student experience. An important aspect of the course is for students to learn some of the analytical tools used by industry practitioners to make investment decisions. While no specific financial modeling experience is required, students should have basic spreadsheet skills or be prepared to learn them. As the course progresses, students will learn to appreciate the roles of technology, policy, and finance in the transition to a clean energy economy. Upon completion of this class, students should understand the fundamentals of the U.S. electricity sector, the role of clean energy, the opportunities and limitations of finance, and some of the different mechanisms to support clean energy finance.
This is an elective course designed for both students with a limited background in finance but with an interest in building that skill set, and students with prior backgrounds in finance that are seeking to apply those skills to financing the clean energy economy. Space permitting, the course is open to cross-registrants from other Columbia University graduate programs, and students from several schools at Columbia have successfully completed this course (Arts and Sciences, Business, Climate, Engineering and Applied Science, International and Public Affairs, Professional Studies, Public Health, and Social Work). The course is approved for the Certificate in Sustainable Finance requirement.
While this course has been taught in online and HyFlex (hybrid flexible) formats, the expectation is that this course will be taught in-person this semester.
- Topics on: Energy, Finance
- Course
Most recently taught Fall 2025
The Impact Investing course provides students with an overview of the entire spectrum of investing approaches used by impact investors. This is done through a combination of cases and lectures by the professor, and guest presentations by leading impact investors and thought leaders. The substantive areas covered include: (1) how investors and investment managers and advisors select and structure their impact investments; (2) the differing financial return and social impact return expectations of impact investors; and (3) the challenges and methodologies for measuring impact. This course is designed around the different types of impact investments from the perspective of investors, and is composed of four modules:
1. Responsible Investing – socially responsible investing (SRI) is designed to screen public equity investments of companies or sectors believed to be causing social harm.
2. Sustainable Investing – also referred to as ESG investing, is designed to select public or private equity investments using fundamental analysis that incorporates environmental, social, and governance factors.
3. Thematic Investing –private equity and venture capital investments designed to earn a market risk-adjusted return while also addressing a specific social or environmental problem.
4. Impact First Investing – private investments designed primarily to address a social or environmental problem, with no expectation of achieving market returns.
- Topics on: Business, ESG, Finance, Investing
- Course
Most recently taught Spring 2026
This half semester course provides students with the opportunity to perform due diligence on early-stage social ventures (nonprofit and for-profit ventures with a social or environmental mission). This course is designed for MBA students interested in impact investing, social entrepreneurship, or philanthropy. The objective of the course is for students to learn both the theory of investing in early-stage social ventures and the practice of evaluating early-stage social ventures through a due diligence process. This course is not designed for the evaluation of larger, well-established social enterprises.
Students are placed in teams to evaluate social entrepreneurs from the Columbia University community who have applied for funding from the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures. The course is a combination of in-class lectures and discussion, and practical application of class lessons outside of the classroom. Major topics covered include: the due diligence process, assessing venture pitches and teams, due diligence in emerging markets, due diligence of mission-first for-profit and nonprofit startups, impact measurement and management, and valuation and deal structure.
During the course, each student team completes detailed due diligence on their assigned social venture, including diligence on applicants, the social venture and the sector. The course concludes with student teams submitting a written due diligence report and a recommendation for funding to the Investment Board of the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures.
- Topics on: ESG, Finance, Investing
- Course
Energy Economics and Policy (EEP) is: about energy markets and policies applied to them. lt is designed to give class participants practical experience in making connections between economic concepts and real-world regulatory policy questions in a set of extremely important, interrelated market — energy market. Drawing on the tools of economics, this course will study the efficiency and public policy issues raised in energy markets, and in the environmental markets to which they are closely tied.
How do energy markets work? When and how should the government regulate energy markets? How should firms respond to these regulations? How should we think about carbon dioxide emissions and other environmental externalities? What is the role for energy efficiency, innovation, and incentives?
- Topics on: Energy, Finance, Policy
- Course
“This subject addresses the relationship between the legal system and the development and utilization of science and technology. It also explores the ways in which law, economics, and technological change shape public policy, and compares law and economics as alternative paradigms for encouraging sustainability, growth, and employment.
The subject examines some of the essential literature on the interface between technology and law, and it focuses on a series of specific topics in this area that have been (or are likely to be) both important and controversial. These include: environmental/public health risks generally; genetic engineering; telecommunications and the Internet; pharmaceuticals; nanotechnology; industrial automation; the impacts of intellectual property law on innovation and equity; the role of health, safety and environmental regulation and its effect on innovation; and the uses, limitations, and alternatives to cost-benefit analysis as a tool for guiding public policy.
- Topics on: Energy, Finance, Policy, Technology
- Course
5.S05 explores Building Sector Energy and Climate Innovations; such as technologies and services that strategically enhance building efficiency and electrification; incorporate site solar, battery storage, and electric vehicles; and are enabled to integrate with today’s increasingly renewable electric grids. Such innovations provide a foundation for a New Era for Energy Management: technology and business innovations supported by climate-centric public policies as well as a robust Green Capital market. These enable the energy management industry (over $200 billion worldwide) to rapidly grow due to: • Strong economics: with technology and price trends which are positive and dramatic. • Needed for Climate: Large scale energy management is a substantial and essential component of world carbon balance, and with no net cost (positive NPV).
Strong Demand for energy that is Digitized, Decarbonized, and Democratized: especially when market innovations make it costless (up front), riskless, effortless, and for some, a choice as to how and where their energy is produced (Prosumers). With enabling support from the instructors, materials, and assignments, class members examine and reflect on emerging technology, analytic, business, and policy innovations that help achieve today’s imperatives for a sustainable and equitable future. We then consider together strategies that may further advance Energy Management’s impact and benefits
- Topics on: Economics, Energy, Justice, Technology